Easter Madness: Is your church an abomination?

[Aquila]

As we approach Easter Sunday, I was reflecting on the how and why churches celebrate Easter. How is your church approaching this upcoming Easter holiday and why?

There truly is nothing new under the sun...

The following verse is about how the people of ancient Israel began participating in the celebrations honoring Ashtoreth (the Queen of Heaven) along with the pagan peoples around her.

Jeremiah 7:18 English Standard Version (ESV)
18 The children gather wood, the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough, to make cakes for the queen of heaven. And they pour out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger.

People have been making sweet treats in honor of the goddess Ashtoreth since the most ancient of times.

Who is Ashtoreth? Funny you should ask. You know her by a different name. She was known as Asherah prior to being called Ashtoreth. Here is how her name has evolved down through the millennia:

Asherah/Ashtoreth/Astarte/Ostera/Ēostre/Ēastre/Easter

I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.

I'm seeing churches all over our community advertising "Easter Services". Is this not a compromise with cultural paganism?

1 John 5:21 (ESV)
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

[Amanah]

my husband and I are going to eat our Passover meal at Toojays





and then we will attend Messiah

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Amanah

my husband and I are going to eat our Passover meal at Toojays





and then we will attend Messiah

Sounds like a plan! LOL

But my question was, is your church having "Easter" services?

[Amanah]

FPC Palm Bay is my church along with FPC Sebastian which is a daughter work.

The Messiah Drama is going to be at FPC Palm Bay.

What is your church doing?

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Amanah

FPC Palm Bay is my church along with FPC Sebastian which is a daughter work.

The Messiah Drama is going to be at FPC Palm Bay.

What is your church doing?

I'm currently between churches. lol

So, I'm looking around for a church where I'd feel welcomed, and my family will learn the Bible, and not traditions of man.

I don't have a clue what we're doing over the weekend. I've really not put much thought into it. Christina wants to give the kids "Easter baskets". I'd rather ditch the holiday and do something different altogether.

[Michael The Disciple]

My cousin attends a Charismatic Church in Dayton. He said they are giving out 20 thousand easter eggs Sunday.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Michael The Disciple

My cousin attends a Charismatic Church in Dayton. He said they are giving out 20 thousand easter eggs Sunday.

Would you call that participating in a pagan tradition?

I could tell my kids to walk through the field and pass over the eggs up, and call it "Passova". lol

[RachelRose]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I'm currently between churches. lol

So, I'm looking around for a church where I'd feel welcomed, and my family will learn the Bible, and not traditions of man.

I don't have a clue what we're doing over the weekend. I've really not put much thought into it. Christina wants to give the kids "Easter baskets". I'd rather ditch the holiday and do something different altogether.

Same, I am between churches. I have a small church I go to but am just staying there because there is nothing else I have found yet.

One of the reasons I left the AofG was they celebrate the Easter holiday. Imagine my surprise that UPCI also does in varying degrees.

I have mentioned this before so just stop me if you have already heard me say this. I once brought up to an elder something going on in the church I felt was pretty worldly. His comment was we can take the things once used by the devil and sanctify them for God. I just shook my head and walked away; it was a waste of time to even try to fight "city hall."

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by RachelRose

Same, I am between churches. I have a small church I go to but am just staying there because there is nothing else I have found yet.

One of the reasons I left the AofG was they celebrate the Easter holiday. Imagine my surprise that UPCI also does in varying degrees.

I have mentioned this before so just stop me if you have already heard me say this. I once brought up to an elder something going on in the church I felt was pretty worldly. His comment was we can take the things once used by the devil and sanctify them for God. I just shook my head and walked away; it was a waste of time to even try to fight "city hall."

It's nice to know I'm not the only one.

I've always been of the opinion of taking dominion and using the day to glorify God. However, I'm feeling a strange drawing to re-examine that position in light of Scripture. God doesn't seem to like it when we try to honor Him with strange fire, pagan ways, or offer honor to pagan custom and deities that are an abomination to Him.

The thread on the Aztec Death Whistle shook me up. Hearing it brought a reality to the pagan practices of those peoples that I haven't felt. It's almost like the whistle woke me up. lol Who would try to honor God with blowing one of those? Or celebrating their Day of the Dead? And if that makes sense, why honor Easter, the Festival of Eostre?

So, as I look for a church or a fellowship to roll with for a while, I'm considering what I see. I'm seeing a LOT of paganism in not only Trinitarian (pagan) churches... but even in Oneness, Jesus name, Apostolic churches!

I have clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, and here I am... stuck in the middle with Jesus. lol

[n david]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Who is Ashtoreth? Funny you should ask. You know her by a different name. She was known as Asherah prior to being called Ashtoreth. Here is how her name has evolved down through the millennia:

Asherah/Ashtoreth/Astarte/Ostera/Ēostre/Ēastre/Easter

What is your source here?