Easter has been hijacked

I've never got the rellevance of the Church of England ,founded by a man who was an adulterer and murderer ..even if he didn't do the deed himself.Simply so he could marry and dispose of wives as he chose .If it works for you though?

Exactly anniebach

Strange but I don't Henry 8 a thought when I am in Church

During the school Easter concert my little
4 yr old grandson was wearing ear defenders and sadly found it difficult to hear the music and sing along with the other children.

Yesterday as he was sitting on the mat playing cars with his cars,
A little voice was singing Hosanna king of kings!
It made my Easter!

Oddly enough Annie, Henry 8 never troubles me when I’m in Church either. I ponder on the critical comments, like ‘conservative party at prayer’ because Church has never felt like that to me. Also, maybe it’s the old issue of mixing with people like ourselves, but my clergy friends are all left leaning. Something I’m sure they share with Jesus, given his teachings.

Same with me Iam, why do some think those all who attend church are Tory. Could be because they think of Marx ?, I have several priest friends who share my political views

Cherry , how lovely

It's reassuring to know that so many of us, pagan, Christian, atheist or whatever, are comfortable in our own skin and happy for others to celebrate our mutual high days and holidays however they wish. It must be very wearing to be forever looking out for faults and slights. Your post is spot on, Eglantine.

Try reading this for serious and properly researched history.

historyforatheists.com/2017/04/easter-ishtar-eostre-and-eggs/

It is sad & true that Christmas & Easter have been hijacked by commercialism.
Also unless children go to faith schools or church on a Sunday or have parents who explain the biblical reasons many will not know the story of Jesus Christ.
Thankfully this country maintains the traditional celebration of both, it is up to all of us to inform ,educate & maintain these traditions & beliefs to every generation, so that as adults they can at least make informed choices decisions etc about the country & world they live in.

Atheists seem to have a problem with Christians yet Christians don't have a problem with atheists, wonder why atheists speak out so, no one is forced or even asked to share the Christian faith

Yes I think you may be correct there Annibach. Interesting, perhaps they have a small doubt that they may have backed the wrong team!

The pagan festival has got nothing to do with Easter. It is celebrated on 21 March, the Spring solstice, while the religious festival called Easter in this country is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. So several weeks later.

The fact that the early English preferred to use the local name for the pagan spring festival for the Christian religious festival as well is purely incidental and a matter of local custom and practice. Other countries use a version of the name of the Jewish festival of Passover, that also happens at this time. Pasque, in French or Paschal,(an adjective) in English.

Or want to convert a Christian to atheism

Who are these atheists Annie?

Why GG?

I'm all for live and let live - just as annie is saying. The word "hijacked" in the thread title is a value judgement that seems inappropriate.

Thank you for the interesting link, MiceElf. The notable omission from the list of renditions of Easter in European languages is German: Ostern. This has the same root as our Easter, and according to one respected German authority, Duden, comes from the Old German Auströ, meaning sunrise, which as I see it can symbolise the resurrection or the dawn of a new religion, or just Spring. No gods or goddesses involved

And as an atheist (I feel that the phrase confirmed atheist suggests some sort of ceremony conducted by a kind of Dawkinsian bishop) I have no desire to convert anyone to or from anything. Each to his/her own.

I just wondered why you were taking a pop at poor old atheists for no apparent reason - very Christian

But why ask who they are GG? You wanted names? Why ?

I'm all for live and let live - just as annie is saying. The word "hijacked" in the thread title is a value judgement that seems inappropriate.

Exactly LG, but there are other posts on this thread that are jumping on the "value judgement" bandwagon too. Every time a holiday with some attachment to Christianity comes up we have a particular type of "Christian" who see it as their job to tell everyone what they should be doing. It will happen again, I have no doubt.

here we go again ?

Happily I have just discovered that the origins of Easter Eggs originated as representing the empty tomb of Jesus.

Because I think that what is happening here is exactly what happens on the political threads Annie. Here, people's beliefs are not known and there their political view is ignored. There they end up being called Corbynistas and here it's atheists.

I don't know about you but I think calling people names just because they don't share someone else's point of view is very in-Christian.