Easter and Pagan Fertility Festivals

Spring is in the air. The azaleas are blooming, the trees and grass are turning green, and the drone of lawn mowers break the peaceful songs of the birds on Saturday mornings. This is a wonderful time of year as the world awakes from its winter slumber.

In ancient cultures, Spring’s arrival was a comforting reminder that the gods had not forgotten them and would bless the earth with much needed food. In a world in which food reserves were scarce, each harvest could be the difference between life and death. It is not surprising that these ancient people developed elaborate worship ceremonies around the renewal and rebirth of the world in Spring.

Diana of the Ephesians, mentioned in Acts, was a goddess who provided nourishment to the nations. She is one of many goddesses that symbolized fertility and growth among the ancient people. In the temples of many fertility idols, male and female prostitutes would provide part of the “worship” to honor the gods. Outside of the “civilized” empire, the barbaric tribes also celebrated fertility rites to welcome the Spring. Some services were drunken feasts in honor of the gods. It was in this debased environment that the early Christians had to teach the proper worship of the one God.

Under the reign of Constantine, the Roman persecution of Christians stopped. Christianity became the official religion of the empire. Great numbers converted to Christianity because it was fashionable. Many retained their pagan practices. In an attempt to convert the barbarian nations, particularly the Germanic people, well meaning Christians tried to adopt the pagan practices to the Christian worship. This contrasts to the work of Paul who, when he addressed the idolatrous people at the Areopagus in Acts 17, told the people to repent of their idolatry and serve the one true God.

The mix of idolatry and Christianity was disastrous. Instead of leading people to a pure spiritual religion delivered by Jesus and His inspired apostles, it became a physical worldly religion. Instead of converting the idolatrous to Christ, they made the church more idolatrous. They replaced pagan idols with statues of Jesus, the apostles, and venerated saints. As the idols represented various occupations and pursuits, such as farming, hunting, and business, the saints would now have patronage over these things. They also adopted the pagan festivals, giving them a “Christian” meaning.

One of the most celebrated feasts was the feast for Ostara, the goddess of the morning light, or the sun’s return in the Spring. The celebration of life returning from death, Spring arising from Winter, seemed appropriate to adapt to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. The new Easter celebration combined the resurrection of Christ with the symbolism of the fertility festivals. These symbols included baby chicks (new life), rabbits (well known for their breeding capability), and eggs, the ultimate symbol of new birth.

Some may note that the word “Easter” appears in the King James Version in Acts 12:4 and therefore must have been celebrated by the church in the first century. To this I quote the noted commentator and scholar, Albert Barnes:

There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this. The original is simply after the Passover. The word Easter now denotes the festival observed by many Christian churches in honour of the resurrection of the Saviour. But the original has no reference to that; nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at the time when this book was written. The translation is not only unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of the original, but because it may contribute to foster an opinion that such a festival was observed in the times of the apostles. The word Easter is of Saxon origin, and is supposed to be derived from Eostre, the goddess of love, or the Venus of the North, in honour of whom a festival was celebrated by our pagan ancestors in the month of April. (Webster.) As this festival coincided with the Passover of the Jews, and with the feast observed by Christians in honour of the resurrection of Christ, the name came to be used to denote the latter. In the old Anglo-Saxon service-books the term Easter is used frequently to translate the word Passover. In the translation by Wicliffe, the word paske, i.e., passover, is used. But Tindal and Coverdale used the word Easter, and hence it has very improperly crept into our translation. (Clark.) From StudyLight.org

Will the church where I attend have a special Easter pageant or sunrise service? No. We will not recognize the resurrection with any more significance than we do any other worship. The early church did not so we do not. An individual must decide if he wants to celebrate it as a family day with no spiritual significance, where the family can wear new spring clothes, hide eggs, and eat too many jellybeans. However, if one wants to celebrate it as a religious holiday, he must remember that the festival arose from the mind of man, not the mind of God.

How To Feel More Comfortable about Sin

The word “sin” seems so harsh. Members of the church and especially non-Christians don’t like the word. No one likes to have their actions called sins. Naturally, to commit an action and have it called sin will make us feel uncomfortable. If you want to continue sinning but not feel so bad about it, follow these tips:

Emphasize other people’s sins, minimize your own sins

Jesus illustrated this in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9-14.

9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed [1] thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” ESV

by Rody Davis
A drawing of two paths by Rody Davis

The tax collector clearly had a negative view of his sin which is evidenced by his humility when approaching God. He considered himself a sinner and even said it out loud!  He would not even look up to God when asking God for mercy. He clearly was not comfortable with his sin.

However, the Pharisee knew that he needed to compare his life with those who were considered inferior and known in the world as sinners. He was even thankful to God that he was not like those terrible sins. He was also quick to point out all that he did for God and could even look God in the eye, so to speak, and declare his righteousness.

Matthew 7:1-5 records the most beloved saying of scripture (not “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” but the real favorite: “Judge not that you be not judged”). Jesus compared one who ignores his own sins while focusing on the sins of others as one who has a piece of lumber sticking out of his eye trying to remove a speck of dirt from his brother’s eye. Be careful not to read the whole passage because Jesus does not actually condemn judging others but rather that we need to work on ourselves in order that we may help others

Think on evil things without doing them

Some are rightly worried that if the do certain things, they will be lost:

“9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, ESV

However, these people who do not want to commit these acts (and others condemned in scripture) might let their minds wander and imagine sinful thoughts but think that they are safe since it is only in the mind. However, in Colossians 3:1-2 Paul urges us seek the things that are above and not dwell on worldly things. If we seek the things above, we will not want evil thoughts to remain in our minds to grow and pollute our thinking.

Jesus taught, in Matthew 15:11, 15-20, that evil inside our hearts defiles us. The sins that we commit come from things planted in our hearts. Note that all of these actions are prompted by lust, covetousness, hatred, envy, and ungodliness in our hearts.

Play near the “big” sins without committing them

Many people see committing sin as a line not to cross. When one steals or kills, they have crossed the line into unrighteousness. Jesus addressed this attitude with the Pharisees in Matthew 5:21-22; 27-28. Clearly murder and adultery were condemned by God and the Jewish audience recognized this as true. However, Jesus taught that before the “big” sins were committed, many little sins preceded them!  There are no “big” and “little” sins. All sin is unrighteousness.

We must also remember that sin is deceptive. After all, it is authored by the father of lies. When you think you are close to the edge of sin, you are actually already into sin. James 1:12-16 teaches about the progression of sin towards death. Most people do not jump into the deep end, they step into the shallow end and go until they are completely immersed.

Laugh at sinful things

I have no doubt that some will read this article and laugh at the idea of sin and that anyone should be concerned about it. They condemn very little and think that the concept of sin is outdated. This attitude itself is ancient and condemned by God

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20, ESV

Mocking sin and the concept of sin and laughing at sinful actions or stories help make sin not seem so serious. This is the magic of TV and movies. Using filthly language, condemned in passages such as Colossians 3:8, doesn’t seem so bad when a cute kid does it. In fact, it usually generates a good laugh.

Sexual immorality is much easier to deal with when you can laugh at the behavior and laugh at those who condemn it. Adultery and premarital sex is always cause for a good laugh on TV and movies. One can find himself wanting the main character to have an affair or premarital sex with one of the other characters. Even if we would not endorse this if the characters were our friends or parents, we excuse it because it is “entertainment”. We can even watch couples having sex, something we don’t do in real life–and would be arrested if we were looking in bedroom windows. But hey, it’s part of the plot.

Sinful behaviors don’t seem so bad when they are flooded into the cable or satellite dish on a 24-hour basis. It is godly living and standing for the truth that really gets the good laughs.

Follow worldly philosophies

Let pithy sayings, suppositions about what the Bible teaches (without actually studying it thorougly yourself), and “accepted knowledge” guide your thoughts instead of clear reasoned arguments. Undersand that the problem with this approach is that Paul wrote, in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, that the Bible can peel through the transparent knowledge and empty philosophy of the world. To feel more comfortable about sin,  deep and medidative Bible study should be avoided.

To follow the spirit of this world you must convince yourself that it doesn’t really matter what you believe. Of course, you will need to ignore passages like 1 Timothy 1:5-7.  If you find a preacher who will tickle your ear by teaching what you want to hear, that will help (2 Timothy 4:2-5).

Give into worldly habits since you can’t fight them

The best way to become comfortable with sinning is to convince yourself that you just can’t keep from sinning. Keep telling yourself that you are just too weak and that God will just have to deal with your lack of self control. You will need to ignore the exampe of Paul who disciplined his body and mind so he would be faithful to Christ, 1 Corinthians 9:27. Also, stay away from the exhortation to not let sin reign in your life, Romans 6:12-14. If you can avoid the instructions of 2 Peter 1 to develop self-control and the numerous exhortations to flee immorality and live “soberly, righteously, and godly in this present age” (1 Corinthians 6:18; Titus 2:12) it will help you to accept your lame excuse that you just can’t resist temptation and that it is just the way you are.

Don’t clutter your mind with spiritual things

If you are not thinking spiritually, you won’t have to be concerned whether an action is wrong or right. You can chant the mantra “peace and safety” while feeling comfortable with sin, 1 Thessalonians 5:3. Spiritual thoughts can cloud the mind and perhaps cause your conscience to hurt if you are committing sin.

A different approach

Some reading this might decide that they shouldn’t feel comfortable about sin in their lives. It is understandable since the Bible teaches that we will be judged for all that we do or think (Revelation 20:12-13; Hebrews 4:12-13) and that the punishment for sin is eternal death.

You might also see that sin brings you down from the beauty of holiness to the filth of the world (2 Peter 1:3-4). The more we sin the less we look like Christ. It cheapens our life for we can never be all that we should be, and do great things for the cause of Christ if sin rules in our lives.

If you realize this, then it would be best if you never became comfortable with sin in your life. Peace, joy, and contentment are only found in Christ. The devil can promise it through pleasures, possessions, and prestige, but he can never deliver.

Game To Help You Learn Scriptures

My wife came across this site that has several activities to help you learn the scriptures. It includes a game to help you memorize scripture. Here’s the link:

Working With God To Relieve Suffering

In the grand questions of how a good God can permit suffering, sometimes we forget that man can stop or help relieve the suffering of his fellow man. In all suffering, God is present if we will seek Him.

OTHER ARTICLES:

  1. How Can  A Good God Permit Suffering
  2. Man Creates Much of His Suffering

It is easy to see how man, through his greed for power and material wealth, ignorance, or acting based on “acceptable risks” creates situations that brings suffering upon himself and others. Some suffer terrible diseases or physical problems because they do not exercise, eat properly, or continue in other bad habits that have been proved to hurt the body. Man clearly has a hand in much of the suffering in this world.

Where Were You When Others Suffered?

However, man also can be a power to relieve suffering or provide comfort in a time of need. In the face of disasters some ask “Where was God?” but a question equal, or perhaps of greater significance is “Where is man?” In every suffering there is an opportunity to be compassionate and responsive. During the Judean famine of the first century churches throughout the world who were not suffering famine were able to provide assistance. In 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 13-15, the wealthy brethren helped their needy brethren to provide food during this time of deprivation. Involved in this action is the understanding that the Judean Christians would have the opportunity to repay that kindness when they helped other Christians during their suffering.

I have forgotten the source of this great quote: “In some kind of suffering that befalls man, I am afraid to ask ‘Why didn’t God do anything about it’ for fear that he will ask the same thing of me!” A story told by Stanley Jones illustrates this well:

A wealthy farmer prayed in his family circle that his unfortunate neighbors might not starve. When they arose from their knees, his little girl said to him, ‘Daddy, you needn’t have bothered God with that, for you can quite easily keep them from starving’

The question is less about what can the church, government, or society do to address a problem to the practical “what can I do to address this need?” He who curses the darkness could light a candle

Be Careful Not To Blame God

We have to be careful about the role we assign to God. Unless He explicitly states through His word what He has done, we are only speculating–and often terribly–about His actions. Sometimes people try to account for God during sufferin in a way that opens up more criticism. For example, an email that circulated after the September 11th attacks said that God “held up the towers while the people escaped.” If your loved one was one of the 2,830 who died, would you not be angry and wonder why God held it up long enough for many to escape but did not continue holding it up until all could escape? Why did He let it go when He did? Why not create obstacles for all the people (cancelled flights, etc.) so no one had to die? When we begin down this road, we come to some illogical and unscriptural conclusions.

I see this type of ignorance when people try to explain the death of a child. A well-meaning person tries to comfort the sibling by saying God wanted his little brother so much that He took him to heaven. In a misguided effort to provide comfort they terrify a kid and make him scared of God. Who knows when He’ll be back to get another one of us? Good intent; terrible approach. Better to understand that death is just a part of life and enjoy the comfort that while the death of the child was unfortunate, that God is comforting and caring for the child now.

Similarly, we must not assume that suffering on an individual or national level is the result of the judgment of God. We do “reap what we sow” and “our sins will find us out.” However, sometimes we suffer as a consequence of the action of others or being in the wrong place at the wrong time. God allowed Job to suffer many things as the devil sought to lure him away, but Job’s friends falsely claimed that he was suffering as a result of some sin. When Jesus and the apostles discussed some Jews killed by Pilate and eighteen people killed when a tower collapsed He did not blame their fate on sin, but told them that the dead were no worse sinners than anyone else (Luke 13:1-5). In John 9:1-3, Jesus rebuked the foolish question of whether the sin of a man or his parents led to his blindness. It is better not to blame God for suffering that may be simply the result of chance or natural consequences of one’s actions.

Where is God When Others Suffer?

It is easy to find God during suffering if we will open our eyes. He has entered the suffering with us and can strengthen us. God in the flesh had compassion on the lepers, forgave the immoral who repented with broken spirits, groaned in His spirit at the sorrow of Lazarus’ loved ones and wept with them, suffered rejection and violence at the hands of wicked men, was spat upon, beaten, and mocked, abandoned by his friends, and died a slow agonizing death on a cross of shame. Hebrews 5:5-9 tells us that Jesus learned obedience through suffering and is sympathetic to our pain.God can make “all things work together for good” for those who love Him, Romans 8:28. People find strength in suffering. Some learn compassion and become selfless. Some learn humility. Sometimes a small tragedy energizes a community to create laws or systems that prevent greater tragedies in the future. All suffering helps us to look forward to an eternal home where suffering is absent.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Revelation 21:4

Where is God? He has entered into our suffering and grief and can give us strength to endure and use us to relieve the suffering of others until the day when we rise to live with Him in a world without suffering.

Man Creates Much of His Suffering

Suffering Series: Second Article
First Article: How Can A Good God Permit Suffering
Next Article: Working With God to Relieve Suffering

Before we look at man’s role in his own suffering, let’s examine God’s power. Some theologians take the approach of Harold Kushner, a Jewish rabbi who lost his son at an early age to a cruel and debilitating disease. God is infinitely good, Kushner concluded in his immensely popular book, When Bad Things Happen to Good People (1981), but He is not all-powerful. We do know God cannot do anything that is inconsistent with his nature (lie) nor that is contradictory or absurd like create square circles. However, the powerlessness Kushner describes is not the God revealed in the Bible.

Restrained power

Though God could relieve all suffering, certain characteristics of man would suffer: loss of free will (if no opportunity to rebel—which brings suffering), weakened faith and hope, and little desire for heaven. Parents often exercise this restraint of power when they allow their children to suffer accidents, etc. so that they may learn on their own and develop character and perseverance. The world was created with the possibility of suffering and allows it to take place in the natural order: he does not decree it. As one author noted, “If I give my boy a pair of roller skates, I immediately make it possible for him to get a bad bump. That is a very different thing from taking him by the neck and banging his head upon the ground.” (Weatherhead)

Sinful People Inflict Suffering On Others

God has created a world capable of blessing and cursing, compassion and hatred, ease and suffering, benevolence and malevolence, good and evil. In His power God created a good world but when man sinned the world was corrupted and pain and suffering were introduced into the creation. 

Suffering was a byproduct of sin and rebellion, not a product of God’s positive creative action. Much suffering is brought about because man has used the good things of earth to oppress and subjugate his fellow man or has amassed control over these good things to the destitution and poverty of his fellow man.

Those who have moved a lot are very familiar with U-Haul trucks and have been glad to rent them to move to areas of great opportunity.Fertilizer is a great substance which allows us to enhance our food production and feed many who would otherwise starve. However, Timothy McVeigh filled a U-Haul truck with fertilizer and some other chemicals and blew up a federal building in Oklahoma City killing many and injuring many others. We would not think the U-Haul company or fertilizer manufacturers diabolical nor think they are not good because someone misused their products to destroy others. 

God commands us to live holy lives. Standards such as described in Galatians 5:19-21 explain how God wants us to live:

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

Think how this world would be if everyone did what God wanted them to do as expressed in Galatians 5

  1. Would we have murder in the world if people would not hate their fellow man or be bitter or malicious?
  2. Would we have the sexual diseases that have killed so many if people were pure until married then faithful until death?
  3. Would we have the pain and suffering of broken homes if people remained faithful and truly loved one another as Christ loved the church?
  4. Would we use locks and burglar alarms if no one was covetous and there were no thieves?

All of the chaos of our world is brought on by those who reject the law of God and will not submit themselves to Him. We have to live in such as world so we may directly or indirectly suffer at the hands of wicked people. It would be unfair for God to force people to do what is right; it would take away from our humanity. We must not implicate God for the product of men’s evil arising from their free will.

Man’s Role in Natural Disasters

Sometimest he decisions of people create suffering associated with natural disasters. Many natural disasters have become tragedies due to short-sighted or negligent decison making.

  • Hurricane damage to property on barrier islands such as Santa Rosa Island (Gulf Shores and Orange Beach). Barrier islands exist to absorb damaging waves and surges.
  • Many have lost their lives and more have lost their homes and businesses because they built on flood plains—large expanses of land that contain and absorb excess water from rain and runoff.
  • Volcanoes erupt and houses built close to them will be destroyed.
  • Forest fires are a natural way in which forests are cleared of underbrush and allow new growth to emerge yet when men build close to the forest they may suffer from this natural occurrence.

Sometimes the political wranglings of nations create tragedies. In the Asian Tsunami of 2005 a record earthquake was recorded so one should expect a large tsunami. The tsunami ravaged areas that were built right up to the coastline and destroyed shanty towns that were built on the coast because financially other options were closed to them. People had suggested and proposed building a tsunami warning system for the Asian nations but no one funded it or started it. The Asian nations, many of whom are hostile to one another, did not seriously pursue building warning system until this disaster.

Acceptable Risks

People know that making certain decisions can increase their chance of being in a situation that can lead to suffering, pain, and even death. It is no secret that Japan exists on a major earthquake fault zone (as does California). However, the residents of these areas choose to live there because they consider the benefits outweigh the higher than normal risks of disaster. To their credit, these cities have tried to build structures to resist all but the most violent earthquakes and provide tsunami warning systems. But, as the events of 2011 have shown, sometimes events occur that overwhelm these preparations and people suffer.

We know that a high number of injuries and deaths result from car accidents. Yet most of us consider it an acceptable risk to drive anyway. I have a thirty minute commute to work–which increases my chances of an accident–because the benefits of living in my community outweigh those risks. If I am involved in an accident it would be foolish to blame God for my suffering since I made the decisions that increased the likelihood of the accident.

Suffering is just part of the human condition. In the final article we’ll examine where God is during times of suffering and where we should be.