Is the Easter Bunny a fraud?

[Cristo Rei]

With Easter fast approaching I thought I would ask this question. When I asked it of Santa Clause I found about half of the voters voted yes and half voted no.

My sister and I never had the Easter Bunny but my arguments are the same as with Santa Clause... Their both frauds

- We are lying to children
- They take the focus away from Christ
- By definition they are frauds

So then... What do you think?
Is the Easter Bunny a fraud?

 

[Aunty Jane]

Nobody seems to understand where this fictitious character comes from....
Easter is not mentioned in the Bible for a very good reason.....its the name borrowed from the worship of a fertility goddess whose name is derived from an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, “Eostre.”...also known as "Astarte"...both pronounced "Easter"....

The egg was a symbol of life and fertility among those honoring this goddess. Eggs were said to be dyed and eaten at the spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome.....all were pagan.

The hare has long been a traditional symbol of Easter. (In North America and elsewhere, the animal is a rabbit—a close relative of the hare.) The New Encyclopædia Britannica explains that the hare was “the symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt.” Thus when children hunt for Easter eggs, supposedly brought by the Easter rabbit, “this is not mere child’s play, but the vestige of a fertility rite."

Since the Bible says not to mix true worship with false worship, why does Christendom do this, as if God doesn't care?
He does care....
2 Corinthians 6:14-18...
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? [the devil] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (ESV)

If we are to "separate" from those who practice these "unclean" things (in order to become God's sons and daughters) who is doing that?

 

[EloyCraft]

With Easter fast approaching I thought I would ask this question. When I asked it of Santa Clause I found about half of the voters voted yes and half voted no.

My sister and I never had the Easter Bunny but my arguments are the same as with Santa Clause... Their both frauds

- We are lying to children
- They take the focus away from Christ
- By definition they are frauds

So then... What do you think?
Is the Easter Bunny a fraud?

The bunny the egg, if in the mind that prevails at any one time, the bunny and colored eggs, bring to mind the resurrection? That mental phenomenon determines whether it's pagan or Christian.i

 

[Lambano]

True story.

Years ago, one of our Japanese vendors sent their team here to the States for a meeting the day after Easter. The head Sales guy flew in on Saturday and killed time Sunday by hanging out at the local mall which was open on Easter. He noted all the Easter eggs and Easter Bunnies and "Happy Easter" decorations.

"Lambano-san", he asks me. "What is this 'Easter' holiday you just had?'

Evangelism moment! I explained, this is when we Christians celebrate God raising Jesus from the dead.

He gave me a puzzled look. "But Lambano-san, what does that have to do with rabbits?"

"Not a damned thing, Sakuma-san. Not a damned thing."

 

[JohnPaul]

We all know it's a pagan symbol, of course it's a fraud.

 

[APAK]

The bunny the egg, if in the mind that prevails at any one time, the bunny and colored eggs, bring to mind the resurrection? That mental phenomenon determines whether it's pagan or Christian.i

Would a child understand and be sufficiently mature to discriminate and visualize the resurrection the way you might, as you just said? It just keeps the lie and the major distraction alive. It actually cheapens the actual event of the death and resurrection of Christ.

And the ugly part is that its another secular pagan molding process for children to adhere to the world rather that Christ at an early age. Hard to kick the habit after that point.

After saying all those sobering words of my opinion Eloy, welcome to the site. I've noticed you have some thought provoking views on other threads that add life and intelligent discussion.

 

[Josho]

The Easter bunny yes, as I don't think it points anyone to Jesus, I still do like eating chocolate bunnies though, Santa Claus no, because he was a real Jesus-believing saint, it would be like throwing Saint Patrick's Day and Christmas on the same day.

 

[GEN2REV]

Nobody seems to understand where this fictitious character comes from....
Easter is not mentioned in the Bible for a very good reason.....its the name borrowed from the worship of a fertility goddess whose name is derived from an Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, “Eostre.”...also known as "Astarte"...both pronounced "Easter"....

The egg was a symbol of life and fertility among those honoring this goddess. Eggs were said to be dyed and eaten at the spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome.....all were pagan.

The hare has long been a traditional symbol of Easter. (In North America and elsewhere, the animal is a rabbit—a close relative of the hare.) The New Encyclopædia Britannica explains that the hare was “the symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt.” Thus when children hunt for Easter eggs, supposedly brought by the Easter rabbit, “this is not mere child’s play, but the vestige of a fertility rite."

Since the Bible say not to mix true worship with false worship, why does Christendom do this, as if God doesn't care?
He does care....
2 Corinthians 6:14-18...
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? [the devil] Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.” (ESV)

If we are to "separate" from those who practice these "unclean" things (in order to become God's sons and daughters) who is doing that?

You forgot to mention Ishtar which is the name most closely phonetic to Easter.

 

[Desire Of All Nations]

The idea that Christ ever had anything to do with Easter is just as fictitious as the Easter bunny. The people who faithfully celebrate this festival are really worshiping the sun, even though they believe they are celebrating Christ's resurrection.

Ofc nobody in these religions think that they're worshiping the sun or provoking God to anger, but they're doing the same exact thing the Israelites did with the golden calf in Exodus.

 

[Cassandra]

The Easter bunny yes, as I don't think it points anyone to Jesus, I still do like eating chocolate bunnies though, Santa Claus no, because he was a real Jesus-believing saint, it would be like throwing Saint Patrick's Day and Christmas on the same day.

I prefer Marshmallow Peeps.

 

[BreadOfLife]

@Cristo Rei, @Aunty Jane, @APAK, @GEN2REV -

Sorry guys - but you're ALL wrong.
Whereas the "Easter bunny" may find its roots in paganism - the Eaaster egg - and the word, "Easter" is ALL Chrstian.

The idea that it was named after a goddess named"Ishtar" or some other godess nameed "Oestra", "Eoster", etx is nonsense for serious linguistic students who understand thsat English is a relatively NEW lannguage on the world stage.

Some sources pount to the idea that Ostern/Easter is most likely derived from "erstehen", which is the old Teutonic form of "auferstehen/auferstehung" meaning "resurrection".

According to one scholarly linguistic source -
"More recent studies seem to indicate that Easter may be derived from the Latin phrase "hebdomada alba", the old term for Easter week based upon the wearing of white robes by the newly baptized. The octave of Easter, the following week, was known as "post albas", the time when the white robes were put away....Easter may thus mean "white" and be named from early Christian baptismal practices."
{"Easter", The Dictionary of Bible and Religion, (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1986) 287}

Don't forgrt - in all of the Latin and Middleeastern languages - the word sounds NOTHING like "Easter",
So, IF Easter is derived from Eostra/Ostara, that would only prove a pagan influence on Christians who spoke Germanic tongues. NOT all Christians call the Feast of the Resurrection "Easter". Byzantine Christians use the Greek term "Pascha", a transliteration of the Hebrew word "Pesach", or Passover. "Pascha" is also the name of this feast in Latin, the official language of the Roman Rite. The Romance languages reflect this usage; the Italian word "Pasqua", the French "Paques" and the Spanish "Pascua" each derive from "Pascha", and ultimately from "Pesach".

So, it's absurd to assume that "Easter" comes from "Ishtar" or "Eostra" or "Ostara" - or ANY other such nonsense.

The Easter Egg tradition comes NOT from pagan bunnies ot fertility gods - nut from the ancient traditions surrounding the Lenten Season. Meat was not the only thing that was abstained from in the Early Church during Lent. For the Catechumens awaiting Baptism and entry into the Church - Eggs and ALL Dairy products were also abstained from. This is where we get the tradition of the Shrove Ttuesday dinner of pancakes. They would use up all of their eggs and dairy prior to Ash Wednesday and make pancakes.

On Easter - eggs were paionted RED - the traditional color of the Holy Spirit and happily feated upon by those who abstained.
If you don't believe me - the Greek Orthodox still cling to this practice. In the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding - there is a scene where they are having Easter dinner and the girl, Touls picks up an RED egg along with her father and they crack them together. She says to him, "Cristos anesti (Christ is risen)", and he replies, "Alithos anesti (He us truly risen)."

If people just stopped and did some homework instead of inventing all of these fanciful fairy tales about the Church - we would probably ALL get along better . . .

 

[ScottA]

With Easter fast approaching I thought I would ask this question. When I asked it of Santa Clause I found about half of the voters voted yes and half voted no.

My sister and I never had the Easter Bunny but my arguments are the same as with Santa Clause... Their both frauds

- We are lying to children
- They take the focus away from Christ
- By definition they are frauds

So then... What do you think?
Is the Easter Bunny a fraud?

Perhaps you have already heard me explain.

Christ has overcome the world. The church fathers being faced with pagan traditions, took many of them over as captured ground, no longer pagan, but an opportunity to segway into the gospel...from death to life.

Moreover, if you are going to condemn the idea of people telling stories to their children and call them lies...you do it to Him. Yes, you can add Jesus and the Father to your list too...for that is exactly what a parable is--and He likes them just fine.

Yes, we are His children and He has been making stuff up in the "likeness" of many greater principles since the beginning. Which is suppose to end with the maturity of knowing "all truth." And yet, some of you take up His parables and beat them to death as if they were the gospel itself, rather than them only being what points to the gospel.

So--good luck with your accusation. You do it to Him.

 

[GEN2REV]

Perhaps you have already heard me explain.

Christ has overcome the world. The church fathers being faced with pagan traditions, took many of them over as captured ground, no longer pagan, but an opportunity to segway into the gospel...from death to life.

Moreover, if you are going to condemn the idea of people telling stories to their children and call them lies...you do it to Him. Yes, you can add Jesus and the Father to your list too...for that is exactly what a parable is--and He likes them just fine.

Yes, we are His children and He has been making stuff up in the "likeness" of many greater principles since the beginning. Which is suppose to end with the maturity of knowing "all truth." And yet, some of you take up His parables and beat them to death as if they were the gospel itself, rather than them only being what points to the gospel.

So--good luck with you accusation. You do it to Him.

Are you saying that Easter is really a Christian, Biblical, holiday?

Or that the Easter Bunny is a legitimate being that visits children's homes and hides candy and treats in plastic eggs around their property?

I'm prepared to accept the latter, but the former is far too wacky.

 

[dev553344]

With Easter fast approaching I thought I would ask this question. When I asked it of Santa Clause I found about half of the voters voted yes and half voted no.

My sister and I never had the Easter Bunny but my arguments are the same as with Santa Clause... Their both frauds

- We are lying to children
- They take the focus away from Christ
- By definition they are frauds

So then... What do you think?
Is the Easter Bunny a fraud?

I think you know the answer your looking for Cristo. You will likely attempt to discredit all those that like the easter bunny, just like you did with Santa clause.

 

[ScottA]

Are you saying that Easter is really a Christian, Biblical, holiday?

Or that the Easter Bunny is a legitimate being that visits children's homes and hides candy and treats in plastic eggs around their property?

I'm prepared to accept the latter, but the former is far too wacky.

Good parents, especially God, do not hit their children with just the facts. They/He softens it, and begins with some "likeness" of love and gifts and magic and mystery and wonder-- you know, like eating an apple that condemns the world into darkness, or a man running from God who gets swallowed up by a great fish...even great and fearful beasts, to say that "God is love?"

Bunnies and a Jolly Fat Man--Heaven forbid!

This whole line of thinking is the worst of hypocritical piety at work, warned of by Christ, that it is done to Him.

 

[Josho]

@Cristo Rei, @Aunty Jane, @APAK, @GEN2REV -

Sorry guys - but you're ALL wrong.
Whereas the "Easter bunny" may find its roots in paganism - the Eaaster egg - and the word, "Easter" is ALL Chrstian.

The idea that it was named after a goddess named"Ishtar" or some other godess nameed "Oestra", "Eoster", etx is nonsense for serious linguistic students who understand thsat English is a relatively NEW lannguage on the world stage.

Some sources pount to the idea that Ostern/Easter is most likely derived from "erstehen", which is the old Teutonic form of "auferstehen/auferstehung" meaning "resurrection".

According to one scholarly linguistic source -
"More recent studies seem to indicate that Easter may be derived from the Latin phrase "hebdomada alba", the old term for Easter week based upon the wearing of white robes by the newly baptized. The octave of Easter, the following week, was known as "post albas", the time when the white robes were put away....Easter may thus mean "white" and be named from early Christian baptismal practices."
{"Easter", The Dictionary of Bible and Religion, (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 1986) 287}

Don't forgrt - in all of the Latin and Middleeastern languages - the word sounds NOTHING like "Easter",
So, IF Easter is derived from Eostra/Ostara, that would only prove a pagan influence on Christians who spoke Germanic tongues. NOT all Christians call the Feast of the Resurrection "Easter". Byzantine Christians use the Greek term "Pascha", a transliteration of the Hebrew word "Pesach", or Passover. "Pascha" is also the name of this feast in Latin, the official language of the Roman Rite. The Romance languages reflect this usage; the Italian word "Pasqua", the French "Paques" and the Spanish "Pascua" each derive from "Pascha", and ultimately from "Pesach".

So, it's absurd to assume that "Easter" comes from "Ishtar" or "Eostra" or "Ostara" - or ANY other such nonsense.

The Easter Egg tradition comes NOT from pagan bunnies ot fertility gods - nut from the ancient traditions surrounding the Lenten Season. Meat was not the only thing that was abstained from in the Early Church during Lent. For the Catechumens awaiting Baptism and entry into the Church - Eggs and ALL Dairy products were also abstained from. This is where we get the tradition of the Shrove Ttuesday dinner of pancakes. They would use up all of their eggs and dairy prior to Ash Wednesday and make pancakes.

On Easter - eggs were paionted RED - the traditional color of the Holy Spirit and happily feated upon by those who abstained.
If you don't believe me - the Greek Orthodox still cling to this practice. In the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding - there is a scene where they are having Easter dinner and the girl, Touls picks up an RED egg along with her father and they crack them together. She says to him, "Cristos anesti (Christ is risen)", and he replies, "Alithos anesti (He us truly risen)."

If people just stopped and did some homework instead of inventing all of these fanciful fairy tales about the Church - we would probably ALL get along better . . .

Yes the egg can be linked to Christianity, as the egg represents new life, and we have new life in Jesus Christ.

 

[GEN2REV]

Good parents, especially God, do not hit their children with just the facts. They/He softens it, and begins with some "likeness" of love and gifts and magic and mystery and wonder-- you know, like eating an apple that condemns the world into darkness, or a man running from God who gets swallowed up by a great fish...even great and fearful beasts, to say that "God is love?"

Bunnies and a Jolly Fat Man--Heaven forbid!

This whole line of thinking is the worst of hypocritical piety at work, warned of by Christ, that it is done to Him.

Uhhh no.

I have to disagree.

God is all about Truth. And what is it that God tells us "sets us free?"

Jesus IS the Truth. Are we to water/soften Him down as well? Are children not prepared for the Truth that is Jesus Christ?

And your examples are all twisted up with fiction. Magic is of the devil. God didn't invent the apple story, man did. The great fish that swallowed Jonah wasn't a fictional event.

Lying to children is never a good policy.

I always give the example of living in the vast wilderness with children that you tell "there are no monsters or anything scary out in those woods, no danger, nothing to be afraid of." How does that prepare them for the real world of many predators that is out there?

The wilderness of sin is just as predatory. There is nothing but danger in our world for the young and inexperienced. To teach children that magic is fun and innocent and there are creatures that innocently bring you candy, or kind old fat strangers that bring you toys, puts them in more danger than just about anything we could do to them. Especially in this day and age.

It is unwise to teach our children these things if for no other reason because it also teaches children that they cannot trust the words of their own parents. How can they ever be expected to believe they can trust the words of a God who wrote a book for them?

 

[Cristo Rei]

Not as many people believe in the Easter Bunny as they do Santa Clause... Hmm I wonder why. Their both as fraudulent as each other and they both require you to lie to children.

So to me their the same... Frauds... Taking the attention from our true saviour... Christ

 

[Cristo Rei]

I think you know the answer your looking for Cristo. You will likely attempt to discredit all those that like the easter bunny, just like you did with Santa clause.

Such frauds need to be discredited

 

[ScottA]

Uhhh no.

I have to disagree.

God is all about Truth. And what is it that God tells us "sets us free?"

Jesus IS the Truth. Are we to water/soften Him down as well? Are children not prepared for the Truth that is Jesus Christ?

And your examples are all twisted up with fiction. Magic is of the devil. God didn't invent the apple story, man did. The great fish that swallowed Jonah wasn't a fictional event.

Lying to children is never a good policy.

I always give the example of living in the vast wilderness with children that you tell "there are no monsters or anything scary out in those woods, no danger, nothing to be afraid of." How does that prepare them for the real world that is out there?

The wilderness of sin is just as predatory. There is nothing but danger in our world for the young and inexperienced. To teach children that magic is fun and innocent and there are creatures that innocently bring you candy, or kind old fat strangers that bring you toys, puts them in more danger than just about anything we could do to them. Especially in this day and age.

It is unwise to teach our children these things if for no other reason because it also teaches children that they cannot trust the words of their own parents. How can they ever be expected to believe they can trust the words of a God who wrote a book for them?

You're missing the point.

I was not saying that God was not true or that it is He who is known for things like magic--but rather that most learning experiences in the world that come from God, and a ton of scripture has been made manifest in parable "likeness" as His chosen method of introducing His own children to things that make those likenesses foolishness by comparison, not unlike our own use of nursery rhymes. We don't get that from the devil--we get it from God. And the church fathers taking them away from the devil and making them into child's play with a Godly moral, is no sin--it's brilliant. Because it is very much like what God has done for us--working all things together--even what men meant for evil, for good for those who love Him according to His purpose. Such things denote a victory over evil--not for it.

That jolly fat man and that cute little bunny are trophies, conversation pieces leading to the gospel. That is why more non-church-going people go to church on those days than any other.