Misconception of Eggs and Easter...

[Damocles]

We consistently hear that the only reason that eggs are included in Easter holiday celebrations is because of pagan holidays that were included into the Easter Celebration of the Christian church.

Well, there is also the fact that eggs play an important part of the Passover Seder.

Shoot, you can find that out by simply looking at the USDA site on Egg safety for both Passover and Easter.

The coloration of the eggs is a portion taken from Pagan ritual, but the eggs themselves have always been an important part of both Passover and Easter celebrations.

When Christians began to celebrate Easter they used some of the Passover ritual as the two largely coincide. Later as Pagans were being worked to be included they used coloration and hiding as part of the ritual, but it is not the only significance of the egg in this.

The significance of the Egg in Passover Seder:

Beitzah – A roasted egg, symbolizing the korban chagigah (festival sacrifice) that was offered in the Temple in Jerusalem and roasted and eaten as part of the meal on Seder night. Although both the Pesach sacrifice and the chagigah were meat offerings, the chagigah is commemorated by an egg, a symbol of mourning (as eggs are the first thing served to mourners after a funeral), evoking the idea of mourning over the destruction of the Temple and our inability to offer any kind of sacrifices in honor of the Pesach holiday. Since the destruction of the Temple, the beitzah serves as a visual reminder of the chagigah; it is either not eaten or handled during the Seder or eaten dipped in salt water (which represents tears).

From here...

The egg in the original Christian celebrations of Easter were a representation of Christ's burial and the mourning that followed. Much of this significance was lost as Christians attempted to separate the religions, and symbology lost some of its meaning. Many Christians do not understand the importance of eggs in that holiday because of this separation, and much of the meaning lost is significant.

So Christians. As you celebrate your holiday today, do not be ashamed of the eggs ritual. You can inform your children why eggs are part of the symbolizing of the holiday without being embarrassed and misinformed on the subject.

Happy Easter ALL!

 

[Care4all]

Happy Easter Damo!

 

[Damocles]

Happy Easter Damo!

There's nothing much for us to do on this holiday. I just had to know if there were more significance to the eggs than previously assigned. I found that not only were they included in the ceremony before the addition of the Pagan coloring, but why.

Enjoy your special holiday.

 

[uscitizen]

Happy Easter all!

According to the preacher in church today, the eggs came from the Czar of Russia giving them out on easter to special friends. They were hard boiled and dipped in gold then painted.
I sort of doubt this as being the beginning, but a preacher said it so it has to be right ?

 

[Damocles]

Happy Easter all!

According to the preacher in church today, the eggs came from the Czar of Russia giving them out on easter to special friends. They were hard boiled and dipped in gold then painted.
I sort of doubt this as being the beginning, but a preacher said it so it has to be right ?

As I said, they are often passing the same mis perception as they worked so hard to separate those religions from each other. I feel sad that he thinks that was the only significance.

Why does it so often take a curious Buddhist to find the right?

 

[Lao Tse]

Actually damo, all this proves is that judaism has also been adulterated by the Ishtar worshipping mystery religions of the ancient world.

http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-t020.html


The name "Easter" has its roots in ancient polytheistic religions (paganism). On this, all scholars agree. This name is never used in the original Scriptures, nor is it ever associated biblically with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For these reasons, we prefer to use the term "Resurrection Sunday" rather than "Easter" when referring to the annual Christian remembrance of Christ's resurrection.

Ancient origin
Most reference books say that the name "Easter" derived from the Eastre, the Teutonic goddess of Spring. Although this relationship exists, in reality, the origin of the name and the goddess are far more ancient - going all the way back to the Tower of Babel. The origin begins not long after the biblical Flood.

The Flood was a divine judgment sent on mankind after evil had become all pervasive and all people everywhere were totally unresponsive to God. The Bible says that "the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5, NKJV). It is not difficult to imagine that life must have been almost unbearable at this time in history. God gave humankind a second chance by preserving the righteous man Noah and his family (a total of 8 people).

After the Flood, Noah had a talented, but evil, great-grandson named Nimrod (Genesis 10:6-10) who rebelled greatly against God. The Bible says that he was "a mighty one"[1] Jewish tradition indicates that Nimrod was a tyrant "who made all of the people rebellious against God."[2] It is evident from history that Nimrod was not only a political leader, but also the lead priest of a form of occultic worship.[3]

King Nimrod, Queen Semiramis (Easter), and Tammuz (the "reincarnated" Nimrod)
Nimrod built and organized major cities. The Bible notes that these included Babel, Asshur, Nineveh and Calah (Genesis 10:10-12). If you know anything about ancient history, the mention of these places may send shivers up your spine. For these were cities of great, almost unimaginable practices and perversion.
When Nimrod eventually died, the Babylonian mystery religion in which he figured prominently continued on. His wife Queen Semiramis saw to that. Once he was dead, she deified him as the Sun-god. In various cultures he later became known as Baal, the Great Life Giver, the god of fire, Baalim, Bel, Molech, etc.

"Later, when this adulterous and idolatrous woman gave birth to an illegitimate son, she claimed that this son, Tammuz by name, was Nimrod reborn."[4] Semiramis "claimed that her son was supernaturally conceived [no human father] and that he was the promised seed, the 'savior'" - promised by God in Genesis 3:15. "However, not only was the child worshipped, but the woman, the MOTHER, was also worshipped as much (or more) than the son!"[5] Nimrod deified as the god of the sun and father of creation. Semiramis became the goddess of the moon, fertility, etc.

"In the old fables of the Mystery cults, their 'savior' Tammuz, was worshipped with various rites at the Spring season. According to the legends, after he was slain [killed by a wild boar], he went into the underworld. But through the weeping of his mother… he mystically revived in the springing forth of the vegetation - in Spring! Each year a spring festival dramatically represented this supposed 'resurrection' from the underworld.[6]

Thus, a terrible false religion developed with its sun and moon worship, priests, astrology, demonic worship, worship of stars associated with their gods, idolatry, mysterious rites, human sacrifice, and more. Frankly, the practices which went on were so horrible that it is not fitting for me to speak of them here.

It was at Nimrod's city of Babel that a towering structure was first built in defiance of God as part of their Satanic religion. Archaeological evidence indicates that this was a spectacular pyramid-shaped structure (ziggurat). The Bible tells us that at this time there was only one language in the world and that most of the world's population centered in this area and participated in this religion. It was evident to God that all mankind would soon degenerate into a level of evil that would parallel that of the pre-Flood world. For humanity's sake, something had to be done to slow and frustrate this organization of an evil one world, tyrannical government.

God confused their language, so that they could not understand each other (Genesis 11:7). (This is the ultimate source of the world's many languages.) As a result, many people moved away from the area in groups according to their particular new language. Most, if not all, of these people carried their evil Sun-God-based religion with them. They continued to worship the stars and practice all the other ungodly rituals of their religion. Some also continued to build pyramids reminiscent of the Tower of Babel as part of this mystery religion. Today, we can still find remnants of these throughout the world (e.g., Iraq, South America, Central America, Egypt, Burma).

Babel was the origin of an idolatrous system that swept the world. The Bible says of her, "Babylon… the nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are deranged" (Jeremiah 51:7). The Bible often speaks of the Satanic religions which came from her. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus "witnessed the Mystery religion and its rites in numerous countries and mentions how Babylon was the primeval source from which ALL systems of idolatry flowed.[7] Austen Layard said "that we have the united testimony of sacred and profane history that idolatry originated in the area of Babylonia - the most ancient of religious systems."[8]

Basically, almost every vile, profane and idolatrous practice you can think of originated at Babel with Queen Semiramis, the Mother Goddess and Nimrod. As the people scattered from Babel with their different languages, they, of course, used different names for Nimrod (Tammuz) and Semiramis. Some called the Mother Goddess "ISHTAR" (originally pronounced "Easter").[9] In other lands, she was called Eostre, Astarte, Ostera, and Eastre. Other names for Semiramis, the Mother Goddess include: Wife of Baal, Ashtaroth or Ashtoreth, and Queen of Heaven.[10] The Mother goddess was frequently worshipped as the goddess of fertility - and as a sort of Mother Nature and goddess of Spring and sexual love and birth. She was also worshipped as a mediator between god and man. Sexual orgies and temple prostitutes were often used in her worship and in attempting to gain her favor.

The Easter Rabbit or Hare
The rabbit is well known as a sexual symbol of fertility. In various parts of the world, religions which developed from Babel also associate the rabbit with periodicity, both human and lunar (Egypt, China, etc.). As you may remember, the Mother Goddess Semiramis (Easter) is associated with the Moon. In other words, the Easter bunny symbolizes the Mother Goddess. Annual Spring time fertility rituals are associated worship of the Mother Goddess and Tammuz, the reincarnation of her husband Nimrod.

The Easter Egg
Most children and families who color or hide Easter eggs as part of their Resurrection Sunday tradition have no knowledge of the origin of these traditions. Easter egg activities have become a part of Western culture. Many would be surprised and even dismayed to learn where the traditions originated.

"The egg was a sacred symbol among the Babylonians. They believed an old fable about an egg of wondrous size which was supposed to have fallen from heaven into the Euphrates River. From this marvelous egg - according to the ancient story - the Goddess Astarte (Easter) [Semiramis], was hatched. And so the egg came to symbolize the Goddess Easter."[11]

The idea of a mystic egg spread from Babylon to many parts of the world.[12] In Rome, the mystic egg preceded processions in honor of the Mother Goddess Roman. The egg was part of the sacred ceremonies of the Mysteries of Bacchus. The Druids used the egg as their sacred emblem. In Northern Europe, China and Japan the eggs were colored for their sacred festivals.[13]

The egg was also a symbol of fertility

 

[Damocles]

Right. That's what it proves. The egg has been part of the internment ceremony of the religion for some time. Pretending that it has more meaning than that is just plain silly. I did state that some of the things, like coloring and hiding the eggs were Pagan in origin. The egg itself was not. And that is where the strongest misconception comes from.

 

[Damocles]

Symbolism has what you assign to it. Teach your children to think of the sacrifice, how sad the family and the apostles would have been while eating the eggs, and you teach them to think of that particular part.

Teach them that, and you will have a positive rather than negative impact on their understanding. Teach them only of the Pagan significance, take them away, do not teach them of the sacrifice inherent in the religion... Well, the glass is half-empty to some. Were I a Christian, the kids would learn of why eggs are included differently than yours.

For me it was only an exercise in curiosity.

 

[Lao Tse]

Symbolism has what you assign to it. Teach your children to think of the sacrifice, how sad the family and the apostles would have been while eating the eggs, and you teach them to think of that particular part.

Teach them that, and you will have a positive rather than negative impact on their understanding. Teach them only of the Pagan significance, take them away, do not teach them of the sacrifice inherent in the religion... Well, the glass is half-empty to some. Were I a Christian, the kids would learn of why eggs are included differently than yours.

For me it was only an exercise in curiosity.

Is it negative to learn that aspects of the Roman Catholic Church are pagan in origin? The truth will set you free.

 

[Damocles]

Is it negative to learn that aspects of the Roman Catholic Church are pagan in origin? The truth will set you free.

It is silly to not comprehend the fact that they are not "pagan in origin" except in some aspects which are easily shown. Such as coloring the egg.

The Pagan ritual of egg-coloring was definitely included later, as was the tree at Christmas, but to assign the entire holiday only that significance is simply disingenuous negative patter designed to attack the faith of others. I am glad that my religion specifically speaks against working to denounce the faith of others in such ways.

I find it sad that the only significance you can find is the negative, while at the same time attempting to tell me that you believe in that religion. Symbolic representation is as you teach it. It is silly to only teach the negative, and attempt to take from others an aspect of their faith when it is so clear only a small portion of the significance of the holiday.

Start another thread in the conspiracy area. This one is made to inform those who are active in that religion what the significance of the egg was before the inclusion of Pagan aspects.

Too often we hear from the Atheists and others that it is all a "Pagan Ritual", yet we find that it is not.

 

[Lao Tse]

It is silly to not comprehend the fact that they are not "pagan in origin" except in some aspects which are easily shown. Such as coloring the egg.

The Pagan ritual of egg-coloring was definitely included later, as was the tree at Christmas, but to assign the entire holiday only that significance is simply disingenuous negative patter designed to attack the faith of others. I am glad that my religion specifically speaks against working to denounce the faith of others in such ways.

I find it sad that the only significance you can find is the negative, while at the same time attempting to tell me that you believe in that religion. Symbolic representation is as you teach it. It is silly to only teach the negative, and attempt to take from others an aspect of their faith when it is so clear only a small portion of the significance of the holiday.

Start another thread in the conspiracy area. This one is made to inform those who are active in that religion what the significance of the egg was before the inclusion of Pagan aspects.

Too often we hear from the Atheists and others that it is all a "Pagan Ritual", yet we find that it is not.

It's not an attack. THis religion existed long before judaism or christianity. Both reflects aspects of it. Get off your high horse.

 

[Damocles]

It's not an attack. THis religion existed long before judaism or christianity. Both reflects aspects of it. Get off your high horse.

It isn't a high horse to state that what you teach is what they learn. The idea that symbolism that remains untaught loses its meaning is clearly logical. To only teach the negative aspects and leave behind current symbolic meaning is teaching to the negative.

Your horse seems a bit higher than mine. To me it is all intellectual, to you it must be some larger negative. You want desperately to have the "only Truth" that you ignore other significant aspects so that you can remain in your lonely island of "real Truth".

The actual significance is far higher than "Just Pagan" or corruption.

The Pagans saw the eggs significantly differently than did the Jewish or the early Christians celebrating both Passover and what became known later as Easter. To deny the significance of that difference to equate only that the egg is used is simplistic denial of significant meaning.

It is used to remind them of the burial ritual, it is a sign of mourning not of joy of regrowth. The lamentable fact that Christianity tried so desperately to separate itself from its origins in the Jewish religion that the meaning was lost so strongly that only the "Pagan" is remembered is truly sad.

When even preachers think it is due to some egg ritual from the Tsars, and don't even understand the basic Seder ceremony it takes on an even more significant lamentable position.

 

[Lao Tse]

The lamentable fact that Christianity tried so desperately to separate itself from its origins in the Jewish religion that the meaning was lost so strongly that only the "Pagan" is remembered is truly sad.

.

So it's "slightly antisemitic" to point out the pagan roots of many world religions?

 

[Damocles]

So it's "slightly antisemitic" to point out the pagan roots of many world religions?

So far the only person to use "anti-Semitic" in this thread is you.

I point out significant differences in the symbols, you provide the same answer repeated that ignores the significant differences in an attempt to persuade that all religions celebrated today come from the Pagan.

The differences are important. That two people might use a rock in a ceremony does not mean that they come from the same source. Especially when they have opposite meaning in the symbolism.

Basically what I am stating, and have from the beginning, is that while Christianity did include some aspects of the Pagan ceremony, there was a significance to the egg in the celebration before such inclusion and that its significance was lost and overwhelmed by those who wished to negate that aspect of the celebration.

You attempt to go so far back in time and equate opposite symbolism to be the same in order to negate all of those who celebrate either of the religions other than in a manner you find acceptable.

Your "high horse" is showing.

 

[Lao Tse]

So far the only person to use "anti-Semitic" in this thread is you.

I point out significant differences in the symbols, you provide the same answer repeated that ignores the significant differences in an attempt to persuade that all religions celebrated today come from the Pagan.

The differences are important. That two people might use a rock in a ceremony does not mean that they come from the same source. Especially when they have opposite meaning in the symbolism.

Basically what I am stating, and have from the beginning, is that while Christianity did include some aspects of the Pagan ceremony, there was a significance to the egg in the celebration before such inclusion and that its significance was lost and overwhelmed by those who wished to negate that aspect of the celebration.

You attempt to go so far back in time and equate opposite symbolism to be the same in order to negate all of those who celebrate either of the religions other than in a manner you find acceptable.

Your "high horse" is showing.

You don't what each person is thinking of as they contemplate the symbols in the ceremony. Some could very well be thinking of the pagan aspects, its is spring after all, everyon'es pairing off and hiding in the shrubs, doing it like rabbits. Ovulating in the moonlight. Howling at the moon. Don't be such a square.

 

[Damocles]

You don't what each person is thinking of as they contemplate the symbols in the ceremony. Some could very well be thinking of the pagan aspects, its is spring after all, everyon'es pairing off and hiding in the shrubs, doing it like rabbits. Ovulating in the moonlight. Howling at the moon. Don't be such a square.

If they are then they are teaching to their beliefs. However, most are not. I know personally from my early childhood what Christians teach of this holiday. It wasn't until Junior High that I learned of the more Pagan symbolism present in the holiday and why it was included, and it was because I was curious and sought the information out.

Had I left my research at that, I would still be thinking the only significance would be Pagan. I didn't though. I researched further to find more information and whether the egg held significance in the Jewish celebrations that happen at the same time. I found that they did. That during Seder of that time, Christ had (at that time a baked, more modern it is hard boiled) an egg as part of his dinner and why. I give that information here so that others can have more than simply the Pagan symbolism that was included much later.

We can determine if the egg was included because of earlier Pagan symbolism by seeing what meaning is given to the egg in the ceremony. We find that the meaning is almost polar opposite to the meaning of the Pagan ritualism, and that it is presented entirely differently. The reason? Because the meaning is not the same.

 

[Lao Tse]

If they are then they are teaching to their beliefs. However, most are not. I know personally from my early childhood what Christians teach of this holiday. It wasn't until Junior High that I learned of the more Pagan symbolism present in the holiday and why it was included, and it was because I was curious and sought the information out.

Had I left my research at that, I would still be thinking the only significance would be Pagan. I didn't though. I researched further to find more information and whether the egg held significance in the Jewish celebrations that happen at the same time. I found that they did. That during Seder of that time, Christ had (at that time a baked, more modern it is hard boiled) an egg as part of his dinner and why. I give that information here so that others can have more than simply the Pagan symbolism that was included much later.

We can determine if the egg was included because of earlier Pagan symbolism by seeing what meaning is given to the egg in the ceremony. We find that the meaning is almost polar opposite to the meaning of the Pagan ritualism, and that it is presented entirely differently. The reason? Because the meaning is not the same.

Yes. They have a "cover story" to legitify the ceremony. The truth is they wanted to be accomodating and made the new state religion acceptable to the pagan masses, so they kept the same stuff and changed the back story. No need to get in a twist about it.

 

[Damocles]

"legitify"?

You are the one getting in a "twist", I simply mention both aspects, you attempt to "twist" it to all religions currently celebrated are based on the Pagan rituals.

As I said, it is an insistence that you must be the "all-knowing granter of 'Truth'" and that all others who might provide other information that might be significant you find it as an "attack" on your beliefs. It is sad really. I recognize both the Pagan as well as Jewish aspects, you insist that they all must be Pagan.

 

[Lao Tse]

"legitify"?

You are the one getting in a "twist", I simply mention both aspects, you attempt to "twist" it to all religions currently celebrated are based on the Pagan rituals.

As I said, it is an insistence that you must be the "all-knowing granter of 'Truth'" and that all others who might provide other information that might be significant you find it as an "attack" on your beliefs. It is sad really. I recognize both the Pagan as well as Jewish aspects, you insist that they all must be Pagan.

It depends on what you want it to mean, like you said. You're the one trying to say the pagan symbology is a "misconception" and that it's somehow a thoughtcrime which should be only allowed in the conspiracy theory section. Control you own controlling tendencies, umm kay?

 

[Damocles]

It depends on what you want it to mean, like you said. You're the one trying to say the pagan symbology is a "misconception" and that it's somehow a thoughtcrime which should be only allowed in the conspiracy theory section. Control you own controlling tendencies, umm kay?

No, I am saying that it is a misconception that it is only Pagan in origin. You are the one attempting to make it only Pagan disregarding other information that made it significant to other religions.

The "thoughtcrime" would be in disagreeing with your ideation that all religions have stemmed from the Pagan based on the illogical idea that if they both use an egg it must have the same meaning. And therefore all religions are all a continuation of Paganism unless they speak and act exactly as you do.

It is funny that you become such a controlling being when your ideas of Paganism in religion are challenged with information.