What? Easter Bunny to be renamed "Garden Bunny"?

  • Thread starter Thread starter jlw
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jlw

Guest
Signs of the end of civilization: Part 568,473,755 :mad:

Athiests are at it again! Seems that several South Florida malls are renaming the big furry bunny pasing out candy and plastic eggs to make sure there is no Christian association!! Good grief!!

foxnews.com/story/0,2933,150711,00.html
 
As far as I’m concerned, I have never seen the connection between baby chicks or furry, carrot-munching bunnies, plastic eggs, etc… and the intense spiritual event we commemorate with Easter. That ‘tradition’ in itself seems more like a pagan-style ‘mother nature welcomes spring’ and an avoidance of anything serious or religious. Let them call the Hallmark holiday they have created whatever they want–I’m happy not to have Easter reduced to nothing more than an excuse to guilt people into buying loads of jelly beans and chocolate eggs.
 
40.png
jlw:
Signs of the end of civilization: Part 568,473,755 :mad:

Athiests are at it again! Seems that several South Florida malls are renaming the big furry bunny pasing out candy and plastic eggs to make sure there is no Christian association!! Good grief!!

foxnews.com/story/0,2933,150711,00.html
Click to expand...
Okay, I’m convinced…with everything going on in Florida, from Terri Schiavo to eliminating Easter (yeah, I know, the bunny’s not a religious symbol)…the next hurricane blowing thru is going to be an F100 and will sink the state right into the Gulf !
:rotfl:
 
My honest response is… “Who cares?”

The Easter bunny is a pagan symbol anyway. Who cares what they want to call it.

Either way, there is nothing in the world that can detract from the message of Easter. Sure, people who are against Christianity may try to distract the world, but do we REALLY have anything to fear? If we are doing our job living the lives we are supposed to live, if our parishes are functioning as they should then people will be drawn to the Easter message no matter what.

Christ has promised us that that the Gates of Hell will not prevail against his Church. If that is the case, why act like a bunch of fundamentalist protestants running around, wringing your hands b/c the “end is near”. Oh dear!!! No way folks, we are not those fundamentalists and we should not have those fears.

Live your faith courageously, love people unconditionally. And chill out!
 
Island Oak:
As far as I’m concerned, I have never seen the connection between baby chicks or furry, carrot-munching bunnies, plastic eggs, etc… and the intense spiritual event we commemorate with Easter. That ‘tradition’ in itself seems more like a pagan-style ‘mother nature welcomes spring’ and an avoidance of anything serious or religious. Let them call the Hallmark holiday they have created whatever they want–I’m happy not to have Easter reduced to nothing more than an excuse to guilt people into buying loads of jelly beans and chocolate eggs.
Click to expand...
Every church has picked up signs, symbols and meanings from the pagan cultures which preceded it and overlayed it with the Christian touch - the egg is a sign of , fertility, renewal and rebirth so the church celebration of Easter incorporated along the way symbols just as we did with Christmas, Valentine’s Day and St. Pat’s.

There are tons of religious sunrise services, special prayers, liturgies and Holy Week not to mention Lent so both have coexisted quite nicely for a numbr of years. As God found joy in His creation, and triumph in the Resurrection, I see nothing wrong in having people joyful, eating candy, making baskets and thanking God for it. Everything in life needn’t be long faced, solemn and without human feeling in it. Lent is a solemn penitential season, time for reflection, preparation and sorrow through the Triduum - surely God Himself must rejoice as He sees us smiling, children rolling and coloring eggs and celebrating the eternal celebration of the victory over death itself among His creation.

As Teresa of Avila put it “God spare us from long faced saints”. I say Amen.
 
40.png
Steph700:
My honest response is… “Who cares?”

The Easter bunny is a pagan symbol anyway. Who cares what they want to call it.!
Click to expand...
Right. What do pagan fertility symbols have to do with Our Saviour’s Resurrection?

Good move! Let the pagans and secularists call it what they will.
 
40.png
Steph700:
My honest response is… “Who cares?”

The Easter bunny is a pagan symbol anyway. Who cares what they want to call it.

Either way, there is nothing in the world that can detract from the message of Easter. Sure, people who are against Christianity may try to distract the world, but do we REALLY have anything to fear? If we are doing our job living the lives we are supposed to live, if our parishes are functioning as they should then people will be drawn to the Easter message no matter what.

Christ has promised us that that the Gates of Hell will not prevail against his Church. If that is the case, why act like a bunch of fundamentalist protestants running around, wringing your hands b/c the “end is near”. Oh dear!!! No way folks, we are not those fundamentalists and we should not have those fears.

Live your faith courageously, love people unconditionally. And chill out!
Click to expand...
The whole “end of civilization” comment was tongue in cheek, Steph. :rolleyes: You should lighten up.😛

But the PC police is just being just a wee bit rediculous, don’t you think?? That is all I was saying. First we can’t even say Christmas. Now we can’t say Easter?? Silliness.

True, I grew up in a pagan household and had NO IDEA what Easter was beyond the bunny and chocolate eggs. The Easter message is obviously MUCH, MUCH more!!!
 
40.png
HagiaSophia:
Every church has picked up signs, symbols and meanings from the pagan cultures which preceded it and overlayed it with the Christian touch - the egg is a sign of , fertility, renewal and rebirth so the church celebration of Easter incorporated along the way symbols just as we did with Christmas, Valentine’s Day and St. Pat’s.

There are tons of religious sunrise services, special prayers, liturgies and Holy Week not to mention Lent so both have coexisted quite nicely for a numbr of years. As God found joy in His creation, and triumph in the Resurrection, I see nothing wrong in having people joyful, eating candy, making baskets and thanking God for it. Everything in life needn’t be long faced, solemn and without human feeling in it. Lent is a solemn penitential season, time for reflection, preparation and sorrow through the Triduum - surely God Himself must rejoice as He sees us smiling, children rolling and coloring eggs and celebrating the eternal celebration of the victory over death itself among His creation.

As Teresa of Avila put it “God spare us from long faced saints”. I say Amen.
Click to expand...
I am not unaware of the symbolism you describe or advocating the eradication of all such fun celebrations (Halloween, Mardi Gras, Christmas presents) with a big ‘bah humbug’. It’s just hard to get worked up about shopping malls renaming Easter bunnies because those who promote the holiday strictly for marketing/money-making purposes have no intent to link it to anything religious–so let them call it whatever they want.
 
40.png
jlw:
The whole “end of civilization” comment was tongue in cheek, Steph. :rolleyes: You should lighten up.😛

But the PC police is just being just a wee bit rediculous, don’t you think?? That is all I was saying. First we can’t even say Christmas. Now we can’t say Easter?? Silliness.

True, I grew up in a pagan household and had NO IDEA what Easter was beyond the bunny and chocolate eggs. The Easter message is obviously MUCH, MUCH more!!!
Click to expand...
Precisely. I remember coming home from school (back when we did acknowledge holidays like Christmas and Easter) asking my father about Jesus rising from the dead and of course he pooh poohed the whole thing. Easter to me was that plastic grass and the spring version of Halloween with all the chocolate and coloring eggs.

Now I have a different view of Easter but I see no problem with recognizing that rebirth is manifested in many ways including spring flowers and heaven knows rabbits signify birth! IOW I am not offended by the term Easter Bunny and don’t think that it would irrepairably damage malls in Florida to have respect for tradition and call the Easter bunny the Easter bunny. I guess as Christmas Break is now “Winter” break we will have “Garden” Vacation instead of Easter Vacation? Good grief, the PC police need to get a life.

Lisa N
 
40.png
jlw:
The whole “end of civilization” comment was tongue in cheek, Steph. :rolleyes: You should lighten up.😛

But the PC police is just being just a wee bit rediculous, don’t you think?? That is all I was saying. First we can’t even say Christmas. Now we can’t say Easter?? Silliness.

True, I grew up in a pagan household and had NO IDEA what Easter was beyond the bunny and chocolate eggs. The Easter message is obviously MUCH, MUCH more!!!
Click to expand...
I see now you were joking, but unfortunately too many Catholics are so afraid of anything secular that they want to pull their kids out of schools, run to the hills and hide. It reminds me of my days being an evangelical protestant, I just don’t like seeing those attitudes among Catholics.

To be honest, I feel much more comfortable living in a secular society. I’m fine with the Easter bunny not being called the Easter bunny. As long as no one is preventing me from celebrating the most important day of the Christian calendar, I am a-ok. I would prefer to live in a society where the gov’t does not claim any religion as its own, but instead protects the rights of its citizens to live and worship in the way they deem fit. So department stores can call Christmas “Santa Season” and retailers can hail the “Garden Rabbit”- we don’t need the government or WalMart to back our religion. That was my point.
 
40.png
Steph700:
I see now you were joking, but unfortunately too many Catholics are so afraid of anything secular that they want to pull their kids out of schools, run to the hills and hide. It reminds me of my days being an evangelical protestant, I just don’t like seeing those attitudes among Catholics.

To be honest, I feel much more comfortable living in a secular society. I’m fine with the Easter bunny not being called the Easter bunny. As long as no one is preventing me from celebrating the most important day of the Christian calendar, I am a-ok. I would prefer to live in a society where the gov’t does not claim any religion as its own, but instead protects the rights of its citizens to live and worship in the way they deem fit. So department stores can call Christmas “Santa Season” and retailers can hail the “Garden Rabbit”- we don’t need the government or WalMart to back our religion. That was my point.
Click to expand...
Catholics are not afraid of secularism so much as the overt hostility toward religion that a number of secularists continue to consider a cause celebre’ We have freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion and that’s the mistake that so many of the secularists make. The vindictiveness of the ACLU with respect to the Boy Scouts is positively frightening. If we don’t speak up they will infringe on our world too. Look at what his happening in Canada…ministers charged with hate crimes because they say homosexuality is a sin. Don’t think the ACLU and their ilk will be satisfied with removing religion from the realm of government. They want it destroyed.

Lisa N
 
Lisa N:
Catholics are not afraid of secularism so much as the overt hostility toward religion that a number of secularists continue to consider a cause celebre’ We have freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion and that’s the mistake that so many of the secularists make. The vindictiveness of the ACLU with respect to the Boy Scouts is positively frightening. If we don’t speak up they will infringe on our world too. Look at what his happening in Canada…ministers charged with hate crimes because they say homosexuality is a sin. Don’t think the ACLU and their ilk will be satisfied with removing religion from the realm of government. They want it destroyed.

Lisa N
Click to expand...
I disagree. I don’t think the ACLU wants any religion destroyed. I have a wonderful friend who works for them and she’s told me time and time again of the good work they’ve done. Based on what I read on these forums you would think the ACLU= the Anti-Christ.

One of the reasons I support a secular society is that, hypothetically, if some “other” religion came into power in our gov’t I wouldn’t want them telling me which holidays to observe and what they would be called. I feel it’s much safer to live in a world where people are guarenteed their freedom to live and worship as they please.

As far as hate speech goes- I guess I am more familiar with what has gone on in Europe b/c I just moved back to the States after living there a couple years. My understanding is that a pastor preached a sermon agaist homosexuality that incited such anger, bitterness, and violence in his congregation that they were deemed dangerous to homosexuals. Don’t get me started down this road, my best friend is gay and while I cannot and never will advocate homosexuality, I am going to do everything in my power to protect him from harm. If pastors chose to get up and preach sermons that incite hate and violence they need to be held accountable for that. That is my honest opinion.
 
40.png
Steph700:
I disagree. I don’t think the ACLU wants any religion destroyed. I have a wonderful friend who works for them and she’s told me time and time again of the good work they’ve done. Based on what I read on these forums you would think the ACLU= the Anti-Christ.

One of the reasons I support a secular society is that, hypothetically, if some “other” religion came into power in our gov’t I wouldn’t want them telling me which holidays to observe and what they would be called. I feel it’s much safer to live in a world where people are guarenteed their freedom to live and worship as they please.

As far as hate speech goes- I guess I am more familiar with what has gone on in Europe b/c I just moved back to the States after living there a couple years. My understanding is that a pastor preached a sermon agaist homosexuality that incited such anger, bitterness, and violence in his congregation that they were deemed dangerous to homosexuals. Don’t get me started down this road, my best friend is gay and while I cannot and never will advocate homosexuality, I am going to do everything in my power to protect him from harm. If pastors chose to get up and preach sermons that incite hate and violence they need to be held accountable for that. That is my honest opinion.
Click to expand...
Steph you seem to base all of your opinions on limited personal experiences. You claim that the minister’s talk about the sin of homosexuality “incited anger, bitterness and violence” REALLY? Please send me some information on the violence. Far as I know it’s not illegal to be angry or bitter. If it were there would be many Kerry voters in jail as we speak.

Since you’ve been in Europe please stick to your European experience and do not extrapolate it to the United States. I have not seen anything but attacks from the ACLU. For some unfathomable reason I receive material and solicitations from them. They make the most ridiculous statements about the ‘threats’ created by a manger scene at a shopping mall or a tiny cross on a city seal or having Boy Scouts use a park in San Diego. The are now protecting NAMBLA an organization that promotes preying upon boys. So unless you can provide some POSITIVE activity by the ACLU in protecting the rights of people who are truly opressed, spare me the platitudes of all their good work. I think this is a truly evil organization. But hey if you actually have EVIDENCE of their good works vis a vis self promoting comments from your friends I’d love to hear about it.

Lisa N
 
Lisa N:
Steph you seem to base all of your opinions on limited personal experiences. You claim that the minister’s talk about the sin of homosexuality “incited anger, bitterness and violence” REALLY? Please send me some information on the violence. Far as I know it’s not illegal to be angry or bitter. If it were there would be many Kerry voters in jail as we speak.

Since you’ve been in Europe please stick to your European experience and do not extrapolate it to the United States. I have not seen anything but attacks from the ACLU. For some unfathomable reason I receive material and solicitations from them. They make the most ridiculous statements about the ‘threats’ created by a manger scene at a shopping mall or a tiny cross on a city seal or having Boy Scouts use a park in San Diego. The are now protecting NAMBLA an organization that promotes preying upon boys. So unless you can provide some POSITIVE activity by the ACLU in protecting the rights of people who are truly opressed, spare me the platitudes of all their good work. I think this is a truly evil organization. But hey if you actually have EVIDENCE of their good works vis a vis self promoting comments from your friends I’d love to hear about it.

Lisa N
Click to expand...
why are you so angry? your posts are often full of venom.

I will gladly send you positive info about the ACLU- although it seems that it shows up on your doorstep already!! 😃

Oh, and why is my european experience invalid? This is fascinating!

ps… If our gov’t was run by followers of wicca I would feel threatened by their public displays of religion- wouldn’t you? Or how about public displays of animal sacrifice. Great for the whole family!!

pss. no pastor should be inciting even BITTERNESS! i don’t want those kinds of people gearing up their congregations to attack my best friend. all in the name of God and the Bible, it makes me sick.
 
40.png
Steph700:
I If pastors chose to get up and preach sermons that incite hate and violence they need to be held accountable for that. That is my honest opinion.
Click to expand...
Wow - you’d better never read the early Fathers of the church. How do you feel about Jeremiah and John the Baptist?
 
40.png
HagiaSophia:
Wow - you’d better never read the early Fathers of the church. How do you feel about Jeremiah and John the Baptist?
Click to expand...
Inciting hatred and violence? That doesn’t sound right. Please give an example.
 
40.png
HagiaSophia:
Wow - you’d better never read the early Fathers of the church. How do you feel about Jeremiah and John the Baptist?
Click to expand...
Something tells me that Jesus’s cousin wouldn’t have encouraged physical violence against my best friend. In any case, Jesus would never advocate this! What about the beatitudes…
 
Lisa N:
I guess as Christmas Break is now “Winter” break we will have “Garden” Vacation instead of Easter Vacation? Good grief, the PC police need to get a life.

Lisa N
Click to expand...
No, it is now Spring Break! Beaches, sex, drugs, and MTV specials! :mad:
 
I
disagree. I don’t think the ACLU wants any religion destroyed. I have a wonderful friend who works for them and she’s told me time and time again of the good work they’ve done. Based on what I read on these forums you would think the ACLU= the Anti-Christ.
Click to expand...
Oh, Steph!! The ACLU rarely goes after Jewish religious symbols and NEVER goes after Muslim religious expressions!! Only Christian!!

The Boy Scouts can’t exercise freedom of association??

No Nativity scenes allowed??

No Christmas trees allowed (Eugene, OR, thankyou)

No teensy-tiny cross allowed on the Los Angeles County Seal??

Shall I go on??
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top