Why Do Protestants Celebrate Easter on the Date Set by The Catholic Church

[ConfusedTim]

It happened a long time ago, but the date when Good Friday and Easter Sunday fall each year has historically been set by the Catholic Church. If protestants think the church is so bad, why do they take the lead from the CC when deciding when to celebrate Easter? Why not create your own date?

 

[Zenas]

It happened a long time ago, but the date when Good Friday and Easter Sunday fall each year has historically been set by the Catholic Church. If protestants think the church is so bad, why do they take the lead from the CC when deciding when to celebrate Easter? Why not create your own date?

If you look around you will see that there is quite a bit of resistance to the date of Easter voiced by fundamentalists, for the very reason you have mentioned. I will PM you with a link.

 

[GeorgeTheWild]

The significance of the celebration is not tied to the date. It’s tied to the sacrifice made by Jesus. The date we celebrate His sacrifice does not in any way diminish that sacrifice. Why complicate things by having two different dates for easter?

 

[Oldtimer_7]

You mean like the multiple dates for Christmas? Surely, we all have at some point to agree on something.

 

[Will_B]

Most Protestant denominations follow the Easter date set by the Vatican… Some, but not many follow the date set by the Eastern Orthodox Church, which I think follows the Jewish date for Passover.

Since most Protestant denominations have Catholic roots, that is why they chose to follow the Vatican approved date. >> Same could be said for Christmas and other Holy Days…

 

[Tamsulosin]

And do the jewish people accept our calendar ,example year 2011 after Christ, or they have a separate calendar since they do not believe Christ is the messiah, consequently time should not be counted from His birthdate? Anybody knows?

 

[lampstand]

Since most Protestant denominations have Catholic roots, that is why they chose to follow the Vatican approved date. >> Same could be said for Christmas and other Holy Days…

True. There is not more than one Jesus, and in the beginning, there was not more than one Church.

 

[Little_Mary]

Lots of good points made here, but I think the OP is gearing this question specifically towards those fundamentalists whose only agenda is to criticize anything and everything we do because we are Catholic.

The OP is asking if these people are so very much against everything the Catholic Church does, why do they celebrate Easter on Easter when the formula for setting the Easter date each year is a Catholic one?

OP, correct me if I’m wrong.

 

[Little_Mary]

Since most Protestant denominations have Catholic roots, that is why they chose to follow the Vatican approved date. >> Same could be said for Christmas and other Holy Days…

But what about those fundamentalists who refuse to believe that they do indeed have Catholic roots? (There’s one in my family…this is a VERY sensitive subject for me).

It’s just like the origin of the Bible…I ask them,…where did it come from and how do you know? The group of people I am speaking of would rather be drawn and quartered than admit it came from the Catholic Church.

I could also ask these same fundamentalists…when is Easter and how do you know? Why is it on that date and who told you and why do you believe that?

 

[JonNC]

It happened a long time ago, but the date when Good Friday and Easter Sunday fall each year has historically been set by the Catholic Church. If protestants think the church is so bad, why do they take the lead from the CC when deciding when to celebrate Easter? Why not create your own date?

The simple answer is probably that, since we too are of the western Church, we use the same western Church calendar. No reason to change what is seemingly sound, and historically practiced in the west.

And even if one thinks “the CC is so bad”, which I don’t, that doesn’t mean its all wrong.

One could ask the same question in reverse; why don’t the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy use the same date, since they both acknowledge Sacred Tradition as equal to Scripture.

Jon

 

[mark_a]

If you look around you will see that there is quite a bit of resistance to the date of Easter voiced by fundamentalists, for the very reason you have mentioned. I will PM you with a link.

There ya have it!!

 

[Bran_Stark]

It happened a long time ago, but the date when Good Friday and Easter Sunday fall each year has historically been set by the Catholic Church. If protestants think the church is so bad, why do they take the lead from the CC when deciding when to celebrate Easter? Why not create your own date?

Most protestants do not think that “the church is bad”. Rather, since she is composed of sinful human beings, it was sadly necessarily (in our minds) for us to “reform” her organization and doctrines. The protestants who really do think “the church is bad” are likely so fundamentalist that they don’t celebrate Easter or other “pagan” holidays at all.

 

[confusedius]

For many, it is tied to the passover, since it is one of the few things truly specified in the Bible. Besides, having your “roots” related to something does not speak to where you are now. Do not our roots all go back to Judaism?

james

 

[Nine_Two]

And do the jewish people accept our calendar ,example year 2011 after Christ, or they have a separate calendar since they do not believe Christ is the messiah, consequently time should not be counted from His birthdate? Anybody knows?

The difference between Easter in the Eastern Churches and Easter in the West is based on the calendar used (Julian vs. Gregorian). Both use the same formula, the first Sunday following the first full moon following the Ecclesiastical Equinox. The Ecclesiastical Equinox should not be confused with the astronomical equinox.

This formula though was notably formulated by the Church of Alexandria, the task was given to them since they were believed to have the most advanced mathematics of the day.

 

[Publisher]

The difference between Easter in the Eastern Churches and Easter in the West is based on the calendar used (Julian vs. Gregorian). Both use the same formula, the first Sunday following the first full moon following the Ecclesiastical Equinox. The Ecclesiastical Equinox should not be confused with the astronomical equinox.

This formula though was notably formulated by the Church of Alexandria, the task was given to them since they were believed to have the most advanced mathematics of the day.

I thought the Eastern churches set Pascha’s date by Passover…not the equinox and full moon as in the West?

 

[ConfusedTim]

Most protestants do not think that “the church is bad”. Rather, since she is composed of sinful human beings, it was sadly necessarily (in our minds) for us to “reform” her organization and doctrines. The protestants who really do think “the church is bad” are likely so fundamentalist that they don’t celebrate Easter or other “pagan” holidays at all

Refoming organisation might be one thing - but on what authority did you have the right to reform doctrines?

 

[wisdomseeker]

Most protestants do not think that “the church is bad”. Rather, since she is composed of sinful human beings, it was sadly necessarily (in our minds) for us to “reform” her organization and doctrines. The protestants who really do think “the church is bad” are likely so fundamentalist that they don’t celebrate Easter or other “pagan” holidays at all

Refoming organisation might be one thing - but on what authority did you have the right to reform doctrines?

That is funny. And protestants are not made up of sinfull men? No one has any right to reform the CC. When reform is needed our Lord sends holy men to lead His people back to the Church again, and again.

 

[Bran_Stark]

Oh very well, if you prefer I’ll take out the humble qualifier and state it as plain fact.

I quite agree. But not all the “doctrines of the Church” are true, since some of them were invented by the aforementioned sinful human beings.

Refoming organisation might be one thing - but on what authority did you have the right to reform doctrines?

Well if the doctrine is incorrect, obviously it can’t have come from God. We just see it as returning to the original doctrine. To the Bible. Ultimately it’s a Restoration, not a Reformation.

No one has any right to reform the CC. When reform is needed our Lord sends holy men to lead His people back to the Church again, and again.

Very true. And one of those holy men was named Martin Luther.

 

[GaryTaylor]

You know, since I came to CAF I’ve witnessed Catholics apologize for the mistakes from the reformation, the Orthodox schism etc time after time. And they won’t stop.

God must have forgave them, when is everyone else going to? So we can get on with salvation.

 

[Little_Mary]

You know, since I came to CAF I’ve witnessed Catholics apologize for the mistakes from the reformation, the Orthodox schism etc time after time. And they won’t stop.

God must have forgave them, when is everyone else going to? So we can get on with salvation.

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