So, any Christians here who want to explain something to me?

[CitizenGeek]

he was found hiding in the Garden of Gethsemane ... where's the willingness there? :s

He needed some private time, being the son of God he can't exactly go around getting laid, y'know.

Actually, scratch what I said about "hiding in Gethsemane"; I've just properly remembered what the Bible says: Jesus went to Gethsemane specifically to be found by the Romans, he knew it was his fate to die at 40, hence the last supper and all that.

 

[Rui]

Still its all to do with Easter... and all the same, why does it lay eggs ?

The rabbit doesn't lay the eggs.

Eggs symbolise fertility and new life and come from ancient fertility festivals set around this time of year (note that it is Spring and the time you see lots of baby animals and brightly coloured flowers etc after bleak winter, especially in the years before we could get the latter all year round). The bunny is similar and also associated with ancient pagan festivals (and Eostre) from this time of year. The early Christians merged and took over the local festivals by merging their own with them (Christmas is the same) but some traditions stuck. Possibly, they even encouraged the locals to add their own traditions to the "new" ones to get them to accept theirs more happily.

They're chocolate now, but that's just a recent thing because chocolate is yummy and gift companies are good at marketing. I don't celebrate Easter or Christmas, but Chocolate Day and Presents Day are nice holidays

R

 

[Espy]

What I don't understand is Good Friday: an innocent man is given a sham trial, nailed to two pieces of wood and left to die. What's good about that?!

Well, I reckon it's celebrated because Jesus "suffered" for our sins on that day. What I don't understand is the notion that Jesus "willingly" died; Jesus fled the Romans, Judas ratted him out, he was found hiding in the Garden of Gethsemane ... where's the willingness there? :s

Wow, I think if you read up on that you'd find out that hiding wasn't exactly the word. All that is said is that he "entered" the garden. No mention of hiding - in fact I believe the disciples slept there - they were certainly terrified! And I do believe Jesus told Judas to "hurry and do what you're going to do". I'd say that's pretty willing - to tell the person you know will betray you to do so.

Don't get me wrong, Jesus was human, he was terrified of what was going to happen to him. But the amazing thing is he went along with it with no hesitation.

Sorry for the rant, but I just hate it when people think they know all about the Bible when they really don't...

 

[kupocake]

I'm pretty sure the Easter bunny (and Easter eggs) have nothing to do with the Bible or Christianity ...

Like festive fat blokes dressed in red and riding sleighs. And tolerance.

Aw no I didn'!

 

[MaxonTreik]

I'm pretty sure the Easter bunny (and Easter eggs) have nothing to do with the Bible or Christianity ...

Like festive fat blokes dressed in red and riding sleighs. And tolerance.

Aw no I didn'!

Yeah, every Christian is so totally intolerant. All Atheists have hearts of gold.

 

[CitizenGeek]

Sorry for the rant, but I just hate it when people think they know all about the Bible when they really don't...

Eh, did you just completely ignore the post where I corrected myself?

Actually, scratch what I said about "hiding in Gethsemane"; I've just properly remembered what the Bible says: Jesus went to Gethsemane specifically to be found by the Romans, he knew it was his fate to die at 40, hence the last supper and all that.

 

[Espy]

Sorry for the rant, but I just hate it when people think they know all about the Bible when they really don't...

Eh, did you just completely ignore the post where I corrected myself?

Actually, scratch what I said about "hiding in Gethsemane"; I've just properly remembered what the Bible says: Jesus went to Gethsemane specifically to be found by the Romans, he knew it was his fate to die at 40, hence the last supper and all that.

I am an idiot.

 

[shira]

Sorry for the rant, but I just hate it when people think they know all about the Bible when they really don't...

Eh, did you just completely ignore the post where I corrected myself?

Actually, scratch what I said about "hiding in Gethsemane"; I've just properly remembered what the Bible says: Jesus went to Gethsemane specifically to be found by the Romans, he knew it was his fate to die at 40, hence the last supper and all that.

I am an idiot.

Wow. Dude you must be such a calm guy :lol: MOst people I know would be like "Are you calling me an idiot?" and start up a big argument.

My respect to you

 

[Dracos]

In the words of Billy Idol "Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine".

P.S. Rui has said pretty much eveything I would have said.

 

[kupocake]

Yeah, every Christian is so totally intolerant. All Atheists have hearts of gold.

You may have passed generalization 101, but I'm giving you a F for effort all the same.

 

[MaxonTreik]

Yeah, every Christian is so totally intolerant. All Atheists have hearts of gold.

You may have passed generalization 101, but I'm giving you a F for effort all the same.

You get an F in English for your inability to recognise even the most obvious sarcasm. And before you try to bitch at me, no-one else responded to me because they could tell it was sarcasm.

 

[CitizenGeek]

It's a fair point ... Christians aren't exactly renowned for tolerance.

 

[MaxonTreik]

True, but I don't see fingers being pointed elsewhere which I find unfair.

 

[kupocake]

Yeah, every Christian is so totally intolerant. All Atheists have hearts of gold.

You may have passed generalization 101, but I'm giving you a F for effort all the same.

You get an F in English for your inability to recognise even the most obvious sarcasm. And before you try to bitch at me, no-one else responded to me because they could tell it was sarcasm.

I'm well aware that this is sarcasm, you should practice what you preach (I SIGNPOSTED mine), the circle of life completes itself and Richard Dawkins is the second biggest prick on the planet, but only after the Pope.

 

[CitizenGeek]

^ I rather like Richard Dawkins, though I don't like how he's trying to turn atheism into a religion

True, but I don't see fingers being pointed elsewhere which I find unfair.

Not really. Other religions being intolerant doesn't excuse Christianity's narrow-minded intolerance.

 

[Tachi]

well apart from easter, if you view all religions open minded their all the same story just slightly different

christianity theres god and jesus is his representative on earth.
same with allah and mohammed is his representative on earth.
whats funny is: the holy land was in the east (which then lead to the crusades era) and muslims origins are in the east. see the connection?

 

[Rui]

I worry about people who assume outspoken atheists speak for us all though. I'm an atheist (not an agnostic in the slightest, though some seem to get them muddled) by its very definition. I will resist any attempts to lump me in a group with other atheists as chances are we share little common ground aside from our lack of belief in gods (in the same way, I suspect a devout Roman Catholic might be a bit annoyed to be lumped together in terms of beliefs with a devout follower of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, should such extremes exist!).

Richard Dawkins can make up Dawkinism if he wants but atheism and theism are intended as broader categories, not organised religions. I don't know much about the guy or what, if anything, he's actually doing (since I'm an atheist and rather self-assured, I don't feel the need to preach and study my non-religion very much) but just wanted to address the impressions from this thread

Incidentally I hope people lay off the Christians in this thread even though it's awfully fashionable at the moment to poke fun at them or grind an axe at some of the horrifically ignorant things church officials say about people they consider deviants. That Christians and Muslims and Jews have particularly terrible track records in terms of tolerance in our world doesn't mean all believers act the same way. Heck, all of those three and most other major religions have so many factions and levels of orthodox rules that followers of one branch might have less in common with followers of another than with followers of an entirely different religion!

R

 

[Rena Ryuugu]

The day changes each year because it has something to do with what day pancake day is since after that lent starts which lasts for 40 days so when that is finishd Easter begins

 

[Tachi]

im not religious. just thought its pathetic that wars are started over the trivialities of religion, especially when you break everything down to basics, like i have above.

 

[kurosaki86]

I myself am a Roman Catholic, but I am also an Ancient Historian, so I look into the history of wars and religion in more detail than some of you may do.

The fact is, as some of you have stated, wars are started due to religion; however to say this is the end of the matter is silly. From the time before the crusades, Religion was used as a tool to control the masses. This is not the religion we know today; this was rife with corruption. Men would use there positions ot amass wealth, power or use it as a stepping stone onto bigger and better tings; the fact is wars were not fought merely due to religion, it was these men that made the people think it was a war of religious issues.

The popes and clergy we know today are far from the men who controled religion way back when. These men you would see fighting in battle, some of the best warriors as well. They were far from pious as you may think they were, and cared more about themselves and their assets than the word of god.

Men would join the crusades to gain religious office, which inturn would create income for themselves, so it is foolish to think that all of this was down to just religion. The greed of man was at work here

edit-

Oh and just so you know, the rabbit is a symbol of spring, the egg is a symbol of new life.

Moreso, opening the egg and finding a surprise inside (chocolate or toys) is a representation of the disciples finding a surprise in jesus' tomb; this being that the mofo wasn't there!