As billions of Christians worldwide prepare for Easter this Holy Week, it seems that some television personalities think that our culture is waging a war on Easter. Bill O’Reilly declared on his show that the War on Easter is being waged via the Easter bunny:
But the war on Judeo-Christian tradition continues on in some public school districts… in some schools you are not allowed to say the word “Easter.” On Long Island, the East Meadow school district, holding a Spring egg hunt — not Easter eggs, Spring eggs. Same thing in Prospect Heights, Illinois. Manhattan Beach, California. Flat Rock Elementary School in South Carolina, and a school district in New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. No Easter. They are having Spring egg events. Moderated by a Spring bunny, at least in San Diego. I know it’s stupid. You know it’s stupid.
There is a difference between saying “you are not allowed to say the word “Easter” and billing an event without the word Easter. Perhaps it is overly sensitive to have a “Spring Egg Hunt”, but I’m sure you are allowed to say the word “Easter” as a point of reference. I seriously doubt if two teachers were talking about their spring break plans that they would have to say “The holiday that celebrates Jesus’ resurrection” instead of “Easter”.
When it comes down to it, there’s nothing inherently Judeo-Christian about the Easter Bunny or Easter Eggs. Last time I checked the Bible, the Easter Bunny wasn’t there. There is nothing religious about a giant bunny magically giving children baskets of candy. Saying that there is a war on Easter is an affront to the nature of real wars in which people die.
The very word “Easter” is not very Christian. The modern English word “Easter” can be traced to an older English word Ēastre or Ēostre or Eoaster, which refers to Eostur-monath, a month that the Germanic peoples named after the goddess Ēostre. The word Easter has connections to pagan rituals of celebrating the spring time. So, to not use the word “Easter” shouldn’t offend Christians.
I don’t believe in the war on Easter. Secular and public institutions are not the keepers of Christianity. We Christians are keepers of Christianity. If Bill O’Reilly thinks the epitome of Easter is a public school Easter egg hunt, then he seriously misses the core message of Jesus. Perhaps O’Reilly misunderstands Christianity because he also thinks Jesus was killed over taxes.
Let us put down our Easter eggs as weapons and not allow the celebration of Christ’s resurrection be used as television entertainment.
2 Comments
Good post. I personally don’t have a problem with a school saying they’re having a “Spring Egg Hunt”…Heck, it might even spark some thoughts about Easter in some folks minds, and encourage them to attend church!
I was more disappointed last week to receive a flyer in the mail from a local Baptist church inviting the community to attend their “March 31 Alive Super Sunday Celebration!”, with no mention of Easter whatsoever. Another local body is promoting “Love Week”, with daily streaming messages from their pastor about love and acceptance, a hint of the Gospel message, and repeated invitations to attend their exciting Church fellowship.
Yet another I know will be wrapping up their “40 Days of Focus” as a church body, where they fast and seek God’s direction for upcoming projects…Mostly building projects.
I’m not overly upset when the greater culture holds Christian traditions in low regard. What really bothers me is how Evangelical culture “re-imagines” Lent, Holy Week, and Easter, because it’s just not entertaining enough on it’s own! I hate being a cynic…but Lord have mercy on us…
Lee, I’m interested in this Baptist church that invited people to a Super Sunday Celebration. I’ve never heard of a church not using “Easter”. Perhaps O’Reilly should do a report on that? Certainly, “re-imagining” the Christian story can go over board.