Can religious holidays...

[DISUNC]

 

[korbbec]

I am all for Santa Claus ... I think it is creates a special time for kids ... one that will not duplicated for the rest of their lives. But the Easter Bunny??? I just think there is something twisted there. I have always hated the idea of a big rabbit coming into my house on Easter Eve ... would he be mad that, at times, rabbit was served on a platter in our house?? I think Easter baskets are a lot of fun and would not take that away from kids, I just think someone could have come up with a better idea that an oversized rodent delivering them.

This is the wrong place to be knockin oversized rodents.

 

[luvmy2sams]

This is the wrong place to be knockin oversized rodents.

 

[ILoveSawyer]

I passed a church that had a sign outside saying:

Beat the Easter rush, come this Sunday

 

[oxfordcircus]

I passed a church that had a sign outside saying:

Beat the Easter rush, come this Sunday

But this Sunday is Easter. Is that the irony? Sometimes I miss the punchline.

 

[JoyG]

But this Sunday is Easter. Is that the irony? Sometimes I miss the punchline.

I think the punchline was...there are lots of people who only show up for Easter and the church was trying to get them there on other days too.

You guys had me going with those signs....until I got to the DIS one I thought they were real!

 

[iloveboardwalk]

We are not a religious family so holidays are ALL about fun for us here. We'll do an Easter egg hunt and I made the kids cute little baskets. The baskets are actually sand pails though, more useful after the fact than baskets. The resurrection story was stolen from other religions by the Christians anyway, like most of their holidays, so I just take the holidays for what they are, a celebration of our melting pot culture.

 

[lillygator]

We are not a religious family so holidays are ALL about fun for us here. We'll do an Easter egg hunt and I made the kids cute little baskets. The baskets are actually sand pails though, more useful after the fact than baskets. The resurrection story was stolen from other religions by the Christians anyway, like most of their holidays, so I just take the holidays for what they are, a celebration of our melting pot culture.

that's us as well!

 

[oxfordcircus]

I think the punchline was...there are lots of people who only show up for Easter and the church was trying to get them there on other days too.

Right. I would have gotten that joke last week.

 

[Conservative Hippie]

I am a very conservative (der) Christian, but I have never celebrated so-called "religous" holidays in a "religous" fashion. No where in the Bible does it tell us to celebrate Easter or Christmas or Lent or anything like that. I see Easter and Christmas just like 4th of July, Mother's Day, and Thanksgiving. They are fun and part of our culture. We always did the Easter bunny and chocolate and eggs, and put up a Christmas tree and Santa and presents and everything. No churchy stuff.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

I think religious holidays can be fun. God certainly has a sense of humor. Many of Jesus' parables have at least a hint of ironic humor. Having said that, I'm not a big fan of the Easter bunny -too empty, meaningless, and confusing for me to condone. YMMV

 

[Fitswimmer]

Our church has the "fun" aspects of holidays for kids as well as the "lessons". For Easter, we have a big Easter Egg hunt. Even on Halloween, the kids are encouraged to wear their costumes to church and we have a fun little party during Sunday School.

As with everything in life, balance, balance, balance....

there's no reason why you can't have both. I'm eagerly awaiting my chocolate after Mass this Sunday!!!

 

[sugarpie]

Yesterday my 5 year old asked me what the Easter bunny has to do with Jesus dying on a cross. And since Jesus came back to life, maybe her grandpa will come back.

I had no idea how to answer her.

I think that's why Halloween is my favorite holiday - no religion to mess it up.

 

[oxfordcircus]

I think religious holidays can be fun. God certainly has a sense of humor. Many of Jesus' parables have at least a hint of ironic humor. Having said that, I'm not a big fan of the Easter bunny -too empty, meaningless, and confusing for me to condone. YMMV

And let's not forget that talking donkey.

 

[oxfordcircus]

Yesterday my 5 year old asked me what the Easter bunny has to do with Jesus dying on a cross. And since Jesus came back to life, maybe her grandpa will come back.

I had no idea how to answer her.

Has your 5 year old asked you "Who made God?"

 

[sugarpie]

Has your 5 year old asked you "Who made God?"

Not yet.

She did say God died on a cross, but then I told her it was Jesus, and then she told me God and Jesus are the same person, and God/Jesus died on the cross but came back, so that means Grandpa can come back and God/Jesus wouldn't want her to grow up without a grandpa, would he?

I went to a Catholic school, but I don't have a clue how to talk to her. I don't think I ever questioned any of it.

 

[reeeoga]

God has a sense of Humor, look at the Platapus!

 

[Ariel Mae]

Half the reason many churches and denominations want to rid the Bunny and the Claus from the celebrations is because of their Pagan ties to Yule and Ostara. They don't want to share ties with Paganism, heathens. (Even though their holidays are splits upon such...as much as they want to deny it, Christianity stems from Pagan rites of passage)

 

[oxfordcircus]

Not yet.

She did say God died on a cross, but then I told her it was Jesus, and then she told me God and Jesus are the same person, and God/Jesus died on the cross but came back, so that means Grandpa can come back and God/Jesus wouldn't want her to grow up without a grandpa, would he?

I went to a Catholic school, but I don't have a clue how to talk to her. I don't think I ever questioned any of it.

Dang. Y'all must be presbyterian now, if she's preachin trinitarianism to you at such a young age. That sounds like the children's catechism. Is there more than one God? No, there is only one God. How many persons are in the one God? Three, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

I'm sorry about your father or father in law.

 

[Tazicket]

I think religious holidays can also be fun. I don't see anything wrong with including easter eggs and Santa Claus on the respective holidays. I plan to teach my children the meaning behind those holidays and the significance of them in addition to having the bunny and the jolly guy.

One of my friends, on the other hand, wants absolutely nothing to do with the bunny or Santa Claus. Her children will know the truth about them from the beginning. I told her that was fine as long as they let my kids have fun and be kids for a while.