Christians ruining my Easter

Knowledge is power. How can she make intelligent decisions without full information? Understanding religion also helps to understand literature and history. If she reads a book like The Grapes of Wrath, or some Faulkner, she will benefit from knowing a little about the Evangelical way of thinking. You need to understand Evangelical thought to really understand current US politics. Evangelicals are entitled to their opinions and I think contrasting what she hears from them with other perspectives on the holiday could be very interesting. Don't forget to do an egg hunt and tell her about the Goddess Eastra.

Depends on her age and maturity. That Easter business is pretty strong stuff.

I, too, am afraid of Christians. All religions have given rise to prejudice, war and persecution.

As GW points out, it would be helpful if you can let her know about the pagan origins of so much of the celebration--which was basically equinoctial celebratory customs co-opted by the Christians.

What, no Seder?

I think you have too. That doesn't mean that you aren't going to do some de/reprogramming later.

The Easter story will be presented as factual by the Christians. That's ok --- it's their story to tell. You can give her some other facts such as the usurping of vernal celebrations of the pagans in order to attract more numbers to the fold, etc.

And you can tell her that some people's facts are other people's myths. Myths are not necessarily untrue - they contain shades of Truth when not taken literally.

To me the Resurrection story is more about the eternal life given to Jesus' message of love and hope rather than vanishing dead bodies. I don't believe for one second that his body was taken up but his life story certainly was - even if much of that is another myth. If you can distill the story down to the message then it's win/win for both of you. Plus it's a very cool reason to get her a new dress!

Amen!

As I was helping to put together Lenten services during my recent gig with the Lutherans I kept thanking my lucky stars that I didn't subscribe to any of that stuff. Take about guilt overload!!!

You have two choices...

You can either make Christianity into some big fantastic secret that somehow contains some unique and powerful force that is unlike any other religion.

Or you can let your kids learn about Christianity as one religion among many of the worlds religions each of which has good and bad and a little truth and some interesting cultural insights.

Personally, I think treating Christianity as different then any other world religion is not only silly... it is forcing your prejudices on your kids denying them the opportunity to learn and think for themselves. This is a very bad message to give to your kids.

ebrown has a point. You don't want to behave the way people you do not approve of would behave. Some Evangelicals would cringe at the idea of allowing their children to spend time hearing an atheist's opinion of religion. Some would also make sure to "undo" any possible influence by repeating how ridiculous the atheist's point of view is. I think we all have be careful as we walk the fine line between teaching our children to think for themselves and imprinting them with our own beliefs and prejudices.

Our Lord was crucified and was buried on a Friday. After the second sunrise our Lord arose from his crypt and saw his shadow. Thats how the legend of Easter began.

OY ! ! !

Forgive me . . . pass the matzoh . . .

Ehat on Earth are you talking about? Easter is an aboriginal holiday among the heathens of Europe. It has nothing to do with Chrisians -- you won't find terms like "Easter" or "Easter Bunny" anywhere in the Bible. The Chritians just coopted this popular holiday and sprayed their Jesus-loves-you graffiti onto it. As a heathen, I, too, despise the Christians' war on Easter. Here, watch me hold my breath for Bill O'Reilly to do something about it.

Good on you, Thomas! The celebration of the pagan rite of Easter is a fertility rite. Why else would one of the most prolific of mammals -- the rabbit or hare -- become a symbol? Why else would eggs, of all the possible foods, become associated with the rite? It's all about Spring and the start of the reproductive cycle in nature.

I guess it's even more ridiculous that this half of the world celebrates Easter at the start of autumn!

So, she went. (She's a very bright 7 btw). I told her in advance that these people really believe in their god and about what Jesus was, and that they think you have to believe it too. I think you can believe whatever you like. (Having said that, together we investigate the world very scientifically all the time. I like to think I'm teaching her how to think, not what to think)

I asked her how it was. She said " oh it was alright I guess" oh, what was it mostly about? "About how Jesus died for our sins and stuff". So all good so far, I guess. I doubt she knows what "sin" means.

This is all complicated by the fact that my good wife (her mum) is a believer, in a broad, non-religious kind of way. So I have to tread very carefully. It does help me avoid pushing my prejudice onto my kids I guess.

My daughter has told me in the past that she doesn't believe in any gods. I've said, "Cool. Me neither"

I'm sure that when she's a teenager, she'll know the one way to successfully rebel against me. Join a cult!

Jesus rose from the dead. Isnt that what zombies do?

Jesus Christ was a zombie
God is an imaginary friend for adults
and the Pope was a child molester
It all seems pretty messed up if you ask me

I knew a couple, now divorced, originally from England, who practiced no religion. Their daughter, an extremely bright person, started going to youth group with school friends and became a Mormon. Her father figured that was her rebellion: she was too smart to take drugs but religion seemed like rebellion to her.

I want to know which one of you bastards nailed the easter bunny to a tree, and why we cant have chocolate eggs or year 'round. I bet it was Setanta...or famerman....I've never liked those guys !

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown is on tv tonight.

The Easter Bunny as an Easter symbol bringing Easter eggs seems to have its origins in Alsace and the Upper Rhineland, both then in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, and southwestern Germany, where it was first recorded in a German publication in the early 1600s. The first edible Easter Bunnies were made in Germany during the early 1800s and were made of pastry and sugar.