Why do we do things not written in the Bible?

Bro.T said:

Keep in mind that our God is kind and fair. Those who are keeping Sunday and breaking God's fourth commandment ignorantly are not under condemnation. It's only those who know what God commands and willfully disobey who are committing sin. God's enemy knows that to break one of God's commandments is a sin which hurts our Saviour and robs us of eternal life with Him if not repented of.

Satan laid this plot so deep that even many ministers are not aware of it. Many religious leaders are putting forth desperate efforts to keep the facts on this subject away from the people. Shocking but true, many ministers have not learned at school anything different than their teachers have learned before them. Then they teach their congregations what they learned from their teachers. It is perpetuated for generations. This is why even your own parents or grandparents may not have understood what God's word teaches about His seventh-day Sabbath. But when people honestly study the Bible for themselves - their eyes are opened. Many people take the preacher's word and just don't study God's word for themselves.

Jesus made it clear that the seventh day was made for mankind. (Mark 2:27-28) (v.27) And he said unto them, The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath: Do we understand that, the Sabbath was made for us, not us for the Sabbath. (v.28) Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath. The Son of man (Jesus) is the Lord God of the seventh day Sabbath (Saturday). (Ex.31:16-17) (v.16) Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant. (v.17) It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed. You see that the Sabbath day is a sign between God and His people forever. Israel was His people then and whoever chooses to obey Him now are His people.

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Please reply to the points I raised in my post - none of this directly addresses the concerns I raised.

The relationship of our Lord’s Nativity as fulfillment of Chanukah has always seemed plain as day. Messianic Jews see this and may we all freed from distractions of paganism.


The early Christians also realized that the Lord’s baptism in the Jordan with John the Baptist as the Lord’s witness to the full revelation of the Holy Trinity. This is the fulfillment of our Lord’s Incarnation and the promise of restoration of fallen creation that was originally good.

Genesis 1:1-18, John 1:1-18, Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, Romans 8:18-22, Isaiah 48:12-17

Lukaris said:

The relationship of our Lord’s Nativity as fulfillment of Chanukah has always seemed plain as day. Messianic Jews see this and may we all freed from distractions of paganism.

Christmas Would Be Impossible Without Hanukka — Jews for Jesus

A common Hebrew phrase connected with Hanukkah is “nes gadol haya sham,” which means, “A great miracle happened there.” But did you know that without Hanukkah, we would not have Christmas? Two miracles plus a common theme link Hanukkah and Christmas in a way I hope will heighten your appreciation of

www.jewsforjesus.org.au

The early Christians also realized that the Lord’s baptism in the Jordan with John the Baptist as the Lord’s witness to the full revelation of the Holy Trinity. This is the fulfillment of our Lord’s Incarnation and the promise of restoration of fallen creation that was originally good.

Genesis 1:1-18, John 1:1-18, Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, Romans 8:18-22, Isaiah 48:12-17

Feast of the Theophany of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ

Theophany is the Feast which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the world through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). God the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was baptized by Saint John the Forerunner, and the Holy Spirit descended upon the Son in the form…

www.oca.org

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Epiphany in our tradition, celebrated today, just got home from assisting with Mass! What a blessing!

A happy and blessed Epiphany/Theophany to all here; no exceptions!

It's already the day after Epiphany here, but the first verse of this morning's psalm is still apt:

The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

And that reminds me that of course our faith is always enriched by resources beyond Scripture...

Bro.T said:

However, with all the various doctrines (teachings) it's hard to know which road to take. Many claim that it really doesn't matter saying, "you serve God your way and I'll serve God my way." Since the Lord is the author of eternal salvation we can only obtain it by serving him his way (Hebrews 5:9). Some choose to rely on the wisdom of their pastor by putting his word above God's word.

Nevertheless, in judgment each one of us will give account for our own salvation. Therefore, we must not let anyone lead us down the wrong path, but should verify all of our teaching with the holy bible. YOUR SALVATION IS AT STAKE! "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12).

Jesus warned us that the road to salvation is straight and narrow and that only a few of us will find it. Many are traveling down the wrong road, which leads to destruction. This is because many of us have heard about salvation but few of us want to do what is necessary to get salvation (many are called but few are chosen). (Matthew 7:13, 14) Many contend that Jesus did it all and now all we have to do is have faith.

The bible says, we must not only be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word also (James 1:21-22). DON'T FOOL YOURSELF! If we really have faith in Jesus our actions will prove it. If Jesus is our Lord then we will obey him. Even a child will obey a parent, by getting good grades in school, for the reward of a new bicycle. The child cannot earn money for the bicycle, but instead must act upon their faith to receive the free gift. We must do the same to receive eternal life. "FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD” (James 2:20).

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​

James 2:17-18 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. But some one will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.
RSVCE

Bro.T said:

However, with all the various doctrines (teachings) it's hard to know which road to take. Many claim that it really doesn't matter saying, "you serve God your way and I'll serve God my way." Since the Lord is the author of eternal salvation we can only obtain it by serving him his way (Hebrews 5:9). Some choose to rely on the wisdom of their pastor by putting his word above God's word.

Nevertheless, in judgment each one of us will give account for our own salvation. Therefore, we must not let anyone lead us down the wrong path, but should verify all of our teaching with the holy bible. YOUR SALVATION IS AT STAKE! "...work out your own salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12).

Jesus warned us that the road to salvation is straight and narrow and that only a few of us will find it. Many are traveling down the wrong road, which leads to destruction. This is because many of us have heard about salvation but few of us want to do what is necessary to get salvation (many are called but few are chosen). (Matthew 7:13, 14) Many contend that Jesus did it all and now all we have to do is have faith.

The bible says, we must not only be a hearer of the word, but a doer of the word also (James 1:21-22). DON'T FOOL YOURSELF! If we really have faith in Jesus our actions will prove it. If Jesus is our Lord then we will obey him. Even a child will obey a parent, by getting good grades in school, for the reward of a new bicycle. The child cannot earn money for the bicycle, but instead must act upon their faith to receive the free gift. We must do the same to receive eternal life. "FAITH WITHOUT WORKS IS DEAD” (James 2:20).

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If we believe the Gospel, then we know that it's not in days, feasts, sabbaths, new moons, and all such things as this--but the Christ who suffered, bled, died, and rose again that keeps us and holds us. And it's not in days, feasts, sabbaths, and new moons that God delights, "but only faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6)

Bro.T said:

I'm not plus you don't believe what saying, also someone is reporting me to staff.

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I absolutely believe what I’m saying, and I did not report you (if I had, I wouldn’t be asking you to reply to me since that’s considered bad form around here, as is accusing someone of not believing what they claim to believe).

The post, which I would like you to reply to directly, is as follows:

The Liturgist said:

All mainstream Christian churches celebrate Pascha, the Passover (that’s what Good Friday, Holy Saturday and the Feast of the Resurrection *are*).

Likewise Pentecost is universally celebrated by mainstream Christians, for it was on that day, at a worship service on a Sunday morning at the Third Hour (approximately 9 AM, the third hour after sunrise) that the Holy Spirit descended on 200 followers of Christ in the Upper Room, according to Acts 2. And the basis for dating Pentecost is the same as it was in Judaism; seven weeks following Pascha.

The only thing that changed was the means of calculating the date of Pascha; after the Rabinnical Jews changed their calendar and the means they used to calculate it, Quartodecimianism, the practice of celebrating it on the 14th of Nissan regardless of the date on which it fell, became untenable, therefore, the early church adopted the other method, used by a majority of churches including those of Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch, which after the destruction of Jerusalem in 130 AD, became the three centers of the faith, which dated Pascha to the first Sunday following the vernal equinox (which corresponded to the timing of Pascha in 33 AD when Christ our True God rose from the dead.

Also the Feast of Tabernacles is celebrated on August the 6th, as the Feast of the Transfiguration, and at the Nativity. It would also be not unreasonable to say that Yom Kippur prefigured the Exaltation of the Cross on September 14.

Indeed the only Jewish holidays not carried over into Christianity are Purim and Chanukah.

Just because we celebrate these feasts in a manner that reflects the fulfilment of prophecy in Christ Jesus does not mean we reject them.

Of course, celebrating them is not a matter of celebration, for we are saved by grace through a living faith in Christ as defined in the Epistle of St. James the Just, by being grafted onto the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians), not as a result of individual righteousness; to suggest that is even possible is not only legalistic but Pelagian.

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One note I should have added in clarification - only in English and a few other Germanic languages, notably not Dutch, is the Pascha called Easter (in Dutch it is called Passen; in all cases the word translates as “Passover.”)

ViaCrucis said:

If we believe the Gospel, then we know that it's not in days, feasts, sabbaths, new moons, and all such things as this--but the Christ who suffered, bled, died, and rose again that keeps us and holds us. And it's not in days, feasts, sabbaths, and new moons that God delights, "but only faith working through love." (Galatians 5:6)

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Indeed, Galatians 5:6 also recalls Isaiah 1:13 “Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.”

Of course later incense resumed being acceptable to God when offered with sincerity, we know this because St. Ezra the Priest offered some form of incense, and later the Three Magi offered frankincense along with gold and myrrh (all three of which have become integral parts of traditional Christian worship, for we are Chrismated with myrrh and occasionally blessed with that which flows from icons and relics, such as the relics of St. Nicholas and the Iveron Icon among others, gold is used for our chalices, patens and other Eucharistic implements, and for processional crosses and tabernacles and reliquaries, and architecturally, and frankincense is used to provide a sweet aroma to the divine liturgy, symbolizing our prayers rising towards Heaven.

And the Sabbath became the memory of the repose of God the Son and Word in the Tomb on Holy Saturday after remaking us in His image on the Cross.

Bro.T said:

It has been taught that Jesus died on Good Friday and rose early Sunday morning. As a result of this teaching, man instituted the holiday called Easter. On Easter Sunday you have Christians, world wide paying tribute to a day, in which they believe Jesus, was resurrected. In researching the scriptures one will find that the whole concept of Jesus dying on a Friday and being resurrected on Sunday is contrary to the bible itself. In other words, this tradition directly contradicts the word of God.

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It is not quite clear whether what you say "directly contradicts the word of God" is Good Friday, Easter Sunday, or both. In regards to Friday, the Bible itself given it repeatedly says the crucifixion occurred prior to Passover. I know the claim is to say that the Sabbath the Crucifixion was before was not the weekly Sabbath and that one needs to have it happen on Thursday or Wednesday to fit the three days and three nights. But there are reasons to believe the three days and three nights was counted inclusively, allowing for a Friday crucifixion and Sunday resurrection, and it is odd indeed that the Gospels, which considered the reader ignorant enough of Jewish customs to do things like say that the Passover lamb was sacrificed on the first day of unleavened bread, would have not made a point of clearly alerting the reader that the Sabbath it refers to wasn't the weekly one.

But Good Friday is of lesser importance here; what we are talking about is Easter Sunday. Even if it should have been Good Thursday or Good Wednesday, that wouldn't change the question of whether Easter was Sunday or not. But if you were saying that Jesus rising from the dead "is contrary to the bible itself", that doesn't make much sense. I suppose someone could argue that Jesus had resurrected before and was just waiting around in the tomb until Sunday, but it obviously wouldn't be "contrary to the bible itself" to say Jesus only resurrected on Sunday.

Bro.T said:

If you research Easter in most encyclopedias, you will see that Easter has many customs and legends that are pagan in origin and have absolutely nothing to do with Christianity.

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And other, more accurate, encyclopedias correctly state that these supposed "pagan in origin" things actually don't come from paganism at all.

Bro.T said:

Easter was named after Eostre (sometimes spelled Eastre),

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The actual situation is far more complex than this. One writer, Bede, when talking about the origin of the names of the English months (we no longer use those months), asserts that Eosturmonab was named after a goddess named Eostre for which there were feasts in that month. As noted here, this is the entirety of what Bede says about Eostre:

In olden time the English people -- for it did not seem fitting to me that I should speak of other people's observance of the year and yet be silent about my own nation's -- calculated their months according to the course of the moon. Hence, after the manner of the Greeks and the Romans (the months) take their name from the Moon, for the Moon is called mona and the month monath.

The first month, which the Latins call January, is Giuli; February is called Solmonath; March Hrethmonath; April, Eosturmonath; May, Thrimilchi; June, Litha; July, also Litha; August, Weodmonath; September, Halegmonath; October, Winterfilleth; November, Blodmonath; December, Giuli, the same name by which January is called. ...

Nor is it irrelevant if we take the time to translate the names of the other months. ... Hrethmonath is named for their goddess Hretha, to whom they sacrificed at this time. Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated "Paschal month", and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance. Thrimilchi was so called because in that month the cattle were milked three times a day...

The problem is that aside from this brief reference, we have no references to Eostre and have found no relics dedicated to her. Bede may have had access to things we do not... but he also could have just been relying on incorrect information. Remember, he attributes the name of the prior month to a goddess we also have no clear evidence of outside of his remark!

Even if we were to suppose Bede's information on the source of this month's name was right, Easter appears to have taken its name not from Eostre, but from the month. The translation above says "they designated that Paschal season by her name", but it appears a more plausible translation would be to say "its name" referring to the month, as is explained here:

For the reasons the link gives, it seems more plausible to me that Bede is saying it comes from the month.

But let us suppose that Bede's information on Eostre was completely correct and that it came from the goddess rather than the month. That would, at most, be an argument that in English we should use a different name. For you see, in most of the world--and as TheLiturgist just pointed out to you--the word "Easter" is not used at all. In Spanish--which more people speak natively than English!--the word is pascua. Clearly this has nothing to do with any Eostre. At most, the English name is taken from this goddess--and again, even that is very far from certain.

Bro.T said:

the great Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, fertility, and new life.

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But here we turn from a claim that at least has some kind of proof to it, even if it was weak, to nonsense. As noted, the above quotes from Bede are we have on this alleged goddess. Do you see him say she was the goddess of spring, fertility, and new life? No. So this is total speculation. You also claim she was "the great Anglo-Saxon goddess" even though apparently she wasn't "great" enough to leave a mark larger than an offhand reference!

Bro.T said:

Similar Teutonic dawn goddesses of fertility were known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos. Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Thus it is easy to see how "Eastre time" became "Easter time".

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More made-up claims; there is not any real evidence of any of these, outside of the ones that can just be considered alternate spellings of Eostre. Indeed, Ostara was a conjecture. In the 19th century Jacob Grimm was aware that there was no evidence of Eostre outside of Bede's brief remark and that for this reason there was considerable skepticism that there ever was any Eostre who was believed in. But he respected Bede and wanted to assert that Bede was right. As part of his argument on why Bede was right, he conjectured the possibility of a corresponding German goddess named Ostara. That is where Ostara came from: A 19th century conjecture. This is why you will not find any reference to Ostara prior to him.

It is not clear where your claim that "eastre" was the ancient word for spring comes from. When I look up eastre in an Old English Dictionary, it simply tells me it's an alternate spelling for Easter.

Bro.T said:

Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 20th, the nominal date of the Vernal (sometimes referred to as spring) Equinox. This is the day (or period of days) in spring when the days and nights are of approximately equal length. This is a time of celebrating new life, the resurrection of nature from the dead, and it has typically featured fertility rites, merrymaking, and usually centers on orgiastic sexual activities. In ancient times there were the sacrificing of virgins, the worship of fertility gods and goddesses.

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Even if we were to assume that everything you just claimed is true, and you (again) provide zero evidence, this would apply to the Jewish Passover also, as it occurs after the spring equinox. Are you saying that the Jewish Passover comes from sacrificing of virgins and orgiastic sexual activities?

Bro.T said:

Pascha (Greek: Πάσχα), also called Easter, is the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. Pascha is a transliteration of the Greek word, which is itself a transliteration of the Aramaic pascha, from the Hebrew pesach meaning Passover. A minority of English-speaking Orthodox prefer the English word "Pasch."

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It is indeed true that the Greek word for Easter (and Passover) is Pascha. But this also renders some of what you were writing before irrelevant! The word "Easter" emerged in English, most other languages don't resemble Easter at all (many simply get it from "pascha") and therefore even if the word in English goes back to Eostre--and as was noted, there are serious questions about this--it wouldn't mean anything in regards to the holiday itself.

Bro.T said:

The Easter sunrise service, that is practiced in many Christian churches, can be traced back to the ancient pagan custom of welcoming the sun god at the vernal equinox - when daytime is about to exceed the length of the nighttime. It was a time to celebrate the return of life and reproduction to animal and plant life as well. Worship of the sun god at sunrise is the religious ritual condemned by the Lord as recorded in Ezekiel 8:15-18.

Ezekiel 8:14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

Ezekiel 8:15-18 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

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And here you throw out some claims with no evidence. You offer no evidence there was any "ancient pagan custom of welcoming the sun god at the vernal equinox" or, even if there was, how Easter sunrise services can somehow be "traced" to it (remember, unless the pagans were doing it concurrently with the addition of this tradition to Christianity, any connection is highly implausible).

Your interpretation of Ezekiel 8:15-18 is a bit odd. You say that "worship of the sun god at sunrise is the religious ritual condemned" there. While it certainly does condemn worship of the Sun--which is not done at Easter sunrise services, meaning the whole thing being condemned doesn't happen there anyway--there is not any statement in Ezekiel this was happening at sunrise that I see. You just inserted that into it.

So Easter sunrise services are rather different than what is described in Ezekiel. Even if they were similar, you offer no evidence or explanation of how something that was being done in the 6th century BC (when Ezekiel was written) somehow affected a tradition that developed far, far later.

Bro.T said:

Other Easter Symbols

The Easter lily has long been revered by pagans of various lands as a holy symbol associated with the reproductive organs. It was considered a phallic symbol. Easter candles are sometimes lit in churches on the eve of Easter Sunday. However, this practice can be directly linked to the pagan customs of lighting bonfires at this time of year to welcome the rebirth/resurrection of the sun god.

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More claims you make without offering any evidence. Given your previous track record there isn't much reason to put stock into this. Especially when we see the inaccuracies that come next:

Bro.T said:

During Easter, some eat hot crossed buns during meals. At the feast of Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon fertility goddess, an ox was sacrificed. The ox's horns became a symbol for the feast. They were carved into the ritual bread. Thus originated hot cross buns. The word "buns" is derived from the Saxon word "boun" which means "sacred ox." Later, the symbol of a symmetrical cross was used to decorate the buns; the cross represented the moon, the heavenly body associated with the goddess, and its four quarters.

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Once again: The only information we have about Eostre is from Bede's brief reference. Anything anyone says about Eostre outside of that is speculation. Or in this case, completely made up. All this stuff about how an "ox was sacrificed" for Eostre, and that they were carved into the bread? Totally made up! You claim that "buns" is derived from a word for "sacred ox." Funny--every etymological dictionary I consult says nothing of this. This is another made-up claim. Oh, and hot cross buns are first attested to in the 18th century, or at least I've been unable to find anything beyond that. Care you explain how a tradition that started in the 18th century traces back to a (supposed) feast that no one had been celebrating for about one thousand years?

But what is most distressing about this post of yours is that you did this all before. Namely, the fact your entire post here is for the most part identical to a post you made almost exactly a year ago and which I critiqued in detail back then (many of the things I responded with here are just what I said back then, so little did you change anything). Yet here you again make basically all the same claims with no new evidence. It cannot be said that you were unaware of my response, for you replied to it... though in your reply, you responded to not a single point I made and essentially did nothing other than change the subject (which I noted back then also).

You have had one year to come up with responses to my critiques or to find actual evidence of your claims, and apparently have not, and instead just make all the same inaccurate and unsupported claims.

You seem to have forgotten to cite your sources.

This section seems to be taken from IOG About Us , but replacing "we" with "I":

Bro.T said:

I teach the uncut word of God according to the Prophets (Old Testament) and the Apostles (New Testament). I observe the Lord’s Sabbath Day, the Lord’s Feast Days (as outlined in Leviticus 23rd chapter), and the Lord’s Dietary Law (as outlined in Leviticus 11th chapter). I teach and observe the Royal Law, which is the Ten Commandments.

I also believe in the resurrection and that Jesus is the King of Israel who will rule over the House of Jacob forever. I believe Jesus is the God of all people and his house “shall be a house of prayer for all people”. (Isaiah 56:7)

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This section seems to be taken from https://linesandprecepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Easter_a_pagan.....pdf :

Bro.T said:

It has been taught that Jesus died on Good Friday and rose early Sunday morning. As a result of this teaching, man instituted the holiday called Easter. On Easter Sunday you have Christians, world wide paying tribute to a day, in which they believe Jesus, was resurrected. In researching the scriptures one will find that the whole concept of Jesus dying on a Friday and being resurrected on Sunday is contrary to the bible itself. In other words, this tradition directly contradicts the word of God.

[...]

If you research Easter in most encyclopedias, you will see that Easter has many customs and legends that are pagan in origin and have absolutely nothing to do with Christianity.

Easter was named after Eostre (sometimes spelled Eastre), the great Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, fertility, and new life. Similar Teutonic dawn goddesses of fertility were known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos. Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Thus it is easy to see how "Eastre time" became "Easter time".

Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after March 20th, the nominal date of the Vernal (sometimes referred to as spring) Equinox. This is the day (or period of days) in spring when the days and nights are of approximately equal length. This is a time of celebrating new life, the resurrection of nature from the dead, and it has typically featured fertility rites, merrymaking, and usually centers on orgiastic sexual activities. In ancient times there were the sacrificing of virgins, the worship of fertility gods and goddesses.

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This section, surprisingly, comes from the Orthodox Wiki (https://orthodoxwiki.org/Pascha):

Bro.T said:

Pascha (Greek: Πάσχα), also called Easter, is the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord. Pascha is a transliteration of the Greek word, which is itself a transliteration of the Aramaic pascha, from the Hebrew pesach meaning Passover. A minority of English-speaking Orthodox prefer the English word "Pasch."

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Now we're back to https://linesandprecepts.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Easter_a_pagan.....pdf :

Bro.T said:

The Easter sunrise service, that is practiced in many Christian churches, can be traced back to the ancient pagan custom of welcoming the sun god at the vernal equinox - when daytime is about to exceed the length of the nighttime. It was a time to celebrate the return of life and reproduction to animal and plant life as well. Worship of the sun god at sunrise is the religious ritual condemned by the Lord as recorded in Ezekiel 8:15-18.

[...]

Ezekiel 8:15-18 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose. Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

Other Easter Symbols

The Easter lily has long been revered by pagans of various lands as a holy symbol associated with the reproductive organs. It was considered a phallic symbol. Easter candles are sometimes lit in churches on the eve of Easter Sunday. However, this practice can be directly linked to the pagan customs of lighting bonfires at this time of year to welcome the rebirth/resurrection of the sun god. During Easter, some eat hot crossed buns during meals. At the feast of Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon fertility goddess, an ox was sacrificed. The ox's horns became a symbol for the feast. They were carved into the ritual bread. Thus originated hot cross buns. The word "buns" is derived from the Saxon word "boun" which means "sacred ox." Later, the symbol of a symmetrical cross was used to decorate the buns; the cross represented the moon, the heavenly body associated with the goddess, and its four quarters.

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What caught my eye was the clash between the very sensible Orthodox statement about Pascha and the anti-traditional statements in the rest of the article.

Is there anything you want to tell us about how you came to construct this article in its current form?

Bro.T said:

Most of our history comes from old different encyclopedias books. But I haven't really gotten started on the Biblical side of Easter. But over all it doesn't matter where I got my articles from, all of this is recorded history you can now google today. I didn't write and most people I know didn't write it, some of these people are in their mid 80s I know.

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Two points.

1) For the sake of intellectual honesty, please clearly indicate when the words you post are your own, and when they're quoted from others. It's easy enough to add quotation marks and a source citation when you're quoting someone else.

2) It does matter where you got your articles from. All of us rely on the ideas and experiences of others; of course we do. This is especially true of Christianity; we wouldn't know of Jesus' existence at all if others hadn't told us. But as you gather information from others, I recommend looking to high-quality sources of information. Read the Church Fathers. Read the great Orthodox and Catholic theologians, and the 16th-century Reformers, and the best modern scholars. They are much better sources to rely on than whatever Google coughs up.

Bro.T said:

peace in the name of Jesus

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Peace in the name of Jesus is wonderful, but let us go through what has happened.

One year ago, you posted a bunch of claims about Easter in another topic (which you mostly just copied from another source without attribution, as noted already by PloverWing). I went through it, in considerable detail, pointing out how much of it was false, and how you offered zero evidence for any of it. You certainly saw my response, because you replied to it... but rather than respond to a single thing I said, or offer a single bit of evidence for your claims, you simply deflected by changing the subject.

You then here, posted what was for the most part the exact same message. Not only the same claims; the exact same wording (notably, you again gave no credit as to where you were copying the stuff, mostly word for word, from). There were a few changes, but largely the exact same thing. So, I responded again (as seen above), bringing up the points I had previously raised which you never answered, and also noting what I just did--that you were just making the same claims you did before, which had been refuted, which you know had been refuted, and yet you made all of them all over again, still with no actual evidence offered and no apparent effort to fix things in response to my counterpoints.

So, after I pointed out these problems to you twice, you don't respond to a single point I raised or offer any evidence for the evidence-less claims you made, and instead again ducked any response by saying "peace in the name of Jesus". You appear to have no evidence to offer for the claims you made--which makes sense, because there isn't evidence for a lot of them, because they're just straight up made up.

It feels like trying to interact with a bot account--they can do little more than mindlessly copy other people's statements, and then are unable to interact properly with other people's responses due to not being human. If you are human, it would be nice if you would not spout off incorrect claims that there is no evidence for, especially after it has been pointed out to you that they are incorrect and there appears to be no evidence for them.