Resurrection Day

"The term "Ostern" (Easter) originates from an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn, who is named "Eastre", "Eostre", or "Ostara". Eostre, apparently is a European version of Astarte/Isis and some even associate her with the Hindu goddess Kali. Eostara is a lunar holiday, honoring a lunar Goddess at the Verna Full Moon." (www.lifetips.com)

"Spring is in the air! Flowers and bunnies decorate the home. Father helps the children paint beautiful designs on eggs dyed in various colors. These eggs, which will later be hidden and searched for, are placed into lovely, seasonal baskets. The wonderful aroma of the hot cross buns mother is baking in the oven waft through the house....Easter, right? No! This is a description of an ancient Babylonian family - 2,000 years before Christ - honoring the resurrection of their god, Tammuz, who was brought back from the underworld by his mother/wife, Istar (after whom the festival was named.) (www.icg.org)

"...the origin of the name of the holiday was from a goddess. She has gone by a myriad of different names, Ostern, Eostre, Ishtar, Astarte, Eastre, and Ashtaroth, but they are all one and the same: the goddess of fertility, the "Queen of Heaven", Semiramis (the wife of Nimrod in the Bible).
The ancient Babylonians looked at it as a sacred symbol of the goddess Astarte (another name for Easter and Semiramis), they believe that she came down the earth in a giant egg that fell upon the Euphrates river. The egg is her symbol. She is said to have come out of this egg on the first Sunday after the spring equinox at sunrise.
So, how did [the] this become a "Christian" holiday? The original believers celebrated Passover, which was celebrated around the same time as the pagan festival of Easter...In order to better unify his empire, emperor Constantine instituted a few declarations....He then began a process of compiling various celebrations that took place at the same time into single festivals. Easter is one such example. He kept the name and traditions of the pagan side of it, but also said that it was the same day that the Christ was raised from the dead. He melted the two into one. The day that we currently celebrate Easter is even the same day that Astarte was said to have come out of an egg." (www.branchesofthevine.wordpress.com)

"Celebrating the resurrection of a deceased deity in a springtime festival also long predates Christianity. Chief among such celebrations were those in honor of Tammuz, the Babylonian "god of pasture and flocks...and of vegetation. He was husband and brother of Istar (Asherah), goddess of fertility." (www.ucg.org)

"For Christians, the origin of Easter is simply the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ about 2,000 years ago. According to the gospel accounts, Jesus Christ, the true Messiah promised in the Old Testament, was crucified and resurrected at the Jewish Passover. Since that awesome event took place, those who believe Christ is their Messiah have honored that day and often celebrated it with the traditional Passover, the pagan rites of Easter gradually became assimilated into what the Christian Church called "Resurrection Day."
Compromising the commandments of God with the comfort of the world is as old as the nation of Israel itself." (www.allaboutjesuschrist.org)

The resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is never to be compromised or replaced by pagan symbols and worship. It is my prayer that all who have a personal relationship with Jesus and honor His resurrection, leave the pagan worship alone. The Life that is celebrated is the Lords. Bunnies, eggs and vegetation sprouts are to be kept into their proper perspective and admired as such.