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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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Easter Defies Madison Avenue

Religious holiday's originis too wild to tame into commercialism

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(Newser) – Christmas’ religious meaning is lost in a sea of advertising, parties, and major retail dollars, but Easter has resisted becoming a “consumerist nightmare”—and that’s because its Christian origins demand serious thought, writes James Martin in Slate. While “the Christmas story is easily reduced to pablum,” Easter’s story of crucifixion and resurrection is “relentlessly disconcerting,” Martin observes.

Belief in the spring holiday “demands a ‘yes’ or ‘no’”--unlike Christmas, whose innocuous tale of babies and gifts can handle a “whatever," notes Martin. While anyone can happily open a card picturing a baby in a manger, “the image of a man being stripped, beaten, and tortured” isn’t such a welcome piece of mail. “Despite the eggs, the baskets, and the bunnies,” Martin writes, Easter is a holiday Madison Avenue can’t tame.

A young girl admires a tree decorated with 9,000 Easter eggs in the garden of Christa and Volker Kraft in Saalfeld, eastern Germany, Sunday, March 16, 2008.
A young girl admires a tree decorated with 9,000 Easter eggs in the garden of Christa and Volker Kraft in Saalfeld, eastern Germany, Sunday, March 16, 2008.   (AP Photo/Jens Meyer)
Armenian priests consecrate some one hundred red eggs during an Easter mass in the town of Varna, north-east of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, Sunday, March, 23, 2008.
Armenian priests consecrate some one hundred red eggs during an Easter mass in the town of Varna, north-east of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, Sunday, March, 23, 2008.   (AP Photo/Petar Petrov)
Children run for the eggs as 'go
Children run for the eggs as 'go" is yelled out over the loudspeaker at the start of the city of Monterey, Calif., Easter Egg Hunt at Sollecito Park Saturday, March 22, 2008.   (AP Photo/ Orville Myers/ Monterey County Herald)
US soldiers read verses as they celebrate  Easter with a sunrise service at Camp Victory, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 23, 2008.
US soldiers read verses as they celebrate Easter with a sunrise service at Camp Victory, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March 23, 2008.   (AP Photo/Dusan Vranic)
Pope Benedict XVI, center, delivers the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for
Pope Benedict XVI, center, delivers the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for "to the city and to the world") address and mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, on Easter Sunday, March 23, 2008.   (AP Photo/Pier Paolo Cito)
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Monjubikahn
Nov 13, 09 8:25 PM CST
Yes Christ became the Passover Lamb for all of humanity. He became the firstborn immortal Son of God who is also called Son of Man because he is the first Human to become part of God's family. "The Father has given me the power to have life within myself." Therefore his church is called The Body of Christ. The job that his body is to do is announce the coming of Christ to take over this world and bring peace and unity between God and man. Every man and woman will have the opportunity to learn from The One who created all things, the purpose of all things and how to live and qualify to be gods. For 1000 years there wil be no more influence of The Destroyer. There will be world government established with its headquarters in Jerusalem. The world wwill be at peace and prosperous. All nations will pay 10% of their gross national product to Israel and they will not miss it. God will have blessed them so abundantly that it will be as though it was never paid. The Kingdom of God will envelop the whole world. There will be no more wars. The military industrial complex will spend its efforts in farming and forestry. Christ is coming to Earth to rule in the near future. All power and authority in Heaven and in Earth has been given into His hands. Our self extermination will be cut short with His intervention. Do not be fooled. There is no Vicker of Christ. No one can fil his shoes and hiis authority comes from god The Father, the Supreme Ruler of The Universe. Reply
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Monjubikahn
Nov 13, 09 8:40 PM CST
Easter is a Pagan construct that was brought into existance by the mother of Nimrod. She is indeed Easter. The Universalist Church incorporated it to passify the Pagans and put Christ into the mix. It, in its lying application, corrupts the real meaning of the sacrifice of Christ and suppresses the revealing of The Gospel of The Kingdom of God which will be set up here on the Earth. Christ was in the grave three days and three nights. There is not three days and three nights from Good Friday to Sunday morning. Blinded by Pagan tradition, we miss the only sign of Christs Messiahship. He was Crucified and buried before a High Day or a high Sabbath, The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread Wednesday evening and was ressurected Saturday evening. Three days and three nights. When he left it was like Neo of the Matrix. The truth is much more exciting that religious fiction. Reply
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