Well, I’m sure you haven’t escaped the fact that today is Easter Sunday. But you’re probably clueless to the celebration of Ostara this last week on March 20, the Spring Equinox.
The date of Easter is recalculated every year based on a formula devised by the Catholic Church relevant to the Jewish calendar and the date of Passover. It’s based on the timing of a real world event and our best guess as to its date in history. Ostara is always the Spring Equinox, one of two days of the year (the other being in autumn) where day and night are of equal length.
Easter is a celebration of hope and joy, a day when Christians honor the sacrifice made by Christ that allows them to strive to attain Heaven. In Christian mythology, Heaven wasn’t obtainable after death before this point, just a time of limbo or waiting - it really depends on what sect of Christianity you’re referring to as some think the dead still wait in various states.
Ostara is a celebration of hope and joy, a day when Pagans honor the Gods for continuing the cycle of life that allows them to strive to attain happiness. In many pagan mythologies, although by no means all, the world was in a state of dormancy up to this point and now re-awakens to life and fruitfulness.
They have alot more in common than many in either religion want to acknowledge. There are Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses being a great example of this, who do see the comparisons but instead of enjoying the similarities and working for understanding, they take the celebration out of the holiday in question, along with a great deal of its joy and happiness. Holidays as celebrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses might well be sacred affairs, but they’re often boring as well. Their choice, I suppose, but I think in many ways they miss the point.
The author of the Book of Mormon project said, “What does it mean to be a Christian? A basic definition is one who follows a Christ-like life. Christ has taught to love one another as I have loved you.” Further emphasizing differences is not an expression of love and caring. So I’m going to ask the Christians who read this site, and there have been a few this week, think about this today. Think about the religions you dislike the most, not just the ones you don’t agree with and ask yourself, “What do we have in common and how can I foster greater understanding and love between myself and the followers of that faith?”
I challenge pagans to do the same, in the spirit of the idea that Ostara is a time of new beginnings and hope and we could all of us use a little more love and light in our lives.
The date of Easter is recalculated every year based on a formula devised by the Catholic Church relevant to the Jewish calendar and the date of Passover. It’s based on the timing of a real world event and our best guess as to its date in history. Ostara is always the Spring Equinox, one of two days of the year (the other being in autumn) where day and night are of equal length.
Easter is a celebration of hope and joy, a day when Christians honor the sacrifice made by Christ that allows them to strive to attain Heaven. In Christian mythology, Heaven wasn’t obtainable after death before this point, just a time of limbo or waiting - it really depends on what sect of Christianity you’re referring to as some think the dead still wait in various states.
Ostara is a celebration of hope and joy, a day when Pagans honor the Gods for continuing the cycle of life that allows them to strive to attain happiness. In many pagan mythologies, although by no means all, the world was in a state of dormancy up to this point and now re-awakens to life and fruitfulness.
They have alot more in common than many in either religion want to acknowledge. There are Christians, Jehovah’s Witnesses being a great example of this, who do see the comparisons but instead of enjoying the similarities and working for understanding, they take the celebration out of the holiday in question, along with a great deal of its joy and happiness. Holidays as celebrated by Jehovah’s Witnesses might well be sacred affairs, but they’re often boring as well. Their choice, I suppose, but I think in many ways they miss the point.
The author of the Book of Mormon project said, “What does it mean to be a Christian? A basic definition is one who follows a Christ-like life. Christ has taught to love one another as I have loved you.” Further emphasizing differences is not an expression of love and caring. So I’m going to ask the Christians who read this site, and there have been a few this week, think about this today. Think about the religions you dislike the most, not just the ones you don’t agree with and ask yourself, “What do we have in common and how can I foster greater understanding and love between myself and the followers of that faith?”
I challenge pagans to do the same, in the spirit of the idea that Ostara is a time of new beginnings and hope and we could all of us use a little more love and light in our lives.
This entry was posted
on Sunday, March 23, 2008
at Sunday, March 23, 2008
and is filed under
challenge,
Easter,
Jehovah's Witnesses,
Opinions,
Ostara,
Sacred Days,
Spring Equinox,
What I Believe
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