Happy Easter

Still one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard was my at the time five year old daughter coming home from school and saying “Daddy, did you know Jesus died on the hot cross bun?”
 
I've never been able to understand the Easter holiday properly in terms of how it's celebrated. It's by far the most important religious holiday in Christendom but it feels like an afterthought to people. Let's say Christmas, which is a much bigger deal socially - if you remove Christmas then you've removed what is essentially the birthday of somebody. That's fine. If you remove Good Friday then you've removed a huge part of the story about the crucifixion but it still survives. If you remove Easter Sunday then you remove the resurrection. It's fair to say that without the resurrection then Christianity doesn't exist, it is the lynchpin for the entire religion. You'd think it would be a much larger deal because its the whole basis of the faith and the belief within it.

I've learned a lot about Jesus over the years as theology has always held an interest to me, and the more I learn, the more I feel that I understand the writings of the early Jewish and Christian writers. I can't help but feel that we've got this whole thing a bit backwards.

Setting aside the divinity argument, Jesus of Nazareth was a Jewish revolutionary who battled against the violence and tyranny of an occupying Roman empire who were more than happy to exert control through terrorism. There's historical accounts of the Romans capturing dissidents and crucifying them on the side of the road so that the average person walking along routes around Israel would be subjected to 40 miles worth of people dying on a crucifix at the side of a road, at a distance of 20m apart. Crucifixion was not a method of death given to Roman citizens by and large, it was reserved for slaves and other low class people with rebels being targeted in this way politically. The method of execution was a political statement that held a few meanings to the people in that time period. Firstly, it was a warning not to fuck with Rome because they'd kill you in the most torturous way possible hence the displays. But just as importantly, it was an act reserved for people who were "above their station" so to speak. Rebels thought they knew better than Romans so rebels were executed in the same uncouth manner as slaves, to tell the people that these weren't leaders but jumped up commoners. When Jesus was adorned with a sign stating "King of the Jews" on the cross, this was not just a mockery but a warning. It's why Biblical references state that local Rabbis asked Pilate specifically not to put that sign on the cross - this wasn't necessarily about belief, it was about prevention of further terrorism. This was the Romans saying to an entire town or city or region that this man claimed himself to be above Roman rule and answerable to your God and this is where it got him, so you remember that next time an edict comes down.

There's also the story of a Roman ruler in Spain at the time who I'd have to look up the name of, who crucified a political rival to mass disgrace. The rival demanded a more appropriate form of execution than that of a slave - so the ruler made his crucifix higher than everybody else's and painted it white, so he could be above the slaves he thought himself better than. Crucifixion was a political statement as much as a torture. It was meant to humiliate and to lessen social standing.

And divinity or not, the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the defining moments of history. It would eventually lead to the eradication of hundreds of "pagan" religions, it would cause war and suffering and hope and comfort. It would be told, retold, studied, edited, philosophised and theorised over by Kings and Queens and commoners and peasants for thousands of years afterwards. Whether you believe Jesus to be the son of God, the Jewish Messiah, a prophet, a teacher or a lunatic, his death is one of the major sliding doors moments in human history and had an almost unparalleled effect on the world and what it looks like today in terms of social behaviours, religious and ethnic groups, etc. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that this one revolutionary Jewish rebel is probably the most famous person in the history of Earth and his death is the most important thing that happened to him. Even if you don't consider him to be divine in any fashion, he was a rebel against unsurmountable odds and a pioneer of non-violent resistance against tyranny. If you don't celebrate Easter because you don't think Jesus was resurrected then you should at least celebrate it because it's one of the very few times where humans have collectively rooted for the underdog who was a paragon of justice in an unjust world. The later, stuffier retelling of the story that tied into "sin" as an almost schoolteacher wagging their finger type ruleset of behaviours, that's just not Biblically supported when taken in context. It was not the point. To use a cringey modern parlance, Jesus was about people "living their best life" in order to reflect the glory of God. Accept the flawed nature of humans but try to be a mirror for the wisdom of the elders while retaining that soul of individuality. It's hard to separate the message of Jesus philosophically and the Talmudic culture that he came from and there's a lot of crossover, but one of the most pertinent ones in my eyes as someone who likes reading up on this stuff, is that Jesus advocated for a personal responsibility. Other religions at the time had animal sacrifice or great heroes of myth who bounded across the Earth, but Jesus claimed it was smaller than that. That to change the world and fight against tyranny is a personal sacrifice that everybody must make, and THAT is how you reflect the divine. Sin is not about whether you fancy that woman at work, the meaning of sin is about how people fail to act in a way that displays the gratitude for the world that they are and take care of it and others. Whether you believe in the Universe, Yahweh, Gaia, nature, "some energy thing" or just good old fashioned stellar nucleosynthesis, sin is about not recognising the unbelievable fortitude of the natural resources and beauty and people who surround us. The very word "sin" isn't about a bad deed, it comes from the etymology about archery, it means "missing the mark". Sinners in those languages are about people who tried to do something and failed, when Jesus was talking about sin, he was talking about people who aren't trying to be good people, he was talking people who were purposely cunts, specifically Romans and was attempting to present the idea that maybe if they weren't twats to people then everybody would be happier. Common sense now, but not two thousand years ago under the tyranny of Roman rule.

So I look at all this and I think to myself that actually, Easter is probably a good time for people to remember that message, and seeing the reaction to things like Trans Day of Visibility makes me feel that we've really missed the mark on that one. Maybe we should try to educate more people on Easter and what its trying to remember, even if you don't subscribe to the deity of the individuals involved. The message is still relevant and maybe that's why it's important.
 
Damocles said:
I've never been able to understand the Easter holiday properly in terms of how it's celebrated. It's by far the most important religious holiday in Christendom but it feels like an afterthought to people. Let's say Christmas, which is a much bigger deal socially - if you remove Christmas then you've removed what is essentially the birthday of somebody. That's fine. If you remove Good Friday then you've removed a huge part of the story about the crucifixion but it still survives. If you remove Easter Sunday then you remove the resurrection. It's fair to say that without the resurrection then Christianity doesn't exist, it is the lynchpin for the entire religion. You'd think it would be a much larger deal because its the whole basis of the faith and the belief within it.

I've learned a lot about Jesus over the years as theology has always held an interest to me, and the more I learn, the more I feel that I understand the writings of the early Jewish and Christian writers. I can't help but feel that we've got this whole thing a bit backwards.

Setting aside the divinity argument, Jesus of Nazareth was a Jewish revolutionary who battled against the violence and tyranny of an occupying Roman empire who were more than happy to exert control through terrorism. There's historical accounts of the Romans capturing dissidents and crucifying them on the side of the road so that the average person walking along routes around Israel would be subjected to 40 miles worth of people dying on a crucifix at the side of a road, at a distance of 20m apart. Crucifixion was not a method of death given to Roman citizens by and large, it was reserved for slaves and other low class people with rebels being targeted in this way politically. The method of execution was a political statement that held a few meanings to the people in that time period. Firstly, it was a warning not to fuck with Rome because they'd kill you in the most torturous way possible hence the displays. But just as importantly, it was an act reserved for people who were "above their station" so to speak. Rebels thought they knew better than Romans so rebels were executed in the same uncouth manner as slaves, to tell the people that these weren't leaders but jumped up commoners. When Jesus was adorned with a sign stating "King of the Jews" on the cross, this was not just a mockery but a warning. It's why Biblical references state that local Rabbis asked Pilate specifically not to put that sign on the cross - this wasn't necessarily about belief, it was about prevention of further terrorism. This was the Romans saying to an entire town or city or region that this man claimed himself to be above Roman rule and answerable to your God and this is where it got him, so you remember that next time an edict comes down.

There's also the story of a Roman ruler in Spain at the time who I'd have to look up the name of, who crucified a political rival to mass disgrace. The rival demanded a more appropriate form of execution than that of a slave - so the ruler made his crucifix higher than everybody else's and painted it white, so he could be above the slaves he thought himself better than. Crucifixion was a political statement as much as a torture. It was meant to humiliate and to lessen social standing.

And divinity or not, the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the defining moments of history. It would eventually lead to the eradication of hundreds of "pagan" religions, it would cause war and suffering and hope and comfort. It would be told, retold, studied, edited, philosophised and theorised over by Kings and Queens and commoners and peasants for thousands of years afterwards. Whether you believe Jesus to be the son of God, the Jewish Messiah, a prophet, a teacher or a lunatic, his death is one of the major sliding doors moments in human history and had an almost unparalleled effect on the world and what it looks like today in terms of social behaviours, religious and ethnic groups, etc. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that this one revolutionary Jewish rebel is probably the most famous person in the history of Earth and his death is the most important thing that happened to him. Even if you don't consider him to be divine in any fashion, he was a rebel against unsurmountable odds and a pioneer of non-violent resistance against tyranny. If you don't celebrate Easter because you don't think Jesus was resurrected then you should at least celebrate it because it's one of the very few times where humans have collectively rooted for the underdog who was a paragon of justice in an unjust world. The later, stuffier retelling of the story that tied into "sin" as an almost schoolteacher wagging their finger type ruleset of behaviours, that's just not Biblically supported when taken in context. It was not the point. To use a cringey modern parlance, Jesus was about people "living their best life" in order to reflect the glory of God. Accept the flawed nature of humans but try to be a mirror for the wisdom of the elders while retaining that soul of individuality. It's hard to separate the message of Jesus philosophically and the Talmudic culture that he came from and there's a lot of crossover, but one of the most pertinent ones in my eyes as someone who likes reading up on this stuff, is that Jesus advocated for a personal responsibility. Other religions at the time had animal sacrifice or great heroes of myth who bounded across the Earth, but Jesus claimed it was smaller than that. That to change the world and fight against tyranny is a personal sacrifice that everybody must make, and THAT is how you reflect the divine. Sin is not about whether you fancy that woman at work, the meaning of sin is about how people fail to act in a way that displays the gratitude for the world that they are and take care of it and others. Whether you believe in the Universe, Yahweh, Gaia, nature, "some energy thing" or just good old fashioned stellar nucleosynthesis, sin is about not recognising the unbelievable fortitude of the natural resources and beauty and people who surround us. The very word "sin" isn't about a bad deed, it comes from the etymology about archery, it means "missing the mark". Sinners in those languages are about people who tried to do something and failed, when Jesus was talking about sin, he was talking about people who aren't trying to be good people, he was talking people who were purposely cunts, specifically Romans and was attempting to present the idea that maybe if they weren't twats to people then everybody would be happier. Common sense now, but not two thousand years ago under the tyranny of Roman rule.

So I look at all this and I think to myself that actually, Easter is probably a good time for people to remember that message, and seeing the reaction to things like Trans Day of Visibility makes me feel that we've really missed the mark on that one. Maybe we should try to educate more people on Easter and what its trying to remember, even if you don't subscribe to the deity of the individuals involved. The message is still relevant and maybe that's why it's important.
Click to expand...
Big fuck off chocolate eggs on sale.

#Capitalism
 
Damocles said:
I've never been able to understand the Easter holiday properly in terms of how it's celebrated. It's by far the most important religious holiday in Christendom but it feels like an afterthought to people. Let's say Christmas, which is a much bigger deal socially - if you remove Christmas then you've removed what is essentially the birthday of somebody. That's fine. If you remove Good Friday then you've removed a huge part of the story about the crucifixion but it still survives. If you remove Easter Sunday then you remove the resurrection. It's fair to say that without the resurrection then Christianity doesn't exist, it is the lynchpin for the entire religion. You'd think it would be a much larger deal because its the whole basis of the faith and the belief within it.

I've learned a lot about Jesus over the years as theology has always held an interest to me, and the more I learn, the more I feel that I understand the writings of the early Jewish and Christian writers. I can't help but feel that we've got this whole thing a bit backwards.

Setting aside the divinity argument, Jesus of Nazareth was a Jewish revolutionary who battled against the violence and tyranny of an occupying Roman empire who were more than happy to exert control through terrorism. There's historical accounts of the Romans capturing dissidents and crucifying them on the side of the road so that the average person walking along routes around Israel would be subjected to 40 miles worth of people dying on a crucifix at the side of a road, at a distance of 20m apart. Crucifixion was not a method of death given to Roman citizens by and large, it was reserved for slaves and other low class people with rebels being targeted in this way politically. The method of execution was a political statement that held a few meanings to the people in that time period. Firstly, it was a warning not to fuck with Rome because they'd kill you in the most torturous way possible hence the displays. But just as importantly, it was an act reserved for people who were "above their station" so to speak. Rebels thought they knew better than Romans so rebels were executed in the same uncouth manner as slaves, to tell the people that these weren't leaders but jumped up commoners. When Jesus was adorned with a sign stating "King of the Jews" on the cross, this was not just a mockery but a warning. It's why Biblical references state that local Rabbis asked Pilate specifically not to put that sign on the cross - this wasn't necessarily about belief, it was about prevention of further terrorism. This was the Romans saying to an entire town or city or region that this man claimed himself to be above Roman rule and answerable to your God and this is where it got him, so you remember that next time an edict comes down.

There's also the story of a Roman ruler in Spain at the time who I'd have to look up the name of, who crucified a political rival to mass disgrace. The rival demanded a more appropriate form of execution than that of a slave - so the ruler made his crucifix higher than everybody else's and painted it white, so he could be above the slaves he thought himself better than. Crucifixion was a political statement as much as a torture. It was meant to humiliate and to lessen social standing.

And divinity or not, the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the defining moments of history. It would eventually lead to the eradication of hundreds of "pagan" religions, it would cause war and suffering and hope and comfort. It would be told, retold, studied, edited, philosophised and theorised over by Kings and Queens and commoners and peasants for thousands of years afterwards. Whether you believe Jesus to be the son of God, the Jewish Messiah, a prophet, a teacher or a lunatic, his death is one of the major sliding doors moments in human history and had an almost unparalleled effect on the world and what it looks like today in terms of social behaviours, religious and ethnic groups, etc. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that this one revolutionary Jewish rebel is probably the most famous person in the history of Earth and his death is the most important thing that happened to him. Even if you don't consider him to be divine in any fashion, he was a rebel against unsurmountable odds and a pioneer of non-violent resistance against tyranny. If you don't celebrate Easter because you don't think Jesus was resurrected then you should at least celebrate it because it's one of the very few times where humans have collectively rooted for the underdog who was a paragon of justice in an unjust world. The later, stuffier retelling of the story that tied into "sin" as an almost schoolteacher wagging their finger type ruleset of behaviours, that's just not Biblically supported when taken in context. It was not the point. To use a cringey modern parlance, Jesus was about people "living their best life" in order to reflect the glory of God. Accept the flawed nature of humans but try to be a mirror for the wisdom of the elders while retaining that soul of individuality. It's hard to separate the message of Jesus philosophically and the Talmudic culture that he came from and there's a lot of crossover, but one of the most pertinent ones in my eyes as someone who likes reading up on this stuff, is that Jesus advocated for a personal responsibility. Other religions at the time had animal sacrifice or great heroes of myth who bounded across the Earth, but Jesus claimed it was smaller than that. That to change the world and fight against tyranny is a personal sacrifice that everybody must make, and THAT is how you reflect the divine. Sin is not about whether you fancy that woman at work, the meaning of sin is about how people fail to act in a way that displays the gratitude for the world that they are and take care of it and others. Whether you believe in the Universe, Yahweh, Gaia, nature, "some energy thing" or just good old fashioned stellar nucleosynthesis, sin is about not recognising the unbelievable fortitude of the natural resources and beauty and people who surround us. The very word "sin" isn't about a bad deed, it comes from the etymology about archery, it means "missing the mark". Sinners in those languages are about people who tried to do something and failed, when Jesus was talking about sin, he was talking about people who aren't trying to be good people, he was talking people who were purposely cunts, specifically Romans and was attempting to present the idea that maybe if they weren't twats to people then everybody would be happier. Common sense now, but not two thousand years ago under the tyranny of Roman rule.

So I look at all this and I think to myself that actually, Easter is probably a good time for people to remember that message, and seeing the reaction to things like Trans Day of Visibility makes me feel that we've really missed the mark on that one. Maybe we should try to educate more people on Easter and what its trying to remember, even if you don't subscribe to the deity of the individuals involved. The message is still relevant and maybe that's why it's important.
Click to expand...
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the meaning and significance of Easter. I would say that both Christmas and Easter are held in the same esteem in many families and churches, although Christmas does have much more commercial adherence.

The main significance of Easter for practicing Christians is that the sinless Jesus took the punishment for sin by dying on the cross, and defeated death when he rose again. As you say, this is the foundation upon which Christianity stands. I can understand why many people don't accept that this happened.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top
✖
  AdBlock Detected
Bluemoon relies on advertising to pay our hosting fees. Please support the site by disabling your ad blocking software to help keep the forum sustainable. Thanks.