So what about Lent and Easter?? (page 2)

Saoirse

My boss told me that many Christians observe Lent, not just Catholics. She said that she was going to try and give up swearing. I think I might do the same. I thought about giving up chocolate but seeing all those chocolate bunnies and Dove milk chocolate truffle eggs make that way too difficult. Besides, I need to make up for my Easter chocolate bunny deprived childhood.

RichieRich

I propose a standardization of holidays.

One day a year, everyone's family comes to visit, and Santa Claus passes out easter eggs full of halloween candy.

I also propose there be a 2:3 ratio of marshmallow peeps to chocolate bunnies.

Super_Becka

I thought about giving up chocolate but seeing all those chocolate bunnies and Dove milk chocolate truffle eggs make that way too difficult.

I was going to try to give up chocolate, too, but I don't think that would be in the best interests of those around me - I'm the kind of person who needs some chocolate every single day, and if I don't get it, it's not pretty. No chocolate till the middle of April?? Somebody might die, so it's best for me to keep eating my chocolate. Instead, I gave up potato chips and popcorn, my two favourite snacks. I'm suffering from withdrawal already!!

And besides, my birthday is in a couple of weeks, and I fully intend to eat a lot of chocolate cake!!

-Becka :) (of the "diehard chocoholic" class)

Saoirse

a "True Christian" will instead go to the Memorial and watch other people accept the Communion (unleavened bread and wine). Sounds like a good time to me.

This will be the first year that I attend an Easter service and partake of the Communion. I am really looking forward to it.

I attended the JW memorial last year with a friend who is trying to fade out. I went to give her moral support (am I a good friend or what?). It was such a travesty to see all those so-called Christians pass the bread and the wine and ignore Jesus' commandment to partake. I felt like such a hypocrite just being there. It actually made me ill just to see it. Never again.

Evanescence

I decided to give up more of my time each day in prayer and reading from the scriptures... as well as praying the rosary more often...

I also make sure I go to confession at least once during Lent...

Some Catholics on a Catholic forum I post on decided to give up posting on forums for lent... that must be hard considering forums are addictive lol!

Wow interesting to know there are a lot of similarities in the Catholic and Anglican church, protestant churches generally are against traditions and think they are "meaningless"

I'm guessing JW's are againt easter because they think its "pagan" like everything else... do they call the chocolate bunnies "idols" as well?

Evanescence

insearchoftruth

Great topic, my background is Lutheran and is also very tradition laden like the Anglicans and the Catholics (start of course was reformed Catholic). I am used to the full cadre of lent services such as the imposition of the ashes on Ash Wednesday, the tenabrae service and in addition to Easter Sunday, an Easter Vigil.

Like Becka, the more I read the more amazed I am with the tradition and beliefs of the witnesses, taking the joy out of worship. I guess if one lets the bunnies, eggs and other things become the focal point of the Easter season, that is not correct, but one who has a solid foundation in ones faith should be able to add some fun to the celebration. When I worked with our church youth, we would have an Easter party for the younger kids in the congregation, but we would make sure that we had a discussion of the lenten journey with the kids so they would know the real reason for the Easter and Good Friday services.

I feel that only celebrating the memorial of Christ's death sort of misses the whole point, if it were not for the resurrection, Jesus would have only been just another man or prophet, but he was and is not!

Pubsinger

I'm gonna give up brussel sprouts and cod liver oil for lent.

Deputy Dog

Scully

Seriously though, the JWs objections to Easter have to do with the Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs and Chocolate Bunnies and Chickens have nothing to do with what Easter is supposed to be about: Jesus' death and subsequent resurrection.

The JWs (at least the ones I talk to) don't believe in a "resurrection", they believe in a recreation. I bring this up as the reason they don't think it's worth celebrating.

D Dog

insearchoftruth

I think that is what my wife was saying to, that Jesus did not have a bodily resurrection, but a spiritual resurrection and when one dies, they are I guess in essence returned to the earth and if they are to come back to live on 'paradise earth' they are recreated as an exact duplicate?!?!

I can not understand the sense or logic behind this, but it was what she told me.

Super_Becka

I think that is what my wife was saying to, that Jesus did not have a bodily resurrection, but a spiritual resurrection and when one dies, they are I guess in essence returned to the earth and if they are to come back to live on 'paradise earth' they are recreated as an exact duplicate?!?!
I can not understand the sense or logic behind this, but it was what she told me.

I think I've read something about the JW notion of the resurrection of Christ. They don't believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, even though the Bible states that the tomb was empty after the resurrection. They claim that Jesus was resurrected spiritually and that his body just kinda evaporated, hence the empty tomb.

Doesn't make any sense to me, not at all. But of course, I grew up reciting the Apostle's Creed, which ends:

...I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen.

And like isot said, we remember the resurrection because, without it, Jesus would've just been another man. But he was resurrected because he is the Son of God and not just "some man", and so we celebrate that.

Any other views on Lent and Easter out there?? What else do JWs say about this particular season??

-Becka :) (of the "I don't worship chocolate bunnies, I just like to eat them" class)

So what about Lent and Easter??

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