Which Christian Holiday is more significant - Christmas or Easter?
If you're unsure, here are some definitions to help.
Christmas: a certain day set aside to celebrate mark the birth of Jesus Christ, God incarnate.
Easter: the day that celebrates and marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, his power over sin and death, the shedding of his blood for our transgressions against God that made communion with God viable, and the verification that everything he ever said was more reliable than gravity.
True, both days celebrate miraculous happenings. Both days are centered and focused on the Godman, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. And Christmas is necessary for Easter - he had to be here in order to die and resurrect here. But whereas Christmas marks the beginning of the fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic prophecy, Easter (including the Holy Week) is the climax of the Christ's earthly ministry, particularly his work on the cross. Let's face it, had he not died on the cross and risen three days later his incarnation would've been phenomenally amazing but a bit anticlimactic.
So here's a little weirdness to be considered: Why, in a post-modern, post-Christian America is there so much hoopla by non-Christians (all-inclusive, i.e. Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, etc.) about Christmas, and not a whisper about Easter?
It's possible I missed something in the news about Easter protesters, but as far as I'm aware nobody causes a stir about Easter. In fact, it's just the opposite. Straight from the first-hand experience of a reliable source (my fiance, who works in retail) there is revealing two-part report given here. 1) at Christmas in particular, folks are predominantly anti-Christian and they don't want to be wished a Merry Christmas. Sometimes they observe another holiday. Sometimes they're just haters who want to sterilize the calendar and culture. Regardless, even those who do observe Christmas (with biblical conviction) tend to be timid when it comes to wishing others a Merry Christmas. After all, who wants to risk being the recipient of our new cultural curse: The American Atheist's Evil Eye of Scorn and Disgust (it is given whenever a "Merry Christmas" is ill-received). 2) People left and right have been wishing my fiance a Happy Easter all day long. She has had the distinct privilege of filling in for a coworker today and for eight hours has encounter coffee addicts out for a Sunday stroll. And from their lips has come a bright and joyful, Happy Easter!
So. Do the American areligious simply avoid going out-of-doors on Easter Sunday? Or are they just ignorant of the fact that Easter is the biggest deal in the universe?! It would only make sense that if someone were anti-Christian or at least opposed to the observation of Christian holidays, the very last thing passing through their lips would be a greeting calling attention to the risen Christ. Please, could someone offer some sort of explanation for this hypocrisy?
Easter: the day that celebrates and marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, his power over sin and death, the shedding of his blood for our transgressions against God that made communion with God viable, and the verification that everything he ever said was more reliable than gravity.
True, both days celebrate miraculous happenings. Both days are centered and focused on the Godman, Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. And Christmas is necessary for Easter - he had to be here in order to die and resurrect here. But whereas Christmas marks the beginning of the fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic prophecy, Easter (including the Holy Week) is the climax of the Christ's earthly ministry, particularly his work on the cross. Let's face it, had he not died on the cross and risen three days later his incarnation would've been phenomenally amazing but a bit anticlimactic.
So here's a little weirdness to be considered: Why, in a post-modern, post-Christian America is there so much hoopla by non-Christians (all-inclusive, i.e. Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists, etc.) about Christmas, and not a whisper about Easter?
It's possible I missed something in the news about Easter protesters, but as far as I'm aware nobody causes a stir about Easter. In fact, it's just the opposite. Straight from the first-hand experience of a reliable source (my fiance, who works in retail) there is revealing two-part report given here. 1) at Christmas in particular, folks are predominantly anti-Christian and they don't want to be wished a Merry Christmas. Sometimes they observe another holiday. Sometimes they're just haters who want to sterilize the calendar and culture. Regardless, even those who do observe Christmas (with biblical conviction) tend to be timid when it comes to wishing others a Merry Christmas. After all, who wants to risk being the recipient of our new cultural curse: The American Atheist's Evil Eye of Scorn and Disgust (it is given whenever a "Merry Christmas" is ill-received). 2) People left and right have been wishing my fiance a Happy Easter all day long. She has had the distinct privilege of filling in for a coworker today and for eight hours has encounter coffee addicts out for a Sunday stroll. And from their lips has come a bright and joyful, Happy Easter!
So. Do the American areligious simply avoid going out-of-doors on Easter Sunday? Or are they just ignorant of the fact that Easter is the biggest deal in the universe?! It would only make sense that if someone were anti-Christian or at least opposed to the observation of Christian holidays, the very last thing passing through their lips would be a greeting calling attention to the risen Christ. Please, could someone offer some sort of explanation for this hypocrisy?
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