It's that time again

[litlover12]

Seems like I see some version of this conversation play out in social media every year:

Atheists: "Hey, you Christians! Your big holiday is named after a fertility goddess! And it has pagan traditions!"

Christians: "Um, yeah, we know."

The next year:

Atheists: "Hey, you Christians! Your big holiday is named after a fertility goddess! And it has pagan traditions!"

Christians: "Yep, we still know."

Some people have very short memories. 

Comments

[prester-scott.livejournal.com]

Actually, that's not even true. In most of the world it's called Pascha, after Hebrew "Pesach" a.k.a. Passover. It's only called "Easter" in English-speaking countries, because of an association with the Germanic goddess of spring and the dawn, Eostre, probably in the course of missionary activity.

If anything, it's an example of how Christianity totally defeated and plundered paganism.

[birdienl.livejournal.com]

It's called Pasen in Dutch (and Peaske in Frisian, just for the die-hard language nerds...)

[mosinging1986.livejournal.com]

I vote for the Breitbart approach:

"So?"

After they stop sputtering, you can ask, "Even if this was true, what does it have to do with whether or not the resurrection of Christ occurred?"

At which point they will likely bursts into flame. Or, y'know scream and swear and then run off.

Good times for all!

[goldvermilion87.livejournal.com]

Dawn was a fertility goddess?

[goldvermilion87.livejournal.com]

Well, I've checked my facts, and you can tell the Atheists that it's hogwash. Easter is _NOT_ named after a fertility goddess. The name comes from "Dawn" in Greek. Obviously the bunnies and eggs come from somewhere, and there are plain old Spring-y aspects. But Ishtar has nothing to do with it.