Easter: Is It Pagan? - Softcover

Woodrow, Ralph E.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0916938166 ISBN 13: 9780916938161

Publisher: Ralph Woodrow, 1996

Synopsis

Simply put, this book shows that: "Easter" is not the name of a pagan goddess; Constantine did not start Easter at the Nicene council; the 40 days of Lent did not start in Babylon; Christians who attend sunrise services are not worshipping Baal; eggs and rabbits are not vile, abominable objects! This study shows how many have been victims of misinformation.

About this title

About the Author

In addition to authoring over a dozen books, Ralph Woodrow has had the opportunity to speak for many Churches and groups of various denominations during 40 years of ministry--including camp meetings, conventions and conferences. Through a unique set of circumstances he was put into the ministry at age 18. His ministry began in Canada, where he went as a pianist for an evangelist--but soon several Churches and groups opened their doors for Ralph to preach extended revival meetings. When he returned home after a few of months of ministry in Canada, God continued to open doors for him to preach the Gospel--holding revivals at many Churches and denominational rallies. As a single man of 21 he felt led to hold tent revivals and also to preach on the radio, with good results from both. From these early beginnings sprang an inter-denominational ministry, through which many effective doors of ministry open to this day.

In his early teens, he began to search the Scriptures--becoming intrigued to discover things in the Bible that he hadn't been taught. Similarly, he began to discover that some of the things he had been taught were not in the Bible. Ralph memorized hundreds of Scriptures as a teenager--his whole life revolved around studying God's Word and seeking God's will for his life. He preached his first sermon when he was 15 in their local Church. He spent much time at the Church, doing anything he could to serve the Lord--mowing the lawns, cleaning the Church, praying, and attending the meetings where he grew in the Spirit-filled life.

Throughout his ministry, in addition to preaching the Gospel at large, he has shared neglected biblical truths. AS AN AUTHOR, he is known for his scholarly research, along with his emphasis on the importance of love and unity. He emphasizes that if Christians disagree on some points of doctrine--they should disagree agreeably--knowing that all Christians agree on more than they disagree. Books he has authored total over a half million in print. Also, he has shared printed sermons with a select list--since 1961. Woodrow was born in San Jacinto, California and grew up in nearby Riverside. He and his wife, Arlene who is also a minister and writer, minister in various capacities locally in addition to periodically ministering throughout the U.S., and sometimes in Canada.

FREE-learn more about Woodrow's ministry. Send a legal size SASE and request "Celebrating 40 Years Ministry" ('97) and the January '98 "Palm Springs Letter."

From the Back Cover

Of special interest to any who have doubts about Easter, "EASTER-IS IT PAGAN?" presents reasons why the anti-Easter teachings should be reconsidered. This book shows that: "Easter" is not the name of a pagan goddess; Constantine did not start Easter at the Nicene Council; The 40 days of Lent did not come from Babylon; Eggs and rabbits are not abominable and evil symbols; Decorating Easter eggs is not a pagan fertility rite; Easter sunrise services are not Baal worship; Mythology is not a substitute for factual history.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The celebration known as Easter is defined in The Encyclopedia Britannica as "the annual festival observed throughout Christendom in commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ." The World Book Encyclopedia says: "Easter celebrates the return to life of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity, after His Crucifixion." Statements such as these are typical of what we would find in any encyclopedia.

Easter, for many Christians, is a time of rejoicing, victory, and joy as they celebrate the resurrection of Christ, knowing that because he lives, we can live also-forever!

But for others, Easter is looked on with suspicion. They do not believe it is a Christian celebration at all, that it should be totally rejected, that it is PAGAN!

One common objection is the word "Easter" itself. Dictionaries can be quoted to the effect that the word, in its original usage, was related to Eostre, a goddess of spring. This based on a statement made by the Venerable Bede in the eighth century, which has been commonly echoed. But how reliable is this information? Who was the goddess Eostre? Do we know anything at all about her? Even the "Edda," by the historian Snorri Sturluson (1178-1241), considered to be quite complete on the subject of mythology, fails to mention any goddess by this name.

The belief that "Easter" comes from the name of a pagan goddess is far from conclusive. The World Book Encyclopedia mentions several different view points that are held by scholars. The Encyclopedia of Religion says: "The English name Easter...probably derives from Eostur, the Norse word for the spring season, and not from Eostre, the name of an Anglo-Saxon goddess.

One writer sums it up this way: "Generations have been raised on the theory that the word 'Easter' came from pagan mythology. The Venerable Bede, an English historian and theologian of the eighth century, when the holiday first began to be called Easter, wrote that it was named for Eostre, an Anglo-Saxon goddess. This must have been conjecture on his part, because recent scholars can locate no reference such a goddess in northern mythology.

"The German word Ostern, as well as its English equivalent, 'Easter,' is derived from the Norse eostur, eastur, or ostara, which meant 'the season of the growing sun,' 'the season of new birth.' A similar word, ost or "east," is used for the direction in which the sun rises. So it looks as if our English word for the spring holiday commemorating the Resurrection comes from the season and not a pagan deity."

But, for our present study, let's assume the word "Easter" was the name of a goddess-a pagan word. Would this necessarily mean the word is still pagan? Or can words change in meaning and significance? Please consider the following six points: 1. Words commonly develop and change over a period of time, sometimes moving far away from their "original" meanings.... Not only can a word move away from the significance of its original meaning, in time it can move upward, even from a negative or offensive meaning, to a proper and better meaning.... 3. As strange as it may sound, even a word used incorrectly can, in time, acquire an established and acceptable meaning.... 4. Because words can change in meaning, it is important that they be understood in the sense thy are used at any given time.... 5. Many words we use are based on the names of pagan gods and goddesses. But because such words have acquired a general, non-pagan meaning, we need not refrain from using them.... 6. It is evident that a word can vary in meaning from one language to another....

Edition details

• Publisher: Ralph Woodrow
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0916938166
• ISBN 13: 9780916938161
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 57