Here we go again. All we are hearing now with Western Easter approaching this weekend (though Pascha is May 5) is how Easter is a "pagan" celebration "stolen" by the Christians. We are hearing about Ishtar and Eoster and how it REALLY is a pagan festival for a fertility goddess. All this makes me question now not what those who attack Christianity are doing, but what are we, who are called to defend it, are doing.
Now apologetics is not for everyone, and even for those who enjoy it on occasion, it can be rather tiresome. This explains how we are losing on at least one front: attrition. Like a pack of wolves hunting their prey, they nip at our heels, chase us for hours, and tire us out just before killing us. I think this is why Christ called on us to endure to the end and said those that do will be saved (Matthew 24:13). He also warned us that He was sending us out as sheep in the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:16). We should be ready for this, but sadly, I am thinking many of us are not (myself included: I am already tired of the attacks this year).
We hear constantly about how Easter Eggs are a tribute to a pagan god. When was the last time any of us recounted the visit of Mary Magdalene visiting the Emperor Tiberius and proclaiming "Christ is Risen!"? Do we even know the tradition of this? When confronted with Mary Magdalene's exclamation, Tiberius replied "A man can rise from the dead no more than the egg in your hand can turn red!" It was then that the egg in Mary Magdalene's hand turned red. This is why, in many icons of her, she is pictured holding a red egg in her hand. Forgetting this tradition and the reason behind it only opens a door to those who wish to defeat Christ.
We hear about Easter Bunnies, Chocolate, and other candies given to children as further evidence of pagan ancestry and homage. A question I can not answer is when did the church allow it IN the church? I have seen Easter Baskets at Pascha that have much food, but have never seen the chocolate bunnies in them. I have seen the red eggs, and Cheese Pascha, and meat, but no chocolate bunnies.
Those who scoff at us know we do not have adequate knowledge of our faith, and they have seen to it that it stays that way. This is why we always hear about Christianity "stealing" from the pagans to get them to convert. I say different; I say their traditions were part of the culture they grew up in, and did not bring into the church at all; they kept the church and the culture separate. At best, the church did not object to such a practice out of mercy and economia, and at worst, perhaps they have not reminded us of what these practices can mean to someone else who has no desire to follow Christ.
I do not have the answers for all of this. I can only argue with people about paganism and the resurrection so much before my own sins start bearing bad fruit (that notorious temper of mine!). The only conclusion I can draw comes not from scripture or tradition, but an answer to a question "Why did this happen?". Alexandr Solzhenitsyn gave a very simple answer to why the Soviet atrocities happened, and I can only see the truth in his words applied to the question of the Resurrection and the idea that it is pagan in origin. He answered "Because Men have forgotten God: that is why all this happened".
Let us not forget and put more effort to remembering.
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