EASTER and THE BELIEVER

Easter is one of several celebrations that bridges divisions in Christianity. Most all Protestants
along with Roman Catholics and even Baptists now (along with other denominations outside
orthodox Christianity such as the Mormons) celebrate Easter in spite of their other doctrinal
differences. And, they not only all celebrate Easter, but, they also often celebrate it together!
(note the fact that many towns and cities have community Easter services and/or sunrise services)
Why such unity surrounding the celebration of Easter? (and Christmas incidentally) Is it an
indication of agreement in foundational doctrine that links these people together in spite of their
surficial differences? I believe it is, and yet that agreement, in reality, is not based upon scripture,
the supposed foundation of Christianity.
Easter is also considered the most important Christian holiday of the calendar, and the most
sacred time of the year for most Christians. Why? Because there is a deep religious significance
in the celebration of Easter and its elements; yet, the religious importance that its celebrants feel
is not scriptural, but pagan. Instead of expressing the grace and truth that came by Jesus Christ, it
is the ultimate expression of the works and legalism that the Apostle Paul decries in opposition to
grace.
Christianitys observance of Easter seems to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But, it
does not in actuality. It is, in reality, one of the cleverly devised fables that the Apostle Peter
refers to in II Peter 1.16 that only mimics the truth of what actually happened to Jesus Christ, to
which Peter was an eyewitness. What truly happened effectually purged all the sins of the elect
and assuredly obtained eternal life for us believers in the church. The ritual of the fable of Easter
obtains nothing for the celebrant even though they are led to believe that participating each year is
beneficial spiritually.
So, should the believer who is committed to the truth of scripture as his/her only rule of faith and
practice celebrate Easter? Should he/she even celebrate Christs resurrection at all? Can a
believer divorce his celebration of any holiday based in the Babylonian Religious System from its
pagan roots and make it truly consistent with scripture? I believe the answer is a resounding NO!
First we will see that although belief in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ as
revealed and detailed in the Bible is the basis for the believers relationship to God, there is no
basis for the celebration of Easter or Christs resurrection to be found in scripture.
Second, we will examine each of the customs associated with the celebration of Easter, and we
will see that these components come from the pagan religious system cleverly devised at the
Tower of Babel, which has been transmitted through history. We refer to this as The Babylonian
Religious System (BRS). Also, we will see that the customs that people are led to believe come
from the Bible actually deceptively mimic the truth of scripture, inaccurately portraying the
events before and during Christs death, burial and resurrection in every way!
Third, we will look at the actual meaning and significance of the doctrinal error promoted and
perpetuated by the celebration of Easter.
And, Fourth, we will draw conclusions about what the believers relationship to Easter should
be.

First, No Scriptural Basis for the Celebration of Easter or Christs Resurrection

Our belief in the literal death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very foundation of our
faith and hope of eternal life. However, the Bible simply nowhere tells us to celebrate Christs
resurrection, either weekly or annually. The question of whether we should participate in
resurrection celebrations of any kind is just that easily answered, because of our commitment to
make the Bible our sole source of belief and practice.
This is well recognized by unbiased observers, as noted in the Encyclopedia Britannica:
There is no trace of the observance of Easter as a Christian festival in the New
Testament or in the writings of the apostolic followers. The sanctity of special times or
places was an idea quite alien to the early Christian mind.1
We are told to keep only two ordinances: The Lords Supper, in which we remember
periodically Christs death for us until he returns, and Believers Baptism, which we each
observe once to symbolize our identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. (More on the significance of these later.) We are explicitly told when and how to observe
these two ordinances, but we are not told to celebrate Christs birth or his resurrection; nor are
there examples of the apostles or the first century church doing either. So, the conclusion is that
there is no basis in scripture either by doctrine or by example that believers in the church
should celebrate Christs resurrection, in the form of Easter or in any other form.
Incidentally, there is one place that the word Easter does appear in the Bible. It is in Acts 12.4
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions
of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. Here the Greek
word pascha is translated Easter instead of Passover as it is in all other occurrences (27 times
total). I believe the King James translators must have had good reason to translate this Easter
instead of Passover here. It would have been too obvious a mistake otherwise.
In reality it just makes good common sense for the King James translators to translate this one use
as Easter, knowing that Herod Agrippa, although part Jew, had been raised in Caesars court in
Rome well into adulthood. Accordingly, he would have most assuredly practiced the Roman
religion, giving some recognition to the Jews celebration of Passover, but, probably participating
in the celebration of Easter, whatever its form was then in the region from Mesopotamia to
Jerusalem. It was the current, regional form of an ancient Babylonian festival celebrating a
ritualized mythical resurrection of their primary male deity and the rebirth of their mother
goddess. The Mother Goddess was Ishtar or Astarte or Asherah and the sun-god was Tammuz or
Baal and the celebration was called Ishtar (Easter in English). (In Rome Cybele and Attis were
the objects of the celebration, but it was very similar in form.) As Robertson quotes Hackett,
"The stricter Jews regarded it as a profanation to put a person to death during a religious
festival". My conclusion is that the King James translators had good reason to believe that the
pagan celebration of Easter in the Middle East that year was after Passover, and that Herod
wanted to wait until both were over to offer Peters death also (in addition to James) to the Jews.
In any event, this is no scriptural reason to celebrate Easter. And, this is the only mention of the
word. But, most importantly, there is no mention in the New Testament of the church celebrating
Christs resurrection in any form, nor is there any commandment to do so. In fact, the Apostle
Pauls commandment was quite the contrary in II Cor 6.14-7.1 where he urges the Corinthians to
abandon their association with pagan religion; and in Gal 4.8-11, where he questioned the faith of
1

Encyclopedia Britannica, 9th ed., vol. VIII, Cambridge: The University Press, p. 531.

those in Galatia who turned back to religious holidays after professing belief in the true God.
Also, when Paul discusses the importance of Christs resurrection in I Cor 15, he does not
mention the importance of celebrating his resurrection; but, instead, he discusses the importance
of belief in his resurrection an essential difference and the essence of this Bible Study. It is
also, incidentally, the essential difference between the doctrine of works and the doctrine of
grace. Celebrations or religious holidays invariably involve ritual that the celebrants believe to be
efficacious for some spiritual benefit, which is an expression of belief in the principle of works,
however subtle.
So, our conclusion must simply be that the celebration of Easter is not based upon the Bible at all,
and, if we want to make the Bible our sole basis for belief and practice, we should not celebrate
Easter. So, where did the celebration of Easter come from if it did not come from the Bible?
Second, Easters Customs are All from Pagan Tradition (the BRS) not Scripture
Derivation of Name Easter
Our current English name Easter is said by some to date from the 8th century, when the AngloSaxon priest Venerable Bede derived it from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre.2 Eostre or Eastre
was the Old English form of the name of this spring goddess, and is akin to the Old English East,
the direction of the rising sun. It is the equivalent of Ishtar in Babylonia, Astarte in Phoenicia,
Atargatis in Philistia, Ashtoreth in Palestine, Ostara in Germany, Kali in India, Aphrodite in
Greece, and Cybele and others in Rome.
These goddesses are regarded as essentially the same deity due to the similarities of their names,
mythologies, worship and festivals. These factors define a deity as its worship moves between
cultures. The primary fertility festivals for these deities and their associated male gods were in
the spring, the time of renewal and birth.
The fact that the method of worship and the character of the festivals of the Roman Catholic
Church are almost identical with these ancient pagan worship and festivals should alert the
seeker of truth that only the names have been changed to give a cloak of Christian sanctity to
these thoroughly pagan practices.
Summary of the Historical Foundation in Pagan Religion
In this religious system (see Appendix I for details of the BRS), rituals dramatized great
lamenting for the death of the sun-god in the fall reflected in the death of vegetation on the earth
(in the northern hemisphere), which is renewed and intensified during the period of Lent; and
then there is great rejoicing at his resurrection at sunrise on Easter Sunday, so that he may again
fertilize the Great Mother Goddess, Mother Earth in order to bring forth vegetation again on the
earth.
These rituals were followed religiously every year for more than 2000 years before Christ, but
there never was an actual resurrection of any of these pagan gods. Nimrod was not actually
resurrected. Tammuz was not. Osiris was not. Baal was not. They were each made to appear to
have been resurrected, either literally or in some symbolic or magical way; or it was assumed that
they were resurrected. After all, they were gods. These pagan cultures were thoroughly
enmeshed in the idea that their god died and was resurrected at this time of the year. When it
actually happened with Jesus Christ, it wasnt really such a new idea to these nations or even
2

1994-1998 Online Encyclopedia Britannica

to the Jews. It just had not actually happened in truth before. It had only happened in legend
or fable. The truth and power of Jesus Christs resurrection must have been somewhat lost or
dulled in the familiarity of the long-practiced tradition that was so similar yet not true. In fact,
there are some who do not believe in scripture and see Christianity as having no essential
difference from those ancient traditions of similar deaths and resurrections. (See also the last
paragraphs of Appendix II)
I believe the Apostle Peter is pointing out exactly that point outlined above when he says in II
Peter 1.16, For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you
the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. It is
extremely important in this context to realize the contrast of these fables of resurrection of pagan
gods with the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to which Peter and the other apostles were
eyewitnesses. No other supposed case of a savior god being killed and resurrected was actually
true, and none other could have had eyewitnesses. They also were eyewitnesses of the fulfillment
of his prophecies concerning the sign that he was truly the Messiah that he was buried for three
days and three nights before being resurrected.
There was an actual solar resurrection of sorts; and that was, in reality, the focus of the
celebration along with the Mother Goddess. Although the sun-god had been reborn at the
winter solstice, it was not resurrected in full force and able to fertilize Mother Earth until
spring. It was after the Vernal Equinox that the sun appeared to have finally triumphed over
winter.
The Pagan Elements of the Celebration of Easter
Another reason why the believer should have nothing to do with Easter can be seen in the details
of how it is celebrated compared to the truth of scripture that it supposedly represents. There are
some components of Easter that Christianity has tried to link with scripture in order to give an air
of sanctity to the overall celebration, but these can also be shown to be, in reality, ancient and
purely pagan in origin just like all the other components that dont have any semblance of relation
to the Bible. (For a more complete summary of the Babylonian Religious System, see Appendix
I.) Every one of these components that is alleged to be based upon the Bible can be shown to
inaccurately portray Biblical events. If the intent is to portray a Biblical event, why not be
accurate? Why do Christians who feel passionate about honoring their savior this way do it
inaccurately? Why observe Lent in some way when it isnt even based upon the Bible? Why
observe Palm Sunday as the day that Christ rode triumphantly into Jerusalem when it actually
occurred on Saturday? Why mark Christs death on Friday when it clearly occurred on
Wednesday according to scripture? Why celebrate Christs resurrection at sunrise Sunday
morning when it actually occurred on Saturday evening just after sunset? And, why do
practically all Christian churches that celebrate Easter have Easter egg hunts for their children if
there is absolutely no basis for this in scripture? If Christians are truly just attempting to
celebrate or commemorate Christs resurrection, wouldnt you think that they would want to be
accurate in dealing with the account in the word of God of what actually occurred?
The answer quite simply lies in the truth that the celebration of Easter really isnt intended to
portray the truth, but to portray the legend, the tradition. Anybody who says that they are doing
it to honor their Lord Jesus Christ, therefore, is not honoring the Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible,
but another god, another Christ one that has only the name from the Bible and every other
attribute taken from pagan religion, not the Bible therefore, a pagan Christ, so to speak.
Lets examine the elements which compose Easter celebrations, looking first at those that
Christians think came from the Bible, but really did not, and only cleverly mimic the truth.

Lent
There is absolutely no scriptural basis for the observance of Lent. Catholics say that the basis
of Lent is Christs fasting of 40 days in the wilderness before Satan tempted him. However, in
fact, Lent was observed in ancient pagan religion for two thousand years BC as an indispensable
rite in preparation for the annual festival of the death and resurrection of Tammuz3. There is no
logic to connect this ancient pagan practice to Christs fasting at the beginning of his ministry,
which actually occurred in the fall not the spring. Rather, there is just a convenient coincidence
of 40 days for both. Its observed duration has ranged from a few days to several weeks, and was
eventually fixed in the 8th century at 40 days. It was included in the Roman Catholic observance
of Easter by the Council of Aurelia in 519 A.D.
Lent is a period of spiritual preparation for Easter, which typically involves fasting, penance, and
prayer. It has deep religious significance for Easter celebrants, because they believe it has a
spiritual cleansing and renewing effect on each of them personally. That is an essential element
of Arminian doctrine, expressing belief that ongoing periodic renewal is necessary for salvation.
Incidentally, the first day of Lent is Ash Wednesday, which was derived from the Anglo-Saxon
Wodnes Daeg. Woden was the Saxon god of war and victory. Paradoxically perhaps, New
Orleans Mardi Gras and Brazils Carnival are multi-day blowouts of licentious revelry that
immediately precede Lent.
Holy Week (refer to diagram entitled Traditional Holy Week vs Scripture)
Tradition says that Jesus Christs triumphal entry into Jerusalem was on Sunday; that he was
crucified on Friday afternoon; and, that he rose from the grave at sunrise on Sunday. That
sequence of events is simply not supported by scripture, because it is not based upon scripture but
tradition. However, much effort has been made to twist scripture to give a semblance of support
for the traditional observance. None of the traditional celebrations connected with these events is
observed at the correct time, which is proof that tradition rather than scriptural truth is the source
of these celebrations and of paramount importance.
According to scripture, the actual sequence of events leading up to and including the death, burial
and resurrection of Jesus Christ can be quite accurately determined based upon a careful
correlation of all four gospels.
Palm Sunday
The Triumphal Entry of Jesus Christ into Jerusalem occurred not on Sunday as the Christian
World seems to commemorate on Palm Sunday, but on Saturday, in perfect parallel to his still
future second coming as the Messiah for Israel for the 7th day (of 1000 yrs) of history, a day of
rest, a Sabbath. (see John 12.1, 12-19 (also Matt 21.1-9, Mk 11.1-10, Luke 19.29-40)). The
Triumphal Entry was 5 days before the Passover, which began at sundown after the death of
Christ on Wednesday afternoon. He was slain as the Passover Lamb for the elect (I Cor 5.7),
probably at the same time that sacrificial lambs were being slain all over Palestine. Sundown was
the start of the next day, according to Jewish reckoning. According to our reckoning, Thursday
was the start of Passover, so Saturday was 5 days before.
Accordingly, the observance by many Christian churches of Palm Sunday is not scriptural.
Instead, it has a religious significance to the BRS. It was a common practice in purely pagan
rituals for thousands of years before Christ and for several hundred years after (before
3

Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, pp104-105.

Christianity) for their Holy Week to begin with a procession with their priests carrying reeds
(which have been replaced by palms) on the Sunday before the ritual crucifixion of their savior
god on Friday.
Good Friday
Good Friday is observed by Roman Catholics and Easter celebrants as the day on which Jesus
Christ was crucified, but Christs death was not, in fact, on Friday. Obviously then, remembering
or observing the actual day of the death of Christ is not, in fact, the true object of this observance.
Instead, in the ancient pagan celebrations for two thousand years before Christs death, Friday
was the day on which their sun-god ceremoniously died. It was called Black Friday in the Cult
of Cybeles Holy Week celebrations, and is still called Black Friday in some regions of the world.
Almost every city of any size in the world today has a procession on Good Friday with a young
male deity held up on a cross. There are still some dominantly Roman Catholic countries,
notably Mexico and Philippines, where the ritual observance on Good Friday is eerily similar to
Black Friday of the pagan world.
In reality, Christ was crucified on a Wednesday afternoon according to our reckoning. Jesus and
his disciples ate the Jewish Passover the evening before he was crucified (our Tuesday evening,
and by Jewish reckoning, the beginning of the day on which he was crucified - the Jewish day
began at sundown and consisted of that evening, night, and the following daylight hours). That
year the crucifixion fell on the 4th day of the Jewish week, on what was called in scripture the day
of preparation (Matt 27.62; Mark 15.42; Luke 23.54; John 19.14, 31 & 42). That was the 14th
of Nisan. The next day, starting at sunset, was the Passover according to then current Jewish
practice, which had since the Babylonian captivity been combined with the first day of The Feast
of Unleavened Bread and observed on the 15th, a special Sabbath, a high day (John 19.31; Ex
12.16) 4. That was Thursday, which began by Jewish reckoning at sunset just as Jesus was laid in
the tomb of Joseph of Arimethea.
The day and time of his death and the day and time of his resurrection is based upon Jesus own
precise prophecy of the duration of his burial, and the account of the gospels that testify of its
literal fulfillment. Jesus prophesied in several places that he would be killed and then be raised
from the dead after three days and three nights:
John 2.18-21 What sign shewest thou unto us, ? 19. Destroy this temple and in
three days I will raise it up. This first prophecy occurs at the first Passover after the
beginning of Jesus ministry in the preceding fall.

All of this has bearing upon which day of the week Christ presented himself as King to the Jews in the
Triumphal Entry. We know that this was 5 days before Passover according to John 12.1&12. Mark
15.42-47 shows that he was crucified on the Day of Preparation, which was preparation for the first day of
the seven Days of Unleavened Bread. However, in addition, John 18.28 shows that the Jews were
planning to observe the Passover the evening that was to follow the crucifixion. In fact, the
Encyclopaedia Judaica confirms that: "The feast of Passover consists of two parts: The Passover ceremony
and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Originally, both parts existed separately; but at the beginning of the
[Babylonian] exile they were combined," Vol. 13, p. 169. So, Jesus ate the Passover meal the night before,
Nisan 14, with his apostles according to scripture, not tradition. Then, the Pharisees and the rest of Judaism
ate the Passover the next night, the 15th, combined with the first day of the Seven Days of Unleavened
Bread. Therefore, the Triumphal Entry was on Saturday, reckoned from Passover as the Jews did
(according to Jn 18.28).

Matt 12.38-40 Master, we would see a sign from thee. 39. An evil and adulterous
generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of the
prophet Jonas: 40. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whales belly;
so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. This
second prophecy of Christs was in the second summer of His ministry, and two things
are significant. First, again the only sign that he would give to the unbelieving majority
of the Jews that he was the Messiah concerned his approaching death, burial, and
resurrection. And second was that the exact duration of his burial would be 72 hours. So,
people who refuse to believe that his interment was actually that length, 72 hours, exactly
three days and three nights, or that he was crucified on Wednesday afternoon, buried by
sunset Wednesday evening, and rose from the dead at the same time Saturday night, are
actually exhibiting disbelief in the scriptures, and, thereby, disbelief in the only sign that
Jesus Christ gave that he was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God! To be clear, people
who continue to believe and observe a Friday crucifixion and a Sunday sunrise
resurrection are exhibiting that they do not believe that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the
Messiah! They dont believe that he fulfilled the one explicit sign that he prophesied to
indicate clearly that he was the Messiah. In other words, they really do not believe in the
true Christ of the Bible, but, rather, a false Christ, in a cleverly devised fable!5
Mark 8.31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things,
and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after
three days rise again. This was in the third summer of his ministry, before his
crucifixion the next spring.
Mark 15.25 - And it was the third hour, His crucifixion began 9am.
Mark 15.33-34 And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the
whole land until the ninth hour. 34. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice,
37. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. He died at 3pm
Wednesday, Nisan 14.
John 19.31-42 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies
should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high
day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, They buried him just before
the start of Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread began at dusk (see footnote
previous page), the end of the 4th day of the week, the start of the 5th day according to
Jewish reckoning. The crucifixion itself had to be on our Wednesday instead of Friday
in order for him to be in the tomb for a full three days and three nights or 72 hours. It is
just that simple, because we know that he was risen before dawn on Sunday! (next
passage)
John 20.1-18 The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was
yet dark, unto the sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from He was already
risen before dawn on Sunday. He, therefore, must have actually risen at dusk Saturday
night exactly three nights and three days, 72 hours, after his burial at dusk Wednesday
night.
To summarize and emphasize, Jesus Christ was quite specific about how the Jew would know
that he was indeed the Messiah. He prophesied that he would be in the belly of the earth 3 days
and 3 nights a specific duration of 72 hours, and that he would then be resurrected. The
The Jews leaders did not believe he would be resurrected, so they obtained authority from Pilate to seal
the tomb and put guards to prevent his followers from stealing the body and claiming he was resurrected
see Matt 27.62-66. Then, when he was resurrected by the power of God, they just denied that it had
happened by paying the guards handsomely to lie and say that his disciples did exactly what they had made
sure would not happen! See Matt 28.11-15.
5

celebration of Easter honors a god, a Christ who rose as the rising sun after one day and two
nights, or 36 hours, in the tomb. Therefore, we must conclude that Easter celebrants are not
worshipping the Jesus Christ who is truly the Son of God defined by scripture, but the Christ of
pagan tradition.
Service of Light
The Service of Light that Roman Catholics observe on Saturday night and some Protestants and
Baptists have been deceived into emulating has its roots solely in pagan religion also. It
symbolically reenacts this pagan sun-gods death with the absence of light throughout the church
and then the blessing of new fire This is all reminiscent of and derived from the
Babylonian belief that Baal is present in the flame.
The Easter Vigil Service of the Eastern Orthodox also reflects these pagan symbolisms:
Among the Greek and Russian Orthodox perhaps even greater emphasis is laid on the central
position of Easter not only as an annual observance of the church year but in the whole worship
and spiritual life of the church. The vigil service is preceded by a procession outside the church
representing a fruitless search for the body of Christ. Then comes the joyful announcement,
Christ is risen, followed by the Easter Eucharist. When the procession first leaves the church,
there are no lights anywhere, but on its return hundreds of candles and colored lamps are lighted to
show the splendor of Christs resurrection. 6

Easter Sunrise Service

The Easter Sunday Sunrise Service can be traced back to the ancient pagan custom of
welcoming the sun god at the Vernal Equinox. It was considered a time to celebrate the return
of life on the earth in the northern hemisphere, as if the male sun gods fertilization of mother
earth was finally showing results, both in the greening of plant life and in the reproduction of
animal life. (see Appendix I)
Passion Plays
The Passion play is one of the primary means of teaching and reinforcing religious tradition to
the masses, not scriptural truth. Scriptural truth is only taught in a proper pastor / flock
relationship. But, the purpose of the passion play is not to teach or reinforce scriptural truth.
Rather, it is intended to promote a narrative of cleverly devised pagan tradition that only mimics
scripture and twists the truth. This is no small thing to be aware of. One of the biggest and most
elaborate passion plays is staged every year just 5 miles west of us at the New Life Church in
Colorado Springs. And, the most elaborate was produced by Mel Gibson a few years ago as the
movie The Passion of the Christ. (please see Appendix II on The Passion of the Christ)
Easter Eggs & Bunnies
The Easter egg was an ancient pagan symbol of resurrection, according to Webster.7 It was an
ancient sacred symbol of new life and fertility to the Babylonians and, thus, carried throughout
history in that religion. The Roman Catholic Church now has their own Official Representation
of Ishtar, The Virgin Mother, who stands upon the top of this Sacred Egg of Heliopolis with the
serpent Typhon at her feet.
However, there was nowhere in scripture authority given for it to be connected with Christs
resurrection. That authority came from the Roman Catholic Church, which does, in fact, consider
6
7

Encyclopedia Britannica, p. 865.

Websters New International Unabridged Dictionary, 1934

the authority of the church to supersede scripture. So, when children today hunt for Easter eggs,
they are re-enacting one of mans oldest pagan rituals.
The Easter Bunny was originally a hare, and was no ordinary animal, but a sacred companion of
the goddess of spring, Eostre. The hare was a symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt and was
associated with the moon in ancient legends, a symbol later kept in Europe and transferred to the
rabbit in North America.
So, in both Easter eggs and bunnies, there is pagan religious significance, but there is no
scriptural connection whatsoever.
Easter Parades & New Clothes, Bonfires
In many cultures the Easter Parade is held after church services, where new clothes are worn for
good luck throughout the year. This is also a pagan custom observed since ancient times.
Bonfires on hilltops and in churchyards are common on Easter Eve in Germany, and are remnants
of pagan sacrificial rites. There are also sometimes Easter candles lit in churches on Easter eve,
and both practices are directly linked to welcoming the resurrection of the sun god.
The Sign of the Cross and Buns
Hislop says about the popular Christian symbol of the cross:
The magic virtues attributed to the so-called sign of the cross, the worship bestowed on it, never
came from (scripture). The same sign of the cross that Rome now worships was used in the
Babylonian Mysteries, was applied by Paganism to the same magic purposes, was honored with
the same honors (long before Christ was crucified). That which is now called the Christian cross
was originally no Christian emblem at all, but was the mystic Tau of the Chaldeans and Egyptians
the true original form of the letter T the initial of the name of Tammuz That mystic Tau was
marked in baptism on the foreheads of those initiated in the (ancient Babylonian) Mysteries, and
was used in every variety of was as a most sacred symbol. The mystic Tau, as the symbol of
the great divinity, was called the sign of life, it was used as an amulet over the heart; it was
marked on the official garments of the priests, as on the official garments of the priests of Rome
(today); The Vestal Virgins of Pagan Rome wore it suspended from their necklaces, as the nuns
(of Rome) do now. The Egyptians did the same, and many barbarous nations with whom they
had intercourse, men as well as women wore earrings; and they frequently had a small cross
suspended to a necklace, or to the collar of their dress. traces of it may be seen in the fancy
ornaments of the Rebo, showing that it was already in use as early as the 15 th century B.C. There
is hardly a Pagan tribe where the cross has not been found. The cross was worshipped by the
Pagan Celts long before the incarnation and death of Christ. .It was worshipped in Mexico for
ages before the Roman Catholic missionaries set foot there, The cross thus widely worshipped,
or regarded as a sacred emblem, was the unequivocal symbol of Bacchus (or Tammuz, etc.), the
Babylonian Messiah, for he was represented with a head-band covered with crosses.8

Signs of the cross are especially prevalent at Easter, from dramatic reenactments to hot cross
buns. Hot cross buns are really Tammuz cakes, because they have his sign embedded. These
cakes were used in the worship of Ishtar, for it was she who brought the god back to ensure their
fertility. She brought him back through sympathetic magic through weeping for him and thus,
he was mystically resurrected. So, when the sun-god returned to fertilize the mother, the people
mystically held him in their hands (in the form of the cakes) and ate the god, mystically uniting
with him and his mother in worship.

Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, pp. 197-199.

Needless to say, there is no scriptural basis for using this symbol whatsoever, although some may
try to point to a statement by the Apostle Paul, God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is no rational basis here for mystical, magical worship in the
cross as a symbol, but, rather, for appreciation for the atonement and justification resultant from
Christs death on the cross. Furthermore, the widespread use of the sign of the cross in antiquity
in pagan religion marks its origin and significance as purely unscriptural.

Third, The Religious Significance of Easter

Although we dont observe the celebration of Easter, that does not mean that we dont believe in
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And, although the Bible does not tell us to celebrate the
resurrection of Jesus Christ, it still teaches us that the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is of
paramount importance to the believer. We do not have to participate in the celebration of Easter
to give recognition to that.
In fact, it is quite the contrary. Those who do celebrate Easter have been duped into promoting
and maintaining a Christianized pagan ritual that is no more effective in gaining spiritual
benefit for its participants than the ancient celebrations were effective in truly having some saving
effect on their participants. Nothing has essentially changed in the celebration for 4200 years
except the names of the god and goddess. For over two thousand of years before Christ, these
celebrations took place annually to enact ritually the death, burial and resurrection of their
primary pagan deity, their savior god. They believed that what they ritually enacted symbolized
what actually happened, but it did not. They believed that celebrating it annually had a spiritually
cleansing and renewing effect on each of them personally, but it did not then and does not now to
those who continue its tradition.
In contrast, we simply believe that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ actually
happened, and it did. We dont need to reenact it to believe it or to remember it. In fact, we learn
from scripture that the resurrection of Christ is an essential foundational fact and belief for our
salvation. It authenticated and demonstrated the power of God, fulfilling prophecies in the Old
Testament and in the New Testament by Jesus as well. It is the basis of our hope of salvation,
especially for our redemption of sins by Jesus Christ as our Passover (I Cor 5.7) and as our High
Priest presenting his blood personally in heaven as an offering for our sins; and, for our
justification; and, for the future redemption of each of our bodies. It was necessary for our
perseverance by the indwelling of Christ, and the intercession of Christ on our behalf. It is the
basis for our assurance and hope of resurrection, and for our eventual victory over death.
We know these things only by faith in the scriptures, which we, as the elect, have been given by
God at our calling. And by faith we believe that as a result of Christs death, burial and
resurrection our justification is secure. But, it is a result of Gods making it so, and our belief of
that; not as a result of our choice, effort, or performance of periodic rituals or celebrations.
Because of faith, we are concerned with the truth of scripture. We care about what the Bible
says, literally. That defines what a believer is versus the non-believer to believe all we know to
be true from scripture. People who do not care about the truth of scripture, who defend and carry
on Tradition instead, are manifesting a lack of belief in scripture. Rejecting the truth of scripture,
they believe something similar because it is appealing to human nature, they see it enacted in
passion plays every year, and it has the tremendous weight of popular acceptance for thousands of
years. But, there is just one simple but huge problem - what they see enacted is not the truth. It is
consistent with pagan religion (tradition), not with the Bible. So, in other words, what they are

10

celebrating annually in their reenactments is not representative of the actual death, burial and
resurrection of Christ, but instead, they are reenacting an ancient pagan tradition in which the
only essential change for four millennia has been the name of the deities. Passion plays do not
promote belief in scripture. They promote belief in tradition in opposition to the truth of
scripture.
They are participation in rites that were designed at their founding at Babel to cleanse the
devotees of their sins and to mystically unite them with the gods. These ceremonies generated
powerful emotions, and thus this system has flourished since Babel in spite of undergoing some
cosmetic changes.
The late Greek scholar Gilbert Murray has made two important comments on the significance of
Easter from his observations and study of Greek culture. First, he describes Easter as:
a Zeus the Son, who is born and brings with him a new age which is unpolluted, while the old
polluted past withers away or is cast out; whose birth brings deliverance to the suffering Mother
Earth, and cleansing to the world in general. 9

Therefore, we find that the primary basis for Easter is the resurrection of the sun-god and the
resultant rebirth of the earth. At Christmas, they are celebrating the rebirth of the sun-god, but it
isnt until Easter that the resurrected Sun-God has gained the force and ability to re-fertilize the
Mother Earth.
The second comment of Murray deals with the significance to the participant of Easter:
We all remember the old woman in Mr. Lawsons book on Modern Greek Folklore (p. 573) who
was in a state of great anxiety as Easter approached: Of course I am anxious; for if Christ does
not rise tomorrow we shall have no corn this year. The Eniautos and its new Aion were still a
recurrent hope, not an event that had happened long ago, once for all. I suspect that of all these
primordial images, if that is their right name, the most permanent and indestructible is the longing
for purification, cleansing, for deliverance from the body of this death. It seems to take two
forms. In most religions, ancient and modern, it is a personal thing; repentance followed by
forgiveness and always associated with some half-magical special rite. This message also has its
place in drama 10

Murrays observations and analysis are extremely important. He has recognized Easter as an
annual rite of cleansing and renewal that is expressed on three levels:
1) at the supernatural level of the gods, 2) at the natural level of the physical earth that we live
upon and depend upon, and 3) on the personal spiritual level for the natural man.
The Religious Significance of Easter on Three Levels to the Participant
In Easter there is an especially deep religious significance for the participant. Natural mans state
is to believe in his own self determination and, therefore, his ability and need to do continually
work appropriate for blessing by god(s). Therefore, men commonly feel a need for personal
spiritual renewal and purification that is quite powerful, and that finds a convenient expression
coincident with the renewal occurring in nature, thus the popularity of Easter celebrations.
Some have described Lent as penance leading to profound suffering followed by the joyous
renewal of Easter. This is nothing more than an expression of a fundamental belief in salvation
9

Gilbert Murray, Dis Geniti, from The Journal of Hellenic Studies, June, 1951, p.126.
Ibid, p. 128.

10

11

by works by all those who knowingly participate in and savor the celebration of Easter. Indeed, a
religious system based on works, however subtle, demands a periodic, ritual cleansing.
Only when a person truly believes in grace in every aspect of his/her salvation is he freed from
this. The believer, therefore, has no need for daily (in confession for fellowship) or weekly (in
the mass or other liturgy) or monthly (in communion) or yearly (in Easter) renewal of his purity,
faith, or commitment, etc.
In the Lords Supper we continue to remember symbolically in the wine and bread the Lords
death till he comes again. We do that annually, but it is important that we understand it as just a
symbolic remembrance, a memorial; and it is important that the Bible does not specify that it
should be an annual or set observance. It does not have a cleansing effect on the believer. We
are sanctified once and for all at the instant of our calling on the basis of Christs death for all our
sins. It is not meant to renew our faith or our purity. We do not need to periodically renew our
faith or cleanse our spirit. Our faith is the faith of Christ that has been given to us by God at the
instant of calling and it does not change as we live out the rest of our natural life, but continues
with us as we persevere in the faith. This is one of the foundational differences between grace
and works, between Calvinism and Arminianism, that salvation is fully accomplished by the work
of the Trinity rather than something that is ongoing and uncertain and needs assistance by our
continuing efforts (works) to be ultimately accomplished.
In physical baptism the believer is symbolically identified with the death, burial and resurrection
of Christ once and only once in his immersion and raising out of water, because our calling
which involves our instantaneous spiritual baptism occurs only once. In contrast, Christians who
dont understand this are commonly re-baptized, especially when they visit the River Jordan in
Israel.
The believer should be extremely wary of anything that would let this idea of a need for spiritual
renewal creep into his thinking. Even the popular practice today of saying wedding vows again
to revitalize or renew marriage smacks of this concept that we need periodic cleansing and
renewal. The natural man is compelled to do this, but the believer is delivered from this thinking.
Significance to Christianity as a Whole
The unity of Christianity when celebrating Easter illuminates two important common
denominators. One is the importance of tradition instead of scripture as a basis for belief and
practice. Some Christians would probably not agree at first with this statement, but their deeds,
what they practice, indicate unity whether they agree in word or not. Second, there is common
ground doctrinally in the personal need for spiritual renewal because of an underlying reliance
upon a system of works for salvation and blessing. Again, many would disagree because there is
such a wide range in what each denomination or sect considers important to do in order to be
blessed, but their actions speak louder and more certainly than their words and once again
indicate unity in the basic principle of works.
Another reality to be aware of is that those in Christianity who ignore the Babylonian (pagan)
basis and purpose in the celebration of holidays or festivals tend also to ignore pagan
(Babylonian) religious influence in all other areas of doctrine, which is extensive.
So, in summary, it is important and instructive to realize that there is a deep religious significance
in the celebration of Easter for the person who believes that his/her salvation and standing with
God is a result of what he/she does, however overt or subtle.

12

Fourth, What Should the Believer Do?

People who promote the celebration of Easter are not celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
If they were, they would not set its date as they do. If they were, they would not call it Easter. If
they were, they would not observe Lent ahead of it. If they were, they would not mark his death
on Friday. If they were, they would not mark his resurrection on Sunday, regardless of the year;
and they would not mark it at sunrise, exclaiming joy on catching the first rays of the sun. If they
were, they would not celebrate it with all the emphasis that exists on egg decoration, egg hunts,
etc. If they were, they would not focus upon the symbolism of the rabbit. And so it goes. Does
this sound like a celebration focused upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ of the scriptures? Or
does it sound like, in every aspect except the name change, a celebration focused upon
maintaining ancient traditions?
No doubt there are many well-meaning Christians including some true believers who are caught
up in this deception and are confused about whether or not to participate. Most Christians who
face the East to the rising sun on Easter Sunday are not consciously worshipping the Sun, but are
the things they do distinguishable from the pagan who has done exactly identical things for over
4000 years? The only distinguishable difference would be the name of the deities worshipped,
but the names have changed many times before, so is that a difference that really sets this
celebration apart from its heritage? Or, is this simply a difference of names due to the different
time and place in the world that we find ourselves? And, does this difference actually serve to
deceive people in Christianity into unwitting participation?
The responsibility of informing people about what they ought or ought not to do rests upon the
pastors in Christianity. They have no doubt been asked countless times why the Easter eggs and
bunnies, etc., if this is to celebrate Christs resurrection, and they no doubt are aware of their
origin in ancient pagan religion. And, they have no doubt been asked how a burial Friday at
sundown and a resurrection Sunday morning is three days. For them to excuse or ignore the
connections to paganism and to support tradition at the expense of the truth of scripture is a
serious breach of their responsibility.
Some people ask, What is wrong with celebrating Easter if I view it with the proper piety, or if
in my heart, I am truly celebrating the resurrection of Christ and not Tammuz? Or Can the
believer celebrate Easter if he wants to?
Tradition or Scripture?
The first answer is simply a question of commitment to the truth of scripture versus the error of
tradition. People who celebrate Easter are manifesting that they are NOT committed to making
the Bible their rule of faith and practice!!! They are quite simply showing that they consider
tradition to be more important than the word of God, rather than to be committed to the scriptures
as their sole source of faith and practice. So, which would you rather follow tradition or the
truth of scripture? Emotion or principle?
This is no small thing. Jesus Christ himself soundly condemned the Judaism of his day when he
said in Mark 7.9-13, full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own
tradition Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition.... Jesus goes on to
say to the scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 15.1-9 after the same incident, Ye hypocrites, well
did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and
honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. These traditions that had accumulated
through thousands of years in Judaism were different than the traditions that accumulated in

13

pagan religion, but the principle is the same. God does not look kindly upon the setting aside of
the word of God by any tradition of man!
Abominations of the Heathen
The second answer deals with the way that God views these festivals, and is even more powerful
against having anything to do with pagan rites or ceremonies or festivals. There should be no
doubt after considering this that God clearly views these celebrations of Christmas and Easter,
etc. as abominations nasty and disgusting, not honoring to him. The Christian today is either
woefully ignorant of what the Bible says about these matters, or actually thinks that he or she
knows better than God how to honor him.
The Jews were expressly told by God not to adopt the customs of the heathen (pagan) with which
they came into contact (Deut 5.32; 12.29-32). In fact, they had done that when they came out of
Egypt (Ex 32); they had made a golden calf, a symbol of the Egyptian form of Tammuz, and had
proclaimed a feast to the LORD. They were professing to worship God through the form of a
false god, an idol. This kindled the anger of God to the point of desiring to wipe them out. He
was not pleased.
In the Mosaic law, Israel was warned about association with the Babylonian Religious System in
any form in Ex 34.12-17, and Deut 12.29-32 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by
following them, and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve
their gods? Even so will I do likewise. . These are just a couple of several warnings to the
Jews not to adopt any pagan customs to use to worship the God of Israel.
At another point in the history of Israel, Jeremiah warned the Jews again not to pick up religious
customs of the heathen, and used as an example the vanity of their worship of the evergreen tree,
which has to be propped up to stand erect (Jer 10.3-6).
A little later, Ezekiel decried the abominations that were being committed by the Jews in worship
of Tammuz (Ez 8.-18). These involved the pagan religious observance which included a sunrise
service, but the net effect was the abomination of incorporating pagan religious customs into
what is supposed to be the worship of the true God.
There is a principle stated in Luke 16.15 of that which is highly esteemed among men is an
abomination in the sight of God.
Why would it be any different for the Church, another of Gods elect? In fact, the same principle
applies. The Apostle Paul (II Cor 6.11-7.1) applies to the Church the command from God to
Israel not to associate with or be influenced by pagan religious customs; and, thereby, urges
separation from pagan influences, here labeled as Belial, by believers. In fact, Paul calls this
filthiness from which we should cleanse ourselves by separating ourselves from these customs.
There is, in fact, no more explicit way to express association with the Babylonian Religious
System than the celebration of its holy days.
Paul also condemns this in Gal 4 & Col 2. The most obvious way in which people exhibited their
allegiance to the old religious system was by the observance of holy days or holidays, and Paul
also warns against having partnership with darkness in Eph 4.10-11. Also, note John Calvins
commentary on Gal 4.8-11 Lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.
The expression is harsh, and must have filled the Galatians with alarm; for what hope was left to
them, if Pauls labor had been in vain? Some have expressed astonishment that Paul should be so

14

powerfully affected by the observance of days, as almost to designate it a subversion of the whole
gospel. But if we carefully weigh the whole, we shall see that there was just reason; and that the
false apostles not only attempted to lay the yoke of Jewish bondage on the neck of the church, but
filled their minds with wicked superstitions. To bring back Christianity to Judaism, was in itself no
light evil; but far more serious mischief was done, when, in opposition to the grace of Christ,
they set up holidays as meritorious performances, and pretended that this mode of worship
would propitiate the divine favor. When such doctrines were received, the worship of God was
corrupted, the grace of Christ made void, and the freedom of conscience oppressed. Do we
wonder that Paul should be afraid that he had labored in vain, that the gospel would henceforth
be of no service? And since that very description of impiety is now supported by Popery, what sort
of Christ or what sort of gospel does it retain? So far as respects the binding of consciences, they
enforce the observance of days with not less severity than was done by Moses. They consider
holidays, not less than the false apostles did, to be a part of the worship of God, and even connect
with them the diabolical notion of merit. The Papists must therefore be held equally censurable
with the false apostles; and with this addition in aggravation, that, while the former proposed to
keep those days which had been appointed by the law of God, the latter enjoin days, rashly
stamped with their own seal, to be observed as most holy.)

In essence, we are urged by the Apostle Paul to exhibit the spiritual change that we have been
given by coming out of the religious system in which we have participated in the past. In the
same way as Israel was urged to be separate from pagan religious celebrations, the church is also
urged to come out and be separate. The abominations of the Babylonian Religious System are
just more difficult to discern today for most people, because they have been cloaked in
Christian names and semblances to deceive the masses and to sanctify their practice.
And, last, but certainly not least, remember Peters comparison of the truth of the scriptural
account of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, to which the apostles were
eyewitnesses, with cleverly devised fables (I Pet 1.16). I believe the celebration of Easter is
the foremost of those cleverly devised fables, with the celebration of Christmas running a close
second.
Bondage to the World System or Liberty?
Look at Gal 4.3 and 8-10, and Col 2.8 and 20. The rudiments are the same as the elements
of the world system. In Gal 4.3, the elements of the world refers to the Mosaic Law and by
implication the principle of the Law or that of Works.
In Col 2 the reference is specifically to the religious system of the world, the holidays, the Jewish
feast days, sabbaths, etc., and the moral standards of the world, the asceticism (the religious
doctrine that one can reach a higher spiritual state by rigorous self-discipline and self-denial) and
piety (devotion to religious duties and practices) involved in the worlds principle of works.
In Gal 4.8-10, the perspective is clearly focused upon the religious observances or festivals or
holy days of the pagan religion. The gentiles of Galatia had come out of bondage to a rigorous
system of religion that required the observance of holy days to honor their gods and, therefore, to
merit the blessings of the gods.
But the death of Christ has freed the believer from bondage to the world system, Gal 1.4. These
holy days are a central part of that religious system from which we have been delivered. As part
of that deliverance, we have also been freed from the principle of works, Rom 8.1-2. The
celebration of religious holidays is a religious work. It is contrary to the principle of grace.

15

Conclusion
So, to celebrate Easter is to observe tradition, continuing in bondage to the world system, which
is seen by God as abomination, filthiness, and darkness, instead of making the Bible our basis of
belief and practice, and thereby enjoying our freedom in grace. And to celebrate Easter is to mix
works with grace, which effectively cancels out grace or, in other words, indicates that grace
isnt really the basis for belief to begin with.
There is no doubt that we should have nothing to do with any of Easters elements of celebration,
and that ranges from the actual observance of any of the overtly religious elements of celebration
to the symbols of the holidays eggs, bunnies, chicks, crosses, etc..

16

Appendix I
The Pagan Roots of Easter
The very name of the holiday, Easter, is a stamp of its pagan origin. We will see that its name
has great significance to its real character and purpose. But, first, let us look at the historical
background of springtime celebrations of new life. There are two aspects of pagan religion that
are necessary to understand in order to appreciate the true meaning of religious holidays: 1) the
cycle of pagan worship tied to natural phenomena, and 2) the history of the mystery religion
built upon and focused upon this.
The Tie of Pagan Religion to Natural Cycles
The religious system (which we call the Babylonian Religious System) devised at Babel by Satan
through Nimrod and Semiramis cleverly appeals to human nature, particularly to mans pride of
life, while deceptively hiding or obscuring spiritual truth. Of course, the natural man can not seek
after the true God nor understand spiritual truth, but he has religious ideas that he believes will
relate him to God and determine his spiritual destiny. Moreover, Satan deceptively hides from
mankind the truths that he has observed about the spiritual world in the past 6,000 years,
promoting instead this religious system that plays upon human nature (which further blinds
natural man from spiritual truth (according to II Cor 4.4)).
The ancient pagans religious11 urges found expression in a variety of beliefs, ideas and practices
that centered around a sense of a supernatural world apart from our physical world that can be
seen. The mythology of this system had significant basis in the ante-diluvian world12, the
knowledge of which was passed from Ham to Cush to Nimrod and cleverly devised into a
religious system at Babel that has been the basis of pagan religion ever since.
This unseen supernatural world was believed to have power over the ancient pagans everyday
life. They regarded this supernatural world with awe, fear and hope. They offered up sacrifices
and prayers to the mysterious forces of this Mystery Religion, which they believed controlled the
workings of nature on their behalf. They considered the elements of nature also as powers to be
worshipped, since they affected their lives so directly; and they personified these forces in their
gods.
Their hope in offering these sacrifices and prayers was to ward off catastrophe, to ensure fine
hunting, to obtain bountiful harvests and personal fertility, and to live again beyond the grave.
There was significance, therefore, to these rituals on three levels: to ensure harmony and
11

By formal definition, a pagan is a person who is not a Christian, Muslim, or Jew. I use the word as a
synonym for heathen, which in scripture is a member of any nation or people not worshipping the God of
Israel, or, in other words, the person whose religion is based in anything apart from the word of God.
12
In Alexander Hislops book, The Two Babylons, 1916, 330 p., he writes in his Preface to the Second
Edition 1858, first published in 1853:
The post-diluvian divinities were connected with the ante-diluvian patriarchs, and the first progenitors of
the human race, by means of the metempsychosis; and the names given to them were skillfully selected, so
as to be capable of divers meanings, each of these meanings having reference to some remarkable feature
in the history of the different patriarchs referred to. The knowledge of this fact is indispensable to the
unraveling of the labyrinthine subject of Pagan mythology, which, with all its absurdities and
abominations, when narrowly scrutinized, will be found exactly to answer to the idea contained in the wellknown line of Pope in regard to a very different subject: A mighty maze, but not without a plan.

17

fertility in the supernatural world, to produce harmony and fertility in the natural world
including their own lives, and for personal spiritual benefit and life after the grave.
There was a cycle of pagan worship that closely followed the natural cycles of the earth and sun
and related their gods and festivals to these cycles (see Figure 1). In the spring, the pagan
sought fertility for himself and his animals and crops. It was during this season, at the Vernal
Equinox, that the primary god he worshipped (symbolically tied to the sun, reborn at the winter
solstice and now strengthening significantly) seemed to be resurrected in its power to
rejuvenate the earth. The mother goddess he worshipped (symbolically tied to the earth), had
been previously fertilized by the sun god in order to bring forth its annual vegetation in Spring.
In the following summer, when the hot arid lands vegetation began to die and brown, he
believed that the goddess (the earth) had in some way lost the companionship of the god (the sun)
he worshipped, who began to die.
In the autumn, the suns death accelerated, and the goddess began weeping for the missing god.
At the winter solstice, the dying sun came back to life again, because the goddess he worshipped,
who had been fertilized at the previous vernal equinox, gave birth to a new son. The god (the
sun) was reborn, and the earth was saved.
At the Februa-Purification, forty days after the birth of the son, now Valentines Day, this
mother goddess was ritually cleansed of childbirth.
Then at the vernal equinox, the goddess again married her son/husband, by whom she was
fertilized in order to re-invigorate the earth.
Participation in each of these rites at the appointed time of the sun was believed by pagan man to
cleanse the devotees of their sins and to mystically unite them with the gods. The pagan
ceremonies generated powerful emotions, and thus this system has flourished since Babel in spite
of undergoing some cosmetic changes.
Figure 1 next page

18

ANNUAL CYCLE
OF
BRS WORSHIP

VERNAL EQUINOX

FEBRUAPURIFICATION
goddess is ritually
cleansed, prepares for
fertilization by refreshed
god

Sun is strengthening / Sun-god

resurrected marries goddess,
fertilized, then re-fertilizes
earth
earth is reborn & greens

40 days weeping

40 days purification

WINTER SOLSTICE
Sun reborn, begins to
strengthen / Sun-god reborn
earth is dead but hope for
rebirth

SUMMER SOLSTICE
SUN

Sun begins to die / goddess

loses companionship of sungod
earth soon begins to die

FALL EQUINOX
Sun dying, losing strength
quickly / goddess begins
weeping for sun-god
earth dead, death is
focus

Figure 1

19

History of the Mystery Religion and Easter

In Babylon in ancient history, Ishtar, which is pronounced the same as our Easter, was a day that
commemorated the supposed resurrection of one of their gods, Tammuz, who was believed to be
the only begotten son of the moon-goddess, or the Great Mother Goddess (Semiramis or Rhea or
Ishtar), and the sun-god (Nimrod and/or Tammuz).
Nimrod, noted in Gen 10.8-10, was a man who built the kingdom of Babel in Babylon, and his
wife, Semiramis, was the Queen of Babylon. Scripture portrays him as a mighty hunter of mens
souls in opposition to the LORD, but is silent beyond his existence as the grandson of Ham, the
son of Noah and his general activity in building his kingdom at Babel. However, much can be
learned from history about the foundation of this mystery religion. Also, much can be inferred
from a scriptural study of Satan about his certain influence upon the establishment and
propagation of this religion.
Tradition and fable has it that the King/Husband was eventually killed and his body sent in pieces
to various parts of the kingdom. The Queen had all of the parts gathered, but his genitals could
not be found; therefore, he could not be resurrected. So, the Queen told the people that he had
ascended to the sun and was now to be called Baal, the sun-god.
The Queen proclaimed that Baal would be present on earth in the form of a flame, whether candle
or lamp, when used in worship. Semiramis and Satan thereby created the Babylonian Religion,
with all of its doctrines, superstitions and celebrations.
Semiramis claimed that she was immaculately conceived. She taught that the moon was a
goddess who went through a 28 day cycle and ovulated when full. She further claimed that she
had come down from the moon in a giant moon egg that fell into the Euphrates River13. This was
to have happened at the time of the first full moon after the spring equinox. So, this time was set
as the birth of Semiramis, and has ever since been the time to celebrate the birth of the great
Mother Goddess (Easter). This time was also associated with the symbolic resurrection of the
primary male god/son (the sun) and his fertilization of the Mother Goddess (the earth), which
then enabled the earth to be productive that year.
Semiramis became known as Ishtar, and her moon egg became known as Ishtars egg.
Ishtar became pregnant and claimed that it was the rays of the sun-god Baal that caused her to
conceive. The son that she brought forth was named Tammuz. Tammuz was said to have been
especially fond of rabbits, which became sacred in the Babylonian religion. Tammuz eventually
was killed, by a wild pig in some legends, and the Queen then claimed that he had now ascended
to his father, Baal, and that the two of them would be with the worshippers in the sacred candle or
lamp flame as Father, Son and Spirit.
The Queen was now worshipped as Mother of God and Queen of Heaven, and she continued to
build her mystery religion. One legend has it that she told the people that when Tammuz was
killed, some of his blood fell on the stump of an evergreen tree, and that overnight the stump
grew into a full new tree. This made the evergreen tree sacred by the blood of Tammuz.
She also proclaimed a forty-day period of sorrow each year prior to the anniversary of the death
of Tammuz. During this time, no meat was to be eaten. Worshippers were to meditate upon the

13

Hislop, Alexander, The Two Babylons, p. 109

20

sacred mysteries of Baal and Tammuz, and to make the sign of the T in front of their hearts as
they worshipped. They also ate sacred cakes with the T marked across the top.
Every year, on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox, a celebration
was held. It was Ishtars Sunday and was celebrated with eggs and rabbits. Ishtar also
proclaimed, according to one source, that because Tammuz was killed by a pig, a pig must be
eaten on that Sunday.
This celebration changed names through history according to the language and culture of the
region of the world involved. By about 200 B.C., in Rome mystery cults began to appear just as
they had earlier in Greece. Most notable was the Cybele cult centered on Vatican Hill
Associated with the Cybele Cult was the cult of her lover, Attis (the older Tammuz, Osiris,
Dionysus, or Orheus under a new name). He was a god of ever-reviving vegetation. Born of a
virgin, he died and was reborn annually. The festival began on Reed Sunday, the precursor of
Palm Sunday, proceeding through a day of blood on Black Friday, and culminated in a day of
rejoicing over the resurrection on Sunday. Following is a description of this pagan holy week
in Rome, 385 AD, by Augustine from The Myth of the Resurrection by Joseph McCabe, 1925,
(see Appendix I for more):
This was in March, 385 A.D., the beginning of spring in Rome, and when the priests of Cybele,
"the mother of the gods," celebrated their "holy week." It had begun with a procession, on March
17 when priests and devotees carried reeds: as they carry palms in a Catholic church on the first
day of Holy Week in our time. Five days later- Sunday to Friday is five days-there was a second
solemn procession. The priests bore a sacred emblem through the streets to the temple on the
Palatine Hill; and the emblem was the figure of a beautiful young god, pale in death, bound to a
small pine tree, which was crowned with violets. Attis was dead, and the procession went its way
with ceremonial sadness.
The next day was the "Day of Blood." Attis had bled, and his priests and worshipers must bleed.
In the full ritual of the cult of Attis and Cybele, in the east, the priests tore from their bodies the
organs of manhood and held aloft their great sacrifice to the mother and divine lover. Rome did
not permit this; but priests and worshipers gashed themselves arid made the blood flow; and drums
thundered, and howls of lamentation rose, and the eunuch priests rent their flowing robes. Attis
was dead: the beautiful Attis.
And on the next day he rose from the dead. It was the Hilaria ("Day of Hilarity"), a very popular
Roman festival, when all things were lawful, because your heart rejoiced to know that Attis had
come to life again. Two days later was the part of the festival at which Augustine assisted. The
priests took the black stone (phallic stone) with a silver head, which represented Cybele, for a
ceremonious bath in the Almo; and they return through Rome, with horns blowing and drums
throbbing, frantic with rejoicing, while the two great hedges of Roman spectators supported them
with an orgy of sexual songs and jokes and embraces. The spirit of love was born again.

Pagan religious celebrations at this time of the year are a time of celebrating new life, the
resurrection of nature from the dead, and/or the resurrection of the suns life giving force. They
have typically featured fertility rites, merrymaking, and orgiastic activity. In ancient times there
was the sacrificing of virgins, the worshipping of fertility gods and goddesses, and the worship of
the phallus. Maypoles were part of these celebrations in ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece and
Europe. Eggs, as symbols of fertility and new life, have always been a prominent feature, as have
rabbits, symbols of vigorous sexual activity and fertility.

21

Many of these spring festivals centered on phallic rites. Colliers Encyclopedia says of
Babylonian Ishtar Festival Phallic Rites:
The Ishtar Festivals were symbolical of Ishtar as the goddess of love or generation. As the
daughter of Sin, the moon god, she was the Mother Goddess who presided over child birth; and
women, in her honor, sacrificed their virginity on the feast day or became temple prostitutes, their
earnings being a source of revenue for the temple priests and servants. 14

We learn about the role of the sacred temple prostitute in The Interpreters Dictionary of the
Bible:
The prostitute who was an official of the cult in ancient Palestine and nearby lands of biblical
times exercised an important function (in their view). This religion was predicated upon the belief
that the processes of nature were controlled by the relations between gods and goddesses.
Projecting their understanding of their own sexual activities, the worshippers of these deities,
through the use of imitative magic, engaged in sexual intercourse with devotees of the shrine, in
the belief that this would encourage the gods and goddesses to do likewise. Only by sexual
relations among the deities could mans desire for increase in herds and fields, as well as his own
family, be realized. In Palestine the gods Baal and Asherah were especially prominent. These
competed with Yahweh the God of Israel, and, in some cases, may have produced hybrid YahwehBaal cults. Attached to the shrines of these cults were priests as well as prostitutes, both male and
female. Their chief service was sexual in nature the offering of their bodies for ritual
purposes.15

The Interpreters Dictionary also reveals the following about fertility cults:
The oldest common feature of the religions of the ancient Near East was the worship of a great
mother-goddess, the personification of fertility. Associated with her, usually as a consort, was a
young god who died and came to life again, like the vegetation, which quickly withers, but blooms
again (next year). The manner of the young gods demise was variously conceived in the myths:
he was slain by another god, by wild animals, by reapers, by self-emasculation, by burning or by
drowning. In some variations of the theme, he simply absconded. His absence produced
infertility of the earth, of man, and of beast. His consort mourned and searched for him. His
return brought renewed fertility and rejoicing.
The Old Testament furnishes abundant evidence as to the character of the religion of the land into
which the Israelites came. Fertility rites were practiced at the numerous shrines which dotted the
land, as well as at the major sanctuaries. The Israelites absorbed the Canaanite ways and learned
to identify their god with Baal, whose rains brought fertility to the land. A characteristic feature of
the fertility cult was sacral sexual intercourse by priests and priestesses and other specially
consecrated persons, sacred prostitutes of both sexes, intended to emulate and stimulate the deities
who bestowed fertility. The agricultural cult stressed the sacrifice or common meal in which the
gods, priests, and people partook. Wine was consumed in great quantity in thanksgiving to Baal
for the fertility of the vineyards. The wine also helped induce ecstatic frenzy, which was climaxed
by self-laceration, and sometimes even by self-emasculation. Child sacrifice was also a feature of
the rites. It was not simply a cult of wine, women, and song, but a matter of life and death in
which the dearest things of life, and life itself, were offered to ensure the ongoing of life. 16

Colliers Encyclopedia, 1980, vol. 9, p. 622.

The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 3, pp. 933-934.
16
The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 2, p. 265.
14
15

22

Derivation of Name Easter

Our current English name Easter is said by some to date from the 8th century, when the AngloSaxon priest Venerable Bede derived it from the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre.17 Eostre or Eastre
was the Old English form of the name of this spring goddess, and is akin to the Old English East,
the direction of the rising sun. It is the equivalent of Ishtar in Babylonia, Astarte in Phoenicia,
Atargatis in Philistia, Ashtoreth in Palestine, Ostara in Germany, Kali in India, Aphrodite in
Greece, and Cybele and others in Rome.
These goddesses are regarded as essentially the same deity due to the similarities of their names,
mythologies, worship and festivals. These factors define a deity as its worship moves between
cultures. The primary fertility festivals for these deities and their associated male gods were in
the spring, the time of renewal and birth.
The fact that the method of worship and the character of the festivals of the Roman Catholic
Church are almost identical with these ancient pagan worship and festivals should alert the
seeker of truth that only the names have been changed to give a cloak of Christian sanctity to
these thoroughly pagan practices.
There are some who say that Bede was in error to associate Easter with a spring goddess, but that
it was a name for the celebration of the spring sun, which had its birth in the East and brought
new life to the earth. Whatever the true basis for the name, the Mother Goddess who was refertilized by the resurrected sun-god or the sun-god himself, the two are inseparable in this
ancient rite of spring, and it is thoroughly pagan.
Summary of the Historical Foundation in Pagan Religion
In this religious system, rituals dramatized great lamenting for the death of the sun-god in the
fall reflected in the death of vegetation on the earth (in the northern hemisphere), which is
renewed and intensified during the period of Lent; and then there is great rejoicing at his
resurrection at sunrise on Easter Sunday, so that he may again fertilize the Great Mother
Goddess, Mother Earth in order to bring forth vegetation again on the earth.
An important point to keep in mind is that there never was an actual resurrection of any of these
pagan gods. Nimrod was not actually resurrected. Tammuz was not. Osiris was not. Baal was
not. They were each made to appear to have been resurrected, either literally or in some symbolic
or magical way; or it was assumed that they were resurrected. After all, they were gods. These
pagan cultures were thoroughly enmeshed in the idea that their god died and was resurrected at
this time of the year. When it actually happened with Jesus Christ, it wasnt really such a new
idea to these nations or even to the Jews. It just had not actually happened in truth before. It
had only happened in legend or fable. So, if you dont actually believe that it did happen in
truth in Jesus Christ, then you would see Christianity as having no essential difference from those
ancient traditions of similar deaths and resurrections. (See also the last paragraphs of Appendix
II)
II Peter 1.16, For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto
you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty., is
extremely important in this context to contrast these fables of resurrection of pagan gods with the
truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to which Peter and the other apostles were eyewitnesses.
No other supposed case of a savior god being killed and resurrected was actually true, and none
other could have had eyewitnesses. They also were eyewitnesses of the fulfillment of his
17

1994-1998 Online Encyclopedia Britannica

23

prophecies concerning the sign that he was truly the Messiah that he was buried for three days
and three nights before being resurrected.
There was an actual solar resurrection of sorts each year; and that was, in reality, the focus of the
celebration along with the Mother Goddess. Although the sun-god had been reborn at the
winter solstice, it was not resurrected in full force and able to fertilize Mother Earth until
spring. It was after the Vernal Equinox that the sun appeared to have finally triumphed over
winter.
Transformation from Pagan Religion to Christianity
The New Testament Church did not celebrate Christs resurrection. It was not until Constantine
combined the then current form of Christianity with the Roman Pagan Religion in 312 A.D. that
Easter became Christian. However, it still took decades till the nobility of Rome abandoned
their celebration of the resurrection of Attis and other pagan gods and substituted Jesus Christ.
There was some disputing over just when it should be celebrated, but the Council of Nicaea in
325 A.D. ended that debate by deciding that Easter should thenceforth be celebrated everywhere
at the same time in accordance with the Alexandrine computation, which essentially was to be on
the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox. This made the determination
of the time of celebration of Easter to be exactly on the same basis that it had always been in
Pagan Religion. This can come as early as March 22 or as late as April 25, a 35 day spread.
The truth of the foregoing historical basis is illustrated in the following observation by Gilbert
Murray, the Professor of Greek at Oxford University in England for most of the first half of the
20th century, Gilbert Murray:
Anyone who has been in Greece at Easter time, especially among the more remote peasants, must
have been struck by the emotion of suspense and excitement with which they wait for the
announcement Christos aneste, Christ is risen!, and the response Alethos aneste, He has
really risen!. I have referred elsewhere to Mr. Lawsons old peasant woman, who explained her
anxiety: If Christ does not rise tomorrow, we shall have no harvest this year (Modern Greek
Folklore, p. 573). We are evidently in the presence of an emotion and a fear which, beneath its
Christian coloring and, so to speak, transfiguration, is in its essence, like most of mans deepest
emotions, a relic from a very remote pre-Christian past. Every spring was to primitive man a time
of terrible anxiety. His store of food was near its end. Would the dead world revive, or would it
not? The Old Year was dead; would the New Year, the Young King, born afresh of Sky and
Earth, come in the Old Kings place and bring with him the new growth and the hope of life? 18

From the foregoing historical information, we must conclude that the celebration of Easter has its
roots in something other than scripture, the Babylonian Religious System, and has simply been
sanctified by Christianity. However, that does not justify its celebration by believers who care
about making the Bible their sole basis of belief and practice.
Appendix II
Following is an account of annual celebrations of death and resurrection of pagan gods by Joseph
McCabe in The Myth of the Resurrection, written in 192519. McCabe is expressing a cynical
attitude toward Christianitys celebration of Easter. My comments about that follow the excerpt.

18
19

Gilbert Murray, Five Stages of Greek Religion, 3 rd Edition, 1951, preface to the 3rd Ed., p.v:
This can be found at: http://www.2think.org/hundredsheep/bible/library/myth.shtml

24

In the year 384 A.D. a swarthy and remarkable young man of thirty years entered Rome and
gazed for the first time upon its splendors and gaieties. He came from Roman Africa, and he was
going to make a fortune by teaching rhetoric in Rome. His name Augustinus; and he little
dreamed that until about the year 1950 A.D., or thereabouts, he would be known all over the
world, and greatly honored, under the quaint name of St. Augustine.
In Life and Morals in Greece and Rome (Little Blue Book No.1078) we may see something of the
superb city and wonderful life which Augustine would admire. Here I am going to tell one
experience which he described in later years. He was not yet a Christian: neither was Rome, for
he tells us that even then, three centuries and a half after the death of Christ, seventy years after
the Emperors had begun to make an acceptance of Christianity "the pathway of ambition," still
"nearly the whole nobility of Rome"- which means the whole of its educated men - were pagans.
Imperial gold had built a church or two, but the great city of a million people scorned the new
religion. It had a score of more attractive religions; and it was the very popular annual procession
through the streets of one of these that Augustine saw.
This was in March, 385 A.D., the beginning of spring in Rome, and when the priests of Cybele,
"the mother of the gods," celebrated their "holy week." It had begun with a procession, on March
17 when priests and devotees carried reeds: as they carry palms in a Catholic church on the first
day of Holy Week in our time. Five days later - Sunday to Friday is five days - there was a second
solemn procession. The priests bore a sacred emblem through the streets to the temple on the
Palatine Hill; and the emblem was the figure of a beautiful young god, pale in death, bound to a
small pine tree, which was crowned with violets. Attis was dead, and the procession went its way
with ceremonial sadness.
The next day was the "Day of Blood." Attis had bled, and his priests and worshipers must bleed.
In the full ritual of the cult of Attis and Cybele, in the east, the priests tore from their bodies the
organs of manhood and held aloft their great sacrifice to the mother and divine lover. Rome did
not permit this; but priests and worshipers gashed themselves arid made the blood flow; and drums
thundered, and howls of lamentation rose, and the eunuch priests rent their flowing robes. Attis
was dead: the beautiful Attis.
And on the next day he rose from the dead. It was the Hilaria ("Day of Hilarity"), a very popular
Roman festival, when all things were lawful, because your heart rejoiced to know that Attis had
come to life again. Two days later was the part of the festival at which Augustine assisted. The
priests took the black stone (phallic stone) with a silver head, which represented Cybele, for a
ceremonious bath in the Almo; and they return through Rome, with horns blowing and drums
throbbing, frantic with rejoicing, while the two great hedges of Roman spectators supported them
with an orgy of sexual songs and jokes and embraces. The spirit of love was born again.
It was long years afterwards, when Augustine had become a very solemn and very sour and very
puritanical bishop, that he described these things. I need not reproduce his comments. But he
hints that at the time the religious life he saw in Rome made him lean to the Academic philosophy
(an early type of Agnosticism). His mother Monica was a Christian, and she sought the
conversion of her son with all the fire with which she had once sought a lover. But Augustine
smiled disdainfully at the Christian Church in Rome.
Although he does not say so explicitly, one reason for his aversion must have been the sight of
these two Holy Weeks. In the same month as the pagans the Christians opened a Holy Week with
a palm-bearing procession, and five days later they mourned before the figure of a pale young god
nailed to a "tree" (as they chanted), and two days later again they went into a frenzy of rejoicing
because he had risen from the dead. The one Holy Week was a frank drama of the death and
resurrection of love: the other was, at least in theory, a spiritual and ascetic drama. But Augustine
would look from the pale young Attis on his tree to the pale young Christ on his cross, from
resurrection to resurrection, and wonder . . . Cybele and Attis were ages older than Jesus.

25

The modern American Christian who may in some audacious moment open the opulent pages of
Sir J. G. Frazer's Golden Bough (especially the volume Adonis, Attis, Osiris) and read about this
ancient cult of a slain and resurrected god, has at first a strange fluttering of the heart; then he sets
it all aside with a forced laugh. This, he says, is "science." Guessing again: theories. He sees in
the footnotes a formidable list of authorities. They are all Greek and Latin and Arabic and
German. He can't read a word of them - not even if the books existed in the United States.
So I introduce the matter on the authority of one before whom the Christians must bow in silence.
Augustine saw this in Rome, in the year 385; just before paganism was fiercely persecuted and
suppressed by the men who wrote pathetic books about the persecutions they had suffered.
And there was in Rome about the same time another very learned man to whose authority every
Christian must bow, St. Jerome. In his Commentary on Ezekiel St. Jerome says (I translate the
Latin):
Hence as, according to the pagan legend, the lover of Venus, a most beautiful youth, is
said to have been slain, then raised to life again, in the month of June, they call the month
of June by his name, and they have a solemn celebration in it every year, in the course of
which his death is mourned by the women, and afterwards his resurrection is chanted, and
praised. (Migne edition of Jerome's works, vol. XXV, col. 82.)
Jerome, who spent a large part of his life in Palestine, is speaking of the east - the whole region of
Palestine and Mesopotamia - and the "most beautiful youth" is Tammuz. The goddess whom he
calls "Venus," in Roman fashion, is really the Babylonian Ishtar, the Astarte of the Phoenicians
and the Hebrews. Attis, to whom I have referred above, was the slain and resurrected god of the
Phrygians:
"the Lord," as he was known over all that part of the earth, whether priests called him Tammuz or
Attis. "Lord" is in Palestinian language "Adon." Even the Bible sometimes gives Adonai (really
Adoni - "my lord") as a name for God; and the Greeks took it for a proper name and created the
beautiful young god "Adonis," the lover of Venus, who died and rose again every year.
And they were not surprised, because they thought nothing of bringing the dead to life. Asclepios
had brought so many dead back to life that the monarch of the world of the dead got jealous and
had him slain; and, being a god, he in a sense rose from the dead. Anyhow, other gods of Greek
mythology had died and risen from the dead; and so, when this fascinating ritual of a holy week
came along to Greece from Syria, the women quite generally adopted it.
Thus in every land where Christianity spread, the slain and resurrected god and the dramatic
annual celebration of his death and resurrection, were quite familiar. It was Tammuz all over the
plains of Mesopotamia, from Ur of the Chaldees to Jerusalem. It was Attis all over the region to
the north and northwest of Palestine and through the old Phoenician civilization on the coast of
Palestine and Asia Minor. It was Adonis in Greece, then in Rome, and gradually all over the
Greco-Roman world. We may be sure that Augustine had seen it in Carthage before he went to
Rome. We may almost suppose that the Romans took it with them to Spain and Gaul, if not
Britain.
I may seem to have overlooked Egypt; but Egypt was precisely the classic home of the myth of a
slain and resurrected god. "I am the Resurrection and the Life" is merely an epitome of what the
Egyptians chanted for ages about their great god Osiris, the judge of the dead, one of the oldest
and most revered gods of Egypt. He had been slain by "the powers of darkness" embodied in his
wicked brother, Set. His sister and wife, Isis, had sought the fragments of his body and put them
together again. And he had arisen from the dead, and was enthroned in the world of souls, to
judge every man according to his works. The resurrection of Osiris was the basis of the Egyptian's

26

firm hope of eternal life. Every year the fair strip of land along the Nile mourned for days over the
slaying of Osiris and then rejoiced exceedingly over his resurrection.

As I said above, the author of this summary is cynical about the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
partly because what he sees in the celebration of Easter by Christianity is fundamentally the same
as by pagan cults for two thousand years before Christ. I agree with that part of his evaluation as
reflected by the preceding Bible study. But, he goes further and concludes that there is no truth to
the Bibles account and its statements because of that similarity, thinking that the Bible must have
simply co-opted the myths of paganism. That is where I profoundly disagree. That is exactly
what the Apostle Peter is referring to when he says, For we have not followed cunningly devised
fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were
eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there
came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.
And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. (II
Peter 1.16-18)
Peter is referring to the same phenomenon that McCabe is referring to, implying and recognizing
that there is a certain similarity to the pagan myths, yet there is a profound difference in the truth
regarding Jesus Christs actual resurrection. His resurrection truly occurred, to which Peter and
the other apostles were eyewitnesses. The pagan myths did not truly happen; they were just
ritually reenacted annually to symbolically represent the power they attributed to their deities.
But, their deities did not actually possess this power in truth as Jesus Christ does in truth.
This difference between McCabe and me illustrates the difference between the believer and the
non-believer. I simply believe Gods word about what he says occurred. He does not, because he
believes the evidence instead. That difference is the role of faith given to those who are called.
Appendix III
On The Passion of the Christ movie - 3/2004
Kelly said a couple of weeks ago that his friend asked him if he were going to go to see that new
movie, to which he replied, No, everything I need to know about what happened there is in the
Bible. That is precisely the attitude we should have about any medium that supposes to better
depict or to help us to better understand what is contained in the word of God.
What is actually going on in each of these media is a retelling of the word of God with a
calculated twist whether through new versions of the Bible (supposedly to correct or simplify),
paraphrases of the Bible (supposedly to explain), TV preachers who recast the Bible with their
views, through Passion Plays at Easter (like The Thorn at New Life Church) or Nativity scenes
at Christmas, or through movies (supposedly to better depict or have a stronger impact upon the
individual).
I am, therefore, warning you not to go see this movie with the same force that I warn you not to
read the New International Version of the Bible (as well as all other new versions) or go to
Passion plays at Easter. This movie is no more than a glorified, magnificently produced passion
play. It was released on Ash Wednesday for exactly that purpose. There really isnt much
difference among them. Each form of medium retells the word of God with a human twist, which
makes it no longer the word of God. Each medium thereby injures the word of God. I believe
participating in any of these forms will adversely influence what you think about scriptural
matters.

27

We are constantly as individuals involved in comparing things that we hear or see with the truth
that we know from the word of God through the teaching of sound doctrine. We are discerning
whether that which we hear is right or wrong, good or bad. This goes on all the time, sometimes
many times a day. When we have a strong basis to know what is actually the truth of the word of
God, this process is rather straightforward. When somehow that base of truth is distorted or
misunderstood or even worse, replaced with counterfeit truth, then it becomes more and more
difficult and eventually impossible to discern error for the individual believer.
That is what has occurred with the new, corrupt, versions of the Bible; and, that is what occurs
when we allow into our minds a depiction of the word of God which purports to be the truth, but
actually is not. That is what this movie does. That is what any movie of scriptural events / stories
does, even The Ten Commandments.
Occasionally, as a pastor, I inspect the corrupt versions of the Bible to see exactly what the error
is that is introduced, and thereby infer the motives of the corruptors. I may at some time in the
future do the same for this movie. But, I probably will not. I recognize that it is a powerful
medium that is not to be taken lightly in its ability to impinge upon the mind and distort the truth.
An interesting sidelight is the fact that many churches are going gah-gah about this movie, even
buying huge blocks of tickets for their members and guests. What does this say about the
responsibility that their pastors are exercising? Would this have occurred a century or two ago?
Would pastors then have been so quick to turn over their flock to someone elses teaching? No,
and the fact that they are now is testimony to the devastating effect of the breakdown of the pastor
/ flock relationship in the last century.
If you are interested in what occurred in the last 12 hours of Christs life, wait a couple of
months, and well look at it in the detail that the word of God gives us in harmony, all four
gospels giving quite a detailed account of exactly what occurred from God himself, not from Mel
Gibson or the pope.
Motives
Interesting is that all the discussion about this movie before its release and after was orchestrated
to revolve around basically three questions: 1) Is it accurate? To which I have never heard a
critical response 2) Is there too much violence? And, 3) Is it anti-semitic or will it incite antisemitism?
All these have quite effectively diverted attention from the true objectives, which have been
accomplished resoundingly. There is an ecumenical purpose in this film, and as usual, it is not in
the form of movement toward truth, but toward RC error. Look at the Baptists and Protestants
and Evangelicals who are whole-heartedly embracing it.
This movie in particular has the stamp of the Roman Catholic Church all over it, so how could it
be accurate? There were RC consultants to be sure that it was consistent with their doctrine;
priests held mass every morning on the set before shooting; and the pope even proclaimed about
the final product, it is as it was.
We therefore, know with certainty that there is going to be error as well as Roman Catholic
doctrine injected. Here are some examples I have seen from previews and reviews:
the actor chosen to represent Jesus is handsome, in direct contradiction to Isaiah 53.2;
there is a depiction of Satan as a woman, which is nowhere found in scripture;

28

there is the idea that Christ died for the sins of the whole human race;
there is a focus upon the importance of Mary as well as Jesus because Mel Gibson
believes she is co-redemtrix20, which is nowhere found in scripture. An example of the
effect can be seen by Steven Usry, lead pastor of Harvest Point UMC, McDonough, GA,
Mel Gibsons use of Mary, the mother of Jesus (was my favorite part of the film). I
know Mel is Catholic and Mary means a great deal to many Catholic people, but she was
wonderfully portrayed and I was convicted during the movie by her presence. I realized
that I had slighted Mary too much in my theological views by pushing her to the edge of
visibility. In an unconscious effort to counter the reverence of many, I believe
Protestants probably fail to give Mary and her relationship with Jesus due diligence. As I
watched the movie and especially those scenes with Mary and Jesus, I thought, Jesus
must have loved his mother so much and I should love her too! She was a vessel used
of God and she deserves our honor.21)
and, it is scripted to follow a widely practiced tradition (RC) of meditating on the five
Sorrowful Mysteries when saying the Rosary
When Protestants talk about prayer, they usually mean talking to God about what is on
their heart and asking him to deal with lifes difficulties. When Catholics talk about
prayer, they mean those same things, but they tend to include as well certain practices of
contemplation and meditation. In The Fountain Filld with Blood, Historian Chris
Armstrong describes the medieval origins of Cross-centered devotion, which invited the
believer to meditate on each separate event of Jesus passion and each individual wound
in his body. These practices became the foundation for such widely practiced
traditions as meditating on the Five Sorrowful Mysteries when saying the Rosary. The
structure of Gibsons film conforms exactly to the list of the FSM: The Agony of Jesus
in the Garden, the Scourging of Jesus at the Pillar, the Crowning with Thorns, the
Carrying of the Cross, and the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus22.
Further, Gibson said in his forward to The Passion, that the film is not meant as a
historical documentary. I think of it as contemplative in the sense that one is
compelled to remember in a spiritual way, which cannot be articulated, only
experienced.
Also, Roger Ebert says, It is clear that Mel Gibson wanted to make graphic and
inescapable the price that Jesus paid (as Christians believe) when he died for our sins.
Anyone raised a Catholic will be familiar with the stops along the way; the screenplay is
inspired not so much by the Gospels as by the 14 Stations of the Cross.23

It is also interesting to think about the worldwide effect that this tremendously powerful
presentation of religion is going to have. This is surely a very important step toward unification
of the worlds religion in the 7th and 8th world kingdoms.
It seems to be an ecumenical milestone. For that we can be glad.

20

ChristianityToday.com article, from Christianity Today, March 2004

http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/news/040226-passion.html
3 Christianity Today, March, 2004
23
The Gazette Telegraph, 2/25/2004, pA9.
21

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