Bible Question:
Hi Brad, I wanted to ask something about the Easter holiday.. My husband is a JW, maybe you know thier beliefs, and if so, they are highly against celebrating any holidays. I celebrated Easter and on Easter night i got home, and my husband has this website up and his bible out, showing me that Easter is about worshipping a pagan goddess Ishtar. Well, i had no idea about this goddess, and i told him i don't celebrate Easter for that, i've just always done it, because my family has been doing it since always... He says "God(Jehovah) doesn't like that and that i am wrong in celebrating Easter, no matter how much we want to take the pagan out of it, it is always going to be pagan." And he laughed at me, because he says it's funny that i still participate in it knowing that Easter was created to worship a pagan god.. So is it still ok for Christians today? I don't feel wrong, and God knows i don't worship any other gods.. Any advice on this issue? Thanks Julia |
Bible Answer: Lots of thoughts cross my mind, part of me wants to argue with your husband because of his religious beliefs in JW. Part of me appreciates the stand that he is taking in doing what he believes is right for him and his household. The other part of me, which I try to let win out more and more but don’t succeed in allowing it to win enough, is trying to let what God would do come out in my answers. I’m trying to learn to temper my answer in love, doesn’t mean that I have to agree with the individual, but I do need to try to show Christ like love. In your situation, you are dealing with your husband and have a husband/wife relationship to consider. Will trying to prove your husband right or wrong over the Easter holiday bring him closer to Jesus Christ? If proving him wrong will make you feel better, but drive him further away from Christ, I would discourage you from doing so. If you and your husband can have open discussion that will allow you to witness and share your beliefs with him using the reason behind why you celebrate Easter, then yes by all means discuss away. Yes, I know I still haven’t answered your question yet, but I just want to make sure that the discussion you may have with your husband is working on building up and not destroying. Yes, “Easter” is a pagan holiday and “Easter” is a Christian holiday. If you want to quickly defuse the debate, tell him you are not celebrating ‘Easter’ but you are celebrating ‘Resurrection Day’. Truly as a Christian, that is what we are celebrating, the day that our Savior arose from the grave. So rather you call the day ‘Easter’ or ‘Resurrection Day’, I would be celebrating and do celebrate not for any pagan reason, but for the real reason. As I said before, I hide eggs and eat chocolate (too much chocolate) because we enjoy it and celebrate our family together and the freedom that Christ death and resurrection has given us from sin to be enjoy life knowing we are no longer under the eternal damnation which we rightly deserve, but a live in Christ through the greatest gift HE could ever give. SO regardless of what you call the day, I would say it is well worth celebrating! Brad |