23 March 2008

Easter - The Second Class Holiday


For those that know me, know I'm not a religious person. It's a long story, but in short, I cannot bring myself to alter my beliefs and behaviors based on other people's interpretations and mis-interpretations of a book or just crazy ideas that are found nowhere in said book. Religion is also the most common method to split people up into groups, get them pissed at each other enough that they can use their own religions as an excuse the kill people in the other religion. No religion is free from blame on this one.

I am however, very spiritual, since I consider spirituality a private matter created, defined and refined within the constraints of myself. Therefore, I control it.

Now, with that preface in place, I have a huge issue with Easter. Not that Easter is bad, I really feel sorry for it. It has been relegated to the backseat by Christmas.

Here's my issue, Easter is supposed to be the time to celebrate the fact that Jesus died for a our sins (what a great guy, huh?) and was miraculously risen again (thanks to his Dad). (Don't get me started). If you ask any Christian worthy of calling themselves a Christian what Christianity is based on, they should say 'Jesus died for our sins and rose again, etc.'.

So if this is the primary basis for Christianity, shouldn't this event be HUGE! Bigger than Christmas. I mean being born from a virgin mother (I said don't get me started) is one thing, but dying on a cross and coming back to life, is pretty big too.

OK, think about this and how Christianity has been commercialized. Christmas is more about a big fat guy in a red coat flying around the world handing out gifts (gimme gimme gimme) and Easter is about a bunny that leave eggs (who thought this one up) which is now about gimme more chocolate.

I could go on for a while, but will spare you. I needed to get this off my chest and will continue to look inside myself and reflect on my own personal enlightenment.

2 comments:

ldm said...

I couldn't agree with you more. I've always stood on the fact that I don't believe in religion. Wars are fought over religious views not over if there's a god or not.

Anonymous said...

So I love this. I too am spiritual and not religous. I think that's a result of your personality. Some believe that they need someone, like god, to guide them and "know" that someone is calling the shots. Where others, like myself, are a little more of a control freak and need to know that they are in control of things. I have faith in myself, in that I will work to make things right and show myself the way. I'm not dependent on the idea that someone has a plan for me. Just my two cents. :)