True Origin of Easter

A Special Study regarding the word "Easter."

      This week we will take a look at the word "Easter, and trace it
  back to ancient England.  Today Easter is a purely Christian term,
  however it has a very dark past indeed.  Now I am sharing this with
  you not to ruin your Easter Celebration, but to share the truth with
  you.  Also let us keep in mind that most Christian Holidays came
  from ancient pagan Holidays as well.

      The word "Easter" does not appear even one time in the Original
  Transcripts.  After all there are no Hebrew or Greek words for it.  In
  the Original Manuscripts it uses the Hebrew word [ pesach ] which
  means Passover, the same applies to the New Testament in the
  Greek Transcripts [ paschal ] as well.  In fact the first time that
  Easter ever appeared in our Bible was with the very first King James
  Bible in the 1600's, and it was used only one time in that Bible,
  that was in ( Acts 12:4 ) where it was substituted for the word
  Passover, by whom we do not know.

      So where did the word "Easter" come from anyway?  Surprise,
  surprise, a Pagan Holiday which was in honor of a their goddess of
  the dawn, of spring, and of reproduction. So let us begin.....

      Now an ancient Babylonian legend had it that a giant egg fell from
  heaven, was rolled ashore by the little fishes, and hatched by doves
  into Ishtar, or Aahtoreth.  This legend over time became known even
  in Europe, and became firmly entrenched in ancient Britain and was
  celebrated during the Vernal Equinox.  The name Ashtoreth was
  transliterated into the Gaelic tongue as "Eastre." This was a form of
  Baal worship. ( One might note that whenever Baal worship was
  practiced, it included animal and human sacrifices involving children!

      During this festival pagan priests called Druids preformed religious
  rites involving dancing around phallic pillars, temple prostitution, and
  sacrifices in honor of Eastre.  Also eggs have always been associated
  with her, and wherever Baal worship has appeared. Thus Easter eggs
  are part of the ancient celebration of the goddess as well. The Easter
  Bunny is a more recent twist on an ancient theme, inspired by the
  same spirit, rabbits have long been associated with reproduction and
  with Ashtoreth, or Eastre.

      How did ( Eastre ) or Easter replace Passover?

      Now since the pagans were already celebrating their holiday at
  about the same time as Passover, the Church once again decided to
  sanctify their holy day as a method of converting pagans to
  Christianity.  So why not chance the name just a little, clean it up and
  get rid of their sacrifices, and make it a Christian Holy Day.  It was
  then that Eastre's day became known as Easter.

      Also, remember our old friend Constantine the Roman emperor?
  The man who decided to change the Sabbath from the seventh day to
  the first day of the week, and then muscled the Church into accepting
  that.  The man who dared to change God's Word, well he struck again.
  You see Constantine convened the council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. a
  council that he hand picked I might add.  This council unanimously
  ruled that the Easter festival should be celebrated throughout the
  Christian World on the first Sunday after the full moon following the
  vernal equinox; and if the full moon should occur on a Sunday and
  thereby coincide with the Passover festival, Easter should by
  moved to the following Sunday.  Therefore Easter and Passover would
  become separated, and have been ever since.

      Of course, in the modern World today the term Easter has become
  a purely Christian word. No one offers their children before phallic
  poles, or worships the statue of a woman with many breasts on Easter
  day. But Christ is equally pushed out, and I can't help but believe that
  our old enemy 'satan' is behind the whole affair. He simply kept
  introducing distractions such as eggs, bunnies, Easter baskets until the
  resurrection of Jesus became an afterthought, and finally not thought
  of at all, except by a very few. Thus the true significance, of Christ's
  triumphal victory over death itself, is lost in the shuffle I am sorry to
  say.
                    ________________________________

    All My Love & Prayers,
      Pastor Allen