geez, Easter overload

[sweetana3]

Iris Lilies, I am sure someone would complain (negatively meant) about the maypole being perhaps a foreign religious dance/ceremony. :-)

[Alan]

Alan, while mindfulness is a key part of Buddhism, i’m Not sure it’s any more “Buddhist” than Charity is Jewish or loving others is Christian.

I agree with the sentiment, although if you forbid the secular aspect of an Easter Egg hunt because of it's association with Christianity I fail to see the difference in promoting an element of Buddhism without seeming to notice the inconsistency.

[iris lilies]

I'm oblivious to the religious underpinnings of holidays, the greetings, etc. I'm aware of the pagan roots of most of them. It's a complete non-issue for me.

I agree public institutions should completely steer clear of religion. Too bad it can't be made clear that bunnies and eggs are all about the Spring equinox and have nothing to do with Jesus.

Separated at birth we are.

I don’t mind if other people use terms that are meaningful to them such as “Easter bunny “but that just means spring bunny and pretty pastel eggs/flowers/decor to me.

[ToomuchStuff]

Maybe we should call the celebration Rapa Nui day (and see who gets that).

[JaneV2.0]

Maybe we should call the celebration Rapa Nui day (and see who gets that).

Chocolate moais!

[Zoe Girl]

I feel there are plenty of spring things that are wonderful, i made a nice board with a 3D tree that changes with the seasons. There are all sorts of animals being born like bunnies, flowers growing, etc. And Easter still has a religious meaning even if most people treat it like it doesn't.

When i teach mindfulness i do not teach buddhism. I teach on a way that draws on MBSR techniques, body awareness and breathing. I do not say namaste, use tibetan bells, talk about suffering or refer to the 8 fold path.

[Chicken lady]

That was sort of my point Alan - we teach school children to “love their neighbor as themselves”, we just don’t quote Jesus. We hold food drives at schools, but we don’t tell them it’s a mitzvah to feed the hungry.

because those things are good and useful and secular as well as religious.

even the ancient fertility festivals the eggs and bunnies evolved from were religious - and the current observations include the name of the religious holiday. It’s kind of hard to separate. What do you have left? I’m trying to envision holding some kind of “hide and hunt” event in, say, November...

[razz]

I appreciate each day and if some segment of society finds a special enjoyment for a special reason, so be it. This "us vs the other" approach, for whatever reason, gets old very fast and tiresome.

The joy in life is being free to think for ourselves and give to others that same freedom as long as it means no violation of another's person, rights and freedoms.

[JaneV2.0]

Most of the enduring truths of life were discovered long before modern religions were codified, I'm sure.

[jp1]

Shortly after I got out of college I had a jewish friend, my age, who was a pretty good violinist. Not too long after we met she got a gig playing Easter services at a church. Monday morning she called me up "JP! JP! You won't believe the crazy story they told at the church yesterday! Do they really believe that???" I had to explain to her that that believing or not believing that "crazy story" was one of the main differences between Jews and Christians. Apparently her childhood school district on the Jersey shore didn't spend much time teaching Easter stuff...