Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-16
EASTER
NOT PAGAN

LAS many times as the origin of Easter
has been told said a professor of church
history in a western university, 4 have
never seen it correctly told in newspaper.
Those who write this subject usually
get together few facts out OF an encycio-
pedia, draw slightly upon their magma
TONS and then proclaim that Easter is
pagan festival. AS matter OF idct' our
Easter has nothing in common with pagan
ism except certain similarity between
Easter and Foster, the goddess OF spring.
whose feast occurred at the beginning OF
the solar year. The Jewish Passover, held
at about the same time. gradually became
confused in name with the ancient feast
THE Jewish Passover is itself of very re-
spectacle age 1t dates, you remember,
from the time of Moses, and the feast was
Instituted at his command. Those who
were converted from Judaism 10 CHRISTIAN
ity continued TO celebrate the Ieast, puG
with a double meaning Ihey rerleitipereu
that the Passover was originally form Oh
petition that the youth of Egypt should De
spared the wrath that fell upon the youth
of Israel but first in their hearts was ope-
dience to the biblical Injunction; 1Chrlst our
Passover is sacrlnced LOT US, theieioi AeS
US keep the feast.
"One of the very Oldest of church contro-
versies concerns the exact time at which
Easter should re observed. ms contro-
versy dates way back to the time "heh
Jews and Christians were hardly dlstlh-
guishable AS nearly as we can now ois-
cover the original controversy arose over d
mere question of propriety. Was II right
and proper that Christians should comment
crate the resurrection OF ChrlsI at tie SAM
time the people who had crucihed MN were
holding one of the most Important OF lieif
church festivals-the passover!
Eastern Christians wanted to celebrate
the new Easter festival on the same day
the Passover was observed, ioi III INC ea'e
the bonds of tradition ana fanny were
much stronger than they were IN the newer
west In the western stronghoids OF CnrlS-
tianity in the early days of our era radical
ism prevailed. and anything thal saee an an
Christ was welcomed. SO far apart were
the two ends of the church that at one
time eastern Christians Toasted ana fasted
on one date and their western brethren
adonted others which did not fall In with
any Jewish festival. In course or time the
older element of Christianity-lhat whicn
held to the old tradtions-passed away and
the new generation came into absolute con-
troll of the church and It's calendar.
.eTbe next question was as to the method
of determining the date Of the Easter fesu-
val The lunar calendar had to be adopted,
and II is on record that the ancient fame
of the astronomers of Egypt was maintain
ed by the manner In which they settled this
nroblem of Christian theology. The bish-
OPS of Alexandria in direct succession had
Inherited the wisdom of which the earliest
expression is found in the astronomical de-
signs on the walls and ceilings OF the tenn
ME at Thebes On these bishops, therefore,
fell the duty of calculating the date for the
celebration of Easter, and Of announcing
1t far enough in advance for the informa-
ton to reach every member OF the chris.
tan world Special messengers were sent
out Immediately after the feast OF Epiph-