The legend of the bunny, suspected to have been originated by German immigrants to Pennsylvania, was first introduced to America in the 1700’s. As the legend describes, the bunny would lay colorful eggs as gifts to the children that were good. This festival of the bunny, called Eostre, which honored the goddess of fertility and spring, supposedly took the form of a rabbit. This is believed to have been a time-honored pagan tradition. Similarly, on the 25th of December, this day also honors a pagan holiday in which Saturnalia, the pagan Roman winter solstice, was celebrated. Dress codes were relaxed and small gifts were exchanged. Today, in America, these two holidays are widely celebrated, one at the time of Easter, and one at the time of Christmas. It’s interesting that the secular, pagan view of the two most important days in Christianity is not only allowed and vigorously celebrated, but the profound and deeply significant Christian remembrances of the Incarnation of Jesus, the Christ at Christmas and His Resurrection from the dead at Easter are actively and shamefully dismissed. One interesting note is that no other religious holiday from any other religion is so blatantly and negatively impacted. On Easter Sunday, there is not one single mention of the importance of this holiday, where 2 1/2 billion people across the globe, celebrate it as the Resurrection of Jesus, the Christ. Instead, the secularization of America has denigrated the most important event in Christianity to the coloring eggs and laying them down for the hunt by children who have no idea of who Christ is. The bunny and Santa, his “cousin,” have taken over the mindset of the “progressive” and “tolerant” 21st century society. The society, thus, has reduced Christianity to a mere afterthought glazed over with religious intolerance. The bunny is more “tolerant” than Jesus and certainly has become more important.
The Apostle Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 15: 14-23:
14 “And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope[a] in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.”
What is problematic is that a majority of Christians modify, adapt, and compensate their religious beliefs for the sake of “blending in” to cultural norms and traditions so as to offend no one from the Christian worldview of reality. Christians are partially to blame for their being “ashamed” of Jesus and who He is and claims to be God. This is a perilous undertaking in an increasingly secular and humanistic society where everything and everyone is tolerated and accepted, except the Christian. The “bunny” represents the secularization of Christianity by demanding that Christians succumb to popular, cultural norms which society has forced upon them despite the mandated, “apparent,” freedom of religious expression by the Constitution of the United States of America. Christianity is viewed as a religion and a tradition instead of it being viewed as a Person. The bunny does not represent Christ. For Christians who truly have a personal, intimate relationship with Jesus and who are not afraid of proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior, the bunny is an anathema.
Increasingly, the foundations of Christianity are being “rooted out” and being replaced with euphemistic language and deconstruction of its tenets and doctrine. There are a majority of Christians who are truly “fans” of Jesus but not followers. The traditional hullabaloo of fancy hats and curious clothes on Easter Sunday has replaced the abject reverence a Christian should have on this day as our Savior and Lord was raised from the dead. Sure, there may be many who deny the resurrection or even that of Jesus as God. That’s not for me to judge. Humbly, these points are brought up because Christianity matters to some in this country and should be respected like all other religions which are greatly tolerated in this country instead of the mockery exhibited against Christianity, vis a vis, the bunny.
Surprisingly, most Christians do both. They go to their churches and then run home to their bunny and Easter egg hunt, have brunch or dinner with their friends while eating steak and getting drunk. The point of Easter is unequivocally missed. The point of Easter is Christ. That should be the only point for any true disciple of Jesus. This holiday represents the atoning sacrifice of the Theanthropos who condescended to become man so that He could suffer the death due to all humankind because of our sins by dying in our place, on a cross, and bearing our sins so that we could be in right relationship with God. His victory over death, sin, and Satan defines the reason why He did what He did. Yet, in Christianity, who He is, is even more important. He is God. And for that reason, Christians should be appalled that pagan holidays are being celebrated with defined Christian holidays which mark the Birth, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, our God. This is not new. There has been consistent, intolerance of Christians since the Death and Resurrection of Jesus. It would not surprise me that in some near future, the practice of Christianity, seeming to be increasingly hostile to a secular society, would eventually fall prey to persecution, not only by the people of this country, but also by the governing bodies as well. Not so, with other religions, mind you. The very fact that this reflection has been written connotes a distinct direction that the country is taking against Christianity. The beautiful, majestic, and awesome name of Jesus has been used commonly, often cursed vulgarly with the defaming of His name. “Imagine, there’s no heaven, no religion too” (to coin a Lennon song). Now, there’s the bunny, for all to view. Have a happy Easter.