Why have "Christian" leaders allowed so many pagan teachings and rituals to permeate God's word?

Question

Such as celebrating Ester, this false pagan goddess is
associated with intercourse and fertility to include rabbits and eggs.

KJV - Acts 12:4
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after EASTER to bring him forth to the people.

NIV -
After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the PASSOVER.

American Standard -
When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four (A)squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the PASSOVER to bring him out before the people.

CJ (below) The REVISED KJV reads:
So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2012:4;&version=50;

- They corrected the mistake.

Answer 1

These same teach their children to worship santa by telling
them that he knows when they are sleeping, knows when
they are awake, knows if they've been good or bad;
who is the ONE who knows these things? These babies
are taught to worship this fake and at the same time, they
teach 'em Jesus.When these parents destroy the child's faith
in the fake, what makes you think they will continue to
believe in the true Christ.

Think about the similarities between what is taught about
santa and what is True about our Lord;

They come from up high, they travel thru the sky, no bolt
nor lock can keep them out, and they have a mighty shout,
they are both clothed in red, but Jesus' is the blood he shed,
up the chimney, Jesus didn't rise, but into the endless sky,
we ask both for what we need . To give God's glory to any
other, is IDOLATRY.

Jesus is the way, the truth, and the Life.

To find out who santa is; use all the letters in the name
santa once, to spell the name of someone mentioned
in both the Old and New Testaments. Hint, all you need
do is move the "n" from the heart of the word to the end
and you have the name that we are teaching our children
to love in place of the True Lord Jesus.

Answer 2

The name Easter comes from a pagan figure called Eastre (or Eostre) who was celebrated as the goddess of spring by the Saxons of Northern Europe. A festival called Eastre was held during the spring equinox by these people to honor her. The goddess Eastre’s earthly symbol was the rabbit, which was also known as a symbol of fertility. Originally, there were some very pagan (and sometimes utterly evil) practices that went along with the celebration. In our day, Easter is almost a completely commercialized holiday, with all the focus on Easter eggs and the Easter bunny being remnants of the goddess worship.

In the Christian faith, Easter has come to mean the celebration of the resurrection of Christ three days after His crucifixion. It is the oldest Christian holiday and the most important day of the church year because of the significance of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the events upon which Christianity is based. Easter Sunday is preceded by the season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentance culminating in Holy Week and followed by a 50-day Easter season that stretches from Easter to Pentecost.

Because of the commercialization and pagan origins of Easter, many churches prefer to refer to it as Resurrection Sunday. The rationale is the more we focus on Christ and the less we focus on the pagan holiday, the better. As previously mentioned, the resurrection of Christ is the central theme of Christianity. Paul says that without this, our faith is futile (1 Corinthians 15:17). What more wonderful reason could we have to celebrate! What is important is the true reason behind our celebration, which is that Christ was resurrected from the dead, making it possible for us to have eternal life (Romans 6:4)!

Should we celebrate "Easter" or allow our children to go on Easter eggs hunts? This is a question both parents and church leaders struggle with. There is nothing essentially evil about painting and hiding eggs and having children search for them. What is important is our focus. If our focus is on Christ and not the eggs, our children will understand that the eggs are just a game. Children can participate in an Easter egg hunt as long as the true meaning of the day is explained and emphasized, but ultimately this must be left up to the discretion of parents.

Answer 3

It was a pagan king that was waiting to the end of Easter. Why would a pagan king care about Passover? The correct word is Easter, and therefore the KJV has it right, and the other two are wrong.

Answer 4

A lot of people don't know the history but accept it as tradition because their families have always celebrated it. That's the way I have always been. I am now learning about the Pagan Holidays... I was told Easter was celebrating Jesus' resurection, but it's not what it seems and there is much more history than most Christian celebrators know.

Answer 5

KJV produced in early 17C. 'Easter' is the name of the festival in UK at time of which Christ's crucifion and resurrection was celebrated. The name in English was originally associated with pagan god Eostre. You can blame the 6C-7C Roman evangelists for that. They probably thought it would be easier not to replace the name of the pagan festival at the time of the year when Passover was celebrated by the churches - people are attached to traditions even when they are wrong, so the evangelists were probably being "worldly wise" in not changing the name.

Not much of a Jewish community in UK at time of KJV and not much understanding of Jewish things, so its not surprising they translated references to the Passover festival (Pesach in modern Hebrew I think) as 'Easter'. This was righted in later translations it would appear.

Answer 6

I have read Homer, Hesiod, Herodotus and Plato in translation (each of which contains referances/teachings about the Gods). I also have a copy of the Aeneid as well as a copy of the Popal Vuh. I also have the 2-volume set of Robert Graves' "The Greek Myths", Kerenyi's "Gods of the Greeks", and Frank Waters "Book of the Hopi" on my shelves. In the past I have studied Norse and Egyptian mythology.

Answer 7

Easter is celebrated because thats when the Lord Jesus had rose from the dead.The Day of His Resurection. Some people just celebrate Easter because of a bunny and candy. it's been a tradition for the kids, them having fun finding eggs and getting baskets of candy. there are not worshiping pagen goddesses, atleast some are't.

Answer 8

because charactaristics of humans that are valued by all people emerged prior to religion. Religion emerged as a result of these values, not the other way around as claimed by religious zealots.
As people from other cultures were assimilated into the religion, they brought with them, their own cultural beliefs. Those that did not conflict were accepted, and as the religion evolved and the past forgotten, believed to always be a part of that particular religion.
Even religion evolves.

Answer 9

Matthew 24:24 "For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will give great signs and wonders so as to mislead, if possible even the chosen ones.

2Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself keeps transforming himself into and angel of light. It is therefore nothing great if his ministers also keep transforming themselves into ministers of righteousness. But their end shall be according to their works.

Answer 10

You have been reading too much Alexander Hislop, Ralph Woodrow and Loraine Boettner. They only write fiction and should not be believed. They hate Christ's Church.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph