Pennsylvania church's Easter pageant features whipping of Easter Bunny

[X-ville Solid]

Pennsylvania church's Easter pageant features whipping of Easter Bunny
Fri Apr 9,10:17 PM ET






GLASSPORT, Pa. (AP) - First, the Passion of the Christ, now the torment of the Easter Bunny.



It may not have been as gruesome as Mel Gibson's movie but many parents and children were upset when a Pennsylvania church trying to teach about Jesus' crucifixion performed an Easter show with actors whipping the Easter bunny and breaking eggs.



People who attended Saturday's show at Glassport's memorial stadium quoted performers saying: "There is no Easter Bunny" and described the show as being a demonstration of how Jesus was crucified.



Melissa Salzmann, who took her four-year-old son J.T., said the program was inappropriate for young children.



"He was crying and asking me why the bunny was being whipped," Salzmann said.



Patty Bickerton, youth minister at Glassport Assembly of God, said the performance wasn't meant to be offensive. Bickerton portrayed the Easter rabbit and said she tried to act with a tone of irreverence.



"The program was for all ages, not just the kids. We wanted to convey that Easter is not just about the Easter Bunny, it is about Jesus Christ," Bickerton said.



Performers broke eggs meant for an Easter egg hunt and also portrayed a drunken man and a self-mutilating woman, said Jennifer Norelli-Burke, another parent who saw the show in Glassport, a community about 15 kilometres southeast of Pittsburgh.



"It was very disturbing," Norelli-Burke said.



"I could not believe what I saw. It wasn't anything I was expecting."



:sad: :eek:

[Calhoun07]

And the play was directed by Jay and Silent Bob. That's what he gets for messing with Brodie!

[Elven Moon]

I don't really know what to say, except... very, very disturbing.

[Ed Liu]

Howdy,

Actually, they must have been really commenting on the fact that the whole bunnies and eggs thing (http://www.secweb.org/asset.asp?AssetID=279) is a leftover from the original pagan rites. They're fertility symbols, and were entirely appropriate when Easter just celebrated the equinox and the start of Spring.

"Easter" as a word also derives from the name of a pagan goddess of the dawn (Sun rises in the East and all that).

So, the play was really symbolic mysticism explaining the victory of the Christian Church over the heathen pagans in days of old. Perfectly sensible, once you start thinking about it.

:)

-- Ed/Ace

[Mackenzie Rainelle]

Howdy,
So, the play was really symbolic mysticism explaining the victory of the Christian Church over the heathen pagans in days of old. Perfectly sensible, once you start thinking about it.

:)

-- Ed/Ace
Maybe, but going about it Spanish Inquisition Style on stage in front of parents and kids? That's.....yeesh.

[The_NewCatwoman]

I'm sorry, but my first inclination was to bust out laughing. It's just so... distrubing, and ironic. I'm not a big fan of Easter because of the pagan ties, but I too think maybe the church didn't consider how this would look to any children in the audience. Holy smokes.

tNC

[Bubblegum Girl]

That's just horrible! :mad:

[The Detective]

Howdy,

Actually, they must have been really commenting on the fact that the whole bunnies and eggs thing (http://www.secweb.org/asset.asp?AssetID=279) is a leftover from the original pagan rites. They're fertility symbols, and were entirely appropriate when Easter just celebrated the equinox and the start of Spring.

"Easter" as a word also derives from the name of a pagan goddess of the dawn (Sun rises in the East and all that).

So, the play was really symbolic mysticism explaining the victory of the Christian Church over the heathen pagans in days of old. Perfectly sensible, once you start thinking about it.

:)

-- Ed/AceAt least someone was sensible enough to bring that up. Christianity has really adopted all the Easter rituals though none of them have the faintest thing to do with Christianity. Whipping the Easter bunny though is just a....rediculess way to go about it though.

[BrendaBat]

At least someone was sensible enough to bring that up. Christianity has really adopted all the Easter rituals though none of them have the faintest thing to do with Christianity. Whipping the Easter bunny though is just a....rediculess way to go about it though.
I agree. Those people must have seen 'The Passion' one too many times :p

I wonder how they plan to tramatize the kiddies this Christmas. A Santa lynching, perhaps? Someone has to punish that fat red jerk for taking the spotlight away from Jesus on his birthday :evil:

[FredNash]

I wonder how they plan to tramatize the kiddies this Christmas. A Santa lynching, perhaps? Someone has to punish that fat red jerk for taking the spotlight away from Jesus on his birthday :evil:
Clowns. Clowns always traumatize children, so they will have a clown in the manger who jumps out of the crib and runs screaming at the audience.

Children = Scarred for Life.

Christmas Pagent = SUCCESS!

[Damien]

I wonder how they plan to tramatize the kiddies this Christmas. A Santa lynching, perhaps? Someone has to punish that fat red jerk for taking the spotlight away from Jesus on his birthday :evil:Don't forget the burning of the tree. :rolleyes: That came from the Pagan Collection as well.

Everytime I read a story like this, I have to wonder. How could the people behind this, in this case the church leaders or event planners or whatever, come up with whipping the Easter Bunny and not go, "Hhm, do you think that might offend anyone?" I don't understand it. Does reality hold no water in these meetings? What mystical force actually persuades these people to say, "Now that's a good idea"?
And even more disturbing than the flogging was proclaiming that the Bunny wasn't real. Come on, now. "Hello, you have a collect call from common sense. Do you except the charges?"
No.

[candy17]

I never heard about it until now and I live in PA. Of course, I don't live in Glassport.

[G. Wen]

"Children, today we will learn about the love of God. God loved us so much that he gave his one and only son to die for our sins. We will demonstrate this by whipping a rabbit." Boy, do these people have serious gaps in their train of logic.:rolleyes:

[FredNash]

Boy, do these people have serious gaps in their train of logic.:rolleyes:
Step 1. Whipping a Rabit

Step 2. ???

Step 3. Redemtion!

[BrendaBat]

Step 1. Whipping a Rabit

Step 2. ???

Step 3. Redemtion!LOL! :D That just made my day.
Thanks FredNash. I needed a good laugh :)

[RogueMartian]

Step 1. Whipping a Rabit

Step 2. ???

Step 3. Redemtion!
LOL!!!! That is hilarious.

What do fundamentalists have against...you know, fun. It's in the word. Halloween promotes devil worship apparently, Bunnies and chocolate eggs are bad. Soon there will be no presents on christmas.