IT’S TIME TO NAIL EASTER TO THE CROSS

By Rupert Truscott-Hughes on April 18, 2017 in Other

Last year around this time (maybe a month earlier; who knows?) I wrote about the concept of a set weekend for Easter each year. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It still seems like a good idea now, actually.

I’ve since given Easter itself a bit more thought, though, and rather than making the move to lock down a date for an Easter holiday, I reckon they should simply scrap it altogether.

It’s a big call, I know, and don’t get me wrong, I love a holiday as much as the next bloke. Who doesn’t like a day off work? The thing is, I just don’t think Easter holds the significance in modern day Australia that it may have once done in the past.

I mean, what the hell is Easter all about anyway? I know it’s meant to be a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but I still don’t really understand the metaphor. To me, it makes about as much sense as bunny rabbits handing out chocolate eggs. Whoever came up with that idea must’ve been smoking from the same pipe as the people who honestly believe in the resurrection.

Going a bit further on the whole resurrection thing making bugger all sense, I did what any inquisitive person would do in this situation and asked Google, which then referred me to its reliable friend Wikipedia. This is what it said:

The New Testament states that the resurrection of Jesus, which Easter celebrates, is a foundation of the Christian faith. The resurrection established Jesus as the powerful Son of God and is cited as proof that God will judge the world in righteousness. For those who trust in Jesus’ death and resurrection, “death is swallowed up in victory.” Any person who chooses to follow Jesus receives “a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”. Through faith in the working of God those who follow Jesus are spiritually resurrected with him so that they may walk in a new way of life and receive eternal salvation.

Oh, that explains everything so clearly, said no one, ever. How has anyone ever been fooled by this rubbish? It astounds me that two whole millennia have passed and people still actually dedicate their whole lives to this blind faith bulldust.

Unfortunately enough people in powerful positions in this country do believe in it, though, and as such my plan to put an end to Easter probably won’t gain much traction. Thus, I’ve devised another idea that should keep everyone happy.

I think if we’re going to take time off work for one religion’s holidays, we should do the right thing and honour the holidays of all faiths. All or nothing. If Christians can have their Christmas, Easter and Halloween, we should all be able to take the day off work to celebrate Yom Kippur, Eid and Diwali. We are a multicultural society after all, so why not?