From Christian Today:
A survey published by supermarket chain Somerfield has shown that many youngsters in the UK do not know what Easter signifies.
Somerfield’s survey, which was conducted as part of a marketing campaign, found that one-in-six 16 to 24-year-olds know nothing about Good Friday, the commemoration of Jesus’ crucifixion.
Alas, however, Somerfield’s somewhat unexpected foray into the sociology of religion has come unstuck. From the Times:
A supermarket chain got itself into a huge muddle over the meaning of Easter yesterday in its attempt to sell more chocolate eggs.
“Brits are set to spend a massive £520 million on Easter eggs this year — but many young people don’t even know what Easter’s all about,” said the press release from Somerfield after a survey.
It then went on to claim that the tradition of giving Easter eggs was to celebrate the “birth” of Christ. An amended version changed this to the “rebirth” of Christ. Finally a third press release accepted Church teaching that Easter celebrated the resurrection of Christ.
…Pete Williams, head of PR at Somerfield, said: “We spoke to the Church of England press office, who suggested we use the word resurrection, in keeping with the Church’s teaching. We were happy to do that.”
One consequence has been a mocking article in the Guardian, which would be fair enough had not a 2004 Holy Week Guardian report (now amended, but I blogged it at the time) told us that the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is believed to be site of “Jesus Christ’s final resting place”.
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Bartholomew, I’ve read your post(s) and I’m more convinved than ever that religion is insanity.
I think the time has come that the world should stop “accepting” “leadership” from the people of the “Book.”
Think about this; Jews, Muslims and Christians, the people of the “Book,” believe that a god, created the universe, made us in his image, gave us dominion over this cute little third planet from this sun, in this lovely galaxy, and then, in just one example of his many personal explicit crimes, he purposely drowned everyone, except for the a few of the “just” that could fit in Noah’s boat. The god they believe in, from their own “book,” is a self-confessed homicidal mass murderer!
That is not what’s so alarming. More alarming is that, not only do these deluded people believe this nonsense, they actually worship the homicidal mass murderer that did this atrocity and countless others. They actually venerate him, and look forward to spending eternity “in his loving embrace.”
Unfortunately, it gets even worse. All three religions believe their “Messiah” is going to come and deal with their enemies and save them…the humorous side of this is that each of the three “religions,” and their literally thousands of sub-religions and cults, believe the other two religions, and their respective plethora of cults, are whom their “Messiah” is going to save them from…
The older I get the more I think John Lennon had it right in the 60’s when he wrote…
“Imagine there’s no Heaven It’s easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky… And no religion too Imagine all the people Living life in peace… You may say that I’m a dreamer But I’m not the only one I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will live as one.”
Indeed.