Pascha versus Easter: The Lie of Modern Church

A quarter of Christians apparently do not believe in the Lord's Resurrection. Well, to be accurate, they apparently do not believe in the Biblical narrative. If true, this makes depressing reading and the Day of Resurrection less of a celebration of the redemption of Humanity, and more of an observation of a myth. It also makes egg hunting more important than looking up to see the Risen Lord.

Of course, it could be that the way that the questions were asked, but I do notice the influence, once again, of the pernicious philosophy of Modern Church

"I think [people answering the survey] are being asked to believe in the way they might have been asked to believe when they were at Sunday school. You're talking about adults here. And an adult faith requires that it be constantly questioned, constantly re-interpreted, which incidentally is very much what Modern Church is actually about." Dr Lorraine Cavanagh Acting Secretary of Modern Church

Perhaps, then, I am just naive as I believe that simple truth that I received at Sunday School. It's all very well criticising a "Sunday School faith" because it is not sophisticated as an "adult faith", but where is there a need to have this "adult faith? Aren't we supposed to approach Heaven as little children and receive that faith there? Ah, but then Modern Church would want me to criticise that statement and measure it against today's thinking.

The Day of Resurrection approaches and it seems that there is to be a distinction between celebrating a Myth and rejoicing in the Salvation effected for us by the Historical Incarnation of God Himself. Given that the word "Easter" is technically of pagan origin and thus perhaps more at home with the idea of a celebration of Myth and superstition, perhaps it's time for Christians of a Traditional Faith to reclaim the word "Pascha" to refer to this wonderful Feast.

I must confess that I do prefer "Pascha" to "Easter". A celebration of Pascha recognises the Historical testimony of the Gospels - a historicity recognised by professional historians of every religious persuasion. It focuses on a theological fact realised in empirical testimony that no longer are we bound for Eternal separation from God because of God's sacrifice as a human being on our behalf.

 A celebration of the Modern Church Easter is a recognition of a story a narrative that binds no one to belief. Such a faith is anaemic because it dares to believe nothing beyond a prevailing philosophy couched in the underlying Marxism of Critical Theory. This view of "Easter" is the worship of an idea and therefore as pagan as the spring festival known to the Pagans as "Easter".

As I watch this decline in the quality of Christian belief, I am more and more convinced that there is something diabolical within the Modern Church movement. In getting people to question for fear of being branded as childish and therefore not to be heard as an adult, they are convincing people to fall away from a Truth which is to be understood by little children so that all can experience the Salvation of Christ without exception. I am very close to shouting "Anathema" when it comes to any intellectual "theology" that comes out from Modern Church. Perhaps I should, as there is clearly something wrong somewhere. However, as only a priest, I cannot have the authority to make such a pronouncement and I must leave that to my superiors in the Faith to do so. There is still evil within me, and that needs to be addressed, too.

The Christian life is full of struggles to interpret the faith of our childhood with the reality that we see when we are grown up. We understand more and more the finer details, the emotional and intellectual nuances, and the gravity of what the story tells us. The fact that it is History and not just a story means that we have no choice to "re-interpret the facts" because to do so would mean that History can be whatever we want it to be and therefore lack any credibility as a mechanism for discovering the truth of the past.

The fact that Modern Church encourage this deceit shows that it is certainly in the thrall of agenda which seek to deconstruct the truth as an objective concept and thus rob the world of a sense of sin save that which comes from objecting to the morality of the age. These agenda are indeed diabolical in origin and, because of the presence of sin in our lives, we also succumb to their deceit. If Modern Church wish to be free from being pronounced anathema they must show how they are promoting the objective historical truth of the Faith and show the tenets of that Faith that cannot be questioned without departing from that Faith. If they cannot subscribe to any objective statement of Christian Faith, then their voice must not be heard in matters of faith.

Perhaps they would do well to remember in the words of John Greenleaf Whittier:

In simple trust like theirs who heard
Beside the Syrian sea
The gracious calling of the Lord,
Let us, like them, without a word
Rise up and follow Thee.

I would urge my readers to avoid any teaching from Modern Church and to seek first the Kingdom of Our Risen Lord Jesus Christ so that those deceived into thinking that the Resurrection is not real may see the truth of that fact within God's Love and Charity that we display in our lives.