"Why not let the Scriptures answer that question! We can learn from the occasion when the Israelites adopted an Egyptian religious practice and renamed it “a festival to Jehovah.” They too “sat down to eat and drink” and “got up to have a good time.” But their actions greatly angered Jehovah God, and he severely punished them.—Exodus 32:1-10, 25-28, 35."
So lets look at those passages and compare them to the western Easter tradition.
"32 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”
2 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.
Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”
5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play."
Their INTENTION was to create their own 'Gods' (“Come, make us gods that shall go before us..) I've never known ANYONE to have that sentiment when enjoying Easter.
So what else? They created the golden calf and proclaimed that their own creation was the God that brought them out of Egypt. When Christians celebrate Easter they celebrate Jesus Christ, not a God that they invented themselves (arguably :) ). When non-Christians celebrate Easter is chocolate the hope of a day off work. Still no intention there of worshipping other Gods.
Thirdly, they then brought offerings to their invented God and worshipped it. Not what happens at Easter.
etc, the other passages simply talk about the consequences of inventing and worshipping other Gods. Fair enough. But not what's going on at Easter.
So, as usual, what's going on in your proof text is not what happens at Easter at this point in history.
And TB,
"the bible tells us to keep the feast of Unleavened bread,
and Easter tells us to do the EXACT opposite, eat Hot Cross Buns,"
So I guess you keep all the feasts as well?
Pentecost. Tabernacles. Ester. Hannukah.
etc?
So what happens if I don't eat leavened or unleavened bread at Easter? Is it OK to eat leavened bread at other times? If so then what makes it turn evil at Easter time?
You're both just afraid of eating meat sacrificed to idols.
"7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall."
