Isn’t it absurd that today modern Christians are making a fuss over the Easter Bunny? What did the Christians expect? They incorporated the pagan god Eastre and her sacred animal the hare into the celebration of Easter.

The early Christians found in order to incorporate the pagans into their Christian folds they also needed to allow the pagans to celebrate and retain their symbolic beliefs in their gods. Eastre and the hare were symbols of spring. It is a time in the seasonal cycles to celebrate rebirth and fertility. This theme goes along with the resurrection of Christ and his rising from the dead. Today Christians seem to fear that anything from pagan origins is a threat to them and their off spring. The real threat is the propagation of capitalism. Yet, Christians do not object to capitalism as long as it directly benefits their cause.

The real problem lies within the commercialization of Easter. The Easter Bunny and its associated augments are far more appealing the commercial marketers. The target is children and who can deign a child the splendor of an Easter basket filled with chocolate eggs and rabbits. As far back as most can remember the Easter Bunny and a basket filled with candy were a part of an Easter celebration. It was not as big a commotion back in the 1960’s as it is today but it was still a prevalent part of the holiday; even though, as children we started the day off with a special Easter breakfast, we were extremely excited about our Easter gifts and goodies. The adults seemed more enthusiastic about the family getting together for the afternoon feast and the ball game.

The solution to the problem is proven to be the taming of technology. It is a wild and difficult tool to domesticate. Tools have always affected culture. New tools and technologies that are introduced seem to have a mind of their own. No one can accurately predict the out come of a tool or technology on a culture, its morals, and beliefs. With each new invention come its positive and negative benefits to human kind.

It is not the Easter Bunny nor the pagan beliefs that Christians need be concerned, but the means at which they are being proliferated. Indeed, this problem extends far beyond a poor little rabbit.