

There is another way to view this.  The True Celebration is Easter,
the Resurrection of Our Lord.  This has been true from the foundation
of the world.  Pagan practices are then either:

1. foreshadowings of the True Celebration of the Resurrection, 
   in which dim light was shone forth so that people would
   recognize the full truth when it was manifested, OR

2. satanic counterfeits intended to deceive us so that we would not
   recognize the truth when it was manifested.

I don't believe the second argument, because I believe in the power
of the Resurrection, the fulfillment of the Incarnation, and our hope.
Earlier or parallel ideas in other religions clearly are dim images of
the truth of the Resurrection.  As Paul states, we see through a glass
darkly.  So do others.  It serves no purpose arguing about who has
the darker or lighter glass.  The foreshadowings are not perfect.
So what? Our understnding of God is today imperfect, for we are not
yet perfected.  Theosis is not a gift such that WHAM, we're perfect.

Larry Overacker (llo@shell.com)
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