The Easter Bunny’s Last Hop
April 23, 2010 by Kathy McManus
It’s not often that a rabbi defends the Easter Bunny. In a piece on Newsweek.com, New York Rabbi Marc Gellman takes on “spiritual correctness” gone awry in Florida shopping malls, where the traditional egg-toting figure has been renamed “Baxter the Bunny” and “Garden Bunny.” A third mall, meanwhile, has Peter Rabbit handing out Easter treats.
“The noble cause of the separation of church and state is trivialized,” by such an overzealous pursuit of “neutrality,” writes Gellman. He encourages people to celebrate – not secularize – what he calls “benign religious symbols.” And if someone is offended, they need to “get a life … Then send money for tsunami relief, then try to end the slaughter in Darfur, then go out and buy an energy-efficient car, and then try real hard to understand that bumping into your neighbor’s customs and faith ought to bring you a sense of warmth, curiosity, and compassion—not fear, not revenge and not, God help us, Baxter the Bunny.”
What’s next, the rabbi wondered – “The Ten Suggestions”?
Do you agree with Rabbi Gellman that in trying to be secularly responsible, some malls may have gone too far? Or are the malls simply being business-minded, seeking the biggest bang for their bunny?
Find More ///
- in Pets & Animals, Business & Finance
- in Blog
- about community, marketing, retail, religion
Related ///
A Champion for Homeless Pets
The founder of The Best Friends Animal Society explains the origins of the “no kill movement” and his continued efforts to help homeless animals.
Europe Deems 2014 the Year Against Food Waste
Should we take waste stats more seriously?
On Cloning Extinct Animals
Are we ready for scientists to clone a real-life Jurassic Park?
Create for a Cause
This New York fashion designer taps the talents of her fellow artists to help the orphans of Rwanda.
Is Yoga Bad for You?
A new debate has taken hold over yoga’s health benefits, or lack thereof.
52 Comments
What do you think? Leave a comment
April 24, 2010 by hotfiledownloads
It can be discussed infinitely
Reply
May 3, 2010 by 123456
that is wird and not cool because
Reply
March 18, 2011 by Danny Mick
the secularism is eroding the ethical & morals this country it no wonder we are lost in the moment we can hardly remember what are four farthers have planed for us. non the less if it don't efect me what matters we be rationalizing every thing we covet every thing we see.but what does it matters.Ethics is what we deside what are action shall be,morals is the action it self.ethics can be viewed as an intellectual and spirtual exercise and moraly is the carrying out of the ethical premise amen
April 18, 2011 by krjbolej
so what happens when Easter interferes with people's inability to spell and/or use improper grammar........oh........wait....it already has....Happy Easter Bunny to all you little ones.......the spiritual combination of adding religion will come as you grow.....
September 17, 2010 by Anna
The Rabbi's "Ten Suggestions" remark, reveals a delicious wit. Considered a secularist myself, I believe the problem is INTOLERANCE on both sides of the issue. I believe INTOLERANCE is a product of FEAR! Everyone FEARS the same thing. ... that one day we'll wake up, only to find out we are no longer free to practice what ever we believe in. Both sides need to take a collective breath.
Reply
April 25, 2011 by george
with so many diversified beliefs gathered in one country, the human imagination that brought all these oliday icons are slowly being strangled into non existence. Eventually, as the imnagination dies, so wil the holiday. illiminate the bunny form Easter, santa clause from Christmas, the turkey from thanksgiving, etc., and what is left to look forward to? Most of the "cry babies" that are complaining about our icons come from countries that do not have the character of imagination to keep these traditions alive.
April 25, 2010 by Anthony Flees
I feel as though the business is being too uptight. If you are going to bother to have a bunny around Easter time in your mall to encourage business, than call it an Easter bunny. The holiday is called Easter after all, not Baxter Day. I believe that in an effort to not offend others that may not celebrate or agree with what the "Easter Bunny" stands for, you're actually further alienating the patrons in that mall that yet still choose to enjoy that good faith notion. However, it is then up to the parents and guardians of the participating children to further explain why the "Easter Bunny" they came to visit at their local mall is mysteriously named "Baxter" or "Garden". Children AND parents need to know that labels aren't ever as important as concepts.. That can be a pretty tough pill to swallow in our Western civilization and culture. The beat goes on and on and on...
Reply
April 26, 2010 by David
On the grounds of the Rabbi, even though I'm not religious/spiritual, I have to agree that censoring these kinds of displays isn't really the answer. Christians have the right to express their religion. Then again, the mall is a private business and has the right to choose what it will and will not display. The argument can easily go both ways.
Reply
April 27, 2010 by Anne
What makes this whole concept even sillier is that the symbol of rabbits and eggs has nothing at all to do with Christianity but rather comes from pagan fertility celebrations and ceremonies in connection to the Teutonic fertility goddess Oestre - the namesake of Easter. Historians - not of a christian religious bent - tend to believe that most christian celebrations were adapted from existing pagan festivals. So Easter bunny or Baxter bunny it all goes back to the obvious symbolism of eggs and the prolific breeding activity of rabbits used to help insure a successful (fertile) growing season and in turn a bountiful harvest. These are all necessary to life regardless of your religious affiliation so everyone should be happy enjoy a chocolate bunny or two.
Reply
July 29, 2010 by Dustin
Thank you. Couldn't have said it better myself.
Reply
December 9, 2010 by katlynn
i could have
August 4, 2010 by Deborah
I appreciated your intelligent, informative comments, Anne.
Reply
August 8, 2010 by Juanita
That's right! Anne, I could not have said it better myself. I don't think either of them matter. Christianity has nothing to do with a rabbit of any type. To please God, you should show love to your fellow man; the love he wants to give to you. That is what Christianity is about; LOVE ( and not sex).
Reply
April 25, 2011 by Lisa
Juanita, Like all of these hypocritical holidays, you just can't have things both ways. This easter bunny and christianity thing, this is about Christ dying for mankind, NOT A RABBIT!. When are we going to stop being so ridiculous about this? If you accept the easter bunny BS, then you taint yourself with commercialism, and this has no equal to the real meaning. Its just like chalk and cheese, they're too different, it's one way or the other. Anyone who celebrates the easter bunny in any way is sadly very ignorant, the freedoms that we have been allowed to express have made us what we are, and that is incredibly shallow.
September 10, 2011 by Frank Leone
Sorry, Anne, This is an example of over analyzing something and missing the point. Christianity adopted and adapted many symbols, festivals, notions, etc. because their meanings were compatible with some Christian tenets. (Fertility= proselytization of the faith). Another example is the Easter Egg symbolizing re-birth. This doesn't mean we have to consider all eggs or bunnies to be Easter symbols. We call ourselves Yankees, but that wasn't a word that arose out of patriotism though it is now. It is part of a superficial argument to attack these symbols. I don't like religion because it is illogical, manipulative and it spurns truth. Let's not emulate those we criticize with these petty and misleading objections. It's the Easter Bunny, and commercialism co-opted any of its religious meaning long ago. Let's worry about real issues like why so many Americans can't spell or write grammatically. Sloppy language contributes to sloppy thinking. This leads to fear and rancor and the need to control other people's minds, rather than reason with each other.
January 30, 2011 by jeff
Go Anne!!!!
Reply
May 3, 2010 by 1234567
easter is really cool because you can find eggs
Reply
May 3, 2010 by 123456
how
Reply
May 5, 2010 by Katy
yes, christians do have the right to have religious beliefs. but they have no right whatsoever to push their beliefs in everyone else's faces and mold the impressionable minds of small children into believing the same things, and they still do it. my point is, the ideas of the easter bunny and santa claus only exist because little kids wouldn't give a crap about jesus if they didn't get toys and candy for it. it's not fair for me, a half-and-half atheist-agnostic, and others like me, to have religious symbols in our faces everywhere we go. i hate having to see little kids having their choice in what to believe in taken away. yes, you could argue that they still have a choice when they get older, but after having their minds molded at a young age, their choice has pretty much already been made for them. yes, some, like me, were raised christian but just didn't buy any of it. however, most people have a conformist mentality, they pretty much do what other people expect them to. the majority of non-believers have a very non-conformist mentality, which can't be said for many people.
Reply
June 5, 2010 by Don Holm
The same can also be said for you trying to mold minds into believing that there is no God and it is just a story made up for the weak minded. Why is it that it is always the christian religions that have to bend or break? Why don't we go after the many other religions of the world ? Why because the christian religion is the target of much hatered from those who would love to seeit destroyed.
Reply
July 19, 2011 by Gene
Could it be that christians are targeted because they are so pushy? When were you last accosted by anyone of any other faith?
April 25, 2011 by lisa
To Katy, people like you don't want to 'conform' as you put it to any kind of christianity because you think you're going to have to give up everything you want to do. This comes from selfishness. When you already have those personality traits in you (and this is heavily influenced by hypocritical holidays like xmas,easter), you're bound to take that stance. Also, more than likely, if you havn't gone on any kind of extensive investigation into really looking at what the bible has told us, and that requires effort, then your view of it is very limited, and you THINK for yourself, and not what it says out of any kind of respect. You can choose to go to church and respect Jesus's ransom for us, you have no choice hardly when these holidays come to avoid the commercialism of them, so it's not really christianity thats 'in your face' forcing anything. You call it forced, because your're small minded. It's like anything, investigate thoroughly first, then and only then can you really give an INFORMED opinion when it comes to who is forcing anything.
Reply
May 9, 2010 by Allison
Yes. I wish people would just quit making everything a big deal. As a Christian, why am I supposed to accept everyone else's beliefs, but keep my own to myself? I guess I shouldn't judge them, because they'll see how wrong they are someday, but on the other hand, all tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for good people to stand back and do nothing. Stand up for Jesus!
Reply
May 24, 2010 by Keliiikeole Kalauokaaea-Kahele
Aloha Everyone, Coming from the place where love and compassion for others is live and well, it saddens me to see that people out their is trying so hard to take away all rights of our chrisitianity religion. We must never forget the true reason for each season that we observe. Like everything else, people have a choice to not believe in God and Jesus Christ but I can reasure you that when the time comes, each one of us will stand before the creator and then we'll see who was speaking and believing in the truth.
Reply
January 11, 2011 by j andrik
and god will ask me have you ever celebrated crismas,and you will say yes .like god says no false images(easter bunny santa claus )youve been exposed. ....and bye the way nobody can hide from god and his son.your busted.
Reply
May 30, 2010 by martha
What nonsense! The Easter Bunny and Easter eggs are pagan fertility symbols and have nothing to do with the religious holday per se.
Reply
June 7, 2010 by Daryl Kent Jones
And the Irony is that Jesus Christ actually stood his own ground rather than to conform to the religious zealots and support mechanisms guided by fear of the unknown and is most remembered for that without blatanly realizing that it WAS INDEED THE RELIGION OF GOD THAT HE STOOD UP AGAINST FOR HIS RELIGIOUS FREEDOM RIGHTS AND IT WAS THE RELIGIOPN OF GODD THAT KILLED HIM BECAUSE HE DIDN'T CONFORM. How better to convince human beings who live in fear of their lives that this is what would happen to them if they dare stand up against the religion of God and and the fearful servants? By teaching and convincing them that he really did not die and that even death would not change the facts of his case about the imperfections and dispeaceful paths of the religions faith that inevitably lead to his death. So in essence JESUS SHOULD BE REMEMBERED AS A FREEDOM OF RELIGION AUTHORITY AND HERO WORTHY OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT MAN'S OPINION HIMSELF AND HIS GOD COUNT REGARDLESS OF THEE MANY INTERPRETATIONS OF OTHERS. Albeit we are also tasuight Mary was a virgin upon his conception this still does NOT PRECLUDE EVIDENCE OF HER BEING FERTILE IN ORDER TO GIVE BIRTH TO HER CHILD WHO INEVITABLY WOULD CHANGE THE WAY THE WORLD THINKS AND BELIEVE. But even the christian religions prophecies are indicative of the same problem of hiarchy, degradation, insult, torture, and death inevitably once again over a belief of inheriting as heaven or suffering a hell neither of which man has ever seen. So, Again, the fact that Jesus would rather suffer death than to conform to religious zealots idealism is still relevant and gives rise to his loyalty and respect for what he learned in his lifetime rather than to be told or taught what he hadd better believe. The religion of christ was suppose to be a gift. A gift does not come with strings attached, nor ultimatums nor threats of death to procure the same fear that got him killed.And the argument as to whether or rose again or not is as important to remember as it is to remember his stance on brain washing and fear being the motivation to conform to populist's religious idealism which indeed we face despite the christian religion subsequent development. This only adds an additional element of hypoocracy when the gift of religion becomes threatening, hateful and discriminatory all of which......again......got him killed in the first place. So, have remorse for those who fear knowledge to be an enemy of faith. Faith is related to believing in the things you cannot see...However at no point is ignorance to the things you can see enhances the belief. I love people and understanding them inhopes of helping them achieve attain or discover the opportunity of peace prosperity and productivity. If this is a sin or an insult to any religion then I must respectfully question its merit, ultimate goals, and how it turned away from a phenominal statement of religious freedom to a selfish form of slavery, truth or dares, ultimatums and ultimately a death machine. Christ killed no one but the catholics recently apologized for participating in the most wars on the planet. YET, JESUS IS REMEMBERED AS THE "PRINCE OF PEACE" WHO WOULD RATHER DIE THAN TO CONFORM AND CERTAINLY KILLED NO ONE WHO DIDN'T TO THE BELIEFS OF HIS OWN. Well, just a thought and I too seek peaceful resolution of turmoil that would enhance the possibilities of more peaceful solutions regarding to help humanity increase in peace prosperity and productivity rather than argument slight and insult contests to express their core beliefs albeit easter bunny chocolates all the way up to world trade center bombings for a heaven or a hell man has not seen but evidently given a promise for their dedicated effort. if argument death and seeking out an enemy to consider an infidel to justify my efforts, faith and commitment to my belief.....Then I would rather settle for just trying to believe in one another. After all......is that not a common goal or idealism that the religions proimise to be attainable thru it's use on earth?
Reply
June 22, 2010 by Jaime
when does our world go from "politically correct" to being religiously intolerant? Are we going to ban santa claus too? I thought that freedom of religion was something we practiced in our country. Just because someone believes differently than you should never make you feel threatened. We shouldn't be afraid to discuss faith. no one can coerce you to believe anything. I think open-minded ness means to be open minded even to Christianity. or else its not really being open minded. maybe its time we seek out the truth rather than seeking people to tell us that "whatever makes us feel good is good". This has little to do with bunnies.
Reply
1 2 3 »
Tell us what you think.
Let the world know what you think, but please do so responsibly. Comments are moderated and we will not post personal attacks, obscene language or inappropriate material, comments with links, or comments from people under the age of 18. If you have a question, check out our Comment Submission Guidelines.