There is a lot of news about the recent attacks in Sri Lanka and many are rightly so saddened by the tragic events. These attacks were unwarranted and likely perpetrated by Islamic extremists on innocent people.
Former president Barack Obama tweeted the following, which has many Christians up in arms — including some of my friends.
The beef is with referring to the victims as “Easter Worshipers” instead of Christians. Honestly, I see nothing wrong with this tweet. These victims were not Christians, they were Roman Catholics, and quite honestly, “Easter Worshiper” is a more fitting name.
The word, Easter, is actually an Anglicanized form of the word Ishtar, who is the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex. When Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity and made Roman Catholicism the official religion of the empire, Easter was changed to represent Jesus. However, the Roman Catholic Church has always at its core been a Paganized expression of Christianity devoid of the gospel.
So while we can mourn for the victims and their families, we should not refer to them as Christians — nor should we insist that others do the same. They were not. The worst part about this tragedy is that the vast majority of these victims are likely facing eternal judgment right now. The last thing they need is affirmation of their idolatrous system of worship.
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