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46
accepting what was daimed to be His
religion.
This policy was zealously carried out
by the Christian emperors. Chaclemagne
(about A. D. 800) was especially
zealous in bringing thousands of un–
converted págans into the fold of the
church. Here is what he did.
After being crowned Emperor in
A. D. 800, Charlemagne set out to
subdue the German tribes living in the
East. The westecn part of Europe,
France, the Rhineland, and ltaly were
already under bis sway.
He forced the Germao chiefs to be
baptized with their entire people. At
first, the cbiefs and their subjects re–
fused. But finaJJy, seeing there was no
choice, the defeated chiefs relented.
Thus in one day, tens of thousands
became Christians.
Although these newly converted
Germans resented the method used in
their conversion, they soon found
themselves right at home. Noticing
especially the resurrection festival that
was being kept on their own day of
worship - Sunday - the new converts
needed little persuasion to celebrate
tr/Jat
Our
READERS SAY
(Continrted from huide front cove1)
Hogberg's writings on the Common Market.
The article was both uoprejudiced and
interesting."
Courtney B.,
Rye, Sussex, England
Why
So Many American
Comments?
"Since
The
PLAIN TRUTH is a world–
wide news magazine, why then are 95%
of
your
letters pcinted in the 'What Our
Readers Say' page purely American?
Doesn't anyone else comment on the maga–
zine and its conrent? 1 feel it is very effec–
tive in its presentation and material, but
I would Jike to know that l'm not the
only one in Britain - or Europe - read–
ing and appreciating your magazine! Do
you bave Indian readers? Any in the Middle
East, just to name a few arcas?"
Appreciative English Reader
Shenley, Herts., England
•
Our desil·e is to give you
current
respo1z.res.
Foreign responses ofteu travel great distmzces
and are oftell delayed
-
sometimes to the
tune of severa/ weeks.
By
the time the /eJters
arri11e in Pasadena, via our foreig11 offhes,
they are oftm outdated. However, we do
have a vast (and growing) foreign readership
The
PLAlN TRUTH
this so-called Christian spring festival,
which was similar to what they had
been used to in the worship of their
spri ng goddess
Easter.
As time passed, these former pagans
- now converted - were not satisfied
to merely observe a Sunday resurrection
festival to Christ. They coveted and
yearned for the beautiful but pagan
embellishments which they were accus·
tomed to observing.
Thus, in the process of time, they
were influential in chaoging tbe name
from "resurrection festival" to
Easter.
But they didn't stop here. They further
introduced into the Christian world
more outright paganism. Soon, all of
W
estern Eurc;>pe was hunting for Easter
eggs on this man-made, unbiblical fes·
tival. The Easter rabbit also became
a
symbol of fertility. Many even con·
tinued to rise early Sunday morning to
face the sun in prayer. Campfires were
lit each Saturday evening leading up
to Easter. (And this is still done io
parts of Germany.
I
have witnessed
these tires myself on Saturday eve
before Easter.) Many pagan converts
would also bake cakes called "hot-
numbe1·ing nearly
800,000.
Many o/ their
mrrent commellts are printed in our foreign
lauguage editiotls of The
PLA1N TRUTH.
And
¡ust to eau JOIIt· mi11d, yo11 are 1101 the on/y
sub.rcriber in E1tglat1d
-
there are
57,000
othe,.s; 11or are you the only one in Europe
-
there m·e
127,000
others.
IP
e
t·eceive
comme111s t·egularly ft'OtJl India, tbe Midd/e
East aud many othe,. m·eas.
W
ehome to om·
gt·owing family of ¡o,•eign conespondems.
Bangladesh
"1 have beco expecting an article in
The
PLAIN TRUTH dealing with the mass
murder of innocent people in East Pakistan
because they elected leaders dear
tO
them.
And then, because the elected leaders did
not suit the military authorities in Islama–
bad, a reign of terror was let loose. Every–
body they suspected of having voted for
the Awami League, was shot. Not thou–
sands, but mil!ions of men, women and
childreo fled
tO
J
ndia to save their lives.
The world knew this simple, this plain
trutb, and many have condemned it, but
many more are afraid ro do so because they
fear the displeasure of Americans."
Andrew K.,
Trichur-Kerala, S. India
•
Au article
Í11
thiJ issue of The
PLAIN
TRU"fH
explores the tragedy of Ba11gladesh.
Dust And Drought
"The article : 'Must America Prepare for
the Great Drougbt of the 1970's?' by Mr.
Jerry Genrry was of special interest to me.
I was in my teens during the great drought
of the '30's and we lived in the heart of the
March-April 1972
cross" buns and eat them at Easter.
In due time these and other pagan
spring cites were celebrated on Easter
Sunday. Thus the man-made festival
supposed to commemorate Jesus' resur–
rection carne to be embellished with
more and more paganism.
The Twentieth Century
Most people reason,
"l
know Easter
is of pagan origin. But after all, we
grew up observing Easter as part of
our Christian tradition." But you may
have wondered,
"If
Easter is
a
pagan
festival,
WHY
should Christians cele–
brate it ?"
Which, of cotJCSe, is
a
good question
!
If
a person wants to use the Bible
as bis spiritual guide, then why not
consider what is mentioned
in
the
Bible?
And, at the same time, why not read
the eye-opening facts of history and
of your Bible in our booklet
The Plain
Tmlh
Abottt Easter.
It
is published as
an educational service by the Ambassa–
dor College Department of Theology.
You have never read anything quite
like it. O
'dust bowl.' Mr. Gentry quoted from a
book by Lawrence Svobida entitled: 'An
EmpiJ:e of Dust.' Mr. Svobida, a near
neighbor of my older brother in south–
western Kansas, decided that, along with
others in the area, his expedeoces and
knowledge of existing conditions were
more
than adequate to compile a book that
would relate to the rest of tbe counuy
what the dust bowl was really Jike. His
book, where it was accepted, was placed
in tbe
fiction
section of the Jibrary. People
not experieocing the dust bowl could not
believe such concütions .r:eally existed in
this country.''
General Comments
John T.,
Fulton, Mo.
"Many thanks for sending me your
PLAIN TRUTH magazine. l fiad the arti–
cles show a great deal of straightforward
reporting of the facts with little, if any,
of the bias that a Iot of our English daily
papers show. This, to my mind, is refresh–
ing, satisfying and comforting. Hard facts,
however blunt and truthfuJ, are far more
constructive and reassuring than honeyed
'half-truths.' "
C.
H.,
Eastbourne, Sussex, England
"I have used many anides from the
PLAIN TRUTH as cüscussion topics in the
classroom with my students of all ages.
Also, 1 have used your magazine as a text
book. Sorne of tbe information you offer
cannot be found anywhere else.''
Terence K.,
West Germany