Easter Bunny whipped at church show; some families upset

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/breaking/20040407bunnyp4.as...

A church trying to teach about the crucifixion of Jesus performed an Easter show with actors whipping the Easter bunny and breaking eggs, upsetting several parents and young children.

People who attended Saturday’s performance at Glassport’s memorial stadium quoted performers as saying, “There is no Easter bunny,” and described the show as being a demonstration of how Jesus was crucified.

Melissa Salzmann, who took her 4-year-old son J.T., said the program was inappropriate for young children. “He was crying and asking me why the bunny was being whipped,” Salzmann said.

Patty Bickerton, the youth minister at Glassport Assembly of God, said the performance wasn’t meant to be offensive. Bickerton portrayed the Easter rabbit and said she tried to act with a tone of irreverence.

Glassport is a former industrial city near Pittsburgh.

[jpgray]

1. Whoever thought this was a good idea is an idiot. (nt)

[Robin Hood]

116. More fallout from the passion of the Christ.

Mel Gibson is a turd.

[ewagner]

2. Wrong-headed and

just plain stupid.............

[DenverDem]

3. Fundamentalism defined.

Anti-Christian bunny whippers.

[RamboLiberal]

6. Note Assembly of God - Ashcroft's faith

Hey maybe the Easter bunny scares Crisco head as well.

[DenverDem]

18. Calico easter bunnies.

asscrust's worst nightmare.

[meow2u3]

78. Did you mean the Calico Easter KITTY?

eom

[Cocoa]

4. I don't get it

but I never got anything in church. It always left me scratching my head, though I don't remember ever being disturbed. If I saw this as a kid, I'm pretty sure I'd be disturbed by it.

[Catfight]

5. WWJD? n/t

[liberalhistorian]

20. Jesus would kick

Asscroft's ass, that's for sure (and Shrub and Falwell and Robertson and the rest of the gang as well!)

[Ilsa]

55. That would be the new, improved Warrior Jesus

that the Fundies are promoting these days to suit their chickenhawk beliefs. Yep. Put that on the list of things I'd like to see: "Warrior Jesus kicks Asscrack's ass."

[liberalhistorian]

68. No, that's not what I meant.

What I meant was that Shrub and Asscroft and Robertson and Falwell and company are the modern-day phoney-baloney Pharisees Jesus railed against as the hypocritical, judgmental, superficial, pompous, self-righteous, sanctimonious, hateful bigots they were. They love to spout off about how Christian and holy they are, and Jesus wouldn't even begin to recognize them.

[Ilsa]

74. Agreed.

I guess I was still frustrated from hearing about WJ earlier.

[Guaranteed]

97. Oh...I thought you were going to say that he'd kick

the Easter Bunny's ass.

[happyending]

7. I have heard

that outside of the cities, Pennsylvania is WAY conservative.
Hey, SOMEBODY there must be voting for the illustrious
Rick Santorum. LOL. 

But still, this is one of the weirdest news stories I have
ever seen. These people scare me. They really do.

[RamboLiberal]

15. Living in that area which is mostly poor working class

It amazes me the number of idiots who are just scraping by who spout the crap that Limbaugh, Hannity, and a wack job local wingnut pundit Jim Quinn puts in to their stupid empty skulls.

Heck where I work when I leave my little office and go down to the warehouse or in to some of the other offices that's all I hear. Thank goodness we have a couple of local liberal hosts and now Air America to save me.

[happyending]

52. PA just confuses me

Thank you, rmpalmer.

It's really nice to hear how things are there from an insider.
I gotta tell ya, PA just confuses me. I don't know why on Earth
they'd be so right wing.

But don't feel bad. One of these days I'll tell you about my
Texas relatives. LOL. You'll be glad you live in PA.

But, really, what is UP with Sen. Rick Santorum? He's a madman.
Litererally, mad.

Again, thanks.

[SharonAnn]

85. Well, his wife sued her chiropractor formalpractice and won

"pain and suffering" damages somewhere around $400,000 for "discomfort" or something like that.

But that didn't stop Santorum for sponsoring the malpractice limits bill to limit pain and suffering to $250,000. Other non-working people just weren't as important as his wife.

So, if a child is paralyzed for life because of medical malpractice, the insurance company will only pay whatever medical costs plus $250,000. Ain't that a great deal?

Just wait until people find out how this will hit them when they've been seriously injured by medical malpratice.

[Bunny]

113. Actually, they sued her Obstetrician because their baby boy was

stillborn. It was a little more serious than "chiropractic discomfort".

That notwithstanding, Santorum is one of the biggest jag-offs to ever set foot in politics, anywhere. And that is saying something, if you really think about it!

[no_arbusto]

86. That wacko Jim Quinn is still on the air?

I can't believe that. Now that Howard is gone that leaves Pittsburgh with Quinn, the morning zoos, music at the X, and yinzer and mullet jokes at DVE. Jesus, I'm glad I'm not living there at the moment.

Do you remember when Quinn was a part of the old morning zoo crap at B-94? Remember "Quinn and Banana"? I actually thought of them recently when Howard Stern did his "Cross and Lopez" stunt on April Fool's Day. I think Quinn actually patented the "Wake up your boss" bit, no? Friday morning jokeoff? What a talented individual. /Sarcasm

[MountainLaurel]

115. Pennsyltucky

Is what I always heard it referred to as -- at least the part between Pittsburgh and Phillie. And I heard some whacked out stories from a professor who was a reporter there before she escaped.

[Minstrel Boy]

8. "Performers broke eggs meant for an Easter egg hunt and

also portrayed a drunken man and a self-mutilating woman."

Nice explanation from the Youth Minister: "The program was for all ages, not just the kids."

[PartyPooper]

9. Who produced this fiasco?

Gee, I wonder where they got the idea for this crazy stunt.

[robertpaulsen]

10. I was LMAO when I read the headline.

Then I realized I wasn't reading The Onion.

[BattyDem]

81. Me too!!!

I thought, "Hey, that's pretty funny!" And then I read the thread ...

How many of those kids will be having nightmares about the poor, little Easter Bunny being whipped? You know what's even more pathetic? Only some of the parents were upset.
SOME?!?!?!?!?!?!

[bif]

11. WWTEBD?

What Would The Easter Bunny Do?

[Catfight]

30. RFOLMAO- this is classic comedy!

[Neshanic]

12. You CAN'T write comedy like that.

Where is St. Melvin when you need him to direct? He would of done it right.

Poor kids will not eat an egg salad now.

[belle]

50. You really can't. Church of St. Loony of the Cream Bun & Jam, ahoy!

[PfcHammer]

13. i'd hate to see halloween n/t

[yella_dawg]

44. On Halloween, they REALLY get wound up...

There's some kind of syndicated, traveling house of horrors that churches sponsor. My fundie ex-boss was raving about how wonderful it was and how he was volunteering to work after seeing it the year before. I figure I'm pretty impervious to that sort of crap, but his description weirded me out so bad I walked out on him mid-sentence.

It is some truly sick shit.

[belle]

51. Hell House! There's a documentary about this; it's terrific. Scary too..

though not in the way the Hell house people intended, obviously. The guy who did the film did it pretty deadpan: just let the people speak for themselves. No satire necessary. In one scene they're arguing about which way to spray paint on the Satanic pentagram for the "occult" scene; eventually they pull back to reveal a six-pointed Star of David. And the girls all try out for the plum role, abortion girl, like it was Juliet.

[Supply Side Jesus]

95. i'd love to see that!

the local assembly of god has one every year, i just work up the stomach to go in....i mean, i want a good laugh and all, but i just have a hard time parting with a few bucks knowing its going to those fuckin wack jobs.

[CaptainClark23]

14. First response was to laugh my head off.

Thought it must be edgy satirical humor. I actually like the notion as a statement about the whole Passion thing.

But damn! these people are serious?!

these people want to illustrate the pain of the passion? fine, gimme that damn whip, I'd be happy to oblige. leave the bunny alone.

[LiberalFighter]

60. I would volunteer to whip those fundies...

I am sure they would scream hallelujah to the skies.

[Guaranteed]

99. THANK you Sir! May I have another?? nt

[LiberalFighter]

118. Yes... I am sure she would reply that way

LOL

[salinen]

16. Bunnies are evil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Supply Side Jesus]

17. lmao!!!

holy sheeeeit, that funny. Reminds me of when the Easter bunny get his ass kicked in mallrats.

[mark0rama]

43. "The guy in the Easter Bunny suit kicked his ass!!!"

"All I said was that the Easter Bunny at the Menlo Park Mall was more convincing."

[Rex]

19. "Daddy, why did the Easter bunny kill Jesus?"

Crazzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzy man!

[Torgo4]

22. Holy Crap---And I Thought this Landover Baptist Card Was Funny!

Some dickweed just can't take a joke!!

[Catfight]

25. Brilliant! I love this..I'm laughing SO hard! n/t

[liberalhistorian]

24. A Jewish Easter bunny,

who'da thunk it?

[The_Gopher]

42. that's what Mel Gibson said.

[LiberalFighter]

61. How do you know it is Jewish?

Is the bunny circumcised?

[Book Lover]

21. Seems these people have

forgotten what one of their own once said; something about "when I was a child, I learned as a child..." How this is all-ages appropriate, well, I leave that up to them.

[AspenRose]

122. Twisted definition of having "dominion" over animals

In Genesis (1:28-30) God told Adam to exercise "dominion" over the animal kingdom, but I don't think this is what He had in mind.

Maybe they got "dominion" and "dominatrix" mixed up or something, with all that whipping.

Sheesh.

[mark11727]

23. For an encore...

... they crucified Santa.

[Catfight]

29. I'm dying here...you guys are so funny!

[klook]

26. The Passion of Peter Cottontail

What's next? Santa stoned to death?

Imaging JC returning to Earth today and seeing his followers whipping a person in a bunny costume. I think his response would be "WTF?"

[reprobate]

41. Why? Where'd he go, alpha centaury for the Supernova Festival?

[0rganism]

27. Wow, it's like edgy New York performance art meets Winnie the Pooh!

You gotta admit, the Fundies have broken new ground with this one. They took it to the next level.

“He was crying and asking me why the bunny was being whipped”

You don't get that kind of youth outreach just anywhere!

Looking forward to the Christmas pageant...

[klook]

32. Maybe they could get NEA funding

for Faith-Based Theatre.

[Neshanic]

35. Yes, a Kabuki type presentation of this would do well.

[orthogonal]

28. That is whack!

I've heards of flogging the bishop, but beating the bunny?

[yella_dawg]

47. I've never in my life gone into out-of-control laughter

while staring at a monitor.

Until now...

THATS funny.

[stevedeshazer]

64. I thought he was cuffing his carrot...

Oh, well.

[robbedvoter]

31. I saw a TV preacher shooting Santa Claus

They are still fighting the heathens - ans still losing.
Whipping the easter bunny is quite dumb. But not half as dumb as throwing misiles on a mosque. Dumb and vicious people.

[Kolesar]

53. Under the mistletoe ... ?

Joe Bob Briggs showed that on a segment they used to do on the Daily Show called "God stuff".

I cannot recall Joe Bob Briggs real name.

[catzies]

119. I forgot all about that! It was a great bit that went away. Too bad.

Joe Bob's real name is John Bloom, and that was on TDS in 96 acc. to google.

[klook]

33. Santa is an acronym of S-A-T-A-N!!

[rocktivity]

34. Maybe they were doing an re-enactment of

an episode of South Park.


rocknation

[bushisanidiot]

36. Oh, just wait for the christmas musical! Santa Clause get's beheaded!

praise JAYSUS!!

[Merlin]

37. Dreamed up by the great theologian Melvin Gibson.

This is the consequence of religious pornography.

[Neshanic]

38. A whip, broken eggs, a human bunny suit.....

“It was very disturbing,” Norelli-Burke said. “I could not believe what I saw. It wasn’t anything I was expecting.”

I'll say.

[Kolesar]

39. A minister used to burn the Easter bunny on the street in my home town

That was twenty years ago. It upset a lot of people too. He ended up in court and the judge ordered him to quit.

Actually, I don't find it hard to understand the minister's problems with graven images. I think they both went to the PETA seminar on free publicity, though.

Now I am just trying to sort out "youth minister" Patty Bickerton, who got into a bunny suit for minister to give her the lash. The two of them must have curled up with a bowl of popcorn and watched "Passion" too many times before they came up with that idea.

[klook]

45. To quote the psychiatrist on "Fawlty Towers"

..."There's enough material there for an entire conference."

[Kolesar]

49. I've still got most those shows on tape somewhere .... eom

[klook]

40. Easter Bunny Iron Maiden

for torturing heathens!

[Ravy]

46. On a related note...

the male congregation members, upon seeing the scantilly leather-clad whip-bearing actresses found the performance "uprising".

[Ravy]

48. Be ready for a Faux expose'

Sean Hannity discovers the mysterious bunny hiding conclusive evidence of carnal relations with a chicken.

[Guaranteed]

101. HA! (rimshot) nt

[drfemoe]

54. what you get when people

with questionable 'morals' try to teach morality.

I walked out of a church service years ago because the preacher kept going on and on about whipping CHILDREN! On and on and on. I walked. I am better off without that kind of *morality* in my life.

[liberalhistorian]

84. Indeed, evangelical

fundamentalists often subscribe to the view of children, even babies, being inherently evil and needing to constantly have that evil "disciplined" (read "whipped") out of them, even very young children.

James Dobson and other prominent fundies have even written books actually advocating the physical discipline of children for almost everything, even very oung children, and giving it even harder to them if they cry too much!!! And they want everyone else to do the same thing with their children.

That's why there are so many problems in fundie juvenile "treatment" centers, where their main method of "treatment" is harsh physical discipline for even the most minor infractions or often for nothing at all. They really do believe children are inherently evil and the only way to save them is with harsh physical discipline. Or, as they like to call it, "loving correction" (BLEH!!!!)

I've left churches over that bullshit. Fortunately, mainstream Christianity doesn't share those views.

[MetaTrope]

94. Another Assembly of God churchgoer

Remember Deanna Laney?

[MountainLaurel]

117. No doubt

These folks go with the theory that we're all born evil, so we've got to be knocked in line right from the start. As in, "that baby's not crying because it's hungry or dirty or just needs being held, it's trying to manipulate you into doing its bidding, showing the first signs of a sinful, willful nature that's got to be beat out.

It apparently never occurs to them that crying is a baby's evolution-developed mechanism for getting its needs met, and thus survival. Hate to see what these kids are going to be like as adults. Legions and legions of Ezzo-raised babies.

[Roaming]

56. I can understand their point in trying to show that Easter is not

about bunnies and eggs, but man, this was going way, way overboard.

[Stuckinthebush]

58. But for some, Easter is about bunnies and eggs

We teach our children that Easter is a time to celebrate the coming of spring - hence the bunnies, chicks, and eggs.

[Roaming]

59. However, not for Christians -- it's about Jesus' resurrection -- and

this was done in a Christian church.

[Kool Kitty]

83. It was a pagan holiday, hence the rabbits and eggs.

Fertility symbols, because Eostre was the spring Goddess and a fertility Goddess.
Your children are lucky to have you as a parent. Easter is about the coming of spring and growing things. The rebirth of the Earth.

On edit-This bunny-whipping, etc., must have been bad for some of the kids. That's such a mean image, the littlest (or most sensitive) must have been upset and frightened. I think this was a very dumb idea.

[leesa]

71. Why CAN'T it be about bunnies and eggs?? It was a celebration

of spring and rebirth loooong before the Christians took it over. Christians need to get over their control issues.

[Roaming]

107. Let me clarify -- for a Christian, the focus is always on Christ

and on His death and resurrection. The holiday is not about the Easter bunnny, eggs, candy, etc. However, that being said, the majority of Christians incorporate Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies, chicks, etc., into their celebrations.

In fact, our church held an Easter egg hunt and party just recently. The plastic eggs were empty to represent the empty tomb on Easter morning (the candy was later given out in goodie bags). A little poem accompanied bags of jelly beans, explaining what each color meant (white for his purity, red for his blood, purple for his kingship, etc.) Pictures of butterflies were colored to show that the butterfly first dies and then comes back to life, just like Jesus did. (Even our church's "symbol" is a cross with a butterfly over it.)

So Easter / spring symbolism is not banished. But the challenge of the church is to make sure that Christians (especially the children, who can get sidetracked by all the candy and excitement) stay focused on Jesus. (Same challenge exists for Christmas.)

The church in this case, in my opinion, completely missed the boat in their message. You don't teach children to stay focused on Christ by putting a sledgehammer to the Easter bunny. I think a drama director at that church got a little too wrapped up in making a dramatic statement instead of focusing on Christ's love.

[R Hickey]

57. For Christmas they can have Santa whip Rudolph to death.

Then produce a play-let where Mrs. Clause hacks the tortured beast up with a machete, boils the venison in a giant vat and feeds it to the elves, finally serving up Rudolph's eyes and bright red nose on a special platter for a drunken Santa.

The elves, this year, instead of making toys, will make explosive shrapnel-filled booby-traps for stocking stuffers, and mass-produce brightly wrapped boxes packed with horse-manure, some equipped with explosive photo-activated-shaped charges, placed under the manure, so as to blow up in the faces of those tricked into unwrapping the devices.

[leesa]

72. They would probably rather launch a missle at Rudolph...more

spectacular, you know.

[Guaranteed]

100. ROFLMAO!!! nt

[BiggJawn]

62. Bet they'd LOVE the April '78 cover of "Hustler"...

The one with the crucified plush rabbit w/a crown of briars...

I did that in '79 for Easter. almost got run out of the 'hood on a rail...

Here's what a quick search turned up:

[Plaid Adder]

63. WHAT do these people think they are doing?

1) Trying to make the crucifixion cute?
2) Trying to train the kids to associate the Easter Bunny with pain, a la Clockwork Orange?
3) Mocking both the crucifixion AND the Easter Bunny?
4) Losing their fucking minds?

Yeesh,

The Plaid Adder

[dawn]

65. This is so freakin' ridiculous.

And who is to say that Easter isn't about bunnies and eggs? I know for Christians, it's about the resurrection of Christ, but for some, it's celebrating the return of spring. Why can't this just be explained?

Some kids are probably going to have nightmares after seeing that bunny whipped.

Freaky stuff.

[Endangered Specie]

66. Is this from that "god hates fags" church?

[Minstrel Boy]

67. I'd like to find this funny, but I feel so sad for the kids.

It's nothing less than trauma-induced mind control.

[PatGund]

69. I know!

They were performing "The Last Temptation of Peter Cottontail".....

[Runcible Spoon]

70. maybe as a take-home project for Sunday school...

Bill Frist can procure some bunnies from the Humane Society and all the little children can reenact their own THe Passion of the Easter Bunny. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
On second thought, my own yearly Peeps carnage isn't much more admirable!

[cliss]

73. OMG! I'm dying here, from

laughing. So many funny, witty posters here at the DU. If I were to compile a "Best Of" from the DU, this would be one of the top threads.

[Guaranteed]

98. LOL me too nt

[ThoughtCriminal]

75. The Easter Bunny and Santa Clause Aren't Real!

Ummm... Y'all don't think about that too much...

[The Zanti Regent]

76. My sister goes to that church

and she's just as stupid as anyone else in the ASS of Gawd!

[monobrau]

77. Karen Finley can only dream

Can you imagine the outcry if some East Village performance artist had done this?

[jumptheshadow]

79. For crying out loud!

You don't whip the Easter Bunny.

It's just wrong.

My partner and I can't get married, but they think it's OK to whip the Easter Bunny just to get a point across about Jesus?

On edit: The partner is doubled over with laughter.

[AspenRose]

123. Crank up the Devo....all together now

"Crack that whip!"

[silverpatronus]

80. i wonder if any of those parents...

took their kids to go see the passion? because if they did, and they're upset by this, that's a whole new level of hypocrisy...

[mark11727]

82. I must post this...

Hopefully this link works...

http://frogstar.com/wav/displaywav.asp?fil=killwabt.wav

Happy Easter, doc.

[Neshanic]

87. Please turn to Bunnys 3:22. On the fourth horse rode a fuzzy bunny

[Kool Kitty]

88. I don't know why, but your post reminded me

of "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" and the bunny in the cave that slaughtered the knights and the Holy Hand Grenade. Now I can't stop laughing, I must be nuts.

[Obamarama]

89. Please join us for fellowship and hassenpfeffer after worship.....

11 a.m. in the church social hall. B.Y.O.B. (Bring your own bunny)

[proud patriot]

90. Oh Good Grief

[Vogon_Glory]

91. I Mentioned This Story To Some Friends

I mentioned this story in passing to some friends. I didn't name the church or the denomination, but we joked about the Passion of the Easter Bunny and couldn't help but chortle.

We're still trying to guess as to whether the Easter Bunny rises again on the third day.

[Whoa_Nelly]

92. Whipping the bunny???

I can see spanking the monkey, but whipping the bunny to exemplify Christ's suffering? Holy Bunnies, Batman! These people are insanely fundamentalist!

[wickerwoman]

93. OK, I shouldn't have read this at work.

You're going to get my ass fired.

[Guaranteed]

96. What kind of sick shit is this? nt

[icymist]

102. Let's flog and crucify the Energizer Bunny!

While hanging on the cross it can still be beating it's drum.
Announcer can then say "Takes a licking and keeps on ticking!"

heh heh heh.....

[SayitAintSo]

103. The Passion of the Easter Bunny.....

ROFLMAO ......sick fundies

[Voice_of_Europe]

104. Church can't kill OLD religions ... (whip Santa too!)

But they can try to embed they old folklore in christian holidays as they commonly do...

Easter bunny and eggs is a pagan thing about spring and fertility...
The church certainly wishes this folklore dead... ^_^

but you could as well whip Santa...
(who by the way visits children at December 6th and brings sweeties and nuts in some countries and initially had nothing to do with Christmas either)...

[sam sarrha]

108. THE CHURCH "IS" AN OLD RELIGION !!

[sam sarrha]

109. WONT BE LONG BEFORE THEY START WHIPPING SINNING CHILDREN

AND SINNING SINNERS OF ALL PERSUASIONS.

[The Stranger]

110. Put in historical perspective, the "church" really isn't very old.

There were many, many faiths that pre-dated it and with which it has been at constant war.

[Kinkistyle]

105. A video clip please! My kingdom for a Video Clip!

Oh lardy lardy I hope Jon stewart gets a whiff of this and manages to get his hands on a home video of this fiasco. I am gonna laugh my blasphemous butt off!

[Bride of Cthulhu]

106. At first I thought this must be a joke.

but no such luck.it is just plain sick.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

111. "Cocaine's a hell of a drug!" -Rick James (eom)

[skypilot]

112. Maybe it was that bunny from "Donny Darko"

*

[polazarus]

114. I was just kidding

When I said that we should sue the easter bunny for molesting all of those chickens and stealing their eggs. I had no Idea that someone would take it to the next level. I am sorry Easter Bunny, please forgive me. I should go there and defend your honor. We should get the Great pumpkin to go over there and take them out. Or I think the tooth fairy should go over there and take everyone of their teeth so that they can't eat any more at the prayer breakfasts. We should put a statewide ban on supper/casserole dishes as well!

[JVS]

120. Cool

[Orangeone]

121. Santa's a better target =)

He promotes materialism and greed; use stones instead of a whip