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GLASSPORT, Pa. - 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 brought 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.

"The program was for all ages, not just the kids. We wanted to convey that Easter is not just about the Easter bunny, it is about Jesus Christ," Bickerton said.

Performers broke eggs meant for an Easter egg hunt and also portrayed a drunken man and a self-mutilating woman, said Jennifer Norelli-Burke, another parent who saw the show in Glassport, a community about 10 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

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

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Posted by jeniwren (Member # 2002) on :
 
I heard this on the radio this morning and thought it was funny. Then I thought about it some more and then wondered what in the world the youth pastor was thinking.
 

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Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
 
There is a missing synapse in the brain when you can put "there is no Easter bunny" and "the Easter bunny represents Christ" in the same thought. Why would you use an "irreverant" and ficticious character to represent God? That makes no sense at all.
 

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Posted by The Digital Man (Member # 6427) on :
 
I'm laughing because I just don't want to cry today...
 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
I had a similar reaction to Jeniwren - I chuckled at first but then thought "what on earth were they thinking?"

It seemed an incredibly bizarre way to try to refocus people toward viewing Easter as a religious celebration, rather than a celebration of bunnies, eggs and chocolate.

So - my guess is that this item might end up ranking a little heavier than the norm on a "fluff scale." (do we have a fluff scale?)
 

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Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
 
Ooo ooo! help me Lord Frith!
*whip*whip*
Ahhh.. cure my bunny form... come sweet Black Rabbit of Inlay.... *gasp*
 

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Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
 
Let me get this straight -- she thought she could teach that Easter is about Jesus, not the Bunny, by having the Bunny replace Jesus in the Easter story?
 

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Posted by The Digital Man (Member # 6427) on :
 
that seems to be the gist, yes...
 

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Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :
 
I think the fluff scale is an inverse relation to emoticon density. With the exception of someone talking about something sad in their own lives. The only thing that would have made this weirder is if they used the snake as a whip.
 

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Posted by PSI Teleport (Member # 5545) on :
 
Yeah, Dana, that's what was confusing me.
 

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Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
 
And I used to wonder why so many people had such messed up ideas about the Christian religion.


 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
Dana,

the real problem is that Christians have no fewer messed-up people within their ranks than any other group.

Non-messed up people don't make news, except for the occasional "human interest" story.

Edit to add: and Dana, if you ever have a moment of self-doubt about your own youth ministry, you have permission to use this story to give yourself a morale boost. A new cautionary tale for youth ministers everywhere.

[ April 08, 2004, 02:44 PM: Message edited by: sndrake ]
 

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Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
 
I wasn’t as worried about the people who read the news as the kids who saw the show.

People who read/see the news can look at it and say "what on earth was she thinking?!?" The kids she's teaching have to deal with the fact that their church/pastor is sending some seriously mixed messages.
 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
I guess it could have been worse. They could have crucified the Easter Bunny.

I guess they wanted to make sure they stayed in the confines of "good taste."

Scourging of Easter Bunny: OK
Crucifixion of Easter Bunny: Not OK

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that if Saturday Night Live had done this, they'd get flooded with hate mail?

Then again, if they're live this Saturday, maybe they will...
 

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Posted by romanylass (Member # 6306) on :
 
Really, I don't know whether to laugh or be shocked.
 

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Posted by Telperion the Silver (Member # 6074) on :
 
I still think that the whipping is given way too much importance from the movie. The Crucifixion is the most important part. I say crucify the bunny!

"little bunny Foo Foo hopping through the forest, picking up the field mice and BOPPING them on the head..."
 

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Posted by ClaudiaTherese (Member # 923) on :
 
Good Night.

This is both hilarious (at first glance) and profoundly, profoundly disturbing.
 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
Agreed. Diane and I were talking about it and she pointed out that this show was probably the product of many weeks or months of planning.

You have to figure that a significant number of people were involved - certainly all of the performers, anyway.

So... in all that time, did no one ask the following question?:

"Is it just me, or is what we're doing just a little screwed up?"
 

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Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
 
Of all the hare-brained ideas!

I bet the fur really flew after parishioners saw the "scourging" scene.

Okay, I got that out of my system.

I'm not all that up on "Assembly of God" churches, but there are lots of churches wherein the position of "youth minister" does not equate to "youth pastor" by a long, long stretch. The youth minister might be someone (usually female) who is considered nurturing and capable of leading small children in learning about Bible stories through crafts and activities.

A "youth pastor" would generally be someone trained, and in fact ordained, who would be more or less well-versed in the liturgy. Typically, this is someone chosen for the role because of their own youth (e.g., recently ordained, or just considered more "hip" than the senior pastor) and able to relate to all ages of kids. This is someone who might be upset about the Easter Bunny co-option of the most holy day in the Christian calendar, but who would none-the-less know not to send in the bunny as a sub for Jesus in the passion play.


 

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Posted by dkw (Member # 3264) on :
 
Does anybody else have "The Bunny Song" from Rack, Shack, and Benny runny through their heads?

Now that was a show that got across the point I think this church was going for, but did it well.
 

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Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
 
Next stop: Santa.
 

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Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
 
I have to admit, I found Easter a totally confusing holiday when I was a little kid. We're hunting for these eggs why? I did look forward to it, though. I love searching for stuff.
 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
See why I was reluctant to tell you about the Easter Bunny when you asked, Storm?
 

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Posted by Storm Saxon (Member # 3101) on :
 
Well, if you had told me the Easter Bunny was really Jesus, I guess I would have had a hard time believing you. But if a youth minister believes it... Who am I to argue with the experts?
 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
Storm,

It's pretty clear that the Easter Bunny was just another victim of mistaken identity.

Could happen to anyone.
 

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Posted by UTAH (Member # 5032) on :
 
Very disturbing. Those poor little kids.
 

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Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :
 
My mother talks about a Baptist church near them who did something like this every Easter when she was growing up. She thought it was sick; apparentley, it got graphically into the Easter Bunny and his "worshippers" burning in Hell.
 

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Posted by sndrake (Member # 4941) on :
 
That's terrible. I'm not theological expert, but I'm pretty confident that chocolate would melt in the flames of hell.

Ooops. OK, I get it. It's hell. Your chocolate is supposed to melt.
 

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Posted by Bob_Scopatz (Member # 1227) on :
 
Mmmmmmmmmm Melted chocolate!!!

Yummy!
 

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Posted by Anthro (Member # 6087) on :
 
Bob, they'll just stick you in the fridge. . .OF HELL!
 

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