Halloween...Is it evil?

[Orange_Crush]

I don't know guys...I'm having a real problem with this.

I live in a neighborhood full of very religious people.  About 50% of them are pretty cool, friendly, regular ol' folks, But the other 50% are absolute zealots.  They don't let their kids associate with any other kids in the neighborhood.  They home-school thir childrenn so they don't associate with anyone but the other kids in their church, and they don't socialize with anyone else in the neighborhood (not even each other). 

Okay, anyways, I a a lover of Halloween.  It is my favorite holiday other than Thanksgiving.  In fact, I like it better than thanksgiving too.  So, come Halloween, I get all excited, decorate my house, dress up to give out candy (we give a goody bag with a full-size Kit Kat, a 2-cup reeses, A full-size Nestle Crunch bar, And a full-size Twix), Play spooky sounds on the stereo with the windows open, And have more strobes, blacklichts, and fog machiones going on than you can count.

So anyways, I was asking the kid accross the street (who is autistic) what he's going to be for halloween, his response "We don't celebrate Haloween, Its a sin." 

Ooookay...so then I'm at my nieces b-day party.  I My brother's brother-in-law's kids are there and I ask them what they're gonna be for halloween.  "We're not allowed to celebrate Haloween."

At my daughter's preschool, there were no witched, dragons, monsters, devils, or vampires allowed...and they don't call it halloween.  Its called "pumpkin Day."

Is it just me, or is the whole world going crazy?

[Shakey]

You're correct - the whole world is going crazy!   

It will be interesting to see all of these Children in 20+ years discussing their childhood.   

[RD]

you got some good points.  I am a Christian, but I am not so whacky with conservatism to throw away Halloween.  Then again, I was not raised Christian and celebrated Halloween yearly, so I am more aware of what Halloween is not, rather than what others may think it is or should be.

It is a "Pagan" festival!!  Well, that is what a lot of my Christian friends say.  Well, if you wanna get technical, the term "pagan" was literally defined as those who live in the country away from the cities and towns in the 1300-1500 AD.  Pagan was not associated with devils, witches, demons, etc. until the Catholic church deemed that those who practice Christianity, but do not follow the traditionalistic religious dogma of the Catholic church, were in violation of the laws of God. In order to further demean and discredit these Christians who read and preached the Bible without a Priest interpreting it for them, the Catholic church deemed them as blasphemers, charlatans, and sinners.  (hmm... seems like this one has been played out before).

So from this argument, a pagan is actually a christian who is non-denominational.  So, it is rightly not a Pagan festival because non-denominational Christians who live in the country are not the ones who developed it.

Now for the stringent Christians who look at Halloween or Hallo's eve as a development of Satan, well I cannot prove or disprove that.

I do know that there is no harm in a child dressing up in a costume in order to get candy from neighbors and having a good time doing it.  I am not so darn PC to see that this is what Halloween has come to be now, just like Christmas has moved further away from the concept of Christ's birthday to whether or not Santa will bring toys.

So, in closing, you have a valid argument, and I agree with you.  Man, it sure does sound like your house would be a cool one to visit!

[BrianShaughnessy]

  I guess it's better that you have those kiind of neighbors rather than being one of them IMHO.   Lots of dumb holidays and festivals are imported from other cultures and embraced as our own.   

  So it's a silly semi holiday based on some old pagan festival... big deal.   No harm, no foul.    Back home around Detroit it was all about Devil's Night and TP'ing peoples trees,  throwing eggs and shaving cream and then lots of candy the next night.   

   What stopped me from having a good time at it was some dudley dooright having his wife holding a loaded .38 pointed at my head while he called the cops cause some other guys lit a pile of leaves on the side of the road on fire and then ran.   I was like 14... nice folks      I knew the guys but I wasn't gonna squeal on them.   The leaves were wet and they only smoldered some and then it went out by itself.     We weren't out to burn crackhouses down like in the city. 

[41husk]

Halloween, not unlike other hollidays are simply commecialized excuses to purchase products.  I have many Jewish friends who put up a Christmas tree.  Most Christians would agree Christmas and Easter are the two most important religous holidays, and what do they have to do with eggs, candy gifts, decorated trees and ornaments?  I would guess just about as much as holloween has with pagans and god less people.  I will pass out candy and enjoy seeing all the little goblins and ghost, Maybe I'l take a look at some of the hot moms as well.

[Blown70]

   WTF, you kidding me.  Heck it is a good reason for kids to burn off some energy.  I really do not do it up or have kids but WTF, we dont becasue it is a SIN?     That must be a new bible than the one I have?

Tom

[my73charger]

Geez, I was brought up in a very conservative Christian church and even we celebrated Halloween.  We had parties and the whole thing.  It is harmless fun IMHO.

[Old Moparz]

Is Halloween evil?

No, I'd be more worried about the sick, evil, bastards out there like Jeffery Dahmer, or the guy I knew from an old job who used to toss a bunch of pennies in a frying pan & make them hot. He'd pour them into a bowl when the doorbell rang on Halloween, then hold it out for the trick or treaters to grab at.    (I did think it was funny, but I don't condone it.)  

I let my 7 year old daughter celebrate, trick or treat, & put up decorations for Halloween. My wife & I aren't worried about the way she'll turn out because of it either. She understands what's important, like being nice to other kids in school & respecting them if they don't celebrate it. Personally, I see Halloween the same as any other holiday. One big, money making event.

It would be interesting to know just how many "Anti-Halloweeners" are truly sincere. What I mean is, are they on the bandwagon of political correctness, is it really against their religious beliefs? How many of them run a business & take advantage of their employees or step on their competition in unethical ways? Has any of them ever cheated on the spouse?

Hypocrisy runs rampant.

[nh_mopar_fan]

Some kids came to my house trick or treating last night in a new Charger.

It was scary.

[Blown70]

beliefs? How many of them run a business & take advantage of their employees or step on their competition in unethical ways? Has any of them ever cheated on the spouse?

Hypocrisy runs rampant.

YES that is a good one, often when is suits the purpose, they do the RELIGION or PC thing.  This ticks me off.

[41husk]

Some kids came to my house trick or treating last night in a new Charger.

It was scary.

Did the car have a two door costume

[RD]

Some kids came to my house trick or treating last night in a new Charger.

It was scary.

Did the car have a two door costume

[bull]

Geez, I was brought up in a very conservative Christian church and even we celebrated Halloween.  We had parties and the whole thing.  It is harmless fun IMHO.

Same here. I know some Christians who get all bent out of shape about it but it was never a big deal when I was a kid and I don't make it a big deal for my kids. We don't promote a lot of creepy/scary/bloody stuff but I don't think that's something that most parents do with small children anyway, Christian or not. I've heard of some people taking small kids (6-10) to see Saw 3 and I think that's pretty screwed up. I've never really looked into the roots of Halloween but it really doesn't matter to me because it is what you make it, ie., it only holds the meaning you pour into it. In my family it's a time for the girls to dress up like their favorite characters (Powerpuff Girls) and get free candy.

I think the same people getting worked up about Halloween are the same ones getting worked up about Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny and how those characters supposedly take something away from Christmas and Easter.

I wonder though if Satanists get mad when Christians celebrate Halloween like some Christians get mad when non-Christians celebrate Christmas?

[derailed]

It would be interesting to know just how many "Anti-Halloweeners" are truly sincere. What I mean is, are they on the bandwagon of political correctness, is it really against their religious beliefs? How many of them run a business & take advantage of their employees or step on their competition in unethical ways? Has any of them ever cheated on the spouse?

Hypocrisy runs rampant.

My thoughts exactly on the topic

[RD]

...like some Christians get mad when non-Christians celebrate Christmas?

you have had that experience bull?  wow, i have never heard of that.  what Christian denomination were they affiliated with, do you know?  I am curious to see why they would feel that way considering that Jesus wants all people to come to know Him.  Kinda violates the Lords "love thy neighbor" commandment dontcha think?

[Shakey]

...like some Christians get mad when non-Christians celebrate Christmas?

you have had that experience bull?  wow, i have never heard of that.  what Christian denomination were they affiliated with, do you know?  I am curious to see why they would feel that way considering that Jesus wants all people to come to know Him.  Kinda violates the Lords "love thy neighbor" commandment dontcha think?

Jesus wants all people to come to know Him

Are you sure about that RD?  Did he tell you that personally or did you just read that in some old book?           

[RD]

...like some Christians get mad when non-Christians celebrate Christmas?

you have had that experience bull?  wow, i have never heard of that.  what Christian denomination were they affiliated with, do you know?  I am curious to see why they would feel that way considering that Jesus wants all people to come to know Him.  Kinda violates the Lords "love thy neighbor" commandment dontcha think?

Jesus wants all people to come to know Him

Are you sure about that RD?  Did he tell you that personally or did you just read that in some old book?           

u nut...  you know what my answer will be...BOTH!

[Todd Wilson]

you got some good points.  I am a Christian, but I am not so whacky with conservatism to throw away Halloween.  Then again, I was not raised Christian and celebrated Halloween yearly, so I am more aware of what Halloween is not, rather than what others may think it is or should be.

It is a "Pagan" festival!!  Well, that is what a lot of my Christian friends say.  Well, if you wanna get technical, the term "pagan" was literally defined as those who live in the country away from the cities and towns in the 1300-1500 AD.  Pagan was not associated with devils, witches, demons, etc. until the Catholic church deemed that those who practice Christianity, but do not follow the traditionalistic religious dogma of the Catholic church, were in violation of the laws of God. In order to further demean and discredit these Christians who read and preached the Bible without a Priest interpreting it for them, the Catholic church deemed them as blasphemers, charlatans, and sinners.  (hmm... seems like this one has been played out before).

So from this argument, a pagan is actually a christian who is non-denominational.  So, it is rightly not a Pagan festival because non-denominational Christians who live in the country are not the ones who developed it.

Now for the stringent Christians who look at Halloween or Hallo's eve as a development of Satan, well I cannot prove or disprove that.

I do know that there is no harm in a child dressing up in a costume in order to get candy from neighbors and having a good time doing it.  I am not so darn PC to see that this is what Halloween has come to be now, just like Christmas has moved further away from the concept of Christ's birthday to whether or not Santa will bring toys.

So, in closing, you have a valid argument, and I agree with you.  Man, it sure does sound like your house would be a cool one to visit!

You sure do use fancy words.   

I thought the christians dress'd up and put out scary looking things on Halloween to scare away the bad creatures that could get them back then and it has since evolved into a fun holiday?! Those that think its a sin are simply screwed up.



todd

[71charger_fan]

Personally, I hate Halloween but not because of any religious reasons. I just hate it, always have. But, if I lived in your neighborhood, I'd pretend to celebrate it just to be a ...  Fortunately, this year, living in Egypt, it's not an issue.

[bull]

...like some Christians get mad when non-Christians celebrate Christmas?

you have had that experience bull?  wow, i have never heard of that.  what Christian denomination were they affiliated with, do you know?  I am curious to see why they would feel that way considering that Jesus wants all people to come to know Him.  Kinda violates the Lords "love thy neighbor" commandment dontcha think?

I've heard of it but I don't know anyone personally that has espoused that. I wonder sometimes why non-Christians participate in Christmas but there's nothing there to get annoyed about. I sometimes wish it weren't a Christian holiday because it costs too much and then I wouldn't have to celebrate it.

[70charginglizard]

Whats so evil about this?

http://www.americansarong.com/halloween.htm

It's a beautiful holiday!

[andy74]

man i never got good candy like you hand out, i better see a thereapist!!!

j/k, but i dont see any harm in little kids getting free candy-just the teens usually piss me off when they behave like i did when i was there age

[Lord Warlock]

No its not evil, and no its not a sin.  It is simply a day celebrated by a religion OTHER than christianity.  We don't or can't politically correctly deem ramadan evil can we? So we shouldn't declare halloween evil either.  All Hallows eve is just a day celebrated by pagans as one of the 4 major days in the yearly cycle. 

I love halloween.  I celebrate it robustly.  I decorate my house and yard with tons of spiderwebs, strobes, blacklights, hanging bats, wizards, and witches.  And have gone thru 3 different fog machines in the past 3 years. (some are just crap, only the first one i had did a good job).  My wife is a christian, and we celebrate christmas as well with lights, trees and yard decorations.  Someone on the street has to go a bit overboard, why not me?  I'm a non christian and feel comfy celebrating what I want to.  I had a great time as a kid on halloween and think it is only fair that my kids get a chance to have a fun childhood. 

If you don't participate on halloween, you are open game to have a "trick" played on you or your house.  Toilet paper, shaving cream or even eggs, although now as adult I don't let the kids take eggs out like we did as kids.  My parents would actually buy us a can of shaving cream to take with us.  My kids have'nt asked for any and I doubt the green edge gel would be near as fun as the white foam was when i was a kid.

[TheGhost]

People like that are living proof of a belief I've held for quite some time now.  And that belief is that people are morons.


I myself am a Christian, but definatly not a rabid one.  Who cares if people celibrate Halloween?  Personally, I love Halloween.  It was my second favorite holiday as a kid, after Christmas.  Why?  Because I could dress up in fun costumes, walk around the neighborhood, "haunted" houses, and get free candy.  What could be better?  Frankly, I find those parents who view Halloween as evil, as bad parents.  They force their children to skip one of the best holidays for kids, because of some unfounded opinion that Halloween is a sin, when NOWHERE in the Bible does it state that it is wrong for children to have fun.  Because that's all Halloween is.

[Charger_Fan]

Ok OC, you're neighborhood is officially worse than Utah.
Around here, you can't swing a dead cat in the air without hitting a Mormon, but at least the majority of them don't tell their kids that Halloween is evil.