Halloween

[THE BADGER:]

^Precisely.

 

I agreed with you.

[Kurgan]

I think that's the issue a lot of the people ranting against Halloween have. They see "it started as a pagan holiday" and read that as "and it's STILL a pagan holiday."

 

And what's the worst sin possible to these folks? Apostasy. And to them, honoring something pagan = de facto apostasy.

 

That, or they believe the "blood libel" type rumors that witches or satanists are kidnapping kids or virgins or cats to sacrifice to the devil on halloween night or whatnot.

 

The "pagan convert fear" thing I think is totally unfounded. It's just a fact that for a large part of the past, "most" of the world (or at least the "civilized world") was "pagan" (in the sense of polytheistic religion). But the fact that pagans did something doesn't mean it can't be done by non-pagans. The fact is if you read in the Bible, in what we Christians call the Old Testament, you have plenty of examples of "pagan" cultures doing similar things to the Israelites/Hebrews/Jews. That doesn't mean the Israelites/Hebrews/Jews were hypocritical closet-pagans, it just means they didn't necessarily see those things as in conflict with their religion (and before anyone decides to start a proof texting war with me over this, I'm talking about examples where it is NOT condemned and historical parallels can be seen in textual forms, art, or even admitted in the text itself).

 

The way I see it, two people can do some activity for different reasons. A pagan does something to honor their gods and a Christian does it to honor their God. If you believe your deity(ies) exist, but the other's does not, then your action is the only one that really matters.

 

I have no problem with people refusing to celebrate a popular holiday. That's their personal choice and they're free to do that and enjoy it. It's when they try to stop others from practicing it, that's a problem. This may be why some resort to the blood libel type theories.. to try to make it look like it's harming society. If something is DANGEROUS to society, then you can start arguing that it's okay to ban/censor/restrict it, even if it's somebody's religion or it's fun for them.

 

But when you show that the danger is overstated or even nonexistant, you can defeat that argument.

[StaffSaberist]

Okay, I'm just going to say how I feel about Haloween.

 

Haloween, regardless of it's past, is currently a celebration of the dead returning and causing the living suffering and pain. Unless, of course, the deal is "sweetened" by sugar. As a religious person, I do not believe that is our purpose in the afterlife - to find a just reward for our spirituality, however, is.

 

I know this was already posted, but it did start off with the pagans. Then, the Christians made their own holiday - Hallow's Eve. Now, the holiday has been turned into a celebration of the dead.

 

I do not know who is responsible for turning the holiday into what it is now (I didn't read the entire thread, just the highlights of it) but I do know that it is not what it should be. It would be much better if our Haloween was like the first Spanish Dia de la Muerte - The day of the Dead, in which the living honor the souls of the dearly departed. Not like the second day, which is akin to our Haloween.

 

In summary: We can respect the dead without dressing like our fantasies of the dead.

[SkinWalker]

Now, the holiday has been turned into a celebration of the dead.

 

And here I thought it was about kids dressing up and going door-to-door in their neighborhoods for candy.

 

I think the religious read too much into everything. Personally, I'd like to see all the religious nonsense taken out of all holidays. Trim the tree on xmas; hide eggs for the hunt on Easter; dress up as your favorite goblin or superhero on halloween.

 

The religious people just get in the way. But that is strictly my opinion. Thought I'd share it since everyone else did.

[StaffSaberist]

Fair enough. But I think we don't need to dress up like dead people for that. That's all for now, folks...

[ShadowTemplar]

I think the religious read too much into everything.

 

Amen to that.

[ET Warrior]

Fair enough. But I think we don't need to dress up like dead people for that. That's all for now, folks...

I dressed up like a Jedi for halloween..Prior to that it was Neo...

 

I suppose back in my day I did dress up as a skeleton...but overall, the vast majority of my costumes weren't dead...the ONLY thing I remember about halloween as a little kid was how much fun it was to dress up as something cool and get free candy. There was nothing religious or evil about it. Just good ol' fashioned fun.

[Commander Obi-Wan]

I dressed up like a Jedi for halloween..

 

Same here, and same as my friend.

[THE BADGER:]

Halloween, regardless of it's past, is currently a celebration of the dead returning and causing the living suffering and pain.

What? I am a Christian along with you( at least I think you are), but I don't see your point. I don't celebrate the dead. I create a haunted house, dress up, and then scare the hell out of the public. And they pay me to do it. To me Halloween is a time of good 'ol fashion fun, as ET Warrior put it, not a reason to celebrate the dead. Tell me where you see people out in a cemetery on Halloween singing and celebrating on Halloween? I see people and there kids going door-to-door dress up and getting candy. Or a teenage couple coming to my haunt and having a great time. Halloween has nothing to do with the dead on any plain. It is just a day to dress up and have fun. There is no since in looking into it any more. Most "religious" people make a big deal out of nothing.

 

I think the religious read too much into everything. Personally, I'd like to see all the religious nonsense taken out of all holidays. Trim the tree on xmas; hide eggs for the hunt on Easter; dress up as your favorite goblin or superhero on Halloween.

All these holidays are Christian holidays. Just some people added eggs on Easter and such. I don't see how you can take the religion out of a religious holiday.

[StaffSaberist]

What? I am a Christian along with you( at least I think you are), but I don't see your point. I don't celebrate the dead. I create a haunted house, dress up, and then scare the hell out of the public. And they pay me to do it. To me Halloween is a time of good 'ol fashion fun, as ET Warrior put it, not a reason to celebrate the dead. Tell me where you see people out in a cemetery on Halloween singing and celebrating on Halloween? I see people and there kids going door-to-door dress up and getting candy. Or a teenage couple coming to my haunt and having a great time. Halloween has nothing to do with the dead on any plain. It is just a day to dress up and have fun. There is no since in looking into it any more. Most "religious" people make a big deal out of nothing.

 

Fair enough. I don't celebrate, but I don't think the holiday or the people who celebrate it are evil. And yes, I am Christian.

 

All these holidays are Christian holidays. Just some people added eggs on Easter and such. I don't see how you can take the religion out of a religious holiday.

 

Two words. Santa... Claus. Before anyone debates me, that is off-topic, so don't debate me on Christmas. But you asked, so I answered. I have no problem with St. Nicholas, but the holiday has turned into a gimme gimme holiday for the most part.

 

Back on topic... Halloween... you can have fun with. And if you have fun, and nobody gets hurt, that's fine. So long as nobody carries out the tricks, such as TP'ing a house, egging it, etc.