Vent - Let out your frustration

Ugh! I dread halloween!

Not because of the pagan customs associated with it, but because of how it makes believers act. It's not demons coming out of the woodwork on October 31st, it's Pharisees in all the holier-than-thou, legalistic glory.

How many of those most concerned about whether somebody lets kids trick or treat, or hands out candy on Oct 31st had a "traditional" wedding? Have they considered the meaning of the traditions? Did they have a best man? This dates to ancient times when a man kidnapped his bride. The best man went along to help fight. How about a honeymoon? The groom took bride into hiding to ensure that she was pregnant before her family found here, thus sealing his claim on her. Did the bride wear a veil? Protection against evil spirits. Wedding ring? Earliest mention in hyroglyphics; it was an Egytian a symbol of eternity. Did they toss rice? Feeding evil spirits who might prey on the new couple. June wedding? Because this was the month of the Goddess Juno, who was the protecting goddess of women and patroness of happy marriages. Did the groom carry the bride over the threshhold? So did the ancient romans, in order that evil spirits that inhabit the threshhold not enter the bride by the souls of her feet.

If we're going to be legalistic about celebrations and traditions, let's at least be consistent in the application.

My family hasn't "done" Halloween in many years, except that we hand out candy to trick-or-treaters. We have never decorated, etc. It's a habit, not a religious conviction that we don't, so definitely nothing to be self-righteous about. I just wish that some believers would put as much zeal into taking the gospel out into the world as they do fighting about meaningless stuff like a children's holiday devoted mostly to porking out on candy, and dressing silly.

Dazey 2004-12-01 12:55 1197

I have never had a single trick or treater at my house. Too remote. And the last few years, since my kids were big enough to feel silly trick or treating but young enough to still want candy...we did something that would have made my legalistic grandmother roll over in her grave. We dressed up like river boat gamblers and played poker for candy... We're hell bound for sure!

ingris 2004-11-28 16:54 1193

we get only a handful of kids at halloween....i do it because my candy is BLESSED and PRAYED OVER ;) and THAT kind of candy can NEVER hurt anybody ;)

King of Oxlandia 2003-04-10 03:36 713

By the time the Irish brought it to America it wasn't quite like the Iron Age version. Back in ye olden days of Gaelic yore... ...they believed that the "curtain" between the material and spirit worlds (the dead, ghouls, goblins, demigods, etc.) was at its most porous, so to speak. So, kids would go around wearing masks so that the goblins and ghosts would think that the kids were part of the crew. Then, they'd go around knocking on the doors of Roundhouses (round huts with conical roofs) and asking for apples and hazelnuts (the former symbolized wisdom, not sure about the latter). If the door wasn't answered or the residents told them to take a hike, they'd put a "hex" on the house inviting the spooks to do mean stuff to them. The original jack'o'lanterns were made of turnips because pumpkins didn't exist in Europe at the time. They'd hang them from the eaves and put a wick and oil inside the hollowed out part to scare away the spooks.

Observant 2003-02-12 08:48 441

happens to be one of my pet peeves anyway. I like what momzilla said about focusing on the gospel instead of nitpicking. and if you are gonna be picky do it intelligently with experience knowledge behind you..Seeking Godliness needs discernment. and reacting to things honestly and in Love...

Decent Christian 2003-02-10 18:53 436

it's the same kinda thing with secular music..I mean, if someone doesn't listen to it because they feel God doesn't want them to, then that's awesome but if they start judging people or condemning those who do...

OneGirlRevolution 2002-10-14 01:46 213

halloween is just my birthday hehe

Phyllis 2002-10-11 13:59 190

I totally understood you and was greatly inspired! *S*..

Momzilla 2002-10-11 13:25 189

Well said, Phyllis. I hope nobody mistakes me. I believe with all my heart that participating in various holidays and so forth is a personal decision to be made within each family. If someone feels convicted that this would be bad for their family, then my judgement is that they shouldn't do it. What's got my girdle in a bunch are those who think they need to go around loudly condemning everyone else, and as Phyllis said, putting a guilt trip and burden on sincere believers that the Lord hasn't put.

Phyllis 2002-10-11 07:50 188

I address things a lot of times from personal experience. I speak the Truth of what is in my heart about these things...this post is a responce to my e-mail group of christian woman who started a thread on this topic... I just don't like putting people on guilt trips for doing things they do in innocence. don't get me wrong..because I know as well as anyone there is a dark side and evil. I've seen about as close as I ever want to and I have no trouble believing in ritual abuse and demons and familiar spirits and the whole bit and how much they hurt and destroy , confuse, and generally cause chaos..my responces to things are based in personal experience and I believe in examining the cause and affect of things. When I kept my kids from the parties at school because of Halloween and Yes even Christmas I was making a statement about the origen of pagan themes and thought I was right to keep them from the parties, but it made no sense to them to see the kids doing at school what our heritage and our culture has always done out of tradition and all the kids at school exchanged gifts or dressed up costumes and laughing and carrying on while they were in the library. I personally had guilt trips put on me about things when I was growing up: about things that were just a part of our society and I know for a fact now how much damage that did to me. I do not for a moment support the dark side of halloween. But there is nothing wrong with FUN and we are admonished also in scripture to judge righteous judgment. I prooved nothing to my kids...I will say this...what was in my heart and the fact that I LOve them very much helped me get away with what I consider to be my "foolishness" now...and I also realize those guilt trips I was put on only served to convince me against my will and why? because I was doing things in fun and innocence and not for evil. and for years I could never explain it.and one of the most fun times in my childhood that I can remember was going trick or treating...I only got to do that once....and please remember I am aware of the dark side and in my opinion it was the darkness in this world that put me on an uncessary guilt trip that I enevitably passed on to my kids in certain ways. I hope that makes some sense to some of you and helps those who could possibly go down the same runaround that I did...*S*..LOVE Phyllis...

Breez 2002-10-11 07:46 187

Momzilla! You go girl! *hi-fives*

Cornbread 2002-10-10 22:50 186

I don't really do Haloween either for a couple of reasons, the main reason being that I just don't like messing with it. But one issue with Halloween is when fellow Christians start and/or spread tales of groups of satanists going around on Halloween kidnapping and murdering babies and such as sacrifices, or a number of other "organized satanist" tall tales. These things float around most every year, yet genuine evidence consistantly does not support the occurance of such things. Please stop spreading such tall tales. Those who do are making the rest of us look bad.

Phyllis 2002-10-10 22:11 185

wow..preach it will ya..LOL...