As October approaches, we reach that time of year where every Hallmark store turns black and orange, houses become adorned with ghouls, goblins, and other such specters, and children dream of becoming pirates or ghosts or SpongeBob or whatever. Yes, it's Halloween time, folks. And along with Halloween come the parties (Franklin Street, baby!), the haunted houses, and the requisite complaining from people like this.
The writer of the aforementioned article is a bit nutty, and he obviously has about as much knowledge of the actual practices of Wicca as Paris Hilton has of quantum physics. Nevertheless, I wonder: is Halloween really that grating on Christians? My Christian readership, your input is requested here. What are your feelings?
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If you haven't seen it you should try to find the King of the Hill Halloween episode. A nutty over the top christian lady moves in the block and goes on a Halloween is evil campaign and gets it shut down.
I gotta ask, Jeff: have you ever quaffed a malted beverage on Saint Patrick's Day? Or given flowers on Saint Valentine's Day?
Guess what: Halloween has about as much to do with pagan rituals as the aforementioned have to do with saints. You wanna know what these holidays are about? In the immortal words of James Carville, "It's the economy, stupid." Yes, that's right, these holidays are about making money. There is absolutely no religious meaning attached whatsoever.
To answer your actual question, back when I was a Christian, and young, Halloween never bothered me or my parents. It just wasn't something you thought about, because you wanted candy. I guess I can see where hardcores would shy away from the celebration of holidays with (at least partial) pagan origins, but technically that means Christmas and Easter are out too.
Rant aside, I too am curious what other Christians think about All Hallow's Eve.
(Part of the aforementioned "King of the Hill" episode can be found here.)
I knew I loved "King of the Hill" for a reason.
I'm no longer a Christian, but having spent two decades of my life in independent fundamentalist Baptist churches, I think I can explain their position.
Halloween is seen by them as an evil day (sometimes referred to as the "devil's day"). The churches that I went to always held some sort of youth event on "trick-or-treat day," so the Christian children would still have fun while not participating in Halloween. Since I was a zealot as a child, I gave up Halloween when I turned 6 years old (I have no memories of trick-or-treating), so my parents never saw the need to take me to the church events. I'm not entirely sure what they did at the church, but I do know they got a lot of candy. Haha.
My mother did not want to hand out candy, because she saw that as promoting the evil holiday, but my dad was afraid our house would get egged, so my dad and I would hand out candy to trick-or-treaters.
Even though my beliefs have changed significantly, I still involuntarily cringe at Halloween...I'm not sure I will ever be able to see Halloween the way normal people do.
My Christian church had trick or treat parties for Halloween every year. We had ghosts and goblins, and witches too. I think those who see it as evil have gone a little bit too far, losing focus on the more important things they could be doing
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