Anyone else not digging Halloween season?
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Bert & Sully · 10-14-2003, 03:42 PM

THANK YOU Nancy!! I was just getting ready to post about the SAME THING!!

BostonTeaParty · 10-14-2003, 04:04 PM

Great minds think alike Lainey! Ahh, the joys of learning about other cultures. Think they'd ever have something about this aspect of Mexican culture at Epcot?

Bert & Sully · 10-14-2003, 04:27 PM

They do actually..........

BostonTeaParty · 10-14-2003, 04:36 PM

That's fantastic! Guess what I'll be looking for next time....

Diz · 10-14-2003, 04:51 PM

A new thing is happening in my town...new for us. A local church is doing a Hell House instead of a haunted house. I don't know...I've never been involved in this before, but it sounds rather, I don't know the what to say, it seems hard-core christianity and I hope it doesn't backfire on the church. They will show a girl who is having an abortion, someone else who is killing themselves, someone doing drugs, etc.

Has anyone else been involved in this at Halloween time?

BostonTeaParty · 10-14-2003, 05:07 PM

No Diz, but I heard about this a couple of years ago. Some church group in Texas was doing it. It's not the way I would choose to teach a young person about the consequences of their actions. I think the intentions are good, but it sounded a little "over the top" to me.

AKLRULZ · 10-14-2003, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Prochristo:
It's easy to fall into a trap of legalisim on such topics, but it's important to remember we are under the Covenant of Grace as the redeememd in Christ. Should we glorify Satan through this holiday? Of course not! But can our children enjoy trick or treating? I think so.

Just my point and well articulated, Amy. There is room for Christians to participate if they so choose and there is nothing wrong w/ anyone not choosing to participate.

Nancy, I appreciate info on the Meixican tradition of Day of the Dead - it's good to know culture! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

In terms of the Hell Houses Diz12 mentions, I've seen them done effectively, and while it might be indeed extreme, it makes an impact on the targeted audience (typically teens) and provides a good lesson on some of the evils of the world - keep in mind these types of houses are up against the Haunted Horror variety where murder happens 1,000 different ways and are much more extreme (just my opinion). Kinda like the old Scared Straight show.

Diz · 10-14-2003, 06:00 PM

Through my work, I see first-hand how the topics of the HH affect teens. I know it is important to get the message out, that there is an alternative and that you don't have to follow the crowd.

I just would rather join Sandy's group for Light the Night! Pass the hot cocoa...

AKLRULZ · 10-14-2003, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Diz12:
I just would rather join Sandy's group for Light the Night! Pass the hot cocoa...

Boy, you can say that again. I wish life was simplier.

tikibird · 10-14-2003, 06:43 PM

I've seen HH, both as a teen (it was either HH or something similar), where it did have an impact on me, and as a youth leader, where I wasn't all that impressed.

I'm with the rest of you - much prefer the handing out the cocoa thing! Last year I got to meet with a group of kids that had weeks earlier torn up announcements to an upcoming DJ concert I had given to them. They stopped by the church on Halloween, and I handed them a flyer re: youth group. The same kid threw it on the ground, and I said, "Hey you were down at Pizza Hut a couple of weeks ago, weren't you?" He said that he was, and that he was going to go and drink goat's blood. I told him he should come to youth group, since we have pizza there. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] Haven't seen him again, but who knows, he might show up again on Halloween! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Chrissi · 10-14-2003, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Should we glorify Satan through this holiday?

Just out of honest curiousity - where did the idea that Satan has any thing to do with Halloween come from?

Before it was called Halloween, the Celts celebrated a version of Mexico's Day of the Dead - a day when the lives of one's ancestors and loved ones lost in the year past were celebrated, the dying year was brought to a close and the veil between the two worlds (life and death) was thin enough that celebrants felt they could communicate to, if not with their loved ones. It was a celebration very much like our New Year's celebration in modern times (albeit with a wake-like feeling). It may be considered morbid by some, but it is how ancient and modern-day earth-centered faiths honor their dead and put them to rest. It has nothing to do with Satan or Satan-worship as pagans don't believe in Satan or the concept of a devil at all! And I understand you said you weren't glorifying Satan-worship as part of the holiday but I just wanted to clarify that you didn't believe that others were, correct?

TiggGrrrl · 10-14-2003, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Beaner:
<blockquote>quote:<hr /> Should we glorify Satan through this holiday?

Just out of honest curiousity - where did the idea that Satan has any thing to do with Halloween come from?
<hr /></blockquote>I was wondering the same thing Chrissi [img]graemlins/ukid.gif[/img]

Some more info about the actual origin of this celebration:

"So, although some cults may have adopted Halloween as their favorite "holiday," the day itself did not grow out of evil practices. It grew out of the rituals of Celts celebrating a new year, and out of Medieval prayer rituals of Europeans. And today, even many churches have Halloween parties or pumpkin carving events for the kids. After all, the day itself is only as evil as one cares to make it."

tikibird · 10-14-2003, 07:24 PM

It is my understanding that the Druids celebrated October 31st with human sacrifices, and a festival honoring their sun god and Samhain, the lord of the dead. They believed that the sinful souls of those who died during the year were in a place of torment, and would be released only if Samhain was pleased with their sacrifices.

Pumpkins and large gourds were carved with faces and lit with candles to ward off evil spirits. Just not comfortable with any of it.

It was never my intent by this post to upset anyone, just to share something that I struggle with. I'm going to ask Ann to close the post so that it isn't a problem for anyone.

TiggGrrrl · 10-14-2003, 07:32 PM

That's interesting Sandy, I've honestly never heard that before. I'm an explorer of many religions and am always open to learning new things. I don't think your post is offensive, thought provoking sure, but not offensive. There are so many different people here, sure we don't agree on everything, but that's okay [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Just thought I'd do a search to find out more info about Samhain and the Druids, this is one of the first things that came up:

Overview:
Identifying Samhain as a Celtic Death God is one of the most tenacious errors associated with Halloween.

Almost all stories about the origin of Halloween correctly state that Halloween had its origins among the ancient Celts and is based on their "Feast of Samhain." But many contemporary Christian authors which are critical of Halloween, Druidism, and/or Wicca have stated that Samhain was named after the famous Celtic "God of the Dead." No such God ever existed. By the late 1990's many secular sources such as newspapers and television programs had picked up the error and propagated it widely.

You can read the rest of the page here if you like.