Growing up in a spirit filled, tounge talking, bible believing, born again home had it's advantages. Being raised with conservative values, being taught the history of biblical stories at a young age, having a group of friends during my teen years who weren't into drugs, drinking and sex were some of them.

However, every year at Halloween I usually had to put up with one of the worst aspects of christianity: Intense Superstition.

I generally wasn't allowed to go trick-or-treating and I wasn't allowed to dress up. Year, after year, after year I was given the half baked history of Halloween. I was told how All Hallows Eve was a holiday for satanists and witches, how the symbolism of the jack-o-lantern on the porch was a sign that someone from that house had been kidnapped by the satanists the previous year for a human sacrifice, how trick-or-treating was a watered down ritual of witches going to each house and taking candy rather than the loved ones of the house for human sacrifices, etc, etc, etc.

So to the christians I would like to say this: Don't fall for the crapola. To be honest with you I really don't know the whole history behind Halloween and I absolutely could not careless about what the history of Halloween. I don't care if witches made human sacrifices seven hundred years ago in englad (although I highly doubt that they did). That is not what Halloween is today.

Today, Halloween is a day when kids dress up and go trick-or-treating, carve pumpkins and when they're older watch scary movies. That is the whole significance behind Halloween. It's what you make of it. The devil isn't influencing the minds of your children if they want to go trick-or-treating and Jesus isn't going to be offended and think that they are paying homage to the devil. Halloween is one of the most harmless things in the world. Drop the superstition over this holiday, take your kids out and let them make some good, well-rounded family memories. After all, you don't want them posting long winded rants about you when they're in their 30s do you?

In before the Christian bashers.

BTW nice Jobrelatedstuff.com Halloween header, Goatboy!

Well said.

Thankfully I was able to enjoy Halloween as a kid.

Quoted: Growing up in a spirit filled, tounge talking, bible believing, born again home had it's advantages. Being raised with conservative values, being taught the history of biblical stories at a young age, having a group of friends during my teen years who weren't into drugs, drinking and sex were some of them. However, every year at Halloween I usually had to put up with one of the worst aspects of christianity: Intense Superstition. I generally wasn't allowed to go trick-or-treating and I wasn't allowed to dress up. Year, after year, after year I was given the half baked history of Halloween. I was told how All Hallows Eve was a holiday for satanists and witches, how the symbolism of the jack-o-lantern on the porch was a sign that someone from that house had been kidnapped by the satanists the previous year for a human sacrifice, how trick-or-treating was a watered down ritual of witches going to each house and taking candy rather than the loved ones of the house for human sacrifices, etc, etc, etc. So to the christians I would like to say this: Don't fall for the crapola. To be honest with you I really don't know the whole history behind Halloween and I absolutely could not careless about what the history of Halloween. I don't care if witches made human sacrifices seven hundred years ago in englad (although I highly doubt that they did). That is not what Halloween is today. Today, Halloween is a day when kids dress up and go trick-or-treating, carve pumpkins and when they're older watch scary movies. That is the whole significance behind Halloween. It's what you make of it. The devil isn't influencing the minds of your children if they want to go trick-or-treating and Jesus isn't going to be offended and think that they are paying homage to the devil. Halloween is one of the most harmless things in the world. Drop the superstition over this holiday, take your kids out and let them make some good, well-rounded family memories. After all, you don't want them posting long winded rants about you when they're in their 30s do you?

Wow.

Sounds more like Jahova's Witnesses than the Christianity I was taught.

This Christian grew up in a Christian household where my Christian parents regularly mocked the one or two people in our church who thought Halloween was evil.  So not all Christians are like your church motown.

Happy Reformation Day!!

Scott -Christian-trick-or-treater

My daughter has zero interest in trick or treating.  She did ask us however to drive her to the local christian bookstore so that she could pick up some bible tracts to hand out tonight.

She's not missing out on anything.

I'm a Christian and I let my kids trick or treat. It's one of my favorite childhood memories.

I thought Halloween "all-hallow's eve" was the day before All Saints' Day, the day to celebrate all saints in the Catholic Church who don't have their own day.

The traditions dealing with death are mostly Celtic in origin, but there is some Catholic influence (as they tried to convert Celts by assimilating their holiday).

I received a lot of religious garbage as a kid, too.  Halloween celebrations became "Harvest Festival."  

Quoted: This Christian grew up in a Christian household where my Christian parents regularly mocked the one or two people in our church who thought Halloween was evil.  So not all Christians are like your church motown.

Same here.
Of course, being a Methodist, we've often been labeled as "Christian-Lite".  

Harvest and Fall Festivals just annoy the hell out of me.  My 95% Christian school had a Halloween Festival complete with a Spook House.

The short version:

In Ireland about 3,000 years ago they believed this day was the time when the land of spirits was in flux with this world and the spirits of the departed could walk the Earth.

As not every dead spirit was a good spirit, they used to make food offerings to these spirits to appease them so they wouldn't be inclined to do mischief.

That is the crux of it. Of course every society since then has added their own additional influence but that is how it all began.

I see you were in a  pentecostal church. Of the thousands of different denominations, they are perhaps the most strict when it comes to stuff like that. They have a high priority on spiritual discernment whereas other denominations are seeker sensitive.

Of course there are a few hundred different kinds of Pentecostals as well. I am willing to bet yours was one of the ones in the minority who barred most celebrations.

.

Quoted: The short version: In Ireland about 3,000 years ago they believed this day was the time when the land of spirits was in flux with this world and the spirits of the departed could walk the Earth. As not every dead spirit was a good spirit, they used to make food offerings to these spirits to appease them so they wouldn't be inclined to do mischief. That is the crux of it. Of course every society since then has added their own additional influence but that is how it all began.

You left out the sex with goats and baby sacrefice parts.

Some sane Christian churches frown on Halloween because of its association with things like witches, dracula, zombies, etc, all things Christians are supposed to stay away from.

Given also that all sorts of badness follows haloween (hooliganism, kiddie predators, and heaven knows what else) these days, it isn't a bad idea to skip it altogether, or to provide for an alternative.

Lots of churches these days are holding their own little parites where kids can come in appropriate costumes and they can look forward to candy, puppet shows, games, and all sorts of fun stuff. Definately much safer than letting them roam the neighborhoods by themselves these days.

Halloween isn't "harmless". Bad people don't take a vacation on Halloween.

Personally, I have always loathed this idiotic "holiday", as I have never been a big fan of dressing up and eating candy. Even as a kid when I went trick-or-treating as Superman, I loathed it. Dressing up like superman was cool, but going door to door for candy sucked and that stupid plastic superman mask killed my face until the rubber band broke. That was the last time I ever bothered with the nonsense.

Done in a safe and responsible manner, it shouldn't be a big deal if jr. wants to dress up like Batman and get candy. Turning a bunch of 8 year olds loose in the night with no adult supervision.....

Well that IS dangerous.

Ain't no shame in it for the kiddies.

My Kids went their Elementary years to an Assemblies of God School.  Scholastic wise the school was great and they taught my Children the Bible, but sometimes they were off the wall.  Wouldn't let the kids dress for Halloween, but did have "Harvest" parades.  My Husband and Myself were raised Lutheran.  We love Halloween and every year we do it up big.  The kids love it, and we don't preach Satan worship.  

I think Jesus knows that WE know who our Savior is.  I say go and have fun!

Quoted: Well said. Thankfully I was able to enjoy Halloween as a kid.

I agree and so did I.

Quoted: Happy Reformation Day!! Scott -Christian-trick-or-treater

I'm going to the All Call Fall Ball as NRA-Man.

Quoted: Done in a safe and responsible manner, it shouldn't be a big deal if jr. wants to dress up like Batman and get candy. Turning a bunch of 8 year olds loose in the night with no adult supervision..... Well that IS dangerous.

Yes, especially with a water balloon armed Schulze prowling around (before he was 18 anyway).

Halloween is a secular holiday in this country...just like Christmas and Easters
It's about candy and costumes.

Besides, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the senior exorcist of Vatican City, said in an interview with London's The Sunday Telegraph, "…if children like to dress up as witches and devils on one night of the year that is not a problem. If it is just a game, there is no harm in that."

And seeing as the Catholic church is THE Christian church of all christian churches, I'd go with what the senior exorcist says...

I dont do anything for Halloween, but I also dont have any kids, if I did, well there would be tons of fun, like I had when I was a kid.

Wow, as a conservative Christian I never knew that I was supposed to have hangups with Halloween.  I think it's fun.  Last night we carved jack-o-lanterns.  Tonight the kids are going trick-or-treating.  Go figure.

Must only be a hangup for a handful of Christian sects.

I don't really remember anyone from my church/Christian school ever talking about Haloween being evil in and of itself, and I'm form one of THE most die-hard conservative, old-fashioned churces around.

If you actually do celebrate it as a time to pay tribute to non-Christian "spirits" or satan, etc., then there's a problem.

Quoted: Halloween is a secular holiday in this country...just like Christmas and Easters It's about candy and costumes. Besides, Fr. Gabriele Amorth, the senior exorcist of Vatican City, said in an interview with London's The Sunday Telegraph, "…if children like to dress up as witches and devils on one night of the year that is not a problem. If it is just a game, there is no harm in that." And seeing as the Catholic church is THE Christian church of all christian churches, I'd go with what the senior exorcist says...

That's a hell of a title.

Quoted: Halloween is a secular holiday in this country...just like Christmas and Easters It's about candy and costumes.

Actually, Halloween like Christmas and Easter are about candy and costume SALES.

Like every other holiday in the United States, Halloween has become nothing more than a celebration of capitalism. Halloween is the day that we honor the Mars corporation and all of the small businesses that crop up selling costumes and running haunted houses.

Every holiday in this country has become a celebration of capitalism. Christmas is the day that we pay homage to the retail industry, Valentine's Day is the day that we celebrate Victoria's Secret and the Brach corporation, Easter is another day for the Brach corporation, as well as the various florist industry. Mother's Day and Father's Day are the days that we honor the food services industry and so forth.

If you think about it, people who have a problem with any of these holidays would seem to have something against capitalism. I would suspect that they are closet commies.

My late father was a minister for 43 years.  I grew up in a very conservative household.

I am what is generally called a bible thumper on arfcom.

My family always went with halloween in a big way.  We still do today.  I have spent a good portion of the morning on the phone with the wife finalizing costume details for the kids, myself and the wife.

Halloween rocks.

Satan's job is pretty easy in the US. Our minds are already addled by popular culture and consumerism. Deception isn't difficult. Considering this issue being not any different than any other worldly tradition, I am pretty content with what the scriptures say about these matters.

Be in this world. Not of it.

Tonight, I think the ones who are out handing out tracts and witnessing in the face of overwhelming rejection are truly following scripture.

I know what my prayers will be this evening... for the ones who are out in the streets witnessing the Gospel.

Quoted: Quoted: The short version: In Ireland about 3,000 years ago they believed this day was the time when the land of spirits was in flux with this world and the spirits of the departed could walk the Earth. As not every dead spirit was a good spirit, they used to make food offerings to these spirits to appease them so they wouldn't be inclined to do mischief. That is the crux of it. Of course every society since then has added their own additional influence but that is how it all began. You left out the sex with goats and baby sacrefice parts.

They ALWAYS leave that out! I hate it when that happens..

Deep southern Baptists around here are typically adverse to Halloween.

I'm a Methodist if I you had to pin it down (I LOL'd at the "Christian-light" reference btw)

my family and I always had a great time on Halloween.  Mom and Dad took us around the block to fill up our pumpkins, had to drive to friend's homes that lived further away.  Carving pumpkins was a family affair as well.

Just recently (within the last 4 or 5 years) have I noticed any backlash against what was once an innocent holiday.

IMO, nothing more than fear-mongering.