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Original poster

To wonder why some Christians have a problem with Halloween?

215 replies

JellyDiamonds · 29/10/2014 16:12

The first time I encountered this was at Uni when a girl I was friends with refused to partake in any Halloween celebrations whatsoever on the grounds that it was "evil". Her family were evangelical Christian, and even though she was more relaxed in her religious beliefs than them she wouldn't budge on Halloween. It was a shame as she missed out on all of the fun. But she'd never celebrated it, and her family would go out on the 31st to avoid trick or treaters.

I don't understand it? My mum was raised a Christian and has always loved halloween. She sees it for what it is, a bit of fun for kids.

I feel a bit sorry that these people won't allow their children to take part in the same customs that their peers do. Doesn't it leave them feeling a bit left out at school etc?

Should these people just get a grip and stop being intolerant?

OP posts:
BackOnlyBriefly · 30/10/2014 11:03

If a Jewish poster came on MN and expressed her concern why other people do not celebrate Hanukkah

But for most of the people here this is not their holy day. It's nothing to do with their religion. It's more like someone saying 'why don't you let your kids play with the neighbours kids'. You don't have to, but people can wander.

headinhands · 30/10/2014 11:05

*i'm surprised anyone should demand facts when it's well known"

Like the earth being flat, and the sun going round the earth?

Idontseeanysontarans · 30/10/2014 11:10

Headinhands anyone can start down a religious path and become consumed by it - you only have to look at fundamentalism in any religion to see that.
My Catholic SIL won't let her daughter watch anything like Wolfblood, Buffy or anything with Vampires in because she believes it would open her up to the idea of evil being cool. She sincerely believes that the Devil waits for an opening in a persons mind.
Neither of us like ouija boards for different reasons - she believes it opens a door for the devil, I believe that used by vulnerable people it can plant dangerous ideas.

worldgonecrazy · 30/10/2014 11:16

Here's a link to a fairly balanced and well researched article on the origins of Halloween: Halloween Origins

A few pagans celebrate this as their New Year too, but many, like myself think the supporting evidence for it every being a New Year is rather flimsy, and celebrate New Year with the rest of the UK.

For me Halloween is a time for remembering those who I have loved and lost, and for poking fun at monsters. My making monsters items of fun, they lose their power to frighten us, allowing us to focus on the real monsters out there - the human ones.

SpookyGoingsOnOnTheLandscape · 30/10/2014 11:22

I suppose it depends what they believe it to be. We mark Beltane, Samhain and other Pagan festivals here whilst still being Christians.
My church going DD and DS, both firm believers, are off to Halloween parties - it's a bit of fun. Other Christians don't do it and that's fair enough - personal choice and all that.

Boomtownsurprise · 30/10/2014 11:24

Ghosts don't exist I guess in religion as they would if 'good' have gone to heaven. By extension those left must be evil. Although I thought it was that the door to the lower world opened one night, rather than ghosts walk amongst us.

headinhands · 30/10/2014 11:27

But saying 'ooh the ouija board is eeeevil' is feeding the superstition about it, and it's thinking there's some truth to it is what causes the problems, it wouldn't matter if it was the ouija board or a washing machine, if you keep telling people that the Hotpoint Aquarius HG34500 is a gateway to hell people who are that way inclined would believe it and report all sorts of goings on. It would be more helpful to say 'it's a game, there's is no spiritual realm.' Which is where the facts lead us. That's what would be helpful, not propagating superstition further.

headinhands · 30/10/2014 11:30

And as for religious fanatics, again these things happen because people believe things without evidence. Promoting reason and knowing the facts would prevent people 'going off with the fairies' as it were.

headinhands · 30/10/2014 11:34

focus on the real monsters out there

Absolutely. That's the really scary thing isn't it. Imagine saying to your kids 'monsters are real, but they don't look like that, they look like mums and dads.'

Idontseeanysontarans · 30/10/2014 11:38

While I agree that the facts about ouija boards being a game should be more widely known you can't deny anyone the right to have their own spiritual beliefs. Some take it too far but how exactly are you going stop anyone?
It's all very well stopping schools from promoting religion but many don't actually get their beliefs from school - I certainly didn't, I went to church from an early age until my teens. Our religious teaching in school was sketchy at best. Guess how much I learnt about Paganism at school? Bugger all that's how much! People read, they talk to each other, meet new people and are opened up to new ideas. How do you stop that?

Hatespiders · 30/10/2014 11:44

My dh is a Muslim and he thoroughly enjoys Hallowe'en. He's never said his religion doesn't approve, but then he's not exactly 'fundamentalist' and has quite a relaxed and happy attitude to all religions.
If one participates in something with complete innocence, 'evil' doesn't get a look-in. You have to actively court it to find it. How can innocent little children enjoying dressing up and having an exciting time be anything to do with 'evil'? Common sense please!

headinhands · 30/10/2014 11:59

you can't deny anyone the right to have their now spiritual beliefs

But you can't have your own facts. And sometimes those superstitions upset real people, such as a belief that homosexuality is bad or that hell is real or whatever.

Idontseeanysontarans · 30/10/2014 12:23

Fortunately many moderate people of all faiths don't share the belief that homosexuality is wrong, and just like to butt out of everyone else's business.
I personally don't believe in Hell and am happy to not really care who anyone is having sex with as long as it's consensual. my thoughts on what happens after death are my own, as are yours. Quite frankly my own very sincerely held belief is that if people would keep their opinions to themselves on matters of faith (or lack of) it would be much easier! Although much more boring on some threads...
I was actually agreeing with you on the subject of ouija boards by the way Smile

bigbluestars · 30/10/2014 12:26

"Quite frankly my own very sincerely held belief is that if people would keep their opinions to themselves on matters of faith"

I agree- which is why the state should not be given licence to indoctrinate our children in schools.

BackOnlyBriefly · 30/10/2014 12:39

Some take it too far but how exactly are you going stop anyone?

By making sure that for every person saying 'The demons will get you!!!' there's at least one person saying 'it's ok. We've looked at the so called evidence for the supernatural and there's nothing there'.

Earlier people were saying that the imagery associated with Halloween was unpleasant. People are so used to it now they they forget that many Christians wear a model round their neck of a corpse nailed to some wood. Some give them as gifts to children.

Also many Christians get together on Sundays to pretend to eat parts of that same corpse.

Wishtoremainunknown · 30/10/2014 12:42

Opening the door to evil and the occult ? Are you mad ? There's no such thing ! It's just a bit of fun and storytelling !

bigbluestars · 30/10/2014 12:48

But the early church did jump on pagan practices and idols and twisted them to turn them into demons. Satan is based on the old god of the forest, cernunnos, complete with antlers and cloven hooves.

You could argue that a christian celebrating Halloween is welcoming the very demons that christianity created.

silver-fish.hubpages.com/hub/halloween-turnips

meadowquark · 30/10/2014 12:48

I am Christian and I don't like Halloween but this is not for religious reasons. I just don't like anything cruel, e.g. horror fillms or killing video games. Why should I prompt my child wear a skeleton costume? No thank you. But we open the door to the treaters and give out sweets and are tolerant just would not want to participate.
It is also so much commercialized as everything else, and I don't like it.

I am from continental Europe and we celebrate All Saint's day on the 1st of November. We light up candles in cemetaries for the deceased.

Idontseeanysontarans · 30/10/2014 12:50

But if they choose to do that it's none of your business! There's a big difference between helping someone get over a fear and riding roughshod over a persons belief.
It's perfectly possible to know the facts such as a spirit board is purely a game, the earth is round etc but have a spiritual belief as well.
As much as many atheists would like to believe otherwise many religious people are also quite intelligent, just as there are some thick atheists...

ProudAS · 30/10/2014 12:51

Halloween is apparently a festival of Wicca - the official religion of witchcraft.

I don't see the harm in kids dressing up and playing games but don't celebrate it myself.

www.cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_watt05.aspx

BackOnlyBriefly · 30/10/2014 13:05

It's perfectly possible to know for a fact that you are holding an orange, but believe that it's an egg whisk. We should say to them "Hey! that's a nice egg whisk you have there".

Summerisle1 · 30/10/2014 13:10

Halloween is apparently a festival of Wicca - the official religion of witchcraft.

It isn't. But then the link that claims differently is of course to a fundamentalist Christian website. Which has its own agenda.

sickntiredtoo · 30/10/2014 13:21

My DDs best friend doesn't do Halloween.Her father is an ordained priest and professor of theology. She says it is glorifying the devil.

bigbluestars · 30/10/2014 13:23

My family is the same sickntirestoo- my sister usually arranges a scripture meeting on Halloween to defend herself and family from evil forces.

youmakemydreams · 30/10/2014 13:30

When threads like this and other hallowe'en threads PPP up every year the emotive language surrounding kids going door to door amuses me. Demanding, with menaces, begging! Not fromy childhood or adult experience has any child I know done any of those things.

I do wonder if my perspective is different. Like OOAOML I grew up in Scotland where it seems hallowe'en has been a much bigger deal for far longer than in England. Children still prepare some entertainment in the form of jokes or songs to do at the doors. I've never not been thanked as an adult by children coming to my door either. Nobody has demanded or begged.
You go to decorated houses only when I was a child it was who had a turnip lantern visible or their porch light on. Costumes can be anything the witches and zombies are a relatively recent thing and where we stay currently there is still a huge variety of costumes and a lot home made.