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Original poster

To be annoyed with the Church this time of Year?

109 replies

Emprexia · 31/10/2007 22:08

Halloween is nothing to do with Christianity and it REALLY bugs me that every year without fail you get some bishop or other moaning about people celebrating it.. and how its leading our children astray, or the extremists banging on about it being satanic and encouraging children away from the christian faith!

Hello!!!

Its Halloween, which is infact AKA Samhain to the Pagan population of the country. ITs not evil, its nothing to do with the devil or satan... its Pagan New Year!!!

OP posts:
SueBangBangBangOoo · 01/11/2007 21:24

There's much more of a clear markation between the right and left in the US, though. I actually think it's tremendously healthy that there's the width of debate over there that there is. You can be Rightwing, you can be Leftwing, but somewhere in the very mainstream media, you can expect to be challenged and called upon to justify and explain your beliefs.

I think that's a very good thing, whatever side you land on.

UnquietDad · 01/11/2007 21:33

I think the scariest person in America is Ann Coulter. She is an eeeeeeeevil wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch. I loved the way she just couldn't answer Paxo when he grilled her on her visit over here.

LittleBella · 01/11/2007 21:36

No YANBU

YWBU if you fire-bombed your nearest church though.

SueBangBangBangOoo · 01/11/2007 21:38

Ann Coulter is very funny though. But I like acerbic stuff. I agree, she is terrifying, though.

Marina · 01/11/2007 21:39

Mary, are you sure you don't live in Lewes

SaintGeorgesWheel · 01/11/2007 21:39

I think you mean eeeeeeeevil Chriiiiiiiiiistiiiiiiiiiian there UQD.

UnquietDad · 01/11/2007 21:40

I'd shag her. But I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of her in the morning.

UnquietDad · 01/11/2007 21:40

yes sorry, I was using "witch" metaphorically because I didn't want to say "bitch", I suppose. Apologies to nice witches everywhere.

SueBangBangBangOoo · 01/11/2007 21:41

It's Eeeeevil Chreeeestian, properly pronounced, StG

UQD, you filthy man. She's far too bony, surely?

binkleandflip · 01/11/2007 21:41

my dd goes to Rainbows on a Wednesday at the church hall. They were having a 'no trick' Halloween 'party'. The children (5-7 yo girls) were not allowed to dress up because it is a Christian Organisation and would not celebrate Halloween by allowing the children to wear costumes despite the so-called party

Anway, bit boring but dd went along and had a reasonable time.

HOWEVER

She came home with a leaflet (remember she is 5) about how is she celebrates Halloween she is basically making herself a channel for evil and opening up her soul to evil spirits (these were the actual words) It went on to state that the author used to think Halloween was great as a child until they were actually overcome by evil and they had to fight very hard and accept Jesus in order to become dispossessed of the evil spirit that had taken over their consciousness.

THIS LEAFLET WAS GIVEN DIRECTLY TO 5 -7 YEAR OLD CHILDREN.

Bizarre and ridiculous - it quite rightly made its way directly into the recycle bag where it can be put to best use.

LittleBella · 01/11/2007 21:44

lol at mental rainbows

my kids went to a "party of light" a couple of years ago at the local happy clappy church

you had to dress up as something bright, no dark colours alive

DS adapted his halloween ghost costume and went as a cloud

SaintGeorgesWheel · 01/11/2007 21:44

Ah yes sorry Sue, that would be my northern accent.

Apology accepted UQD

LittleBella · 01/11/2007 21:45

sorry meant no dark colours allowed

UnquietDad · 01/11/2007 21:46

She is bony but I bet she'd be filthy.

SueBangBangBangOoo · 01/11/2007 21:51

'no dark colours alive' sounds quite Halloweeny to me

Most Rainbows are run by churches, though, aren't they? So you're quite likely to get some of that sort of stuff. I know it's not popular, but some Christians really do believe that they are right, and that anything to do with the occult is dodgy ground. Some can be rather over-hysterical on the point, it's true.

binkleandflip · 01/11/2007 21:54

Yes Rainbows is the predecessor for Brownies and it is a Christian thing and I think fair enough they werent allowed to dress up (less hassle for me [hwink]) but to send her home with that guff at her age is akin to brainwashing IMHO

binkleandflip · 01/11/2007 21:54

my [hwink] didnt come out! The dark forces are against me....

binkleandflip · 01/11/2007 21:54

and again!

havalina · 01/11/2007 21:59

I'm not sure about anyone else but where I came from (Middlesbrough) halloweening as it was called has been popular for years. We all used to dress up, and go around with our turnip with a candle in singing songs. When I was a kid you didn't even trick or treat for chocolate it was always money. Which I suppose perpetuates the begging thing, but it was normal to us and shows trick or treating isn't a new thing (I'm 26)

MaryBS · 02/11/2007 07:30

No Marina, I'm not from Lewes... why do you ask?

Binkle, I'd be angry if my daughter came home with a leaflet like that. Its more than brainwashing its offensive! . That sort of thing can give a child nightmares! . The brownies my daugher goes to don't do anything like that.

WorkingClassToffeeApple · 02/11/2007 07:47

Trotting out a couple of examples does not an argument make. In my time in the US, in the midwest, the "heartland" of America, I met far more atheists than not. The fact is religious v. not religious is a continuing and huge debate there. Like one could "prove" how crazy religious "they" are by citing the Kansas school board and creationism thing, even though most of the country thought that was crazy.

There are the continuing arguments and legal contests when religion creeps into state institutions, such as having nativity scenes in front of state buildings.

Although, given your statistics, it must actually be the non-religious who are managing to impose their minority views over the rest of the country.

Marina · 02/11/2007 09:42

It's just a quip about their very enthusiastic celebrations of Bonfire Night Mary
I seem to recall you hail from much further north!

Marina · 02/11/2007 09:43

And I agree about that leaflet sent home with the Rainbows Absolutely unacceptable

binkleandflip · 02/11/2007 09:52

Shame dd cant read properly yet - the nasty inciduous rubbish that they took so long composing/printing and distributing was wasted on her and if they thought I was going to trot it out to her, well.....

lovecat · 02/11/2007 16:10

Well, I'm born & raised Catholic and I have to say it's only in very recent years that I've become aware that Christianity is somehow supposed to be incompatible with celebrating Hallowe'en (which is a contraction of All Hallows Eve, as I believe someone has already pointed out) - we used to spend hours as kids carving out those flaming turnips (turnip-related RSI, anyone?) for our local Hallowe'en party (prizes given for most inventively carved/dressed turnip) held in the (shock horror!) church hall with apple bobbing and other games, culminating in a candlelit procession of the turnips! I'm sure our parish priest would have had something to say if he thought we were endangering our souls...

Bleddy fundamentalists, sucking the joy out of life....