People are fine with being disrespectful to Christians

[Flymetothezoom]

At a church playgroup. The people who run it are very devout Christians. I am taken aback, by the number of parents, who thought it was appropriate to bring their kids to the church dressed for Halloween. Kids are dressed as witches, goblins, skeletons, creepy pumpkins etc..
The church holds a light party every year on Halloween and is very clear that they do not endorse Halloween.

It's Halloween, they are kids dressing up and having FUN! Is fun banned there?

Have you ever heard of the Wee Free church in Scotland? Fun is very much frowned upon. If you are having fun, you are sinning.

I'm sick of this as much as the next Christian but why would the church organise something on Halloween if it's against it? There is a lot of open jokes and mockery of Christianity which I find gross. It would never be allowed if aimed at any other major religion yet it seems to be a free pass. Same as the white jokes.
However a lot of churches seem to be very hypocritical about this stuff and organising something on Halloween is well, asking for it really.

Oh this sounds lovely! I wish I’d come across this but not in the UK at the moment. If I was I’d 100% go to a light party!

People probably don’t know that Halloween is commonly not celebrated by Christians. FWIW I’m a Christian and I let my kids dress up as certain things (a bat, a cute ghost, a pumpkin!) but would draw the line at witches and devils and stuff.

Eh, I feel like if you have a state religion there needs to space for people to mock and criticise it.

Should people be shamed for wearing a gimp suit to church or bondage gear, serial killer outfits?

And that's just the priests!

You do realise that witches aren't real, although church persecution of young women they claimed were witches was though.

Why is it disrespectful if it's not claiming to be a pagan celebration? Aren't people allowed to mark the day however they choose?

I’m guessing it’s a regular Monday playgroup. Rather than cancel they have organised a light party but there’s been a communication breakdown. Little children are excited to wear their costumes. Better to have said playgroup on as normal 31/10 but as we are based in a church it won’t be a Halloween event. Or we are having a party 31/10 but it’s not a Halloween party as we are based in a church please don’t come in fancy dress.

I don't see why they can't just not do anything rather than trying to counteract for no reason.
That's what pp meant by the disrespect towards pagan, isn't it. "I don't like what others are doing so I will make an anti event instead of just leaving others be and do my thing on the day after which I celebrate"
Well actually, that is basically the history of religion, so shouldn't be a suprise if I think about it

If the church doesn’t want kids to dress up in spooky costumes then they should make that clear. You don’t state whether they did.

A Light Party sounds a bit rubbish to me though, I’m afraid. Hallowe’en is much more fun. No wonder people get put off Christianity with this po-faced approach.

Hoping OP comes back to identify the church as some obscure fundamentalist African congregation and then the HaHa stupid Christians lot can come back and grovel about their cultural insensitivity.

It is weird that some religions seem to get a fair bit more wiggle room

I've only heard recently of Christians being upset by Hallowe'en. It wasn't a thing when I was a kid and we were all dressed up in bin bags, and witch hats from the corner shop, and I went to a school which had religious assemblies, and prayers at the end of the day. I don't think parents would or should assume they will be upset by it as Christians come in all stripes. I'm culturally Christian and nominally C of E but have hardly ever been to church except for weddings etc, and am certainly not bothered by Hallowe'en.

What kind of fantasy land do you live in?

How can they not endorse Halloween? It is literally All Hallows Eve.

Yes, it’s getting boring living in an era in the west that’s probably the most advanced it’s ever been when it comes to recognition of human rights. It’s time to return to the good old days of the…erm, Holy wars, Inquisitions, heretic burnings, forced conversions, antisemitism. witch hunts, denial of women’s rights, Magdalene laundries, forced adoptions and all-round general shaming.

Sounds way better.

Waits for the inevitable cries of ‘no! Not those bits!’

I don't think anyone did it on purpose, it was just thoughtless.

Genuinely, I think you’d be disappointed if Christianity was treated with reverence. Less in the way of opportunities to air the persecution complex.

I think the church should have specified no halloween costumes please.

Our kids went guising to the presbytery here. The priest gave them lots of treats. So did the - retired - nuns.

Tomorrow is All Saints Day , nothing to stop ppl going to church. Indeed the next day is All Souls. Its traditional to leave lights on the graves of loved ones then.

Light and darkness . Can't just have one I guess ?

But belief systems counter each other all the time. Are Christians disrespecting Islam by not accepting Mohammed as a prophet? Is Judaism disrespecting Christianity by not accepting Jesus as saviour?

Autumn/harvest/solstice/winter festivals are a human thing, not a Religion X thing. That's why there are so many of them in almost all cultures, from ancient to modern. How can a light festival that doesn't claim to be part of Religion X be disrespectful of Religion X?

Why do we have to respect any religion anyway? You respect people's right to follow that religion but why do you have to respect the religion itself? Aren't you allowed to think it's tosh and hold an event that expresses what feels right to you? Isn't that what pretty much all religions, and indeed atheists, do?

Funnily enough the Baptists were fine with bonfire night. Good occasion for a bit of Catholic bashing. 🙄