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.

its hardly surprising that a thread about Christianity is going to feature criticism of it’s subject. Be a bit weird to start banging on about Sikhism on a thread about Christians being pissed off with Halloween.

but go for it. If you want to criticize any other religion then no one is actually stopping you.

BlueBar · Today 09:45
I think it's just that people don't understand it's not the done thing for church groups. Halloween is just an excuse the dress up, people don't think about the meaning behind it or the way it sits with Christianity.
It's lack of knowledge/understanding rather than disrespect.
But then again, from some of the responses here, maybe you're right OP.

Bluebar - I agree. I'm sure it's not done out of disrespect - most people don't think deeply about these things and have little cultural knowledge of the basis of most festivals. People running church playgroups may need to tactfully educate their clients on this - most will not know they are causing offence.

I'm not a practising Christian (was brought up as a church-goer though) and I have no interest in Halloween - I'm not against it, it just doesn't mean anything to me in the way that Easter and Christmas still do, culturally, if not in a religious sense.

(On a broader point, though, I do think it's seen as OK to disparage Christianity where other religious beliefs would be afforded more respect. Totally illogical, since modern Christianity is one of the most inoffensive and tolerant religions.)

To the vast majority of children, all Halloween means is dressing up and an exciting evening of going out after dark and getting sweets. Maybe a party, too.

I really don’t understand why some Christians choose to see it as the work of the devil, or to think that it’s going to encourage children into witchcraft or Satanism.

My Gdcs go to a C of E primary, and AFAIK there have been no comments intended to put them off or warn them.

Exactly this.

We are Christians, don't celebrate halloween in our house but wouldn't judge anyone coming to play group dressed as a pumpkin

Didn't even know Halloween was disrespectful to Christians.

Ones that ride on broomsticks and cast spells are. Happy to help.

Many, if not most, Christian churches have no problem with children celebrating a mainstream
secular Halloween. Young children showed up in their costumes for the year. If a particular church wants children to avoid regular costumes at a Halloween event, they need to make that extremely clear.

I am loosly Christian in that I believe that there’s a spiritual aspect to life and I follow Jesus’s teachings. I don’t believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible, I see it in the context of when it was written. I think it’s a bit embarrassing when Christians focus on stuff like kids dressing up, they aren’t glorifying evil, that’s not what Halloween is about anyway. I think Jesus would be much more concerned about the homeless, refugees and abused children. I would guess the parents weren’t being disrespectful, they just weren’t aware that there might be a problem. What is disrespectful are posts like those from DogOverlord who talks about Sky Daddy and seems to think she knows everything there is to know.

shamed for wearing a gimp suit to church or bondage gear, serial killer outfits? In your world are there any limits?

I dunno but I’d applaud the parents for effort if their kids came dressed like this!

’Instead of children being surrounded by things that glorify the darkness’

What exactly is ‘the darkness’ and how does one glorify it?

’creepy pumpkins’

How creepy can a vegetable be?

’The church holds a light party every year on Halloween’

I’ve seen posters for similar things and they look so joyless. Christianity already has festivals of light - Christmas and Candlemas.

Ironic.

You're in the middle of 20 post breakdown

I mean if I saw that that would be pretty definitive proof for me! Looks in sky 🤔

I am surprised people are giving so much attention a poster who is on obvious wind up to derail thread until personal attacks come for it to have to be deleted.

Indeed. I thought half term was over.

Why would dressing ‘evil’ offend Christian’s any more than anyone else? I don’t believe in God but I also am not a satanist funnily enough and am not trying to ‘celebrate the darkness’

also I can’t knock up a lightbulb costume with this little notice soz
’

True.

My mum was very devout, went to mass every day and was totally fine with Halloween and all it involved. I think kids can tell the difference and that dressing up is just for fun.