Navigating Halloween

[AgileGreenSeal]

Any Christian parents / grandparents here? How do you navigate Halloween in regards to your children?

I'm fairly certain I've not committed any sins lol and I'm not greatful to anyone about my existence. Nature is magic, but we don't owe anything.

What cracks me up about this kind of statement on Mn is that if it was about an actual parent, rather than a ‘parent deity’, everyone would point out the deep unhealthiness that is FOG (Fear, Obligation, Guilt). The great thing about stepping away from this is dropping the rope, recognising that you don’t need to continually placate someone invisible for their supposed sacrifice for you, and you can focus on being a decent person who does their best to behave with justice and compassion for others without this obsession with ‘sin’ and the mental gymnastics of dealing with someone having been tortured and executed on your behalf 2000 years ago.

Well, for many years I did 'drop the rope' as you put it, and just got on with my life on my own terms. A few things went OK but an awful lot went wrong. I tried to be decent but failed, many times. That's because I am a flawed, broken and fallible human. Continuing to live that way, and die that way, was a hopeless, empty existence.

God does not need 'placating' now that I have accepted redemption via Jesus. I don't need to do any mental gymnastics. I am actually freer and happier than I have been for a long time, even if the worst happens.

@RareMaker I'm fairly certain I've not committed any sins lol and I'm not greatful to anyone about my existence. Nature is magic, but we don't owe anything.

Only 'fairly' certain? You've so much sin covering you that you can't even see it.

After reading this thread, I find Christians much more scary than Halloween and guising.

😬

Perhaps @RareMaker doesn’t require the divine carrot and stick to be a decent human being.

Jewish people don't believe in 'original sin' and get on just fine. I was taught to study hard, respect my parents and be law-abiding. We've managed to prosper for 2000 years despite trying circumstances.
As a polytheist, Apollo, Venus, Ceres don't care about my morality, they can't absolve me of my bad acts!
I study Stoicism to develop and practice an ethical life. It's hard work; I recommend it.

Good for you, but what has that got to do with Halloween?

A bunch of us were making the point that normal Christian imagery: Jesus being tortured on the cross, sacred hearts, female saints with their breasts torn off is quite sadistic and far more scary than Halloween ghosts and ghouls.

And? What has that to do with Halloween, a new-year's eve / harvest festival mash-up with optional ghost stories. It's about seasonal feasting, dancing and story telling, not about ghouls.

Female saints with their breasts cut off is not 'normal Christian imagery'. And there's nothing sadistic about the intention behind the image of the Cross or the Sacred Heart.
There's lots about sacrifice in the Torah as well isn't there? As you mentioned your background is Jewish. The image of Jesus is as a sacrificial lamb.
There's plenty of 'dark' imagery in lots of different religions anyway, probably as a way of making sense of the dark side of life - death etc.

Nah! Nothing to fear from a Christian, but rather fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. 😊

Re the OP, fortunately I don't have to negotiate 31 October for Halloween as it is a day of birthday celebrations in these here parts🎂

Jesus being sacrificed on the cross (and his earlier actions in disrupting the sale of animals for slaughter in the Temple) was a demonstration of the ending of two millennia of ritual animal sacrifice dating from the time of Moses and his people crossing the desert. Jesus was 'the new covenant'. Of course the imagery around the crucifixion (a lot of it a close echo of Isaiah) is horrific - that's point.

But again, what has that got to do with Halloween?

Sacrifice at the Temple in Jerusalem continued for a few more decades until the Romans sacked it.

Christians pray for the saints (basically all believers) on November 1st and for dead members of their family and community on November 2nd, and through the month that follows. On the eve of that time of retrospection we have a party. Anyone who doesn't want to join in is welcome to stay away.

I'm Jewish, 2000 years of fearing. So I'm okay with Halloween ghosts and ghouls, Druids and pagans (except once in Alexandria) have been pretty friendly.

Not a religious Jew though are you? @Sorciere1

Yes it is

Why are you suddenly spamming all these old threads?

"PraiseHim"

I think the Jesus card may be about to be played!

Incidentally, have you heard the good news? ...

It's kind of pathetic to be afraid of a pagan festival. How weak can you be...

Exactly I can't imagine having so little faith in your God or yourself that a couple of kids in masks are a threat to your soul