Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Christianity and the Dark Side -- What About Halloween?

If one reads some of the leading Christianist groups' web sites - I do so from time to to "know the enemy" - it quickly becomes apparent that Halloween sends these folks almost into the spasms arising from the thought of a same sex couple kissing one another. Some of the discussion would be almost funny if the Chimperator was not often acting at the beck and call of these folks. Here are some highlights from wingnut Albert Mohler's web site:
The issue of Halloween presses itself annually upon the Christian conscience. Acutely aware of dangers new and old, many Christian parents choose to withdraw their children from the holiday altogether. Others choose to follow a strategic battle plan for engagement with the holiday. Still others have gone further, seeking to convert Halloween into an evangelistic opportunity. Is Halloween really that significant?
The pagan roots of Halloween are well documented. The holiday is rooted in the Celtic festival of Samhain, which came at summer's end. As Rogers explains, "Paired with the feast of Beltane, which celebrated the life-generating powers of the sun, Samhain beckoned to winter and the dark nights ahead." Scholars dispute whether Samhain was celebrated as a festival of the dead, but the pagan roots of the festival are indisputable. Questions of human and animal sacrifices and various occultic sexual practices continue as issues of debate, but the reality of the celebration as an occultic festival focused on the changing of seasons undoubtedly involved practices pointing to winter as a season of death.
Note how an obsession with sex always creeps in. A less studious approach is found on a joint conservative Catholic/Focus on the Family discussion of Halloween:
It is impossible to be middle of the road or neutral when it comes to whom a Christian serves. The Bible says that we must "choose ye this day whom ye will serve." (Joshua 24:15) Since Halloween belongs to Satan, it is he who is served when one participates in "Christianized" Halloween rituals and it is he who gains the right to spiritually afflict those who fellowship with him in this manner. God's people must purpose to reject all rationalizations for sin, no matter where they come from. Quench not the Holy Spirit when he convicts you about the sin of yoking what is holy (the Lord Jesus Christ) with what is evil (Halloween.)
One has to wonder how some of these folks got so crazy. However, for a really over the top rant, check out this site (which also links to a web page that trashes "Gay Friendly Christians): http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/Apostasy/making_halloween_holy.htm

2 comments:

Java said...

I've noticed that so many of the vocal Christian activists tend to bring sex into the arguments. I think it is because they aren't getting enough. They are sexually repressed so the natural desire for sex shows up in some pretty weird places and practices. Refer to your posts of yesterday...

Anonymous said...

The Episcopal Church has All Hallow's Eve as an optional feast date. Must be the Queer influence (actually, it's a sobering "alternative" to the high holy day's inebriation proclivities). Like javajones above, responsible hedonism with responsible sexuality is repressed in our Puritan culture -- and look at the misfits it produces. Paraphilias are largely confined to the U.S. and Germany. Draw your own conclusions.