Saturday, October 31, 2009

Just In Time For Halloween

Every year on Halloween conservative Christians publish their views on the danger of celebrating what they consider a Satanic holiday. Their basic argument is pretty straightforward - Halloween is a pagan holiday that was never co-opted by Christianity the way Christmas and Easter were, and the univalence of Christian theology means that anyone following a religion that is not Christian such as paganism is worshiping devils and demons.

While I and billions of Buddhists, Hindus, and Muslims all over the world disagree with that perspective, Christians who adhere to it are entitled to their beliefs. Every once in awhile, though, one of them puts forth something that's so over-the-top it makes me wonder what sort of world they imagine themselves to be living in.

An example is this article by Kimberly Daniels. It starts out with the basic argument laid out above, like most articles of its type.


However, it quickly begins to drift away from a mainstream theological perspective.


This is essentially Manicheanism, the root of the Albigensian Heresy that was stamped out during the Middle Ages. It actually originated in Zoroastrianism, which according to Christian theology is just as demonic as any other non-Christian religion.

This next bit made me laugh out loud.



I've heard of seasonal employment during the Christmas season, but if this is really going on us magicians must be missing out on all those jobs praying over candy assembly lines during the Halloween season. Does anybody know what they pay? I wouldn't mind picking up some extra cash every fall. Or maybe the author has no idea what she's talking about.

Gathering around bonfires is a common practice in pagan worship. As I remember, the bonfires that I attended during homecoming week when I was in high school were always in the fall. I am amazed at how we ignorantly participate in pagan, occult rituals.

Because never in history have Christians gathered around bonfires, I suppose. The "purity" argument that is put forth by denominations like the Jehovah's Witnesses has never made any sense to me - for example, you can't celebrate birthdays because at some point in history pagans did it too.

The word "occult" means "secret." The danger of Halloween is not in the scary things we see but in the secret, wicked, cruel activities that go on behind the scenes. These activities include:

* Sex with demons
* Orgies between animals and humans
* Animal and human sacrifices
* Sacrificing babies to shed innocent blood
* Rape and molestation of adults, children and babies
* Revel nights
* Conjuring of demons and casting of spells
* Release of "time-released" curses against the innocent and the ignorant.

Another abomination that goes on behind the scenes of Halloween is necromancy, or communication with the dead. Séances and contacting spirit guides are very popular on Halloween, so there is a lot of darkness lurking in the air.

I will grant that I've cast spells on Halloween and communicated with spirits. As for the rest, though, I would love to know where all of this is supposed to be going on. As with the accounts of "Satanic Ritual Abuse" from the early nineties, if any significant number of people were engaging in acts like child sacrifice there would be this little thing called "evidence" that would show up.

If Christians believe that it is sinful to celebrate what they consider a pagan holiday, as I said in the introduction they are welcome to that belief and probably shouldn't celebrate Halloween. On the other hand, it's pretty ridiculous to assert that anyone who does celebrate it must be engaging in or at least supporting depraved criminal activities that any reasonable person would condemn.

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Unknown said...

I've read Sprinmeier on all that ritual abuse and stuff. I think there is something to it, as far as creating "multiple personalities" and stuff for super spies and whatnot as far as the government is concerned.
However, even Springmeier admits that his evidence does not point to alternative religious groups but mainstream churches, in particular the Jehovah's witnesses and also certain Amish groups. LOL. I'm not saying cult Christians, Amish or Jehovah's witnesses are all evil or anything. But these people should read their own literature.

Scott Stenwick said...

The main problem with the whole scare was how ubiquitous its proponents claimed that it was.

Something like 27% of households are considered abusive by mental health professionals. I'm sure that someplace in there you can find abuse that fits just about any profile that you can come up with. The question is whether there's any sort of an organized movement behind it or if it just consists of the actions of a handful of mentally ill individuals.

Naturally, a large segment of that 27% are Christian because it's the religion of the majority of folks in America, and that by itself pretty much explains why most of the "ritual abuse" that's actually out there is more likely to occur in a Christian context.

Rufus Opus said...

"Because never in history have Christians gathered around bonfires, I suppose."

We're particularly fond of bonfires used to purge heretics, like the Albigensians. :D

corvusbrachyrhynchos said...

Ha. I caught this article via the huffington post this morning. I posted about it too.

Might I suggest that formation of The Demonic Holy Day Workers Union Local 666.

Perhaps we demand the opportunity to pray over candy, for a fair living wage of course...

Frater.Barrabbas said...

Golly gee, us witches have been making a fortune over all that Halloween Candy for quite some time. Didn't you magicians know about that? - Of course, as you have pointed out again and again, critical thinking is in short supply in this nation of ours. If you want a real laugh, you should do a search on my former Wiccan High Priest turned fundamentalist preacher, Bill Schnoebelen. He's right up there with the raving lunatic crowd!

Anonymous said...

"The Christianity" eh? You make it sound like a plague :D

I find it hilarious how both Christians and Witches are each so scared of each other, and imagine the other to be far more powerful and frightening than they really are. Putting spells on Halloween candy? Really - as if witches have nothing better to do :P

Scott Stenwick said...

Actually, "the Christianity" was a typo. I started to write "the Christians," decided that I should write "Christianity" instead, and forgot to delete "the." It's fixed now.

You're right, though - that phrasing makes Christianity sound like some sort of disease.

Personally, I'm mostly just amazed at those Christians who feel threatened by witches and pagans. Minneapolis is a pretty progressive city so I haven't seen much discrimination against pagans here, but there are parts of the country where going public as a witch can have serious negative consequences.

ChandraNova said...

"Another abomination that goes on behind the scenes of Halloween is necromancy, or communication with the dead..."

Y'know, a really mean-spirited and petty person COULD argue that praying to Saints, or indeed a gentleman who was crucified & stabbed, was "communicating with the dead" - but my spirit guides keep telling me to be the bigger person in these kinds of things, so guess I'd better shut my yap! :o)

Anyway it's bad enough having to buy sweeties for the lil' rugrats once a year (and, not eat them all before the first ring on the old doorbell) but now we have to incant over it as well?

Even if Eastenders is on?!

They didn't tell me THAT back when I applied for the job! ;)