School district bans Halloween to accommodate ‘cultural beliefs’

I live in the Waco area of Texas. Yes, "Trunk or Treat" is a thing. Yes, it is because a WHOLE lot of Christians actually believe Halloween is an evil holiday. I don't know about where others live, but here, it is to take away from the "Halloween" thing, and turn it into a fall festival thing. Demons and all, ya'll.

We get fewer of the little costumed ankle biters every year, and we live in a very middle class, safe neighborhood on the outskirts of town. It makes me very sad, as I remember how much fun it was to dress up once a year as a kiddo myself.

I try to gently push people when responding to them about the whole safety issue surrounding Halloween candy. The numbers of poisoning and razor blade deaths are tragically low, to nonexistent. But most won't listen. Sigh.

originally posted by: earthling42
a reply to: Gryphon66

Halloween was derived from Samhain, it has transitioned into a celebration with some old elements such as the opening of the gate to the underworld, the thin veil between the world of the dead and the world of the living, hence the ghosts and dark sphere.
It has nothing to do with christianity, but they have christianized pagan traditions and gave their own meaning to it.

That was my understanding.

So, modern American Halloween would not be considered a Wiccan or Pagan Holy Day? Is that an accurate comment?

I ask because someone was suggesting that Halloween be banned because it's "religious."

(Which is patently absurd to me, unless you worship cheap commercialism and sugar.)

a reply to: Gryphon66

I am in favor of not letting Christians trample the Constitution.

So am I. Or any religion for that matter.

BTW, I don't usually participate in Christian bashing threads, I clicked on this by accident, thinking it was about Cruz and his gang, or other PC issues.

You have a nice evening.

originally posted by: cavtrooper7 I'm glad NOT to be living in a state with some DOORMAT mentallity that pulls down traditional holidays.

I am not going to get into a discussion about religion. It seems the moment you mention the word religion, all commonsense, and the ability to think, reason, and listen is eradicated, in some people.

I would like to know though, what happened to those adults, that don't know how to just live and let live. Why do they care what other people believe or don't believe?

How can they take the same innocent childhood events and activities that we enjoyed as children, and turn them into some monstrous attacks on their sensibilities?

I lived in military areas all my life. My Dad was Army, my brother a Marine, my sister Navy, and I was Air Force. We grew up with children of every race, creed, color and religion. We ate the exotic foods that were foreign to us at the homes of our friends, and they ate the good old standard American, Native American, Jewish and Italian food at our house. We celebrated events, religious and non-religious, with all our friends and neighbors. None us ever once thought we were being coerced into anyone else's religion.

In fact, back then we children spent as little time around the adults as possible. The old, "Children should be seen and not heard", business was more of an advantage for us than them. We didn't want to be underfoot, or one of them would find some chore for you to do. So we kids were too involved in just having fun to give one bit of thought to anything else.

What is wrong with people today? Have they forgotten what it is like to be a child? Have they forgotten how to just relax and have fun? Why do so many think the only right ideas, the only right beliefs, the only right way, is their way?

We live in a world where everyone has something to say, and by damn they are going to say it. Too bad that in the process of demanding our say, we have alienated each other, and can no longer actually communicate. If any listening is done at all, half of it gets stuck in our mental filters, so we only hear that which we wish to hear.

originally posted by: EternalSolace
a reply to: BobbyRock

Someone call the Freedom from Religion foundation to sue this school district. This cannot stand.

Here is a quote from your linked article:

Victoria Johannsen is the mother of a third-grader at Live Oaks School. She tells Connecticut Post the decision to cancel was unfair to students who cherish the parades.

Well, you know what? Cancelling a Christmas play because of a nativity scene is unfair to the students who cherish the plays.

But Christmas plays are representative
of intolerance, homophobia, and misogyny.
Didn't you know that, silly boy.

Today on “The 700 Club,” Pat Robertson once again warned viewers against partaking in “demonic” Halloween revelry. “Halloween is a festival for demonic spirits,” Robertson said in response to a viewer who wondered whether to let her children go to their aunt’s Halloween party.

Right Wing Watch October 9, 2014

(And before anyone claims that Robertson doesn't represent a significant number of American Christians ...

The 700 Club can be seen in 96 percent of the homes in the U.S. and is carried on ABC Family cable network, FamilyNet, Trinity Broadcasting Network, plus numerous local U.S. television stations, and is seen daily by approximately one million viewers.

CBN International maintains 15 television production centers around the world that create indigenous versions of The 700 Club and other Christian programs in 39 languages. CBN International programs are broadcast in 138 countries to an estimated yearly viewing audience of 360 million people.

"About The 700 Club - CBN"

... but it's not just American Christians apparently ....

MEDIA ADVISORY, Oct. 11, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- Recently some 300 exorcists flocked to Poland for a week-long congress to examine the current fashion for vampirism the world-over and the apparent connection between this fascination and a surge in demonic possession.

Rise in this activity is documented in a new report by multiple conservative scholars including well known leaders like Chuck Missler, Gary Stearman, Noah Hutchings, Gary Bates, John McTernan and others, who believe it is time for Christian leaders to take a stand and to speak out on this issue, perhaps even using the month of October and the season of Halloween as opportunity to address congregations on the dangers of occult activity.

Christian News Wire -
This Halloween, Christian Leaders Challenged to Take a Stand, or Stand Down

I'm not making this crap up. I couldn't make it up.

I wish I were.

originally posted by: roadgravel
Come to America, don't become America, make America into the place you left, because, it wasn't good enough.

I donno man...most of this kinda grief I've heard from Jehovah's Witnesses. Where do you plan on sending them?

originally posted by: NightSkyeB4Dawn

originally posted by: cavtrooper7 I'm glad NOT to be living in a state with some DOORMAT mentallity that pulls down traditional holidays.

I am not going to get into a discussion about religion. It seems the moment you mention the word religion, all commonsense, and the ability to think, reason, and listen is eradicated, in some people.

I would like to know though, what happened to those adults, that don't know how to just live and let live. Why do they care what other people believe or don't believe?

How can they take the same innocent childhood events and activities that we enjoyed as children, and turn them into some monstrous attacks on their sensibilities?

I lived in military areas all my life. My Dad was Army, my brother a Marine, my sister Navy, and I was Air Force. We grew up with children of every race, creed, color and religion. We ate the exotic foods that were foreign to us at the homes of our friends, and they ate the good old standard American, Native American, Jewish and Italian food at our house. We celebrated events, religious and non-religious, with all our friends and neighbors. None us ever once thought we were being coerced into anyone else's religion.

In fact, back then we children spent as little time around the adults as possible. The old, "Children should be seen and not heard", business was more of an advantage for us than them. We didn't want to be underfoot, or one of them would find some chore for you to do. So we kids were too involved in just having fun to give one bit of thought to anything else.

What is wrong with people today? Have they forgotten what it is like to be a child? Have they forgotten how to just relax and have fun? Why do so many think the only right ideas, the only right beliefs, the only right way, is their way?

We live in a world where everyone has something to say, and by damn they are going to say it. Too bad that in the process of demanding our say, we have alienated each other, and can no longer actually communicate. If any listening is done at all, half of it gets stuck in our mental filters, so we only hear that which we wish to hear.

When I was a child, I learned Dradle, Dradle, Dradle
and was actually taught about hanukkah in school
no less. It was a good thing and I appreciate the
significance of hanukkah.

You are right about the filters I admit,
even I get stuck in that,
but I see it often when people really agree
at heart but can't admit it because they
have always disagreed with the person and
feel they must continue to do so to keep
their filter strong.

originally posted by: grandmakdw

originally posted by: EternalSolace
a reply to: BobbyRock

Someone call the Freedom from Religion foundation to sue this school district. This cannot stand.

Here is a quote from your linked article:

Victoria Johannsen is the mother of a third-grader at Live Oaks School. She tells Connecticut Post the decision to cancel was unfair to students who cherish the parades.

Well, you know what? Cancelling a Christmas play because of a nativity scene is unfair to the students who cherish the plays.

But Christmas plays are representative
of intolerance, homophobia, and misogyny.
Didn't you know that, silly boy.

Derailing your own thread, Grandma?

The experiment continues.

I wonder, just for fun and to help you along, who has said that a Christmas play is homophobic?

Got a quote?

a reply to: Gryphon66

That is an accurate comment

It is not a wiccan or pagan holiday, but commercial indeed and quite fun for kids.
Since the last ten years it has become quite popular in the Netherlands to, young kids enjoy halloween very much.

originally posted by: Gryphon66
I am in favor of not letting Christians trample the Constitution.

The Constitution prevents me from "banning" Christians.

I would like for people to leave their belief-based culture behind and adopt logic and reason, but that's personal.

Wow. It sure is personal.

I am an atheist and I feel like my Christian sister and my Agnostic sister should have as much say as me in the direction of this country. I feel like every person should have the same amount of say-so with regard to any 'majority rules'/'will of the people' decision, that I have.

In fact. I think it's wrong to want to exclude anyone who might have differing beliefs than me from exerting their will as persons governed by the U.S. Constitution. It smacks of silly partisan/religious loyalty.

To me, anyone for bigger government and more government authority is a threat to the erosion of my Constitutional rights. That threat is not coming 'mainly' from conservative Christians. It took me a long time to see it, but the greatest threats to our Constitutional rights are coming from those prone to partisan fear-mongering. It reaches well beyond Christians.

a reply to: grandmakdw

We generally learned something about Hanukkah and when I got into Junior High and High School, we learned about the Catholic Church's practice of setting holidays around other culture's holidays to try to win over and keep converts. So we learned about those other holidays and some of those practices too. This was not done in a good/bad way, but a matter of fact manner.

We also took a basic survey of the major religions as part of world history. Nothing deep or involved, but the most basic religious practices.

I think they're banning it because Christians are offended by it.

a reply to: Benevolent Heretic

I think this depends on where you live. My brother's children make the circle. Almost all the Christian churches have Halloween events for the community children. They usually have a special Trick or Treat for the wee ones, early in the day. Another gathering for the Tweens until it dusk, and then they let out the really crazy, wild stuff for the teenagers.

I can't speak for every church, but I know the Baptist Church, usually has the biggest and scariest, the Non-Denominational church comes in second, and the Catholic church usually comes in third. There are smaller churches that also participate, but I only know about the ones that my nephews go to.

Of course we live in the country so we haven't adopted all those cerebral, sophisticated, citified ways around here yet. I hope I am long gone before all the toxic ideals make it out his far.

a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

I'm in Missouri, and I haven't noticed a whole lot of anti-Halloween here. I'm sure there is some, but like everything in the Christian community, you are going to have different flavors.

originally posted by: earthling42
a reply to: Gryphon66

Halloween was derived from Samhain, it has transitioned into a celebration with some old elements such as the opening of the gate to the underworld, the thin veil between the world of the dead and the world of the living, hence the ghosts and dark sphere.
It has nothing to do with christianity, but they have christianized pagan traditions and gave their own meaning to it.

You are quite right.
It began as a Pagan religious holiday
and then was Christianized.

Seems ironic to me that to be inclusive you have to ban something.

If you want to be inclusive... you include things

Kind of new age think speak going on here

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: NightSkyeB4Dawn

I'm in Missouri, and I haven't noticed a whole lot of anti-Halloween here. I'm sure there is some, but like everything in the Christian community, you are going to have different flavors.

There isn't any anti-Halloween stuff here either.

Actually the article seems to indicate that the
school district did it because they didn't want
anyone to feel excluded or to feel left out
or to get hurt feelings.

originally posted by: Gryphon66

I know in Georgia, many churches sponsor the "trunk or treat" whatever that is to keep their kids from worshipping demons.

We have Trunk or Treat. It's just a safe small Halloween Carnivale where cars back into a circle and kids go from trunk to trunk Tricker Treating for candy.

Costumes and all.

a reply to: MotherMayEye

Awesome sentiments!

How does that relate to this topic or what I said?

I swear. Halloween is the devil huh? Funny I dont recall worshipping the devil when i was dressin gup and having fun. Anyone who cant tell th e diffrence between just dressing up,visiting neighbors,getting candy for being polite and saying thank you and Worshipping the devil is not worth th e time or air they breath.

Sheesh. Same with easter. we aLL KNOW that the rabbit aint got nothing to do with the bible. Pat robertson is a old man who i s going senile. Hes on eto talk especially gettin those tithes huh?