The Origin of Hallowe'en

[sheena12]

Originally Posted by Heartsong

I remember a Halloween party I went to when I was a little girl. They had it in the basement of the church. We had costumes (I was a bride) and we bobbed for apples and put our hand into a bowl that had "eyes" in it (peeled grapes). All innocent fun. I love to remember the 70s - it was a better time in many ways despite Vietnam and all that bad stuff. People were not as paranoid about everything back then.

Ir sounds like a fun party, Heartsong; and the fact that you remember it as an adult speaks to how memorable and enjoyable the event was for you. I am sure that no one at that party went on to be a satanic cult leader, cannibal or a blood drinking vampire.

I'll bet they share the same fond memories you do. I have a young relative whose mother was a member of a fanatical Christian group for the first eleven years of her life.
The children were not permitted to see or read anything produced by Disney, to wear regular length skirts, and of course to celebrate Halloween.

I think the devil was more a constant part of those kids lives that was Jesus!

When I asked the now grown eldest daughter what part sge disliked the most I expected her to say the long drawn out Sunday Services that had no set time to end, or the strange clothes, or not being allowed to go to a birthday party because the kids were going to see a Disney movie.

But no. She had a simple answer." I really wanted to celebrate Halloween! I thought it was so cool to get dressed up and to go door to door with your friends. I will never see what the big deal was and I feel that part of my childhood was lost because of that.'

[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by sheena12

The Fundamentalists have really amped up their fear and loathing of Halloween in recent years. In the 60s and 70s I knew fundamentalist and even Pentecostal churches with Halloween parties - and yes they used the word.

Every kid I knew trick or treated and dressed in costumes - any type they wanted.

It goes along with the Business Aspect of Fundamentalist Christianity that supports Christian Book stores that sell books that are meant to scare people - weather it be "Halloween is the Devil's Day" to '' One of the Teletubbies is Gay" to books telling you to be afraid of Rock music played backwards, secret Satanic Cults, Seseme Street and anything else you can think of.

And The Stand IS based on the biblical Apocalypse and is about the triumph of good over evil.

The think is, fear sells. Look at the success of Stephen King. Only I'd rather not feel scared all of the time. One day out of the year than every single day.

Fear tactics are what motivates the fundies. What does the bible say is "the opposite of fear"?

LOVE

I once used a passage from The Stand for the meditation in a bible class filled with mostly fundies, mostly AA Baptists. Their heads spun around when I told them where I was getting my theme from, but they did listen. It's when Mother Abagail is thinking about pride and the damage it does. Yes, there was a little bit of evil in me picking that passage out of a Stephen King novel, hehehe, but I backed it up with the appropriate bible verses.

And The Stand IS based on the biblical apocalypse and is a story of the triumph of good over evil.