Your thoughts on Halloween , yes, no or maybe ?

by Finkelstein 48 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Finkelstein

  Well its that time again when the ghouls come out to play.
  

  I personally think Halloween is a bit irresponsible and inappropriate from a sociological perspective.

  There's something about the intent of frightening young impressionable children minds with frightening objests

  and feeding them candy which most likely cause tooth decay and stomachs is irresponsible activity conducted by adults.
  

  The fact that this tradition was derived from pagan Celtic traditions involving spiritualism is another questionable debate .

  Mind you , I have nothing against children dressing up and having a party.

  I just think this frightening thing people just go too far.
  

  I've seen certain home owners go over the top to intentionally frighten kids when they come to their front door,

  making many kids run away crying. ???
  
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  Cota Samuel

  i think it's awesome. When I was 8 I began to play a social mmog for children called Club Penguin, that's where I "celebrated" the halloween hehe. But i never really took part to it irl cause i live in a country where it is not practiced ;(. And I must agree that too much candy is bad for teeth, especially children...
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  OneEyedJoe

  I'm ok with the dress-up stuff and the candy, but I really hate people knocking on my door uninvited.
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  Phizzy

  Mrs Phizzy and I are off to a Halloween Party tomorrow evening, and I have nothing against kids having a similar party and a great time.

  I don't like the idea of them knocking on doors for the obvious reasons, plus, it simply is not British, don't you know, it's one of those damned imports from America, didn't happen in my youth, hurrumph !!

  I also think that if kids ask what the hell it is all about, they should be told the truth, i.e it's based on what people believed in the benighted past.

  Have fun young and all !
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  ThinkerBelle

  If I leave the org (or should I say when), this is the one holiday I would never embrace. To me, it's the institution of evil and I know of several "worldly" people that feel the same way. I feel the same, nothing against candy or kids dressing up, but the intent of the holiday is all about evil, not for us.
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  cappytan

  Since my position is that there is no such thing as the supernatural (like ghosts or demons or witches), it's all fun and games.

  It's like going to comicon or a Lord of the Rings cosplay event or playing Dungeons and Dragons.
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  Heaven

  Hallowe'en is adopted from the Pagan/Witch Samhain (pronounced saw-win or sow-in) and All Soul's/Saint's Day.

  Samhain is the start of winter and the old Celtic/Witch's new year. This is a time when the ancestors are honoured, divinations for the new year are performed, and festivals are held in honour of the gods. It is a time of final harvest before the long winter ahead and special bonfires lit. These were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers and there were rituals involving them.

  Samhain is seen as a time when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld could more easily be crossed - 'the thinning of the veil' as it is sometimes referred to. This meant spirits (or fairies) could more easily come into our world. Most scholars see these as remnants of the pagan gods and nature spirits. At Samhain, it was believed that the spirits needed to be propitiated to ensure that the people and their livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality. Feasts were had, at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and a place set at the table for them. Mumming and guising were part of the festival, and involved people going door-to-door in costume (or in disguise), often reciting verses in exchange for food. The costumes may have been a way of imitating, and disguising oneself from the spirits. Divination rituals and games were also a big part of the festival and often involved nuts and apples. In the late 19th century, Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer suggested that it was the "Celtic New Year", and this view has been repeated by some other scholars.

  
  
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  Finkelstein

  Wiki. has some interesting information about this holiday from where it originated in Celtic spiritualism and slowly adopted into secular Christianity.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween#Other_religions
• 

  Illuminated

  Most things are neutral, we add the evilness to it if we choose. We can take an object and add a negative connotation to it from thousands of years ago, or flip it around and make it our own.

  Many things are also Pagan.

  A parent can always throw their own party with tasty healthier options for candy, and you don't have to scare children. The other option is taking them to children friendly events.
  
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  Finkelstein

  I get your point Cappytan I'm also an atheist but can you see my perspective that I mentioned in the OP. ?