re: Halloween is evil

Quoting glowinthedark:" Yes, all organized religion is lame."

  Ah well at least you're consistent about it. Agree to disagree.

Quoting ☾BizzyBee♉:" Many of the Neo-Paganist beliefs all base their religion from the ancient pagan rituals and beliefs. ... [snip!] ... 'lame', when many of those are not the same as the original writings intended them to be. Are all of those branches lame too?"

Most people (even Christians) call several denominations of Christianity lame.. and if they don't say it they are thinking it!  

Quoting Rumpelstiltskin:" Most people (even Christians) call several denominations of Christianity lame.. and if they don't say it they are thinking it!  "

Eh, I think people just need more respect for each other's religions. If it's your belief, it's not lame. The way someone may choose to CELEBRATE it may be lame, but the religion itself is not...

Quoting ☾BizzyBee♉:" Eh, I think people just need more respect for each other's religions. If it's your belief, it's not lame. The way someone may choose to CELEBRATE it may be lame, but the religion itself is not..."

There are many lame religions out there, IMO. I don't usually go around saying "your religion is totally lame, dude!", but yeah, I think it sometimes!   

Quoting Minion:" Why do some people refuse to celebrate Halloween? I've been told by a few that it's because Halloween ... [snip!] ... of saying a day is evil, when most people do not treat it as such. What do you think? Is Halloween evil? Do you celebrate?"

some believe it is evil because of the origin of Halloween. a long time ago people once believed on that day evil spirits could get you.the costumes and the jack o laterns were meant to ward off those spirits. a lot of holidays have a
different origin then you think. obviously now people just think its fun

Quoting aubriesmom:" some believe it is evil because of the origin of Halloween. a long time ago people once believed on that ... [snip!] ... to ward off those spirits. a lot of holidays have a different origin then you think. obviously now people just think its fun "

Uhhh, not quite.

Halloween is traditionally linked to Samhain, the first and most important of the four quarter days in the medieval Irish and Scottish calendars. It was also a time of year when the spirit world and the physical world were closest together and many spiritual and magical things could happen. The souls of the dead were said to revisit their homes on Samhain Eve, which, depending on the religion you follow, can either fall on October 30 or 31. To ward off the spirits, Gaels would build huge bonfires and invoke the Gods through sacrifice.

That's where Halloween originated from originally... there were no jack o lanterns...

Quoting ☾BizzyBee♉:" Uhhh, not quite. Halloween is traditionally linked to Samhain, the first and most important of the ... [snip!] ... and invoke the Gods through sacrifice. That's where Halloween originated from originally... there were no jack o lanterns... "

The reason people believe it's evil is because of the sacrifices...

My father HATES Halloween, when I asked why (actually I nagged him till he told me the truth) he said that pagans sacrificed people and most people who believe in that evil stuff are out and about on Halloween.  

He really has gotten better about insulting other religions, I was nagging.

Quoting Rumpelstiltskin:" The reason people believe it's evil is because of the sacrifices... My father HATES Halloween, when ... [snip!] ... evil stuff are out and about on Halloween.   He really has gotten better about insulting other religions, I was nagging. "

Awww, but they didn't always sacrifice people, many and most times it was animals.   I hate when people have misconceptions like that about the Pagan faiths...

Quoting ☾BizzyBee♉:" Awww, but they didn't always sacrifice people, many and most times it was animals.   I hate when people have misconceptions like that about the Pagan faiths... "

As do I! I am Christian and all but I studied Paganism and it's a beautiful religion. My sister practices Wicca (my dad has no idea! haha).

And yes, there was human and animal sacrifices, but no (old) religion is perfect and kind. Look at what Christianity has done over the years in the name of God! Extremists and fanatics ruin things for every religion ruins it for the normal ones!!

Quoting Rumpelstiltskin:" As do I! I am Christian and all but I studied Paganism and it's a beautiful religion. My sister practices ... [snip!] ... done over the years in the name of God! Extremists and fanatics ruin things for every religion ruins it for the normal ones!! "

Didn't Christianity have human and animal sacrifice as well? I'm sure I remember seeing that when I studied the bible for a time.

I used to be Christian, but there were too many people who were hypocritical, do as I say not as I do Christians, and I couldn't be in a religion like that anymore. And a LOT of what Wicca says makes a lot of sense to me.

Quoting ☾BizzyBee♉:" Didn't Christianity have human and animal sacrifice as well? I'm sure I remember seeing that when I ... [snip!] ... I do Christians, and I couldn't be in a religion like that anymore. And a LOT of what Wicca says makes a lot of sense to me. "

What do you think Jesus did? He sacrificed his life for us... His human life.

 

Other than that though, God did say he did not accept human sacrifices even in the OT. Only animal sacrifices. Now, God has asked people to sacrifice their children, but stopped them before they actually did it. So there has never been an actual human sacrifice in the name of God in the Bible or in history that I know about (or can remember).

But, animals, yes, God demanded them to do so. But, that changed when Jesus came into the picture; he said that God no longer needed the sacrifices.

Quoting Rumpelstiltskin:" What do you think Jesus did? He sacrificed his life for us... His human life.   Other than that ... [snip!] ... demanded them to do so. But, that changed when Jesus came into the picture; he said that God no longer needed the sacrifices. "

Ah, I thought God actually had someone sacrifice their children. I missed where he stopped it.  

But yeah. Lots of unnecessary hate over something few people actually understand, because they choose not to.

Quoting ☾BizzyBee♉:" Ah, I thought God actually had someone sacrifice their children. I missed where he stopped it.   ... [snip!] ... stopped it.   But yeah. Lots of unnecessary hate over something few people actually understand, because they choose not to."

 

People are afraid of things they don't understand or things that are different, and they just don't even bother to try to educate themselves! It's annoying.

Now, my father is a world religion teacher and has studied many religions, but he was always very, very biased when it comes to paganism.

I don't know the whole story because my dad is very private about his past, but I think something happened when he was a teenager with the occult and some "crazies" or extremists. I've heard things of it but my dad would never talk about it.

Quoting Rumpelstiltskin:"   People are afraid of things they don't understand or things that are different, and they just don't ... [snip!] ... was a teenager with the occult and some "crazies" or extremists. I've heard things of it but my dad would never talk about it."

Exactly. People hate what they can't/don't understand, and it's so sad. It's the same thing with homosexuality... people fear what they don't know and they pass judgment without thought about the other person's feelings. It always makes me sad thinking about it.

I'm sorry your dad had a bad experience, you get crazies with every group I'm afraid. Pagans AND Christians are no exceptions to the rule.

Quoting ☾BizzyBee♉:" Exactly. People hate what they can't/don't understand, and it's so sad. It's the same thing with homosexuality... ... [snip!] ... dad had a bad experience, you get crazies with every group I'm afraid. Pagans AND Christians are no exceptions to the rule. "

Seriously! hahaha