Posted on 10/22/2013 5:24:37 AM PDT by Keli Kilohana
To The Editor:
The editorial comments, D-P 10/20/13, of Charles C. Haynes, the Director of Religious Freedom Center are absolutely right. Concerning a failed ban on Halloween in a Pennsylvania public school district, Mr. Haynes states, "...the media wouldn’t have to look hard to find many other districts that are moving away from Halloween-themed activities during the school day and either moving them to non-school hours or replacing them with “harvest festivals” without Halloween paraphernalia. This trend to de-emphasize Halloween in elementary schools isn’t driven by fear of First Amendment lawsuits — or, at least, it shouldn’t be. What’s actually pushing public schools to re-think Halloween is the recognition that growing numbers of Christian, Muslim and other religious parents are opting their kids out of Halloween celebrations at school. A judge may not see Halloween as “religious,” but many parents see activities involving images of witches, demons and ghosts as offensive to their faith. Non-religious objections to Halloween are also gaining traction in some school districts. Many educators want to reclaim time lost to Halloween activities during the school day. None of these objections matter much to Halloween enthusiasts, as the brouhaha in Pennsylvania illustrates. Their basic message seems to be “don’t spoil the fun for my kid.”
Furthermore, public and government offices violate the separation of religion and state for the fun of Halloween--meanwhile, Christmas joy is anathema! Let's treat pagans like we treat Christians. Fair is fair.
If Halloween lessons and activities disappeared tomorrow from the October curriculum, little of educational value would be lost. On the contrary, less Halloween could mean more time to teach something that really matters. The public school has banned Christmas, forbidden Hindu, Muslim and Jewish holy days. How hard could it be to do the same to the unholy Wiccan and Satanic Eve of the Day of the Dead activities?
Pastor Terry K. Hagedorn Calvary Baptist Church PO Box 282 Reedsville, WV Ph. 304-864-3870 MOUNTAIN MANNA, 96.7 FM, Sundays 9:30am http://mountainmanna.com
"Pointing Mountaineers to Mount Calvary."
I hope not for a ban but a boycott of Halloween. It’s out of control nuts with the yard displays, adults in costume, etc. Harmless? Not to the pocketbook these days
Or maybe I’m just getting old. The more funerals I have to attend, the less I see anything funny or lighthearted about death, tombstones, coffins, skeletons, or ghosts.
Just another medieval festival from pagan days that has outlived its usefulness (go ahead & snark “Don’t you mean Christmas!!?”)
Guy across the street used to give out pamphlets to kids on Halloween saying they would go to hell because of their pagan practices.
Now whose house do you think got egged.
Later years he gave out treats with the pamphlets. Treats got eaten. Pamphlets got trashed.
Let the kids have their fun. That’s all it is. Kid fun. Look for demons in the demonrat party.
CC
Nuts!!!!
Halloween is a uniquely American holiday with no serious religious connections!!
I love it!!
you forgot what it was like to be a kid. unfortunate.
In typical American fashion, we have turned what was the scariest night of the year to medieval pagans and the superstitious, into an excuse for a party. Gotta love America.
CC
There is no such thing in the Constitution.
I don’t know. They were crumpled and trashed without much of a look see.
Sorry to be picky.
5.56mm
Death is part of life. While I don’t seek death, I am not afraid of it either.
As a infantryman in combat, paratrooper, construction worker, EMT, and now a heart attack survivor, I have seen death close up and personal.
Halloween is not real. It is make believe, it is fun. It helps children overcome some of their fear of the scary and unknown. And Halloween can be fun for all ages.
So I suggest you do not participate in the tradition, turn off your porch light, go into a back room of your home and be happy no one will bother you.
Have a happy Halloween
That’s kinda like saying professional wrestlers are mean to each other.
“Let the kids have their fun. That’s all it is. Kid fun. Look for demons in the demonrat party.”
That’s the point. The demonrats will allow pagan celebrations in the schools but nothing is to be mentioned about Christian holidays.
I never involved the kids in halloween. Fortunately, we lived out in the country, so it was no big deal.
I had a friend in the city who put three tombstones on her front lawn every halloween, along with her other ghoulish decorations - with her 3 kid’s names on them. I was stunned when I saw it. Couldn’t imagine doing that.
I feel for your losses, for people who you knew who have departed but one way living humanity tries to cope with the inevitable death watch and things that, deep down we are scared of, is to openly laugh at it and make fun of the spooks. It's one way of coping with our internal terror and it seems to work well as we collect candy (do they still collect for that corrupt UN organization, UNICEF?), eat it and celebrate life and silliness.
So, take it in stride friend. If we actually do begin banning holidays like Halloween, then I think we have reached a pathetic low in our civilization.
The big problem with Halloween is that it seems to be the last religious holiday standing in many school districts. That’s not exactly the best message.
After that, did his house still get egged?
...what about Thanksgiving? That is uniquely American and has lost the thanking the creator for our bounty aspect, hasn’t it?
Now people eat, drink and flip through the massive Black Friday shopping deals coming up.
The base used to be quasi-religious, now? Not sure.
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