Posted on 10/16/2009 4:19:52 PM PDT by NYer
October 31 celebrates the day that the Reformation in Europe began with Martin Luther posting his 95 theses on the Wittenburg church door, leading to a firestorm response in Germany. Why not use this occasion for a celebration of our Reformed heritage. And yes, this can be fun for the kids too!It's ironic that protestants are choosing Holloween to celebrate the Reformation, considering that many Catholic families celebrate All Souls Day by dressing as Catholic saints. Of course - protestants probably won't be up for a good old-fashioned cult of the saints party like we are.
[Here is what Reformation day involves:]
Why not have a celebration at church where all get dressed up as characters from the Reformation (I've dressed up as John Calvin, Martin Luther, a peasant, and even John Tetzel (the salesman of those infamous indulgences)? When I couldn't get a 16th century idea then I dressed as a Bible character. You can transform the fellowship hall into Wittenburg, Germany or Geneva. Here is an opportunity to go over the great "solas" of the Reformation: by Scripture alone, by grace alone, by Christ alone, by faith alone, and to God be the glory alone. Have people explain them. Show a video of one of the reformers. Draw murals of Reformation events.
Here are some other things our church has done over the years: Medieval line dancing (a lot like Scottish line dancing), Medieval relay races (put the indulgences in the bottle), bobbing for apples, German cover dish dinner, acting out your character (don't tell anyone who you are, but act it out -- the ideas are limited only by time and background).
I know a young Baptist whose mother asked the doctor to deliver her son on October 30 to avoid birth on Halloween, her due date.
What a load of baloney. They aren’t “choosing Halloween” - simply noting that it’s October 31.
This may not be the best method to talk about the Reformation, but to suggest they are “choosing Halloween” is ridiculous.
Many churches have alternate events in opposition to Halloween. This is a rather poor attempt to mix the avoidance of Halloween and noting the Reformation.
They shouldn’t desecrate my favorite holiday in such a matter....
I’ve never known Catholics to use the pejorative term, “Papist.”
Well, this oughta be a fun thread.
Sounds like a great idea to me. I hate Halloween, consider it a time for witches and satanists to celebrate their craft. We used to have harvest parties without the witches, ghosts and goblins.
I’ve got a better idea. Instead of celebrating Halloween, celebrate November 5th, Guy Fawkes Day.
I am afraid that too many of our Catholic "brothers and sisters" consider us Protestants to be in the same category as "witches and satanists".
PCANews at the Christian Broadcasting Network website has come up with a way to overcome the satanic/occult aspects of Halloween - a Reformation Day party! They explain it:
Ummm. That's every Oct. 31. Nothing special about this year.
And, would that they would remark on it. I suspect many American evangelicals don't have a clue of the significance of the day.
I've been working on my scraggly beard since the beginning of summer. Now to find a black beret. This is the look I'm aiming at:
WOW I love Halloween!
It just gets better every year!
Oh, sure. I'll bet that goes over big with the kids.
Seriously, I wouldn't get too wound up about it, I've personally never heard of such a thing. Not that I'm the go-to guy on protestant lore or anything...
But what I observe is that churches are commonly holding halloween parties for the kids for two reasons, one being for reasons of safety and the other to replace the satanic aspects. Kids are encouraged to wear costumes, but anything satanic is obviously not welcome. Food, fun, and you open and close with a prayer.
Halloween is getting bigger and bigger among adults in recent years. And Halloween is one of the biggest holidays of the year in the “gay” community. And we know the “gay” community has become more visible and open. And some adults, esp. children of the ‘60s who never grew up, are big on Halloween parties.
Many Evangelical churches are having “Hallelujah” parties to give the kids an alternative to the ugly and scary occultic images with which so many infantile adults now decorate their homes.
Occasionally somebody answered the door who knew who she was!
We do call ourselves Papist, but with tongue gently in cheek.
Oh, yes, we’ve had a couple of interesting threads running that indicate that possibility.
Well, Protestants call us idolatrists who worship the Whore of Babylon, so hey, it all evens out.
My grandfather was born Oct 31,1900, he died Dec.23, 2000.
Halloween is not satanic, people. Get a grip.
I thought about going as St. Agatha this year - you know, it being breast cancer awareness month and all.
So, I can go to such a party as Lady Montague? Despite it all in England she was a stalwart Catholic, but still a figure of the revolt.
LOL,
Now, now, don't get in the way of the poster's desire to poke at the hornet's nest.
I’ll put on a Keith Obermann costume and scare the hell out of everybody.
Halloween is a fun time in my family, we always treat the youngsters coming to the door with good treats, decorate the lawn and trees with ghosts and goblins and large monster balloons. So, in our household, let the good times and the heads roll.
But it was a bigger thing in Lutheran synods. Often, all Saints Sunday was either celebrated at the same time, or on November 1.
Oh brother.
***I am afraid that too many of our Catholic “brothers and sisters” consider us Protestants to be in the same category as “witches and satanists”.***
Nonsense. There are no such things as witches.
***I’ve been working on my scraggly beard since the beginning of summer. Now to find a black beret. This is the look I’m aiming at:***
I’ll try to dig up somebody to burn at the stake for ya. :)
Of Course, the origin of Halloween was that it was the “eve of All Hallows” or the night before All Saints Day, a day on which ALL the departed saints (small “s”, meaning everyone who had died in Christ)was honored! sO HA HA HA! The joke is on the witches and goblins! Halloween is a CHRISTIAN Holiday!
Personally, I enjoy the nonsense. It is the one day of the year everyone laughs at the one thing everybody on the planet is AFRAID of...death.
I love the Lord, By the way. Peace and love to ALL my brothers and sisters out there!
Just curious about your tagline. Could you tell me where it’s from?
***Just curious about your tagline. Could you tell me where it’s from?***
Certainly. It is a quote from St. Augustine in his Against the Heretics as part of his explanation as to why the Catholic Church was the correct one and all the other churches were inventions of men and therefore incorrect.
Thanks. I knew I’d read it somewhere, but couldn’t remember where.
***Thanks. I knew I’d read it somewhere, but couldn’t remember where.***
I remember when I first remembered it and used it as a tagline here on FR. I had many children of the Reformation violently object to it; when they found out that it was a quote (and taken in context) from St. Augustine, the challenges dropped to only occasional. A knowledge of the early Church does much to indicate the development of Christian theology and therefore what we need to believe.
We shall all stand before our Father eventually and answer for our transgressions
I’ll try to dig up somebody to burn at the stake for ya. :)
"Heretics roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose.."
Oops, that's a Christmas song.
***”Heretics roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose..”
Oops, that’s a Christmas song.***
But seriously, folks. The Church teaches that heresy is as heresy does and excommunication is the acknowledgement of the Church as to the wishes of the individual. Same as we believe that God does not condemn. We believe that God merely accomodates the wishes of the individual as to the desire for heaven or hell based upon his actions and his belief in God.
This is ridiculous, and I am an evangelical protestant. Our church has a “trunk or treat” where kids go trick or treating from one car to another.
When I was a kid at Catholic school, our school Halloween festival was the big thing in town.
I love Halloween. Not for the modern stuff, but for the history of it. October 31 was the eve of All Saints, when the veil between this world and the next was thin. Children would go house to house and get “soul cakes” in exchange for praying for the dead. Halloween has a very rich history and my only gripe with it is the fact that we have lost the history. I would love to hand out “soul cakes” instead of candy.
I love it!
It is the one day of the year everyone laughs at the one thing everybody on the planet is AFRAID of...death.
- - - - - - -
Actually, I am not afraid of death. Of course, I study/write about it for a living, so...
We have a statue of St. Lucy in our church. One of the parishioners recently climbed a ladder to dust her off and suddenly began to chortle. Stepping down, he whispered ..... This is the money you could have been saving with GEICO.
We all cracked up :-)
We celebrate Reformation Sunday on the week after Halloween.
But we don’t burn anything.
Plus they are missing the Eve of All Hallows.......Vigil of All Saints Day
Most of the Catholic students have either ignored it or laughed it off... every once in a while some would wear tame Halloween costumes just because they could.
Cool idea! I also like the Fall festival themes, too.
“”Heretics roasting on an open fire
Jack Frost nipping at your nose..”
This is another:
Christians roasting on an open fire,
Lions nipping at their toes..”
That one almost got me expelled from my Catholic High.
Nuns don’t do tongue-in-cheek!
I’m envisioning the young trick-or-treaters showing up at our door dressed as vampires, witches and reformers!
ROFL!!! Okay ... that’s bad, making fun of a saint but, I just couldn’t help myself :-). St. Rafqa, one of the Maronite saints, had to have an eye removed and chose to do so without any anesthesia or pain killers, out of love for our Lord. Still ... it’s a challenging image to view.
I don't know about anywhere else, but in New York City, every day is Halloween.
Isn't that the truth!!! I worked in Manhattan for more than 20 years. During one mini depression, I watched folks bathe in a fountain on 6th Avenue. There was a homeless woman who pushed a shopping cart filled with her belongings and had a dog tied to the cart. When she died, they went through her personal possessions and found a bankbook with $60,000! In New York City, there is a school for professional beggars. Truly, in New York City, everyday is Halloween.
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