Posted on 10/20/2005 11:09:48 AM PDT by Millee
An Ellettsville family whose home is decorated for Halloween contacted police after someone placed on its porch a flier that suggests Halloween praises the devil.
Dalene Gully told Indianapolis television station WRTV that she took offense to the flier, which was placed outside her home by the House of Prayer Church of Bloomington.
"I started reading it, and I was very, very upset by it. I found it very accusatory and very threatening," Gully said.
The church's pastor, Larry Mitchell, said the people who left the flier would have preferred to talk with Gully, but she wasn't there.
Mitchell said the church didn't intend to upset the Gully family, but rather tell people that Halloween isn't harmless fun.
"Halloween is not fantasy," Mitchell said. "We're training up our children, and obviously this lady was trained up in this. Halloween seems like it is taking just as much prominence as Christmas."
The Gully family filed a complaint with the Ellettsville Police Department. The incident also prompted the family to install an alarm system at the home, the station reported.
"This is my home, and I like Halloween. If I want to decorate my home, I have every right to decorate my home," Gully said.
Is calling people's beliefs "a crock" any worse than calling the people "whacked" (#3 in this thread)?
Nor does it warrant a news story. Unless this is the headline: Church group exercises 1st Amendment rights, bitter wacko objects
This country has always been okay with the Biblical message, whether someone agrees or disagrees.
The tolerant folks seem so intolerant these days.
If the person who left the flyer broke the law or was even out of line with the history of this country, I would like to see the evidence. This is nonsense.
I know that even though our church does not promote halloween, and in fact strongly encourages against it, they would not go around dropping fliers on peoples doors about it. They might send out fliers inviting people of the neighborhood to an alternative celebration at the church, but the purpose would be to make people feel welcome, not tick them off.
Sadly, too many people, even with good intentions, do not think all the way through on things sometimes.
It is the Halloween which is evolving.
At first it was a pagan holiday of Samhain and it was not so good.
Then the Church established the holiday devoted to All Saints ( Halloween - All Hallows) and in Western Europe (where Samhain was popular) it helped to keep people away from pagan and magic practices. This was very good.
Then the pagan elements from Samhain started to seep into the Christian Halloween, and this was getting worse.
Than in the last decades, satanists, militant homosexuals and other corrupt movements started to make Halloween their holiday. This is very bad. I guess it is the time when many Christians in America started to see the problem.
Now, let's see. If one dresses up in black-face (as per old minstrel shows) one is mocking black folk. If one dresses up as a stereotyped 19th century Chinaman with a cue one is mocking the Chinese. If one dresses up as a bedouin with a towel one one's head, one is mocking Arabs... But if one dresses up as a stereotyped demon or a Hollywood vampire one is practicing witchcraft?
Have I got this straight?
You have an odd definition of "help." Seriously. Anti-Halloween hysteria is unlikely to "help" anyone.
If you want to save souls, try serious arguments first and save the "trick-or-treating is devil worship" stuff for later.
SD
"Sadly, too many people, even with good intentions, do not think all the way through on things sometimes."
You're right, but they're a tiny minority. And that's a good thing.
LOL. Your evidence for this is where? I know when I think of Halloween I think of militant homosexuals. Cause it's their big day and all. LOL
SD
Accusing others of what you agree that you are guilty of is called hypocrisy.
These are words of truth. These flyers, whether threatening or not, won't save anyone. Let them share the love and grace of Jesus, and people will come to Christ. But this "crusade against evil", just makes Christians look dumb
"Have I got this straight?"
That's about it, according to the anti-Halloween folks.
It's interesting to go to one of the old cathedrals in Europe. They're practically covered with images of demons and the like. I suppose the idea was to put the fear of God into the church-goers, but it's a very odd thing to experience.
Halloween is a silly Autumn holiday. Get that last outdoor activity done before the snow falls. Go meet your neighbors and let your children see that they're kindly folks. Give out goodies to the neighborhood kids. Tons of fun.
"Than in the last decades, satanists, militant homosexuals and other corrupt movements started to make Halloween their holiday."
Really. I haven't seen any of those coming to my door trick or treating. It's mostly small children in costume, with their parents standing at the end of the walk.
Oh, there are a few middle-school kids, too, trying to look cool. I give them candy too.
Haven't seen any satanists, militant homosexuals, or any "corrupt movements" around Halloween. I guess they're having private parties, eh?
That happened a few times with my friend's father when he went to collect rent from a certain tenant. The tenant would appear naked and say he was "interupted" too. But he held a shotgun, not a cat.
He eventually died from a drug overdose.
I think I'm going to let my kids read that Jack Chick link. (Not)
What's scarier lets get dressed up and go trick or treating or reading that Jack Chick link?
I'm a Christian, but we have fun on Halloween. Our house has fog, thunder & lightning, a grave yard, a coffin, and new this year a dead hanging woman. We moved last year, and all the kids in the old neighborhood were disappointed that the haunted house was gone, and the new neighbors were enjoying our decorations.
Correct. But I think most "Satanists" are silly people just rebelling against the establishment.
It is over only when you die. And it is Him who will decide.
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5:10
"For if they, having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of (our) Lord and savior Jesus Christ, again become entangled and overcome by them, their last condition is worse than their first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment handed down to them." 2 Peter 2:20-21
"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off." Romans 11:22
"I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." 1 Cor. 9:26-27
"Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." 1 Cor. 10:12
"Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." Philip. 2:12
My mom was not allowed to go trick or treating when she was little for religious reasons, and she hated not going out.
My mom went over board with her own kids. She loved getting us dressed up, and she made the best popcorn balls to hand out as treats. She didn't have great Halloweens as a kid, but she made it great for her kids.
About 80 percent of the stuff delivered to the front door is unsolicited.
Do the church groups have less of a right to contact me than Pizza Hut, America OnLine and the local rug-cleaning guy?
Putting head into the sand will not help as it is not stopping the Diversity Cult being established in the public schools.
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