[A. Pole]

Do you know why the first Christians were martyred by the pagan Romans? Because they refused to participate in pagan rites or to put a grain of incense on the altar of the Roman gods.

Do you remember how King Saul lost the God given grace, how he consulted Witch of Endor?

[AnAmericanMother]

But those pagan rites were REAL -- i.e. people believed in them and it was the State religion. (Sort of like secular humanism in the U.S. today.)

And, for that matter, the Witch of Endor was real too.

You can't compare actual worship of pagan gods and consulting unclear spirits with the little kids dressing up as firemen or princesses to go score some candy -- nobody believing a word of it.

[SoothingDave]

Do you know why the first Christians were martyred by the pagan Romans? Because they refused to participate in pagan rites or to put a grain of incense on the altar of the Roman gods.

Thank God He has more sense than some of His followers.

The ultimate irony here is that while the Catholic Church was able to co-opt and obliterate the memory of pagan religions, it is the ultra-scrupulous "Christians" of today who keep the memories alive.

Without you guys to remind everyone every year with your hysterical overreactions, the association with "pagans" would be long gone. Think about that.

SD

[The_Reader_David]

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?