Posted on 10/23/2001 9:38:21 AM PDT by X-Servative
Playing with my children (5 & 3) last night, the innocence of childhood took on new meaning with all that has happened over the past 6 to 7 weeks. It is our job as parents to ensure that our children are safe, all the while preserving the innocence and magic of childhood. Therefore, we will be trick or treating this year, and possibly exchange the candy for some we bought when they’re not looking (haven’t decided yet).
Bottom line: these terrorists will not steal my chidren’s childhood by replacing fear with joy.
Happy Halloween!!!
Halloween Tracts Boost Trick-or-Treat Witness
Children visiting the homes of Southern Baptists this Oct. 31 may get more of a treat than they were expecting - the plan of salvation in an easy-to-understand format.
The nonprofit American Tract Society (ATS), which has been producing evangelistic resources for 176 years, is introducing a new line of materials just in time for the Halloween season. The "31 Halloween Pack" provides 31 tracts to be given out to trick-or-treaters as a way for Christians to extend their outreach into one of the most popular days of the year.
"Oct. 31 is the greatest opportunity we have all year to share the gospel with children," said Dan Southern, president of the Garland, Texas-based organization. "Where else do we have contact with so many young people coming right to our front doors? We are offering a challenge to Christians to use this opportunity to share the gospel of Christ with 31 children this Halloween."
The tracts can be used with candy and placed in trick-or-treat bags, at church harvest festivals, or placed in costume stores or used in shopping mall Halloween events with permission of the merchants.
To accompany the Halloween emphasis, ATS has developed a seeker-friendly website -- www.October31st.org -- that provides an interactive experience for children and adults. A Christian perspective of Halloween is interwoven with a gospel presentation, and an online form is included to register a personal decision. To order the materials call 1-800-548-7228. Allow two weeks for the order to be received.
Three blonds die in a car accident and end up at the pearly gates. St. Peter greets them and says:"I will ask each of you the same question. The one who gets it right, gets in, the rest go to hell." St. Peter then asks the first blonde, "can you tell me the story of Easter."
She replies with glee, "Oh, that's when a big fat man gets dressed up in a red suit and delivers toys around the world." St. Pete shakes his head as the first blonde disappears.
Peter asks the same of the second blonde. She replies: "That is when all the kids get dressed up in different costumes and parade from home to home for candy." Again, Pete shakes his head as the woman disappears.
So, dismayed, he asks the third blonde. She replies: "Um, that's when Jesus is persecuted and is crucified..." St. Peter, sensing victory responds enthusiastically, "Yes, keep going!"
She continues, "He dies, is buried, and after three days, rises, comes of out his hole, sees his shadow, and we have six more weeks of winter."
Poof!
So how do we know the stuff you buy yourself is ok even? I don't. But I will be going with my kids, to houses right around here (small town) and checking everything over.
Halloween is also Reformation Day, and do you celebrate Christmas? Naughty-naughty. tsk tsk tsk.
Still not sure I'm convinced there's no threat. The first anthrax case in Florida was "isolated."
This thread was posted by a doctor over the weekend...
Kids and Halloween candy would be a very effective way to launch a smallpox attack. Not sure what I'm going to do with my daughter on Halloween.
Plan to spend some time picking up your front yard the next morning.
We gave out pencils one time. The thankless nits in the neighborhood littered our lawn with them. Pencils! Everyone can use a pencil. But, because pencils weren't what they wanted, I had to pick them up the next morning.
We stopped handing out anything after that.
Shalom.
Yes, it's Satan but he appears in disguise so the Tooth Fairy will look like Richard Simmons but it is definitely Satan.
When it first started, my mother was horrified, called it a Yankee custom, couldn't believe parents would let their children threaten people to get a treat.
What we did on Halloween was dress in costumes and "go downtown" and walk up and down to see other people in costumes or else go to parties where people bobbed for apples and so on.
Yes, I am a very, very old person.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.