The Halloween Controversy

If Christians do anything right it will be to ban themselves from existence and leave all us sinners here to enjoy a better world.

But, while we wait for them to leave... No, I haven't heard of anything like that going on lately. Maybe they got distracted by some algae? One can hope. This year the public is attempting to crucify the government though, which may allow some release of suppression and children to have a holiday without "god-fearing" to suppress happiness and imagination completely.

Originally posted by Full Metal
Christianity has no holidays, it stole them from everyone else. They also stole everything from other religons.

That is incorrect. Mainstream Christianity did Christianize pagan days such as Easter and Christmas, but the true Christian church does have it's own Holy days, they are the same given to the Israelites, and were followed by the Apostles even after the death of Christ, for example Acts 2:1, Acts 20:16, and 1Corinthians 16:8. The Holy days are Passover, Days of unleavened bread, Pentecost, Feast of trumpets, Day of atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, and The Last Great day. You will not find the word Christmas anywhere in the Bible, and the word Easter is used only once in (Acts 12:4), and the original word it is translated from is
Pascha, the greek word for Passover.

You just don't hear about them from mainstream Christianity because they'd rather serve false pagan days handed down to them from the Catholic church such as Easter. No Christ was not raised on "Easter Sunday", he was placed in the tomb before sundown and spent three days and three nights in the tomb (Matthew 12:40), meaning he was raised at the same time of day he was placed in there. When the tomb was found empty early on Sunday morning, the bible doesn't say he was raised that morning, but that he was already risen (Matthew 28:6, Mark 16:6), so he must have been raised Saturday afternoon, just before sundown, and since he he spent three days and three nights in the tomb, he must have been crucified on a Wednesday. People get confused because it says they wanted him off the cross before the start of the Sabbath, and they wrongly assume this is talking about the weekly Sabbath (beginning Sundown on Friday afternoon), but it was not, as John 19:31 points out. People forget that, as I mentioned above, there were also annual Sabbaths, the High days given top the Israelites...

John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was a high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

The first day of the week of unleavened bread (which starts after the day of Passover) was an annual High day. The Hebrew days started at sundown, so the passover meal was eaten at night, the first portion of the day, and Christ was crucified during the following day portion of the day of Passover, the preparation for the High day of the beginning of the week of Unleavened bread. He was crucified on a Wednesday, not Good Friday, as mainstream Christianity likes to teach, but most would rather bury their heads in the sand to keep following tradition, and to justify themselves following pagan days.

Christ was not born on the 25th of December either, that was simply another Christianized pagan day of the winter solstice. Christ's birthday is not mentioned in the Bible, but was more likely during the spring, since the shepherds were in the field at night the day he was born.

[edit on 28/10/08 by doctorex]

I love halloween its much better over here in ireland on halloween night, when I was younger halloween night was so magical I rember the bonfires all over the place every where lit up with the flames of the fires in my houseing estate alone there would be at least 4 big bonfire and we could see the fires from neighbouring estates and adults and children all on the streets the air full of illegal fireworks it was so much fun and even a bit scary because most of us could feel the shift between this world and the next ( Honestly) and there was nothing satanic about it we felt so alive it felt like time had stopped and the night would seem longer than any other night of the year, not even christmas could make me feel as excited as halloween did and it still excites me to this day I love it just as much now

I have always wondered where Halloween got its origins. Thanks to the poster

My belief of Halloween, and this really isn't based on any particuliar religious belief, is as follows:

* It is the night that the veil between life and death weakens, and spirits can walk the earth.
* You wear costumes to masquerade as a spirit if you go out at night.
* You give candy to placate the spirits that come to your door.
* You don't really know which of the trick or treaters are children or actual spirits (in idea).

Is it entirely historically based? Not really... but it is inspired by several cultures, and I like the mythology behind it. It also gives meaning to that day and the reasons we do what we do.

Now, the individual who wants to refer to Santa Claus as Satan's Claws... Seriously... have you even read on the history of this Saint?
Saint Nicholas
is a Catholic Saint. Yes, his image has been bastardized by the need for profit over the years, but if you wish to refer to a Catholic Saint as a tool of the devil, go right ahead. I just find that to by very hypocritical. The message of what this man did, and why we celebrate that day, is really what is important in my household.

Just because a holiday changes over time doesn't make it bad or evil or meaningless. What your family does for that holiday is what gives it value. So, if you feel a holiday is bad - take a look in a mirror and try to see why it is such a blight upon your household instead of a blessing.