Someone at work was asking me about my blog and my site. They seemed really fascinated that there are people that take Halloween so seriously. I mentioned that my blog gets a ton of hits during the season and that I get a lot of emails from all over the country (which currently I'm having a very hard time keeping up with [very sorry]). So she asks "Are they mostly devil worshippers?" Kinda stunned. Kinda surprised. But she's serious, so I figured I should address the issue in a calm and orderly manner. I told her that the whole Satanic side of Halloween is really just a big myth. That Haunters, in fact, actually stay away from Satanic imagery for the most part. I recall reading once on a forum a discussion about incorporating Hell and the Devil into a display and the general consensus was that it was bad news and not something that'd be popular in a neighborhood haunt. Some people even said that they personally would have a problem featuring Satan in their display. So it seems that it's just the opposite from the perceived notions of evil and Satanic symbols being one and the same with celebrating Halloween. Being pretty far from the Bible Belt, I'm still really surprised that the question was even asked, though I'm glad she asked it, because she seemed to accept my answer (or she just figured I was covering for my Dark Lord and Master).
For the record: I think images of Hell and the Devil are something that should be fair game for a Halloween display. Torches and red flood lights and horned beings - it'd be fantastic. And definitely something I could see doing at some point in the future.
Hell on Earth.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Satan
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23 comments:
give'em hell, rot!
Last year we actually had a letter to the editor from some sort of christian group that was advocating a ban on door-to-door trick-or-treating, and adult supervised parties for teens allowing only biblical themed characters!
The editorial went along the whole 'Halloween is satanic' route to which the newspapers online component received hundreds of e-mails defending Halloween.
I took the opportunity to point out how many unsavory,murderous, thieving, raping characters appear in the bible in addition to all the angels, saints, martyrs and of course Jesus....
I find it so frustrating that in this day and age of so called enlightenment that people believe such misconceptions to be true.
It is a sad commentary on our society I fear.
can't wait to see it!!!
ɥsɐʍƃoɥ ʇɐɥʇ ɟo ʎuɐ uı ǝʌǝıןǝq ʇ,uop ı
The way I see it, Satan is just another bogeyman like Dracula or Frankenstein. People used to have more of a sense of humor about satanic imagery on Halloween before the satanic scare of the 1980's. As a lifelong atheist I just find satanic imagery humorous and sometimes charming and titillating. And the fact that holy rollers are so offended by it just makes it funnier. The fact that so many people today take it so seriously and actually fear this (to me) mythology makes me laugh and appalls me in turns.
Great answer. Haunting is no different than any other hobby (be it scrapbooking or fantasy football) just because ours centers around Halloween.
Oh, and don't forget the Halloween hell houses that many churches throw every year. Tell me they don't have fun with those!
I get the exact same reaction from everyone in my family. They wonder how I'm so "dark," or why I can't just like Christmas like everyone else. I don't get the misconception, really I don't. As far as I'm concerned, I love Halloween because it's always good to be a little frightened, especially as a kid. There's just such a magic about it all. And it's not remotely satanic, but like you, I think that it should be fair game as a theme.
Times like this I'm not just glad but proud to be an atheist.
Halloween Satanic?! Rubbish! It might have originally had Paganistic roots but definitely NOT Satanic. Of course "born-again"s don't see a difference. Hell (pun intended), even old school Catholics don't see a difference. I remember debating with my father and mother when I first told them I'm atheist. Their stance was if you don't believe in god you believe in the devil. There just was no in-between. You either follow god or you're a satanist. I'm sure that's same line of thought when considering Halloween.
*FACEPALM*
Honestly, I don't really think these people believe that Halloween is "satanic" in every sense of the word. I also don't think they believe in the Crowley-type devil worshipers. To me it seems like a misplaced need to have a "bad guy" to justify their personal beliefs. Halloween is just an easy target - so labeling it and demonizing it makes sense to them. Now excuse me I have to go check on my sacrifices.
I have been visited by the "christians" more than once. I am as nice as can be, but I grew weary. I have to say I have removed all the witches and devils from the haunt. I am sorry I caved, with a display that is up for a month I found that that gives them plenty of time to organize an attack.
I just have better things to do with my time than defend my decorating decisions. And since the graveyard works fine without them.....I live with it.
I completely make up for it on the party decorations. With that the crew know that "all bets are off" anything goes. If you find it offensive....wait, who are you and how the hell did you get on my guest list?!?! :D
Cheers!
I HATE IT when churches try to mess with Halloween!!! For the longest time, my dad's girlfriend tried to swing me away Halloween (she is, in her own words, "good Christian" [sarcasm strongly intended]). Believe you me, I'll never stop HAUNTING!
Freaking...just, dammit.
Yes, we're all satanist. We sacrifice babies and puppies and cute little fluffy bunnies.
Okay? We do that. So leave us alone.
I think Terrormaster nailed it. It is about having to have one or the other. My mother didn't speak to my husband or I for a month when we said we were atheists because she DID feel we were satanists. We obviously cleared that up, but seriously, has anyone checked out the Church of Satan? Really fascinating, logical thinking and ideas there. Can't say I fault anyone who joins.
Hell yea!... a Pumpkinrot hell on earth would be spectacular!
I was not going to post a comment on this due to the fact that I can get pretty heated about this subject matter but here goes.....
This is for all who read this blog who labels Halloween as evil, satanic, whatever....
Yes, I admit it, I am a Christian. I fall short of His grace, we all do, but I am not here to judge anyone, to tell them how to live their life. We have free will.
Halloween is only what you make it out to be. All it takes is one nitwit or a group of nitwits to mention the word "evil" or "satanic" and it spreads like wildfire.
I celebrate Halloween because to me it means the end of summer, beginning of fall, and the coming of winter. I don't participate in the occult, witchcraft, demonism, sacrifice animals or little children.(I do wear a lot of black though. And I have a tattoo. Many consider those two things as evil. Oh, I almost forgot, I watch horror movies all year.)
Throughout the year I am a very private guy who likes to keep quite. But in October I let loose. Decorate like crazy with fall stuff, pumpkins, jackolanterns, lots of candles, corn stalks and "scary stuff". I let loose, let my imagination run wild to my abilities.(I don't have that much talent to put my imagination to life) I hope to become as good of A haunter as the people who follow this blog. My daughter, wife and I go trick or treating (with me in costume also) with friends and go to a nice party
with adults and children afterwards.
I'm going to go take my medication so I can calm down now....:)
Ooppss....I forgot to mention I'm a red head....I have been told that red heads are evil.
And I was born on the 13th....
I hate to say it, but I do live in the bible belt and I have had everything from people removing my stuff, to notes from churches about how I am on the road to hell. I just laugh at them most of the time, but I do get sick of the judgement and the foolish superstition.
I'm glad this came up. A friend and fellow shop owner asked me : 'Why is it people think you are a devil worshiper if you like Halloween'? I had many answers in my head, but didn't say anything. I have customers who won't enter the small room at the shop we devoted to Halloween, and we are very TAME because of the type of shop it is.They have a right to NOT like it....they can go to the boring, crappy shops around us. I find Halloween artistically challenging, and just plain Frickin' FUN! I am not an Athiest, but I get it. It makes more sense than the ignorance some exhibit in the name of God. Pagan?...Christmas has pagan origins. People need education...and a whole BUNCH O' HALLOWEEN FUN! People need to lighten-up. OK, now what can I find to bite the head off of this morning?
I just deleted a very long rant. People can be immensely ignorant and have the potential to ruin all the fun in life. Bottom line is that it's free speach. The imagery that really ticks me off is the anti-abortion propaganda that some people have their children hold up to show cars driving by. That's messed up.
Blasphemy! The Devil in a Halloween display! How can you even think of possibly doing something like that maybe in the future! ;)
Honestly, from what I recall parents had no reservations about letting their kids dress up like demons with little pitchforks and pointy mustaches when I was growing up, Hell! My favorite Disney Halloween special had one of Donalds nephews dressed as a devil and that came out in like the 50's. People are strange.
Like Jay's Shadow, I'm a Christian who is nuts for Halloween. Personally, I feel like Christians who declare Halloween to be "Satanic" are giving Ol' Scratch WAY too much power! For me, Halloween is a day to laugh at death and evil. Horror as a genre is a way to face and overcome fears, and Halloween falls right in line with that (this is why horror movies are actually more popular during times of crisis or war. The original Wolf-Man debuted days after Pearl Harbor, and was a huge hit).
Now, I don't use "Satanic" imagery in my haunt, just because I don't feel like fighting that battle with nutty fringe groups, but I DO feel like they are fair game. If anything, it is a way to TAKE AWAY the power of evil in our lives, making it trivial and entertaining. Just my two-cents
I never understood the Halloween is satanic myth. Since the holiday was brought into the mainstream by catholics, does that make catholics satanists along with the other haunters?
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