Papercut Theology: Drive-By Evangelism: Halloween Edition!
Discussion on this is probably passed due now that we're into November, but what do you think about dressing up secular holidays in Christian garb? Is that what's happening with Thanksgiving?
2 comments:
I was under the impression that Halloween's roots are historically in a church holiday, All Hallow's Eve, which is the day before All Saint's Day, the day feasts are celebrated for any saints we may have missed. Anyway, creating a church holiday to replace those pagan harvest festivals seems like a healthy enough idea. No, we're not celebrating some harvest god, just the saints through the ages. Check. I wonder why so many churches now like to have harvest parties. Reminiscing about the past? It's a bit of a misnomer to call Halloween a "secular" holiday.
That, said, I don't think a billboard does anything positive. On the other hand, perhaps Halloween merely needs some reorientation.
Tyler,
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate you pointing out that Halloween is the eve before All Saints' Day, a Christian remembrance of godly women and men. And, like Christmas and Easter, Halloween replaced various pagan holidays of the time. And that's a good point to consider: Christ can transform even the most secular of events - even those that have been de-Christianized (viz "secular" Halloween) after the original transformation. I think that's behind the flurry of Harvest Parties in many Churches today. But instead of remembering the "reason for the season" we seem to have abandoned the original intent of All Saints' Day and reduced the season to some slogan about our Ghost being more Holy than your ghost. This trend is a dumbing down of practical theology.
Lyndon
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