Certain Fundamentalists Grasp At Straws In Exaggerating Halloween's Evils
Interesting how Baptists that start out a message assuring that what they are expounding is simply one perspective on a given topic would not allow a second opinion on the same topic to be enunciated from their pulpit until Hell froze over.
One such example is none other than Halloween.
One pastor opposed to Halloween argued that Halloween is wrong because God has not given us a spirit of fear.
As such, the pastor went on , Christ never uses fear but only hope to achieve His purposes.
What about the terrifying images from the Book of Revelation?
Sure, the redeemed come out fine, but what about those that don’t come to accept Christ as Lord and Savior?
And what about the vast majority of sermons (such as those against Halloween) that invoke the most frightening examples, anecdotes, and evidence possible to scare listeners into certain behaviors?
For example, it has been argued that the policy at some Christian colleges of forbidding men and women in the same elevator is justified to prevent rape or false allegations of such.
I have even heard it claimed that Christians should avoid movie theaters altogether not simply because of the content of the movie but because someone once heard a rumor that teens they knew had played tonsil tennis and possible even more while frequenting such entertainment venues.
This same Baptist also admonished that Halloween is wrong because it glorifies death and death is the result of sin, thus something we ought to be ashamed of.
While death is the wages of sin, it should also be made clear that dying is not yet something else we have to beg forgiveness for and feel guilty about.
The necrotic state is more something imposed upon us.
Psychology suggests that fairy tale villains are necessary for youngsters to come to grips with the reality of evil in the world.
So provided the commemorations don’t become overly macabre, doesn’t something like Halloween help make manageable the grim terror that stalks each one of us to the end of the terminal condition known as earthly life?
Frederick Meekins is an independent theologian and social critic. Frederick holds a BS in Political Science/History, a MA in Apologetics/Christian Philosophy from Trinity Theological Seminary, and a PhD. in Christian Apologetics from Newburgh Theological Seminary.
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