Halloween: Myths, Monsters and Devils: Some Comments Page Three

COMMENTS WE HAVE RECEIVED
PAGE THREE

Wanna know the truth about halloween? In the days of the flood the angels lost their Bastard Son's the Nephelim, they died and the fallen Angels goin back to a place called Tartarus.
In hate and Anger that 6 Human souls survived, and theyr childs where killed, the make a day to remember this.
Every time mankind celebrates Halloween, better known as all souls day, the Demons are laughing theyr ass of, cause the most pople don't know what happend on this day
Alister Mccraven

Thank you for your research and generosity in sharing it. Now I can sleep and not worry about the sermon I heard today on Christian radio. This sermon was very disturbing but had nothing to back it up--no references were given. Thank God I found your site!
-- JJ

I hope I have the correct address here!
Thanks for your information! I like to find facts also, but I'm too busy (& lazy???) to do all the research that you have obviously done. Your article is very well written. I enjoyed it.
I, too, hate to hear people talk about what a Satanic holiday this is based solely on what their pastor tells them. I feel much the same way as you about the holiday. I only wish that more people would do the research and come up with their own conclusions about things like this. I find it frightening that - in today's day and age - adults will blindly follow teachings without even trying to find out the answers themselves. Especially when they turn around and tell their kids "not to believe everything they hear."
Anyway, thanks again. I'm looking forward to reading your writings and research material more thoroughly.
Have a nice day!
Sincerely,
Caren Warakomski

Thank you for your wonderful treatise on the origins and myths of Halloween - my second favourite time of the year (after Christmas)! Anyhow, much of the information you have on your website I already knew about, but there was quite a bit I've never heard of - especially the term "Samhain" - every book or article I've read on the topic lists this term as being "the Lord of the Dead" or something similar.
The main reason for me visiting your website was to gather more information to write a rebuttal in one of my local newspapers regarding Halloween as a "Satanic holiday" and, needless to say, I wasn't disappointed in the least bit!
If you don't mind, I'd like to use some of your information in my letter to the newspaper and publish your URL as well so others in my area can be enlightened. However, there are always some who will stick to their beliefs, regardless of how much damning evidence there is out there to disprove their theories - it seems to be a very common trait among many Christians! Just look at how long it took the Catholic church to formally recognize the discoveries of Copernicus and Galileo.
In closing, I have to say that I'm a Christian and I see Halloween for what it is: a time for fun and celebration; not a time of widespread devil worshiping.
Thank you,

Earl Criece
Belleville, ON. Canada

Thanks for your article.
Halloween as I practiced it as a child and hope to have my child practice it is an occasion to:
1 - Dress up and pretend to be something else. A chance for children to try on different roles. For children who are constantly good, they could for a few hours pretend to be bad. Fantasy life in children today has been denigrated severely in the last 10 years.
2 - Go trick or treating around the neighborhood. If we have no need to fear our neighbors will do bad things to the children, it provides a time where neighbors greet each other either as they come to your house or on the street as you pass with the children.
3 - Satanic. Only if the Good people, Christians and non-christians abandon it and stop practicing the good qualities of halloween.
4 - Scaring. Many cultures have traditions for scaring away demons or bad luck. Traditions of dressing up and parading, using candles, etc are found outside of European tradition. (eg. Dragon festivities in the orient, African masks, etc) As a society, we need to be able to address our fears and know that we are empowered by God and our society to conquer those who would harm us.
Thanks for standing up and bringing more facts to the fray. But just as the Catholics couldn't "wipe out" the devil worship of Halloween. We have our work cut out for us, just opening peoples eyes to what is and what isn't.
--Alicia Le

Yours was the first page I found, when I decided to research Halloween on the web. Thank God! I was really afraid I'd have to wade through some scary stuff before I found scholary material. I haven't checked the references in the bibliography, but from the tone of your work and the fact that you say "Jesus is who he says he is," I am making an assumption. I did a fair amount of research for a graduate masters thesis at Dartmouth, titled "Jesus' Words to Women," and found I could often tell how useful a work would be by the way it was written. Your page seems well-researched and written in a balanced way, even with the occasional irritated asides.
The reason I need to research Halloween is that when I attended the local church my husband and I were thinking about joining, they handed out two tracts that floored and horrified me. Both were by Chick publications, which I had come across a long time ago, and knew to be virulently anti-Catholic, hate-mongering, and just plain ugly. And these tracts show that that tradition has only been more refined with time. How people could get up in front of the congregation that's about to sing wonderful, beautiful praise songs, and recommend that these be dropped into happy little children's bags on Halloween, seems gullible at best--sadistic at worst. One of the tracts' themes is that Halloween is a Satanist conspiracy to poison trick or treaters to gain sacrifices for the devil, the other is about a dying child who accepts Christ before she dies--thus avoiding being sent to hell.
For this reason I wonder if I could have permission to copy your web pages about Halloween, to show the pastor (who was away this past Sunday) and the deacons who were there and responsible for the tracts, and other church members. I am hoping this was not representative of this church. I'm having a terrible time finding a church that expresses real Christian belief and love -- I know no church is perfect, yet this is too much!
Thank you for your time,
Jennifer Youmans

HALLOWEEN NIGHTMARE
For Halloween in fifty-eight, my sis and I were witches;
She walked me all around the block and through the neighborhood.
We came home with two great big bags of candy bars and apples,
And ate it all within a week because it was so good.

For Halloween in sixty-eight, I was a gypsy dancer;
Mom let me go out with my friends and told us to take care.
We dumped our bags out carefully and cut the apples open
To make sure that no razor blades were hidden anywhere.

For Halloween in seventy-eight, my niece was Wonder Woman;
Her dad walked with us 'cause it "wasn't safe, two girls alone."
He only let her keep the stuff that came in heat-sealed wrappers
And took it all to X-ray before we brought it home.

For Halloween this year, my daughter wants to go as She-Ra;
We're going to the church to have a party with her friends.
Someone got kidnapped last year, so we won't be Trick-or-Treating --
It makes me want to cry to watch the old traditions end.

There used to be a spooky thrill to bats and haunted houses,
When window soap and T.P. were the only tricks to play.
They say that Halloween was once a night of evil spirits,
But I think evil people made it what it is today.

Words and music copyright 1988 by Lee Billings

I am just contacting you to let you know that your research will be very helpful to a teacher friend of mine who is also involved in a local AWANA program teaching young girls about Christ. Thank you for your thought on the subject of halloween
M. S. Hall

I read up on your history of Halloween. I'm a pastor preparing to preach on Halloween this coming Sunday. It was surprising what you had to say, and to see the neutrality of your stance. If that is what history shows, then that is what it shows. However, I think you were beating a dead horse with your argument. So what if Roman paganism didn't mix with Irish paganism. Paganism is still paganism and not something Christ would endorse.
How does dressing up as witches and goblins and the such make Satan squirm? Pointing and laughing at things that happen on Halloween does not make him squirm or feel bad. He will take as much attention as he can get. It doesn't matter where Halloween tradition comes from, it matters what it is now, and that is greater opportunity for evil in general and a numbing of ourselves to the reality of God and Satan and the ultimate end. Christmas unlike Halloween has been taken in by the Church and "Christianized" in a Godly manner. So, to compare the celebration of Halloween to Christmas is like comparing apples and oranges.
Maybe you will do a paper sometime on the origins of Halloween in America and not just an apologetic for Halloween.
Thank you
Pastor Doug

Hello again, this is Pastor Doug. I appreciate you putting my comments up. As I read them I feel that I missed out on applauding your work effort in the study. Because of that and some more looking around on the same subject I will not be preaching against Halloween itself. However, this does not mean I agree with you or with the opposite side. I'm at a place where more study is needed. However, I strongly believe what I said about paganism and Christ not accepting it in any form. Now on Sun. the 31st I will be preaching on Spritialism in America, its, prevelance and how to reach the people with the Gospel.
Thank you for your effort
Pastor Doug

A huge standing ovation for your page! I grew up in a fundamentalist christian environment, and since leaving it and learning to re-evaluate the things they taught me without the basis of fear, I have been truly appalled at how MUCH the facts of so many things have been twisted, and these twisted versions of things are swallowed without question by so many. Unfortunately those who are willing to swallow it are usually not willing to accept information such as what is on your page. I am NOT putting down christianity or Christ...have great respect for Christ's teachings...but am sure that Christ would not condone telling untruths and creating prejudices against those who do not follow the Christian path. Thank you for providing this information for those who will listen.
Peggy

Hi...I'm just a Wiccan who found your site via links aplenty. I just want to thank you for your wonderfully researched and myth-debunking (and visually wonderful) site.
I am not anti-Christian (in fact, I think we'd all be much better if we actually listened to the words of Jesus), nor are my Christian friends reactionary non-thinkers who are anti-Wicca. Your site is desperately needed in these times of division and fearful myth-making. Thank you.
(By the way...a very close friend of mine who has recently re-found his Christian faith was chatting with his pastor {evangelical lutheran} a few months ago about me. My friend, not condemning me, was concerned about how my beliefs might affect his study and faith. His pastor, bless his heart, while having a reputation in town as being ultra-conservative and rigid, said to my friend "Don't be afraid...Wicca is not of the Devil, as some might say. It's not of Christ, and her path isn't of yours, but hers is not a path of evil." I was so happy to hear that. My friend told me almost apologetically, but I wasn't offended in the least by his worries...he's searched through many religious traditions in his life, and he's now more stable, more happy, more at peace, and more stimulated than ever before. At 52, he's joyful in his accepting Christ, and it's wonderful to see. I will foster that at every turn. He affords me the same respect, and we enjoy discussing our faiths with each other.)
Thanks again!
Ceiliegh of Minnesota, USA

Having read your article (but unfortunately not the bibliography, as I am strapped for time) and the comments, I felt compelled to write and express my appreciation for a scholarly work on a much-misunderstood topic. While my own background is Christian (of a more tolerant stripe, as I was raised in the United Church of Canada), I have moved farther away from organized Christian churches in adulthood because of the intolerance and preaching of hate rather than love; currently I follow a path that many Christians would call heretical because it reflects a stronger belief in Native American practices. But I was delighted to see an obviously well researched, scholarly article that did not give in to hate mongering or propaganda. I would very much like to see more works of this nature available on the internet, and presented in print media.
What I found very interesting, though, was that the bulk of the negative responses were poorly worded, generally ungrammatical, and badly typed. I guess that there really is no hope for this culture if the quality of education does not improve. As the mother of young children it is this ignorance that I find much more frightening than the celebration of a Christianized holiday.
J. Caffro

I am seeking permission to copy the information from this site for my person use as I research this subject. I do not intend to reproduce it for distribution. I thank you for the time and effort you have put into this as well as for the approach you have taken.
Rev. David Kenyon
Pioneer Presbyterian Church

What is your purpose in creating your Halloween site? I notice you have negated Mrs. Phillips writing and it appears you have supported the neopagean's views?
Are you a Neo-Pagen? Are you a Pagen? Are you a Christian? If you are a Christian, why do you accuse a fellow believer? Doesn't the Bible say something about accusing your brother? If you are not a Christian, what do you believe? Do you truly believe in one or many spirits? What has led you to believe in what you do?
The reason for all of my questions is to clarify in my mind what YOUR agenda is.
Thanks in advance for replying to my email.
T.S. Abboud

Hey...
I just read your Halloween Myths Monsters and Devils site!
Thank you!!!!
As a Christian who understands where these customs come from, I am THRILLED to read such a wonderful debunking of the standard Christian silliness on the subject!!!
Well done !!!
Hannah Webb

Hi. I am a religion writer for a secular newspaper, Florida Today in Melbourne, Florida, circulation about 88,000 daily, 110,000 Sundays. I'd like to refer to your Web page in my Oct. 30 "Focus on Faith" column, as part of a discussion of the ever-evolving nature of Christian beliefs and practices concerning Halloween.
All our Web page references include the bold-faced online address, and credit the author's name when known (as yours is).
Thank you for your consideration. Your page, by the way, is one of the most exhaustive and, at least at first glance, sensible approaches to the topic I've encountered in 9 years covering religion.
Rita Elkins
relkins@floridatoday.mpcs.com

I PRINTED OUT YOUR ARTICLE AS I HAVE A DAUGHTER IN LAW WHO, ALL OF A SUDDEN, BELIEVES THAT HALLOWEEN IS SOME SORT OF EVIL DEVIL SPONSORED THING. OF COURSE SHE GOT THIS FROM A MINISTER WHO, IN MY OPINION, HAS ABOUT AS MUCH KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CHRISTIANITY AS MY CAT. I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR RESEARCH - OH YEAH, THIS MINISTER TOLD HER THAT HER HUSBAND (MY SON) AND HIS FAMILY WERE ALL DOOMED TO HELL BECAUSE WE'RE ROMAN CATHOLICS. OF COURSE I TOLD HER THAT I GUESSED THAT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT BECAUSE I'D BE SO BUSY SEEING MY OLD FRIENDS I WOULDN'T EVEN NOTICE THE HEAT.
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE ARTICLE, IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED.
SKIP MCQUAID

I just read your very interesting article on the origins of the Halloween holiday. What a refreshing change, to see someone take a completely objective view of the holiday! It's something I will definitely print out and keep with my Book of Shadows.
You seem to be very secure in your own faith, to the point where you can allow others the grace of choosing their own. And that is a very real rarity in today's world.
Wishing you the joy of the season!
Blessed Be --
Alanna Whitestar
Maryland, USA

I was just trying to find some information about Halloween to use with my Youth Group and stumbled across your page. As a Presbyterian minister with a background in history, I personally would like to thank you for trying to remain as neutral as possible in most of your presentation of the material on your site. In fact, I laughed as your most acidic comments were directed at those who picked up their biases and ran with them like footballs -- to focus on your bias rather than the information is to present your opinion, not your research! Even when your bias came through, it was to say "look, we aren't worshipping the dead here: we're trying to have some fun!", and your faith is strong enough to allow you to laugh at the devil, rather than fear him.
Personally, I don't know what I think about Halloween. Seeing the little demons and gargoyles, the vampires and witches, and all the rest running around the neighbourhood with their parents in tow, I find myself wondering what our wonderful world of mass media is teaching our children when we aren't looking, because when they get old enough to choose their own costume, the message often seems to be that the dark side isn't so bad -- for every little princess I see this year, there will probably be a Darth Maul to balance her; for every astronaut, a black-clad Ghost-Face from Scream; for every laughing and giggling clown, a ghoul or zombie droning out his need for blood or brains.
Your article directs our eyes to the roots of this practice, and for that I again thank you. I would ask your permission to use it with my Youth Group to help them evaluate their own practices of Halloween -- in this day and age, we too easily accept that things "have always been this way" and just jump into it with both feet without thinking. Thank you for writing a piece that encourages us to think for ourselves, and may God bless you.
Sincerely,
(please withhold my name if you post this)

It is so refreshing when anything with spiritual undertones is reviewed or studied in an objective and scholarly light. I have recently reshaped my spiritual belief structure - I still believe in God - and my eyes have been opened to see the world for what it really is. One change is that I no longer believe in "Satan" or "hell" - those were manifestations of religious leaders who wanted to scare unsophisticated people into blind obedience. And to quote the bible is placing a lot of faith into a document controlled by these leaders for their own ends. Why do you think they called the last half of millenium one was called the Dark Ages?
The basic premise of the bible remains - love your fellow man - remains; however, I believe it was man who changed it to include fear. This fear has then been used to attack anything that is "non-Christian". Well, look back through history, and you will find that a great deal of "evil" and damage has been done in the name of Christianity - the Inquisition, the Holocaust, the KKK, the conflict in N. Ireland (Protestants vs. Catholics), the Crusades, the witch trials of Salem to name a few,. And it is still happening!
But my solice is my belief that my God cares not what we do on Earth. He gave it to us to do as we will. If he did care, he's pretty ignorant to have let us carry on like we have. And if there was a Satan, I think he would have laid waste to the Earth a "little bit more" than he supposedly has (as quoted by fundamentalists)
Thank you again for such an open view of a little piece of history, and a different way of thinking!
Jeeber in Canada

Thank you for the most intelligent and cogent work I have seen on the history of this subject.
Would like permission to reprint this history for my church, Calvary Episcopal Church, 223 East Morgan St. Wadesboro, NC 28170.
Thank you,
Fr. Daniel A. Brown, Rector.

I wanted to tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed your webpage on the history of Halloween. Thank you for taking the time to dispel some of these myths that keep these bible-thumping Christians from letting their children trick or treat. I was raised Catholic,and although I no longer follow the church I firmly believe in the principals of Christianity. But I feel that Halloween is a harmless ritual, as I hope most Christians do. The reason I sought information on the origins of Halloween was because of my 11 year old daughter. One of her friends from school is forbidden by her parents to attend our Halloween trick or treat neighborhood block party. When I called them to confirm this and ask why, they told me that Halloween was a "celebration of Satan"!! I was shocked. Then her parents told me a story about Samhain and human sacrifices. I realized I needed to find out for myself what would scare these people so much that they would deny their daughter a night of safe and supervised fun. I found several websites that had various versions of the same belief...Samhain was the lord of the dead. Most of the sites had a superstitious view, the Christian sites, however, did not. They were anti-Halloween through and through. I'm truly glad to have found your site.
Regards,
David Gerba
P.S. The anonymous tract #2 appears to be from the book "Halloween Through Twenty Centuries" by Ralph Litton.

Just visited your website for the first time and I must say, found it very intriguing. Like many, I've always been taught that Halloween has very ungodly origins. So you can understand that, begin open-minded yet always with a healthy skepticism, I am cautious as I approach the information you purport in your site. Are their any other sites or sources which I may visit which could help me to be more comfortable with the position you take? I am eager to know the truth, and I currently do not celebrate the holiday simply because of the generally recognized symbols of death and fear with which it is associated, as well as its supposed recognition by satanic groups as a high holy day.
I appreciate your time and scholarship into this matter.
Brady Hale

i HAVE ENJOYED THE ENLIGHTING WEB PAGE YOU PUT TOGETHER. i WAS RESEARCHING THIS HOLIDAY FOR A CHILDRENS MESSAGE FOR CHURCH . I was given the task to make this holiday "Christain" and thought great what a job to have. Your site made it so much easiler to make my childrens message a Christian one, with a good lesson in it for the adults of my church.
Sincerely,
Calleen O'Brien-Troyer

I am a minister in the United Church of Canada who was out looking for material for my children's story in church tomorrow. With many thanks for your fine material and great sense of humor. Makes me long for my seminary research days!
I appreciate your work, would love to know more about your songs and 'professional folklorist' work!
I'll look further at your site -
grace and peace to you,
(Rev) Karen Holmes

Well, I really enjoyed this web site! It's beautiful, entertaining, enlightening. I'm a Unitarian Universalist in Houston, Texas. It never ceases to amaze me that fear-based beliefs attract so many people in this day and age. Thanks for providing this much needed information which is vital to removing the ignorance which perpetuates fear.
K.K.

Have read your site. It was allot of hard work and research for you to do all this. I never have liked Halloween. My parents never agreed or disagreed.
Since I have read God's word and have accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior, I have realized that there was a good reason for me not liking Halloween. I believe it was God and His Spirit protecting me all along.
Anything that depicts evil and is used as fun and games. cannot be good or for the edification of our Lord. If it is not good for Him then it is not good for me either. All things of God are pleasant and without harm or indication of harm.
As for telling anyone they cannot celebrate it, I would not do so. But I would discourage it and let God do the rest.
Just a few remarks as I felt I wanted to respond .
S.P.

The Bible repeatedly teaches us that we are in a spiritual war where the struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6:12). We should stay clear of any appearance of evil or sinful things. We shouldn't involve ourselves in anything related to Satan and his work. This includes celebrations such as Halloween. Halloween is Satan's work to disillusion people and lead them further astray from the Father. Halloween, in its appearances, look innocent. But we must look at the foundation or premise on which this celebration is based. No matter what way you slice it, from its beginnings, Halloween was based worship of other gods, like the sun god, and sacrificies were made to the lord of death. Over the years, Halloween has taken on a disguise as an "innocent" childhood celebration of candy and tricks. Of course, the devil loves to fool people by disguising what is evil to make it seem okay. The devil and his works do not always have to appear blatantly hideous or disgusting as we might imagine. He uses sublime tactics to entice and lure us. But all of you need to put on the armour of God, and LEARN the bible not just READ it. Otherwise, you will not be able to discern when the devil is leading you astray. First off, look at the definition of Halloween, it worships other gods. That alone should trigger your senses to know that worshipping other gods is a sin. Doesn't the bible teach us the LORD commands that we place no other gods before him and that we not worship idols? This is a commandment, not, "I hope you don't do that". And in the end, you must look at what is most important, whatever you do, whatever you say, should always glorify and praise his HOLY name. Does the celebration of Halloween give praise and honor to the LORD? The answer is no! It does not uplift the LORD's name, it attempts to uplift what is UNHOLY. Halloween celebrates death and CHRIST wants us to celebrate life. I read a comment where an individual attempted to defend Halloween stating "Why shouldn't it be okay to celebrate, because it celebrates death, just like EASTER. What the individual did not understand is that Christians do not celebrate death during EASTER. We celebrate LIFE-- the Resurrection of JESUS CHRIST. Easter is the day CHRIST conquered death and that is why celebrate. Some say that Christmas is a pagan holiday so why do we celebrate it? Again, we celebrate the life, the birth of our SAVIOR. All of the holidays we celebrate as true Christians should all give HONOR and PRAISE to our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST. Halloween does none of this so, anything done outside of the will of the LORD or that does not lift up the LORD dishonors our LORD. Dishonoring the LORD is a sin in itself. There are so many other areas in the bible that teach us to stay way from such things as witches, people who practice magic, people who predict the future (i.e., psychics) because they WILL DEFILE you. Halloween often celebrates such people and activities. Finally we need to remember that our Lord is greater than Satan and all of his evil angels. He is faithful. He will not abandon us to our enemy. He will strengthen us and protect us from attack. So PRAISE Him and LIFT his HOLY NAME! I will say a prayer for all of you who are being used as Satan's pawns and being misguided. Special prayers will go to the individuals who commented and call themselves Reverend or Pastor. YOU of all people, should know the word.
This has been on my mind and heart ever since heard about your website. I was appalled the number of so-called Christians who think this type of celebration is ok. Then again, I shouldn't be so surprised because those who really love JESUS and follow the word are in the minority. Please refrain from printing my email address because I don't want to have to deal with any of Satan's subjects who disagree with my comments.
TEST FRMCO MMKBGTAX

Thank you. This is exactly what I needed. The latest thing going around my area (NC) is that Halloween celebrates the devil's birthday. My son come home very upset about this piece of news. This was easy to clear up, but I was looking for some better reference material to refute and document where Halloween came from. To me, it is just a fun way to take little kids out to see the neighbors and get candy.
I can't believe being a good Christian requires elimination all of the fun things in your child's life. Spread JOY
L. Ferr

I just read your article on Halloween and must say I am very pleasantly suprised. I came across your website while seeking out "more information" links for my coven's online book of shadows and I must confess that I almost disregarded your site out of hand when I saw that it was a Christian site. I'm sure that you can suppose why.
I was so impressed to see the even handed treatment that you have given the topic and the amount of research that you have obviously done. One of the things that I teach my students is to review historical sources critically as any resource which simply spouts their faith's party line should be suspect. While as a Wiccan I certainly appreciate that myth and legend have value in and of themselves, I also feel that it is important that myth and legend should not be taught as fact, no matter what your faith.
I want to thank you again for your balanced and well researched treatment. I hope that you do not object to the fact that I will indeed be linking your article to our Book of Shadows. I believe that it is not only a good source of information concerning the traditions of Samhain/Halloween, but is also an exceptional example of how to evaluate the value of a source with as unbiased an eye as a person of faith can manage.
You are obviously a person of integrity as well as a person of faith and that is much more rare than one might hope. May the love of Christ and the blessings of God shine upon you. And the blessings of the God/dess if you will accept them as well.
May you never thirst for what you need,
cat

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