Devotees Disavow Halloween: The 'Average Joe' Tolerates A Few Tricks and Accepts a Few Antics
Halloween has historically been a holiday that is steeped in its fair share of controversy. Whether we flashback to the eighties when the scare was over a syringe found in a candy apple or parents everywhere were riled up over razor blades randomly surfacing in their child's Snicker's bar, or we fast forward to the present for a debate on the true harm of Halloween candy's sugar content, Halloween will always be one of those "on the fringe" sorts of occasions. And whether or not Christians should be allowed (or allow themselves and their families) to participate in the evening's festivities is just one of the most current issues that keeps it there.
Do I think that Christians should be barred from becoming Barbie for a night of nothing more than dazzling "dress up" adult style or forced to cancel their candy consumption just to come up clean at that upcoming visit to the dreaded dentist's chair? Personally, folks, I think the Bible says it best when it says "Judge not, lest ye be judged." After all, as one apathetic passer-by puts it when he was asked whether or not he thought that Christians should celebrate Halloween, "Halloween is basically about getting candy." And truth be told, is a Butterfinger all that blameworthy when it really boils down to it? I think not.
But surprisingly (or not), the rest of the world has vastly strong or not-so-strong opinions over whether or not Christians should be celebrating Halloween. I spent the better part of a week polling my community and its heavy influx of transient tourists on the matter. And the answers I got ranged in severity from the overly nonchalant to the evangelically dogmatic depending on either perspective or the degree of genuine contemplation that being asked this question would inspire in each particular person.
Here is a mere sampling of the many answers that I received:
"Halloween is about getting candy."
"I don't think that my supervisor would be the type of person to give out candy."
"You (or a person) is not a true Christian unless he or she gives out candy."
"Halloween is what you make it-it can be good; it can be bad..."
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