LittleIzumi Posted October 11, 2012 Share Posted October 11, 2012 Definitely a Neek. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghee Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Does anyone else have "haunted house alternatives" in their area? It seems like an odd extension to the celebrate but don't celebrate. I'd think most people would prefer corn mazes! http://www.hellsgates.com/ More Info My favorite strange Halloween meets Christianity tale was way back when I was a sweet, naive seminary student serving as youth pastor at a church in the South (south with a capital "S" by the way.) One of our youth sponsors asked if we could take the kids to the local haunted house for Halloween. The kids were enthused. I, being in the Halloween-is-not-antiChristian camp, thought it was a great idea. So we advertised, gathered our kids, piled in the church van, and the sponsor gives me directions and we arrive. We arrive at the "This is What It's Like in Hell" House. I'm not kidding. There were people sitting drinking wine in one room, then the next room would have them being tortured by fire in grotesque ways. Then a room with people playing cards, dancing, kissing, playing dungeons and dragons, and several others I can't remember now. Each was followed by those same people (or ones who looked very similar) being tortured in different ways (fire, poked with tridents, locked in chains with food just out of reach.) It was awful and disgusting. I was speechless. Now I would have a lot to say. As a first year young female (!!!) seminary student, I just watched wide eyed and horrified. There were small children there crying and it was just gruesome. Surprisingly there were no rooms with people being judgmental in them. Must have been an oversight. The big (socially correct, popular) church in town has this every year. It's called Judgement House. They do it on October 31, to try to keep people off the (residential, subdivision) streets and trick or treating. They always tout the numbers of people they saved and it's almost always mainly a bunch of kids they scared snotless. That, IMO, is not a true salvation. The thing is, the next month the salvation is forgotten. A guy in my mother's (small, unpopular) church said last year, "Oh I see [big church] has Judgement House going to scare the Hell out of people." He's a former minister, by the way ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Aaaaaaack! We're nerds! :confused: The day was so happy and full of Thor, and now it's all ... nerdy. :iagree: We're so evenly split, I dunno how to characterize us.:lol: My husband is so evenly both. I'm not sure if I should laugh or cry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 And I don't mind if non-Christians see it because I want them to know that those people do NOT represent the whole of Christianity. I want them to know that not all Christians think like that. That is my way of educating people on the topic. FWIW, most of us do know that the bizarre ones (like in your OP) are aberrations and certainly not representative of the bulk of Christianity, let alone the whole of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 (edited) FWIW, most of us do know that the bizarre ones (like in your OP) are aberrations and certainly not representative of the bulk of Christianity, let alone the whole of it. With a Mom in the thick of it, I have to agree. Her 'people' seem giving...but chill. ;) I am sure there are some aberrations in her chruch, but, on the whole, they are all about helping the folks who have been marginalized. I totally respect my mother's efforts. When I consider Christianity, I think of her open heart. Edited October 12, 2012 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 (edited) :) Edited October 12, 2012 by LibraryLover Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 LOL!!! And we stopped celebrating Halloween years ago. Food allergies and candy = bad news. Seriously. My kids trade. All the chocolate to the non-dairy kid, red away from dye-sensitive to the dairy kids, all the nut candies to dh to take to work away from the house, etc. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 (edited) This thread is quite illuminating. I'd never even heard of the Judgement / Hell's Gates thing before. Although it's not a new idea, as hell was frequently depicted in detail in medieval plays. But going back to Heather's OP, can't you school have the debate - or vote - once and for all, and from then on refer to a written policy on Halloween (and any other days that might be controversial)? Seems a bit pointless to have the same argument every year. Edited October 12, 2012 by Hotdrink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb in NZ Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 When we lived in Fiji the American Womens' Association would organize a Halloween Party & Trick or Treating every year for the families in our group. Ex-pats seem to want to recreate tradition from "home" for their children. I would guess this is what a certain part of your school community is looking to do. Whether you "do" Halloween or not in your family, Halloween is an American tradition & a big part of our cultural heritage. How we deal with this issue can take some cultural sensitivity. Santa, Christmas trees, the Easter Bunny, coloring eggs, Maypoles, etc. are all American cultural traditions that are pre-Christian as well. How does your school handle these issues. Halloween is no different if you study the history of the holiday. Does your school "celebrate" Diwali or other non-Christian holidays? My dc have experienced Halloween only once in the States, but we have added a bit of the traditions to our own family's traditions, but we don't celebrate it outside our own family. Halloween is not a NZ tradition, but has begun to be pushed from a consumer point of view. When I get kids coming to my door on 31 Oct asking for candy, I politely tell them that I don't celebrate Halloween in NZ as it isn't part of the NZ culture. It's no different than if we lived in the States we would not set off fireworks on the 5th November just because DH is from NZ. JMHO, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 It's no different than if we lived in the States we would not set off fireworks on the 5th November just because DH is from NZ. JMHO, Why would you not set off fireworks in the US on November 5th? It's part of your DH's tradition, not being foisted on you by marketing people..... It would seem to be both fun and important to keep up his customs when he is living far away from home. Just curious, Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb in NZ Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Why would you not set off fireworks in the US on November 5th? It's part of your DH's tradition, not being foisted on you by marketing people..... It would seem to be both fun and important to keep up his customs when he is living far away from home. Just curious, Laura We'd probably be arrested ;) as fireworks are illegal in Vermont :tongue_smilie: Now we could have a bonfire as that wouldn't be out of place with the other fall holiday traditions. Even burning a "Guy Fawkes" would fit in with traditions. :lol: When living away from home (i.e. as an ex-pat) traditions seem to become more important to many people, especially if they have children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nono Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Boy #1 - sported yesteday - LONG FLOPPY HAIR AGAINST MY EXPRESS WISHES AND IT DOES NOT LOOK GOOD, Hawaiian shirt - much faded and refuses to surrender - chain around neck, one large out-of-style watch on one wrist, two cheap bracelety things around his other wrist, high water jeans because they are his favorite pair and he doesn't want to surrender those either, favorite tennis shoes with prominent hole repaired with duct-tape, mismatched argyle socks not of the same color scheme, and carried around a briefcase with some of his best artwork...and God Bless the long-suffering pastor, he let my son lead youth worship last night while wearing that get-up!!! :lol::lol::lol: I gotta tell you, Faith, it sounds kinda hot from where I'm sitting.... (coastal NJ with fall arriving...) :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 Why would you not set off fireworks in the US on November 5th? It's part of your DH's tradition, not being foisted on you by marketing people..... It would seem to be both fun and important to keep up his customs when he is living far away from home. Just curious, Laura :iagree: Around here people set off fireworks for pretty much any occasion! Large places get professional fireworks displays to celebrate important anniversaries or significant events; families and individuals celebrate birthdays or team wins or whatnot. When we hear the pops and bangs our only question is whether we can SEE them from our house. Depending on how the Cardinals do in the next few games, we could have fireworks in our near future .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 :iagree: Around here people set off fireworks for pretty much any occasion! Large places get professional fireworks displays to celebrate important anniversaries or significant events; families and individuals celebrate birthdays or team wins or whatnot. When we hear the pops and bangs our only question is whether we can SEE them from our house. Depending on how the Cardinals do in the next few games, we could have fireworks in our near future .... Fireworks are not legal in all 50 states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomandlorih Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 I agree with the OP and Oh.My.Goodness. A Halle-BOO-jeh party?? If I wasn't holding a sleeping baby, I would be ROTFL!!! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in NH Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 ETA: I can see the point of people wanting something toned down for young kids who might be scared. I hadn't thought about that b/c we just didn't bother when our kids were young. That's a whole nuther ball of yarn! You have to imagine that people who drag young kids (even infants) around on Halloween are really only doing for themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRG Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 I'm sure this post has trailed off in several different directions but while driving through town yesterday I saw two different signs that reminded me of the OP. One was for a Hallelujah Fashion Extravaganza and the other was for the oh so popular Hallelujah Party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovedtodeath Posted October 12, 2012 Share Posted October 12, 2012 I'm sure this post has trailed off in several different directions but while driving through town yesterday I saw two different signs that reminded me of the OP. One was for a Hallelujah Fashion Extravaganza and the other was for the oh so popular Hallelujah Party. Just sub "praise Jesus" into the titles of the events and see if it fits appropriately. Sometimes it actually does, other times not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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