Wow, post number 300! I just figured, that would need some recognition, not that it matters overmuch. Here it is, middle of the night, and I should be going to sleep, but instead decided to comment on an article I recently came across. The link is here, should you want to read it- http://www.examiner.com/spirituality-in-rockford/halloween-is-not-just-about-costumes-and-candy . This seems to be more about looking for a fight than anything else- I too recognize Samhain, though this year wasn't able to do much more than keep it in my thoughts and meditations, and remember those who have passed away. Samhain is not Halloween, as Halloween derives from All Hallow's (Saint's) Eve, the day when Christians remembered their saints that have died. Like many Christian holidays, they picked up on the pagan calendar-many people say it was to stamp out the old religion- however, I'm guessing in many cases it was a little more benign than that. My own patroness, Tara, was originally a central figure in a snake-worshiping shaman cult throughout the Himalayas. She became recognized as a Buddhist deity not because Buddhism came and tried to stamp it out, but rather through a synthesis of old and new- taking new information or ideas and maybe bending them a little bit to fit into an existing belief system.
Whether or not Christianity did this is frankly speculative, though it's easy to ascribe less than benign motives. At any rate, in this article our Pagan friend states that a local church holds a harvest festival of some stripe or another. Okay, with you so far- clearly, this church is trying to take what we traditionally regard as Halloween out of the picture. That's fine, if we are free to celebrate Samhain, other people should likewise be free to celebrate the harvest. But the author goes on to complain how little, if any, emphasis is placed on the cycles of the earth, and the old Samhain we know. Which makes me wonder- exactly what did you expect? This is not to take pot shots at the church, easy though that is. (Okay, one shot). But why would you expect a church function to be centered around anything but that church's own belief system? Don't worry, guys- no one is cancelling the wheel of the year, it will keep spinning as always.
The author also points out that churches recruit- yes, they do. Whether or not you choose to go to, be involved with, or otherwise be associated with that church is up to you- I'm pretty sure the church members will not tie you up in a basement and brainwash you, and you will go on being free to be your wonderful witchy selves, or wonderful Christian selves, whichever way you may be inclined.
My point is simply this- some people who profess the Christian faith manage to live exactly opposite of what it teaches- love, understanding, kindness and acceptance of others. (Yes, all these are tenets of the Christian faith, just like Wicca, or Buddhism). Does this mean that all Christians are bad, or the enemy? No- an enemy is defined by actions. I for one know what I believe in, and how my world operates. I don't need to go looking for fights. Let's all just get along, celebrate whatever holidays we choose, and discuss things like grownups. Generalizing people based on affiliations is never a good idea- listen to others, and hear what they have to say. Then use your own intelligence, rationality and general thinking-type stuff to formulate your own ideas. If everything was spelled out for us, in the Bible, in the sky, or anywhere else, you'd figure we would have a lot less wars, suffering and pain in the world. But we don't. What does that tell you? It tells me, never give up hope for the future, never be afraid to have your ideas challenged, and send me lots of money. (Hey, it works for TV preachers, figured I'd give it a shot). But at any rate, 300 posts later, I for one often feel the more I learn, the more I find there is that I don't know! But you have to start somewhere, and whatever force governs the creation of the universe has hidden clues everywhere- I often think that all the answers are hidden right in front of me, yet I only occasionally get a glimpse. Well, good people, someday we'll see clearly, I would guess. In the meantime, fight the good fight, and remember that hope springs eternal.
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