Thread: Religious Implications

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Hi All,

This year (for the third year) we had a fairly large Halloween haunt in the front yard and garage of our house. Many WWM props, tombstones and all kinds of “dead and undead” things. We had over 600 kids (versus ~100 when we didn’t decorate) and countless adults making multiple visits, taking pictures etc. The hole family had so much fun, we were the talk of the community. I feel like it give everyone in our area something to look forward to. Everyone loves a good scare.

A week later we were in a fairly serious car accident involving our whole family, and while we all made it out ok, we are banged up, but OK (physiotherapy will probably take care of most issues)

One of our neighbors (a very, very nice couple) are quite religious and never participated in Halloween, for those reasons. They came to see us after the accident and ‘suggested’ that the evil spirits from our haunt may have contributed to the accident. Logically, I cannot rationally associate these events, I’m not religious, I have my own beliefs but they do not align with that of my neighbors. The trauma of the event does make us all feel somewhat vulnerable to suggestion and I guess a little spooked no matter how irrational that may sound.

I guess the real issue I have to deal with is how to, not defend, but explain to my neighbors that it’s just fun. Like I said they are very nice people and are not sticking their nose in our business, they are just trying to help in their own way. Does anyone have a moderate religious argument in favor of Halloween that I can use?

They are not interfering in any way with what I do (or plan to do for ’09), but I’d to keep good neighbors as friends as well. My plans right now is to go bigger and better for ’09, without offending too many people.

Any thoughts.

Take a look at this thread:

Halloween condemned in my town newspaper

A lot of folks have tossed out some good info and you might find some of it of use and a lot of it as interesting.

For what it's worth, I don't believe that 'evil spirits' live in our props. Polystyrene, paper mache, pvc, latex and the back room of Radio Shack just don't quite fit the image of real evil and my bad luck is less bad luck than bad judgement

I think you would have to associate decorating for Halloween with intentionally doing something evil, which it is not. What we do is good and fun and makes people happy, or why would you get 600 people coming out to your home to see it.

I think maybe if you explain it to them that way they my not agree, but they may understand better.

Thanks,

Just to explain, the accident. We were stuck in traffic, not moving. A car traveling the opposite way (at a good speed) lost control, hit the median, became airborne and struck the front drivers side of our SUV. The SUV caught fire and is now a write-off. We were sitting ducks.

I know, we were in the wrong place at the wrong time, rather than some sinister spirit following me. If that was the case, then I guess there would be a really high turn-over at the year-round professional haunts.

I'm glad you and your family are all ok.

I would just say you respect their opinion and leave it at that, why do you have to explain anything?

I second taking a look at that thread ondeko recommended. Not all Christians believe as they do (in fact I would say it's a minority) and there were some great counter-arguments in the thread from other Christians.

I also agree with MrsMeyers666. Just say thanks for their opinion and leave it at that. I don't think a big religious discussion would enhance the neighbor relationship.

I don't know that you need to explain/defend anything. Sometimes when there is a difference in opinion it's just best to let things be, and not say anything. At this time anyway. Now, if they start lecturing, my thoughts would change.

I guess they are entitled to their opinion as to why you were in your accident (so glad you are all ok!), as small minded as I think it is. Although I don't think their comment to you was appropriate. Jeez!

Wow, talk about bad luck. I'm glad you and your family will be OK in the long run. I wasn't trying to mock you or the situation in any way, but I think part of the explanation to your neighbors should include some of that--plastic, while environmentally ambiguous, isn't inherently evil. Thank them for their concern and good wishes. What we do is theater. It's entertainment and it's harmless tradition that you happen to believe is important enough to keep alive. it's very different from Passion plays where the re-enactment of the Crucifixion is more than theater because it incorporates both ritual and doctrinal religious concepts as the primary focus. In a Passiom play the acting and costumes and sets are all secondary to the message of the play. A Halloween display is entirely about the staging and there isn't really a meassage beyond having some fun and confronting our fears by facing 'paper tigers'.

I don't think you should look at things that way at all.

A good friend of mine has always referred to my life as 1's and 20's. What he is refering to (insert nerd here) is a twenty sided dice in role playing games.

Usually when you roll a (1 )some thing great happens, when you roll a (20) something terrible happens. Such is my life, and most everyone's really. You have your ups and downs just sometimes they are more pronounced then other times and bad things can happen to good people.

For instance, August 2004 I moved into my new house (rolled a 1, Yay me!) :P
A week later I fell shattering my foot leaving me on bed rest for 8 months (20) :O

I was distraught wondering, how the heck am I even going to make my 1st mortgage payment! Then It happened...A state official showed up at my house and told me they were widening the street behind my property and needed the use of my backyard for about 6 months and presented me with a check for $1100.00.

I was greatful and invited him into my house. It was over 90 degrees outside and this poor fellow had been at it all day handing out checks to other homeowners that were less then happy with the amounts they were receiving for the inconveniance the project posed on them for the better half of a year.

He was tired, overheated, and frustrated so I invited him in for a coke and a spell in my air-conditioning. Well, this guy was so relieved that I was pleasant with him he tore my check up :O !!!!

Well, he then asked me if he could look at my backyard. After looking at my trees, garden and stuff he then wrote me a new check for $3700.00 (1) !!!!!!

I got the biggest check on the entire block!

So don't read into other's ideas too much, just do what you got to do and live.

And hope ya roll more ones then twenties :P

Glad you and your Family are all OK. THAT is the most important part of the entire situation.

Having said that, I think that you have already stated the best path ... that is, to explain to them that although their suggested interpretation is one possibility, it is not one that you would tend to embrace.

From that point you could proceed in several different directions with varrying degrees of disagreement with your neighbors.

You could say ....

... you found out that the people in the other vehicle who caused the accident were severely injured and that they had just written a scathing letter to their local paper condimning Halloween, and your family was essentially uninjured, so you just aren't sure how to interpret the accident ... maybe it was just an accident.

... that perhaps it was God's way of allowing you to get out of big SUV payments at a time when your family had been talking about the need to get into something more economical with better gas mileage.

... you think that God was protecting your family from serious injury because you have brought so much enjoyment to the community and you think it's a sign that you should increase the size of the haunt.

... ???