Halloween-how do YOU see it?

Is Halloween an evil cult holiday or is it what some might describe as a simple, harmless day of tradition composed of rituals adopted by unintelligible pagans, way back in B.C.?

HA! there must be a mistake in that statement. What is that, a trick question? Well, no. Quite honestly, the second description is the way most people tend to view Halloween. Okay, so what's the difference between the first description and the second, besides the obvious conflicting opinions of different authors looking at the same page of history? That's just it! It's a difference in perspective about traditional values and religious faith. Now, you might wonder, what does most current day society propose about traditional moralistic values? For purpose of simplicity, which I like (a lot), we'll divide the people into just two categories, those who believe in spiritual warfare, and those who don't. Take a look at those who do, first.

Those who believe an invisible battle is taking place between good and evil in "real-time" view the day of "all hallows" like this. There exists an appointment when every person will have to give account of their deeds to the Most High with hope of redemption from mean spirited people on earth (hehe, kiddin'). Generally, they believe that all activities clashing with positive energy should be fervently avoided. Therefore, recognizing this so-called holiday's traditional form of celebration, we find that it conflicts with what these folks' inspired scriptures regard as good, for example, 1. Invoking the dead, 2. Respecting the dead, 3. Worshiping idols, 4, Altering the mind, and 5. Impersonating ogres. All of those are felt to deflect positive energy, good thoughts, and progressive actions. So, how do non-believers (or those who believe in multiple deities) perceive the traditional holiday?

Well, they tend to think of their selves as gods. Therefore, they don't have to answer to anyone for any reason. Heaven and Hell don't exist, and moral values are merely extensions of every person's self-conscience, which develops, by the way, out of conducive atoms in the atmosphere. These people will say that no one really dies; no, they just shed their tired bodies and receive new ones, which biological processes regularly supply. Most naturally believe they possess ownership of their own moral directives and that there exist no serious life and death consequences to their decisions. Therefore, as long as these individuals determine their judgments suitable for self respect, they will resume life the way nature intends. Then these folks will claim that pagan traditions are important to us today because they define human history, which basically symbolizes that which is responsible for whom we've become. They will further proclaim that continued participation in all those holiday rituals provides nothing more than a way to honor our ancestors and to indulge in a day of fun filled activities. Really!, they'll say, there seems no harm in dressing up in ghoulish costumes and exchanging bags of candy. Okay, so what's wrong with this? Next.

The problem with the second point of view is it fails to explain two major points. The first is who authorized their personal ownership of judgment? If there truly is a "proper," or right-and-wrong element to the way we live life, how can an accurate measure of that element be drawn in order to distinguish its existence when everyone satisfies their own interests through individual justification? Can life really resume perpetually without that definition? The second point is in order to claim that we should honor our ancestors in light of the "history" they produced for us, shouldn't we examine where our ancestors came from? Who created them? If not God, then whom? Where did the atmospheric elements that supposedly formed our intelligence come from? Who assembled them in their magnificent, manifested order? Such questions must be asked and concluded if we are to have a real shot at recognizing any truths at all.

But then, maybe many of you are lingering somewhere in the middle of this issue, maybe you believe, but. My question to you is this: If you were to remove your "but," what would be left?