# Halloween =/= Satan Worship, you fucking twit **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 26, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081 "2005-10-26T23:03:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/61 "2005-10-28T13:45:07Z")
Sorry - I meant to add: Lacking any authentic ancient Romans to psychoanalyze (and the expertise to do so), I am left with my wild assed guess. ---
**Author:** ![Plynck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Plynck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plynck)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/62 "2005-10-28T14:10:46Z")
> [@Maus Magill](#): > > No cite, but rather inference from two facts. Hmmm. I inferred from his request for a cite, that he wanted more corroboration for your comment _“I know I’d object to being sacrificed.”_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/63 "2005-10-28T14:44:51Z")
> [@Maus Magill](#): > > No cite, but rather inference from two facts. First that the Romans were not at all squeamish about bloodshed. (Heck, they used to watch people get killed for entertainment.) Secondly that the Celts and Germans would sacrifice prisoners, and in the case of prisoners of war, they would have been Romans. If we’re giving wild guesses, I would think that it’s much more plausible that since a conqueror who had killed massive (for the time) numbers of Celts in a conquest, to the point of all members of entire cities were either killed or enslaved, wanted to paint a picture of the Celts as murderous savages who were a threat to all “civilized” nations. After all, modern scholars are still arguing about the nature and extend of any Celtic human sacrifice; there are no archaeological records or mythological references to gigantic wicker statues crammed with captives. Propaganda is not a new concept. Interestingly, the nominal leader of the Celtic “rebellion” (rebelling against an invading power, how shameful), Vercingetorix, was held as a prisoner and later ritually strangled by the Romans. ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/64 "2005-10-28T14:45:45Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > It’s a time when the souls cross into and out of this world, the beginning of renewal. Interseting that you rail against ignorance, yet \*\*THIS \*\* you believe in? Souls passing in/out of this world on just one day of the year? And souls? Where’s the proof that souls exist? (The above is said only partly tongue in cheek. It’s only meant to point out that those who decry ignorance ought to stand on firm intellectual footing before doing so.) ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/65 "2005-10-28T14:54:26Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > (The above is said only partly tongue in cheek. It’s only meant to point out that those who decry ignorance ought to stand on firm intellectual footing before doing so.) yes, that’s right, It is only possible to claim you decry ignorance, if you fight each and every case of it. :rolleyes: Tomorrow, I am going to a pre-school to explain why Santa does not exist. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/66 "2005-10-28T15:29:06Z")
> [@Spiff](#): > > Interseting that you rail against ignorance, yet \*\*THIS \*\* you believe in? > > Souls passing in/out of this world on just one day of the year? > > And souls? Where’s the proof that souls exist? > > (The above is said only partly tongue in cheek. It’s only meant to point out that those who decry ignorance ought to stand on firm intellectual footing before doing so.) Dude, if I believe microscopic purple elephants are responsible for the joles in Swiss cheese, that’s my business and doesn’t mean squat–but just don’t try telling me that the little elephants are demons from the hell of a completely different pantheon. Sheesh! Let a loon enjoy a little spirituality, eh? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/67 "2005-10-28T15:30:32Z")
Holes. Fuckin, HOLES in Swiss cheese. Goddam microscopic green hyraxes are in my keyboard again… ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/68 "2005-10-28T15:39:05Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > Holes. Fuckin, HOLES in Swiss cheese. Goddam microscopic green hyraxes are in my keyboard again… Don’t fuck in holes in Swiss cheese. It’s one of those purely physical relationships that can’t possibly have any future. ---
**Author:** ![Hassan\_Ibn\_Sabbah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/91b2a8/32.png) [@Hassan\_Ibn\_Sabbah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hassan_Ibn_Sabbah)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/69 "2005-11-02T01:01:50Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Well, strictly speaking, such condemnation of other religions is scripturally justified by the Bible, so they’re really only following their beliefs. > > ( :rolleyes: ) Exactly where in the Bible does it say “Thou shall condemnth the creepy goth kid next door”? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/70 "2005-11-02T01:43:01Z")
> [@fushj00mang](#): > > the worship of Stan. All depends which Stan. Musial? Freberg? Lee? Getz? Or, heaven forfend, Kenton? ---
**Author:** ![Good\_Egg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/96bed5/32.png) [@Good\_Egg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Good_Egg)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/71 "2005-11-02T03:19:10Z")
wow. The google ads say Hell does not exist and pentecostal sermons. ah… ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/72 "2005-11-02T03:34:09Z")
My sister told me that her nominally mainstream Christian church banned “unholy” costumes this year for their “Trunk and Treat”, and she had to come up with an alternative to a vampire for my nephew! WTF? Are we going to ban deviled eggs now? Make New Jersey rename their team? > [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > Self proclaimed “good” people who blindly consider Samhain to be a Satanic orgy of death worship and goat-felching. Not sheep? Sorry Hal ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/73 "2005-11-02T20:45:51Z")
> [@TokyoPlayer](#): > > My sister told me that her nominally mainstream Christian church banned “unholy” costumes this year for their “Trunk and Treat”, and she had to come up with an alternative to a vampire for my nephew! Don’t leave us in suspense; what did he go as? I’ll guess “victim of a bad dentist.” ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/74 "2005-11-03T02:51:58Z")
> [@Hassan Ibn Sabbah](#): > > Exactly where in the Bible does it say “Thou shall condemnth the creepy goth kid next door”? Nowhere, but then, we aren’t talking about creepy goth kids next door. We’re talking about the gods of another pantheon…in which case, I’d refer you to any number of biblical injunctions against having other gods before Him, etc., including idols, “witchcraft,” (of Jezebel and others,) pagan practices, or even association with pagans. You can pick and choose as a Christian, but don’t pretend it’s not in there in black and white. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/75 "2005-11-03T16:11:08Z")
Heh. Not only did my church not say a word against Halloween, it’s a celebrated prelude to All Saints Day, a Holy Day of Obligation (which means you’re supposed to go to Mass on a weekday–I did this year because I had just come from a job interview and I needed to calm down). My pastor even wrote his column on it, starting with how much fun it was to trick-or-treat in the Bronx in the 50s, how adults had increasingly made it their holiday and why, and finally how it had evolved into the church holiday: Originally posted by **Fr. Ron Franco** : > [@](#): > > November 1st was once the most important of the four seasonal turning points of the Celtic year, the beginning not only of winter but of a new year, the eve of which was a “crack in time”, a scary in-between time when the spirits of the dead that were thought to roam about and possibly even try to haunt their old homes…by about the 9th century AD the Roman festival of All Saints was moved from its original date in May to November 1-a kind of Christianization of the old Celtic holiday…and of Christ’s victory (as exemplified in the saints) over the demonic forces which had hitherto held people in fear. Hence the name “Halloween”, which means ‘the eve of all Hallows’, i.e. All Saints. > [@](#): > > All Saints Day celebrates the Church Triumphant-all the saints, both known and unknown-who now praise God forever in Heaven…the great autumn triduum of Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls challenges us to face our fears and contemplate the mystery of death-but to do so in faith and hope. He’s a pretty avid historian but I’d rather not quibble about the Celtic/Roman thing–just wanted to point out another point of view possible from a Christian church. And anybody who says that the RC church isn’t Christian will be poked with tridents by every little kid I saw on Monday night in a devil costume. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081/76 "2005-11-03T17:01:18Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Don’t fuck in holes in Swiss cheese. It’s one of those purely physical relationships that can’t possibly have any future. NOW you tell me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halloween-satan-worship-you-fucking-twit/328081.md?page=3)