Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

T R I C K   O R   T R E A T  :  T H E   H I S T O R Y   O F   H A L L O W E E N


It has been said that some of our modern holidays, particularly Christmas, are 
pagan in origin.  This line of thought is quite weak historically.  For 
example, the allegation regarding Christmas is supported by one primary pagan 
connection, the December 25th date.  This is not true of All Hallows' Eve, 
more commonly known as Halloween.  Very little difference exists between 
Halloween festivities now and Halloween festivities 2000 years ago.  The 
reason ancient Halloween rites have not changed (unlike the ancient rites of 
December 25th) lies in the unique position of this ritual, in terms of the 
occult.

Halloween is a practice originated, as far as can be told, from the ancient 
Celtic peoples.  The expanse of the Celtic race is related in Barry Cunliffe's 
book, _The Celtic World_:

	"Traces of the Celts can be found almost anywhere in
	temperate Europe.  Their fortifications - hillforts and
	oppida - are to be seen spreading in a broad arc from
	Yugoslavia to the north of Scotland; the museums of Europe
	store thousands of objects recovered from the excavations
	of graves and of settlement sites or dredged from rivers and
	bogs; while many of our great cities, including Budapest,
	Paris, Belgrade, stand on Celtic foundations." 

Other famous cities are built on Celtic foundations; London, England is a 
prime example.  As to the identification of modern Celts, Ireland, Wales, and 
Scotland are populated largely by those of Celtic blood and retain the 
indigenous Celtic languages, as do the cities of Cornwall, England and 
Brittany, France.

According to _Funk and Wagnall's Standard Reference Encyclopedia_,

	"Halloween or "All Hallows' Eve" is a "name applied to the
	evening of October 31, preceding the Christian feast of
	Hallowmass, Allhallows, or All Saint's Day.  The observances
	connected with Halloween are believed to have originated
	among the ancient Druids, who believed that on that evening
	Saman, the lord of the dead, called forth hosts of evil
	spirits.  The Druids customarily lit great fires on
	Halloween, apparently for the purpose of warding off these
	spirits.  Among the ancient Celts, Halloween was the last

	evening of the year, and it was regarded as a propitious
	time for examining the portents of the future.  The Celts
	also believed that the spirits of the dead revisited their
	earthly homes on that evening." 

Indications in our popular culture are that the public is becoming increasingly 
aware of the original rites of Halloween.  Probably largely responsible for 
this reawakening are three movies which have grossed millions of dollars: 
"Halloween", "Halloween II", and "Halloween III - The Season of the Witch".  
In all three movies, this cult of death which is celebrated October 31st is 
very well illustrated.  Now, for the first time in possibly one thousand 
years, many know the origins and true significance of Halloween.  
Unfortunately, a marked rise in the ancient practices has accompanied this new 
knowledge.  In England, Ireland, Scotland, and France, as well as in America, 
many thousands of persons are reverting to the religion of their ancestors and 
to the "festival of the dead".  Before examining modern witchcraft's rise, in 
relation to Halloween and its affiliated rituals, we should consult the Bible. 
 Exodus 22:18 says, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live".  The Bible 
contains repeated denunciations of witchcraft and other practices of this ilk. 
 Therefore, claims by modern witches that they are "unopposed" to Christianity 
must be put to rest.  Exodus 22:20 further warns, "He that sacrificeth unto 
any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed".  Thus, 
although the numbers of those who practice the black arts are growing, we must 
remember that the ancient practices of sacrifice and witchcraft are expressly 
forbidden.

_Man, Myth, and Magic_, a 24-volume encyclopedia of the supernatural, says

	"All Hallows' Eve, or Hallowe'en, was originally a festival
	of fire and the dead and the powers of darkness.  It is the
	evening of 31 October, the night before the Christian
	festival of all Hallows' or All Saints' Day.  All Hallows'
	Day commemorates the saints and martyrs, and was first
	introduced in the 7th century.  Its date was changed from 13
	May to 1 November in the following century, probably to
	make it coincide with and Christianize a pagan festival of
	the dead.  All Souls's Day in the Roman Catholic calendar is
	2 November.  It is marked by prayers for the souls of the
	dead." 

The intentional effort by The Church to stamp out the pagan ceremonies of 
Halloween failed, however.  Whereas the original meanings were clouded or lost,
the actual methodology of witchcraft and worships survives until the present 
day.

Let us specifically examine the original meanings of Halloween.  _The Golden 
Bough_, by Sir James Frazier, is a considered and respected, albeit secular, 
work on the occult from the 19th century.  Sir Frazier's comments seem most 
enlightening to our study:


	"Throughout Europe, Halloween, the night which marks the 
	transition from autumn to winter, seems to have been of old 
	the time of year when the souls of the departed were 
	supposed to revisit their old homes in order to warm 
	themselves by the fire and to comfort themselves with the 
	good cheer provided for them in the kitchen or the parlor 
	by their affectionate kinsfolk.  It was, perhaps, a natural 
	thought that the approach of winter should drive the poor 
	shivering hungry ghosts from the bare fields and the 
	leafless woodlands to the shelter of the cottage with its 
	familiar fireside."

So, one of the reasons for bonfires, so common on Halloween, are to attract 
the dead and to keep them away from the home, until their journey into the 
afterworld.  This was a serious matter to those who practiced the Celtic 
religion.  Samhain, or Sa-ween as it was pronounced, hence Hallo-ween, was the 
single most important festival concerning the dead to the ancient Celtic 
world.  Bonfires were also used for one of the most hideous acts imaginable.  
The _Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology_ tells us:

	"... on the eve of Samhain the people of the side
	(otherworld) left their domain and wandered in the world of
	man ... hideous and terrifying ritual at Samhain ... attacks
	by hostile supernatural powers and of sacrifices are
	indicative of this insecurity and the need for
	propitiation." 

Simply put, the Celts wished to know the future and believed that on this 
terrible night they could learn the future by use of a ritual.  This ritual 
consisted of constructing a basket, containing a human being or an animal.  
This basket was then burned, with the unfortunate inmate within burned to 
death.  It was the belief of the Celts that by watching the victim die by 
fire, they would be able to see signs of the future as the sacrificial victim 
passed from this world into the next.

The Celts believed that on this night other creatures roamed with the spirits 
of the dead.  Fairies, as reported by _Man, Myth, and Magic_,

	"... could also be seen on All Hallows' Eve, moving from
	one fairy hill to another with the music of bells and
	elfhorns.  They were sometimes identified with the dead." 

The Celts held that fairies could be good or bad; however, the introduction of 
Christianity changed this distinction.  Jack Santino's work, _Night of the 
Wandering Souls_, reveals:

	"Samhain, with its emphasis on the supernatural, was very 
	pagan.  While missionaries identified Christian holy days 
	with native holy days, they branded the earlier supernatural 
	deities as evil and associated them with the Devil.  As 

	representatives of the rival religion, Druids were 
	considered evil; their gods and spirits, devilish and 
	demoniac.  The Celtic underworld inevitably became 
	associated with the Christian Hell.  The effects of this 
	policy were to diminish but not totally dispel beliefs in 
	the traditional gods.  According to priests, fairies were 
	fallen angels, thus identifying them with devils in 
	Christian theology."

Thus, as the Celts converted to the new religion, they did not forget their 
stories of the dead traveling to the afterworld on Halloween, nor did 
sightings and activities of fairies cease being reported.  Instead, 
manifestations of this night became overwhelmingly evil, and the festival 
adopted even more malicious overtones.  Everything supernatural was attributed 
to demons who masqueraded as fairies, hobgoblins, vampires, werewolves, and 
virtually any other myth.  Interestingly, until the advent of the 20th 
century, these supernatural beings were regarded as very real and very 
dangerous.

As more Celts became Christian, the native Druids or Celtic priests were 
correctly labeled "witches".  Witchhunting became a very common phenomenon 
until the 17th century, with the usual punishment prescribed being burning at 
the stake.  Whereas witchhunting crazes broke out indiscriminately, hunting 
witches during Halloween became virtually a national pastime.  _Man, Myth, and 
Magic_ says:

	"Darker and colder creatures still roamed through the night 
	on Hallowe'en - demons and hobgoblins, witches who straddled 
	broomsticks or shankbones, flew in sieves or egg-shells, or 
	rode on coal-black horses.  The fires helped to keep them 
	off and at Balmoral in Queen Victoria's time the effigy of a 
	hideous old witch was ceremoniously burned on a bonfire at 
	Hallowe'en."

It should be noted that Queen Victoria ruled the British Empire at its height, 
during the 19th century.  Witches were very much on the public's mind during 
the last two millennia.  Midnight of October 31st was considered an extremely 
hazardous time, as witches were believed to be actively hexing people and 
communing with the devil.  Many Catholics took to making charms and casting 
"white magic" spells to protect themselves from the evil they knew to be very 
potent on this night.  What many apparently did not realize was that charms 
themselves were as evil as the witches they were supposed to thwart.

Foretelling the future was an idea intriguing to the Celts, as much as anyone, 
and many still believed the Druids were witches - or in the case of males, 
warlocks - they did not doubt this.  Therefore, burning sacrificial animals 
and, occasionally, people was still not uncommon.  Even in our time, animals 
are sacrificed on Halloween in Europe and in the Philippines, as well as in 
the Americas.



Using witchcraft to foretell the future was a crime that cost King Saul of 
Israel his life.  I Samuel 28:7-8 reads,

	"Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath 
	a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. 
	And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that 
	hath a familiar spirit at Endor.  And Saul disguised 
	himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men 
	with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, 
	I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and 
	bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee."

The story of the witch of Endor already possessed several significant 
similarities to the witches of the Celts.  Familiar spirits are nothing more 
than demons, and the fairies and leprechauns of Celtic myths are the same as 
familiar spirits.

The Lord's punishment upon Saul was pronounced to him the very same night.  I 
Samuel 28:17-18 relates,

	"And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the 
	Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it 
	to thy neighbour, even to David: Because thou obeyedst not 
	the voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon 
	Amelek, therefore, the Lord hath done this thing unto thee 
	this day."

The Lord's pronouncements concerning witchcraft are quite clear.  There is no 
such thing as "white" magic; it is all evil and empowered by evil beings.  It 
should also be emphasized that these actions transpired at nighttime, as do 
traditional Halloween activities.

The other, and much more popular, so-called white magic act is the creation 
and wearing of charms.  Few people realize that the wearing and use of charms 
is simply another manifestation of witchcraft.  Be it rabbits' feet or 
religious medallions, trinkets, or other such relics, these objects are 
subject to demonic power.  The word "charm" means "to cast a spell on".  The 
Bible contains several passages about charms and the use thereof.  Psalm 
58:3-5 says,

	"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as 
	soon as they be born, speaking lies.  Their poison is like 
	the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that 
	stoppeth her ear; Which will not hearken to the voice of 
	charmers, charming never so wisely."

This is hardly a ringing endorsement of the use of charms.  Furthermore, 
Isaiah 19:3 states:

	"And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; 

	and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek 
	to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have 
	familiar spirits, and to the wizards."

The Lord purposefully groups together idol worshipers, witches with familiar 
spirits, wizards, and charmers.  This is not the only scripture dealing 
thusly.  The activities of Halloween, the making of charms, divining the 
future, the practice of magic, and dealing with unclean spirits and demons are 
explicitly forbidden to mankind.  Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says,

	"There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his 
	son or daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth 
	divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a 
	witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, 
	or a wizard, or a necromancer (that is, 'one who seeks to 
	interrogate the dead', according to Schofield).  For all 
	that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and 
	because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive 
	them out from before thee."

This is a very explicit commandment from the Lord.  Thus, the ancient Celtic 
ritual of Halloween practiced today in America is pagan in origin and innately 
linked with the occult, about which the Bible has much to say and warns 
against.

Among the Celts - as well as among the Chinese, the Egyptians, and even the 
Aztecs - it was thought that the spirits of the dead required food and drink.  
During the festival of Samhain, the people would leave various articles of 
food outside to placate the spirits.  This was very important, for only the 
finest mutton legs, vegetables, eggs and poultry - as well as honey and wine - 
were left outside for the spirits to consume on their way to the netherworld.  
To supply nothing meant that the hungry and possibly irritated spirit might 
intrude upon one's house and help itself to one's belongings.  Leaving out 
food that had spoiled was also considered an open invitation to disaster.  
Therefore, families who faced uncertain diets, often of very low quality, gave 
what was most precious to them: food.  This takes on added implications when 
we recall that, at that time, food was very difficult to preserve.  Moreover, 
Halloween marked winter's beginning, when food was at its scarcest, and 
starvation not uncommon.

From this practice evolved on of the most remarkable aspects of Halloween; to 
quote Santino:

	"Virtually all of our Halloween customs today can be traced 
	to the ancient Celtic day of the dead.  Each of Halloween's 
	many mysterious customs has a history, or at least a story, 
	behind it.  The wearing of costumes, for instance, and the 
	roaming from door-to-door demanding treats can be traced to 
	the Celtic period and the first few centuries of 
	Christianity when it was thought that the souls of the dead 

	were out and around, along with fairies, witches, and 
	demons.  Food and drink were left to placate them.  As the 
	centuries wore on, people began dressing as these dreadful 
	creatures and performing antics in exchange for offerings of 
	food and drink.  This practice, called mumming, evolved into 
	our present trick or treating.  To this day, witches, 
	ghosts, and skeleton figures of the dead are among the 
	favorite disguises."

The practice of wearing masks and outfits to represent these evil creatures is 
universal in the human experience.  From the Indians of America to China - in 
all the inhabited areas of the earth - traditions exist in which individuals 
who dress to represent a god or demon are imbued with supernatural powers and 
often given presents or beneficial treatment.  There is a reason for this.  
Idols and masks of idols are representative of something!  I Corinthians 
10:19-21 says,

	"What say I then? that the idol is anything, or that which 
	is offered in sacrifice to idols is anything?  But I say, 
	that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice 
	to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should 
	have fellowship with devils.  Ye cannot drink the cup of the 
	Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the 
	Lord's table, and the table of devils."

So the Bible tells us that idols represent demons, "demon" being the actual 
word used in the original Greek text.  Offerings of food are offerings of food 
to demons; the trick or treating of today is reminiscent of that practice.  In 
fact, trick or treating children often masquerade as demons.  Food is given 
these children under the guise of a "trick or a treat".  It has become a 
recent phenomenon that adults participate in these activities, a strange 
shadow of what transpired 2,000 years earlier.

Lest we should become confused as to how the concept of romping spirits became 
intertwined with children, we must again quote _Man, Myth, and Magic_:

	"The guisers went from house to house, singing and dancing.
	Their blood-curdling masks and grotesque costumes may have
	been meant to keep evil at bay or, more likely, were a
	visible representation of the ghosts and goblins that lurked
	in the night.  The masks have now been transferred to the 
	children who, in the United States, visit the neighbours for 
	the food offerings which belonged to the dead - or play 
	tricks akin to the legendary destructiveness of witches and 
	imps abroad on this night."

This then is the story and significance behind trick or treating.  But there 
is more to the story of Halloween ...

Virtually everyone in this country has either made or seen a jack-o-lantern.  



These macabre, grinning pumpkins with candles inside often light the way of 
the errant ghost seeking his or her candy.  Have you ever wondered where the 
idea for the jack-o'-lantern originated?  This, too, was a Celtic invention 
used during the ritual of Samhain or Halloween.  In the United States, the 
jack-o'-lantern is a carved pumpkin.  The orange, grinning, candle-filled lamp 
of Halloween is extremely popular and may be observed virtually anywhere in 
the United States at Halloween.  The use of a pumpkin for the jack-o'-lantern 
is an invention of the American Indian.  In Europe, where the concept for the 
jack-o'-lantern was conceived, it is not a pumpkin but rather a carved-out 
turnip.  The switch was made in America because, besides being much larger 
than a turnip, the pumpkin is easier to carve.  The turnip was the original 
jack-o'-lantern, and here is the earliest known tale of how it originated.

The tale of the jack-o'-lantern is, in several ways, reminiscent of the 
classic tale of Dr. Faustus in world literature.  A blacksmith by the name of 
Jack made a contract with Satan.  The deal contained a trade-off.  Jack the 
blacksmith would be given powers by Satan that would make him the best 
blacksmith in the world for a period of seven years.  In return, Satan would 
demand Jack's soul at the end of this seven-year period.  Jack thus received 
the powers and hung a sign outside his shop proclaiming himself the master of 
all masters.

As the story goes, one day the Son of God came to the shop, accompanied by the 
apostle Peter.  The sign had indicated that the owner was in need of religious 
indoctrination.  Thus, the two worked several miracles - to no avail - in 
Jack's presence.  Peter then offered Jack three wishes, which Jack immediately 
seized upon.  Santino writes:

	"first, he wished that whenever he told someone to climb a 
	nearby pear tree that person would have to stay in the tree 
	until Jack allowed him to come down.  He made the same 
	wishes regarding his armchair and his purse: one must stay 
	in them until Jack allowed him to go.

	"'You have wished very foolishly', said Saint Peter.  "You 
	should have wished for everlasting peace in Heaven.'

	"Nevertheless, Jack used these three wishes to trick the 
	Devil when he came to take his soul.  Each time the Devil 
	came, Jack tricked him into climbing the tree, sitting in 
	his chair, and finally, shrinking himself and entering his 
	purse.  Each time, the Devil gave Jack seven years in return 
	for his freedom, and finally he simply fled in terror."

Jack could not live forever, however, and one day he died.  When presented a 
heaven's Pearly Gates, Peter would not allow Jack inside.  Denied entrance 
into heaven, Jack went to hell.  At the gates of hell, Satan refused Jack 
entrance, saying that Jack was full of too many tricks and would cause 
mischief.  Satan then ordered the gates of hell closed.  But before Jack was 
thrown out, he managed to scoop out a burning coal from the fires of hell with 



a turnip he had been eating.  As this coal came from hell, it was eternal and 
would never be extinguished.  Thus, Jack, who was denied entrance into heaven 
and hell, was doomed to roam the earth with his peculiar lantern, his 
Jack-o'-lantern, if you will. 

The Halloween festival became fully established in America after the huge 
influx of Irishmen as a result of the great Irish potato famine of 1846.  
America, in that era, was quite religious, and so the stories of fairies and 
leprechauns, as well as demons and ghosts, were accepted as fact.  Religious 
beliefs aside, those less well-educated tend to be more superstitious - at 
least that was the prevalent thinking of the early to mid-twentieth century.  
In America, those who were the most superstitious were also the least 
educated; the American Indian, the Negro, and poor white settlers in the 
Appalachian and Ozark regions tended to take superstitions very seriously 
indeed.  Other than these groups, belief in the Bible as the Word of God 
confirmed, as a matter of course, the existence of ghosts and demons.  
Education - as taught in the mid-twentieth century until the present - has 
become increasingly secular and anti-supernatural in thinking.

Studies in the occult, from both religious and purely academic points of view, 
have shown a marked increase in the numbers and efforts of satanists in the 
latter part of this century.  By satanist, we include such practices as 
witchcraft, following pagan religions, charmers, necromancers, and other 
practices of the black arts.

According to Paul Lee Tann's _Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations_,

	"Satan worship and all forms of the occult is evident 
	everywhere.  It is estimated that there are at least 100 
	million Americans who dabble in some form of Black Magic."

	"In New Jersey, a young man was drowned by a group of his 
	friends at his request, because that a violent end would put 
	him in command of forty legions of demons."

Witchcraft is not dead.  In England, at the ancient ruins of Stonehenge, Druid 
priests perform ancient rites, as their ancestors did.  Witch hunts, which 
resulted in the murdering of more than half a million persons in Europe during 
the last millennia, are not a phenomenon of the past.  According to _Collier's 
Encyclopedia_,

	"In 1957 during a virus epidemic in Alaska, the civil
	authorities were hard put to it to prevent an Eskimo
	community from destroying the 'witches' held responsible." 

No, the occult is not dead.  In fact, the occult is currently probably 
stronger than at any time since the Dark Ages.  Zombies are no laughing matter 
in Haiti, any more than demons are to Christians; and who is to say in what 
form demonic power can manifest itself?  Astrology, chiefest of the black arts 
among Americans, has skyrocketed in popularity since the 1960s.



According to the _Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations_,

	"Americans spend over $200 million a year on astrology
	alone.  A 1976 Gallup Poll indicated that those who take
	astrology seriously may number as many as 32 million ... It
	is estimated that 1200 of the 1700 U.S. daily newspapers
	regularly print horoscope columns." 

The evil world of the occult wages an ongoing assault against Christianity.

We believe revival of witchcraft and the black arts is indicative of the end 
times.  Satan knows the time of Christ's return is near, and he is mustering 
all of his forces to engage in a battle he has lost already.  Let no one doubt 
that witchcraft and sorcery are very real.  The number of occult-related 
murders has been on the increase in this country for more than a generation.  
Moreover, one of the most significant occult dates of all - the one favored 
for Black Mass - is Halloween, celebrated the last day of October in our 
nation.  On college campuses and universities today, Anton LaVey's _Satanic 
Bible_ is often a best-seller - in some cases, outselling the Bible itself.



It is of great importance to realize that the powers some claim are not powers 
of themselves; real sorcery relies on demonic or Satanic power.  Ephesians 
6:12 states:

	"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
	principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
	darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
	places." 

There is, in conclusion, only one way to win against Satan; that is victory 
through Christ Jesus.

re Note 60.1 by AYOV24::CFLOYD:

        Your note is way over the 100-line recommended maximum (by
        about 5 times). 

        Could you please do us the favor of a one-page summary of
        this report?

        Bob

    Wotcha Bob,
               Sorry I dont have the time,but if you feel it is necessary
    to amend it you are welcome to do as you see fit.
    ....chris
    PS I didnt have this problem in 'the other conference'...ah! well
    thats life!! 

    Chris,
    
    I know you mean well, but when I saw the number of lines I knew
    immediately I wasn't going to read the whole of it.  If you do want
    folks here to give this serious attention, your entries simply must
    be more concise.
    
    The 100 lines limit Bob spoke of is *not* a hard and fast rule, NOR
    IS IT A PUNISHMENT.  It is a guideline and a courtesy to your readers.
    
    Thank you, friend,
    Richard

    It would take time but would not be difficult to edit that
    entry at the dcl level into blocks of about 100 lines each.
    
    Bonnie

    Well, I've read all of .1 and I found it interesting.  However, few
    here will be surprised that I have a different perspective. I think the
    basic questions are these:  
    
    Is the tradition of mummery on Halloween anything more than harmless fun?  
    
    1.'s Answer:  Yes -- it is to be avoided.
    My answer:    No.
    
    Are Celtic traditions Satanic?
    
    1.'s Answer:  Yes.
    My answer:    No.
    
    Do fairies, leperchauns, and so on exist?  Are they evil.  
    
    1.'s Answer: Probably not, but if so then they are evil.
    My answer:   Yes and No.  
    
    Is Satanic worship to be shunned?
    
    1.'s Answer:  YES!
    My answer:    YES!
    
    Does it happen on Halloween?
    
    1.'s Answer:  Yes.
    My answer:    Yes.
    
    Does it affect the "vibrations" of the earth on that night?
    
    1.'s Answer:  Not addressed.
    My answer:    Yes.
    
    Left unasked:  What should one's response be to those vibrations?
    
    1.'s Answer: Not addressed.
    My answer:   Organized and individual efforts at "grounding" that
                 energy, thus transmuting it to God's purposes.
    
    DR

    	At least ONE person replied with more than a comment on the size of
    Jamey's entry. I sent it to the printer, myself. I'll have something
    more to say after I read it - and DR's reply. From my quick scan of
    60.6 I would say that Jamey is quite paranoid about All Souls Day and
    DR is perhaps a little as well. There are very few Satanists anywhere,
    less than 1% of 1% of the adult population (though even ONE is too
    many) and most of what goes on at the end of October is either
    children's games or adults acting like children. IMO.

    re .7
    
    This is my first entry in this topic. I believe you have given me more
    credit that I deserve.
    
    Jamey
    

    re. 8
    
    :-}
    
    Richard

    >There are very few Satanists anywhere,
    >less than 1% of 1% of the adult population (though even ONE is too
    >many) and most of what goes on at the end of October is either
    >children's games or adults acting like children. IMO.
    
    Hmm, interesting thought!  Do you suppose Halloween is considered evil
    by some people *because* it is celebrated as fun without being tied to
    some specific "noble" cause?  Is this left-over Puritanism?

    	I printed out 60.1 and started to read through it, then I got out a
    highlighter and started again, then I quit about half-way through. This
    stuff is full of internal inconsistancies, self-referencing truths and
    unsupported accusation. Is the second half any more sensible?
    	According to Funk and Wagnall's Standard Reference Encyclopedia,
    not the most scholarly available IMO, "... the lord of the dead, called
    forth hosts of evil spirits. The Druids customarily lit great fires on
    Halloween, apparently for the purpose of warding off these spirits."
    OK, one FOR the Druids, one against the spirits.
    	Next paragraph: "In all three (Halloween) movies, this cult of
    death ..." What cult of death ?  The preceding quote does not portray
    the Druids as worshipping death but as fearing the return of the dead.
    Same para: "In England, Ireland, Scotland, and France, as well as in
    America, many thousands of persons are reverting to the religion of
    their ancestors and to the "festival of the dead"." Again, what
    festival ?  Further, would you care to offer a shred of support for
    your claim that "many thousands" are doing (whatever)? Same para:
    Exodus 22:18 says, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." That's all
    well and good, but this is the first mention of witches and does not in
    any way relate to anything that has gone on before.
    	Skip a little.
    	You quote from The Golden Bough, by Sir James Frazier - you really
    ought to check your sources more carefully - "... when the souls of the
    departed were supposed to revisit their old homes in order to warm
    themselves by the fire and to comfort themselves with the good cheer
    provided for them in the kitchen or the parlor by their affectionate
    kinfolk." Well, that's one for the spirits! That really sounds to me
    like a raging night of hell-raising and evil-doing, sitting by the fire
    and gaining comfort from the good cheer provided by their affectionate
    kinfolk. ;') And don't ever let me catch you enjoying the good cheer of
    your loving family again!
    	Next para: "So, one of the reasons for the bonfires, ..., are to
    attract the dead and keep them away from the home,". And away from
    their affectionate kinfolk? This does not correlate either with what I
    took from page 1 or from the previous paragraph, it is logically
    inconsistant.
    	Next quote: from the Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology "(the
    spirits) left their domain and wandered in the world of man ... hideous
    and terrifying ritual at Samhain ... attacks by hostile supernatural
    powers and of sacrifices are indicative of this insecurity and the need
    for propitiation." Read it again, please, and try to tell me it makes
    sense even within itself. Now compare it to the previous. Once you get
    over the fact that it reads like a ham radio in a thunder storm, it
    counters both the previous quote and the first quote. This is house-of-
    cards logic.
    	Next para: you again: "Simply put, the Celts wished to know the
    future and believed that on this terrible night they could learn the
    future by use of a ritual." Where in the world did you pull this from?
    Not from anything preceding in this note. The rest of this paragraph,
    accusing the Celts of ritual human sacrifice etc. is also not
    substantiated here.
    	Next para and quote: "(fairies) were sometimes identified with the
    dead." Not exactly a telling indictment.
    	Then: "...they(missionaries) branded the earlier supernatural
    deities as evil and associated them with the Devil. As representatives
    of the rival religion, Druids were considered evil; their gods and
    spirits, devilish and demonic." "According to the priests, fairies were
    fallen angels, thus identifying them with devils in Christian
    theology." THAT sounds like a telling indictment - of the missionaries.
    I wouldn't want to try to defend the actions of the Celtic Druids, but
    what occured here would be called propaganda today.
    	Skipping a bunch of stuff where you somehow suggest that when
    something is percieved as evil, it becomes evil and where you can't
    decide if supernatural beings are real and dangerous or imaginary, and
    where you AGAIN quote that fires were used to WARD OFF spirits, we get
    to the magic part. "Many Catholics took to making charms and casting
    "white magic" spells to protect themselves from evil they knew to be
    very potent on this night. What many did not realize was that charms
    themselves were as evil as the witches they were supposed to thwart."
    Well, was the magic potent? And why pick on Catholics, you aren't one I
    presume? Back to the magic. The WHITE magic. You may not like it but
    you are stuck with it: PRAYER is white magic. Unless you are praying
    for harm to come to another, then it is black magic.
    	Oh, here's one maybe Bonnie can explain ;') " Psalm 58:3-5 "... they
    go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies..." Anybody have a
    clear idea of how many babes speak as soon as they be born? ;-)
    	Hey, I gotta be in the triple-digit lines by now, I better get off
    before I get SHUT off.

    	Good stuff, Bonnie. I too have had the misfortune of bumping into a
    passing Satanist, though I didn't know it at the time. The aura was
    palpable and very unfriendly, I wonder if I made him deel the same. I
    don't get any of the same feelings from the several Wiccans I know,
    some of them are better at loving (agape) and forgiving their neighbors
    than the bulk of the professed "Christians" that I know. I've never
    been aware of any Druids in my life, though there are similar things in
    "pagan" Japan.
    	re .6
    * is Halloween anything more than harmless fun? I agree with DR that this
    is generally not the case.
    * are Celtic traditions Satanic? Again, I agree with DR that they are
    not. 
    * Do fairies etc exist? are they evil? Here I have to say "maybe" and
    "maybe", all information I've seen on either subject is suspect. I tend
    to think that they do exist and are not evil. But are they good?
    * is Satanic worship to be shunned? We all say "YES"
    * does it happen on Halloween? How would I know?
    * does it affect the vibrations of the earth? I'm not sure I understand
    the question but it hints of "magic".
    * what should one's response be to those vibrations? I KNOW I don't
    understand the question but DR's response REEKS of "white magic".
    
    Not that I'm opposed to a little white prayer, now and then.

    Dave,
    
    I personally find Satanists raise the hair on the back of my
    neck and make my scalp crawl. I get *very* uncomforatble
    enven mentioning the subject in notes and have avoided the note
    on that topic for that reason.
    When I get near even a 'wiff' of it.. I tense right up, as I am
    now.
    
    Bonnie
    
    but I dont' feel that way at all about the idea of 'flower spirits'
    elves...Tolkien stuff..
    

    
    RE: Halloween - A practical view.
    
    The Benefits:
    
      1. A good time.
    
    The Drawbacks:
    
      1. Children ingesting abnormally large amounts of sugar contributing
         to hypoglycemia.
    
      2. Potential ingesting of something toxic; either deliberate or not.
    
      3. Risk of being hit by a car (i.e. dark clothes, masks obscure
         vision, nighttime).
    
      4. More deliberate property damage on this night than all other
         nights combined.
    
    
    -c.

    
    I wrote to Steve Kallis who had discussed the .1 note in deja-vue and
    he forwarded to me two replies to that note from that conference.
    
    
From:	LESCOM::KALLIS       "Pumpkins -- Nature's greatest gift." 12-OCT-1990 08:50:29.36
To:	WMOIS::B_REINKE
CC:	
Subj:	My first disdcussion of the "Hallowe'en History" note when I entered it in DEJASVUM

    Bonnie --
    
    The note in Christian-Perspective is a replication of a note that
    appeared in one of the Christian conferences.  I extracted it (sans
    headers) and entered it in DEJAVU.  Here's my initial response;
    further comments later.  
    
    I could write a _book_ on this'un.  It was originally taken from
    a tract.
    
    Regards,
    
    Steve

            <<< ZENDIA::DISK_NOTES$LIBRARY:[000000]DEJAVU.NOTE;1 >>>
================================================================================
Note 527.2      Hallowe'en: the good, the bad, and the misleading        2 of 33
INK::KALLIS "Make Hallowe'en a National holiday."   321 lines  15-OCT-1987 17:19
                              -< a few comments >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    There is no way I could adequately respond to this much verbiage
    line by line (though it deserves such response); therefore, I'm
    going to choose representative sections and comment on these.
    
    Before beginning, it's worth noting that if whoever compiled this
    thinks "occult knowledge" is something forbidden and sinful, he
    or she spent a lot of time wallowing around in it. :-)
    
    
    
    
>It has been said that some of our modern holidays, particularly Christmas, are 
>pagan in origin.  This line of thought is quite weak historically.  For 
>example, the allegation regarding Christmas is supported by one primary pagan 
>connection, the December 25th date.  
    
    Is the author saying this is not correct?  In point of fact, Luke
    2:8 indicated that the time of Jesus' birth was in the spring, since
    shepards (note plural) were abiding with their flock at night; this
    was traditionally done at the lambing season (a mystic would see
    _this_ connection instantly with the Lamb of God), which was Spring,
    not winter.  Other holidays, such as May Day, or Hallowe'en (as
    the article "proves" had pagan roots: Christmas (a _mass_ to celebrate
    Christ on earth, not necessariloy "Jesus' birthday") was celebrated
    on 25 December because it eclipsed the Saturnalia celebration prevalent
    in Rome at the time. 
    
>Christmas these days, Santa Claus, gifts, and Christmas trees bear no 
>resemblance whatsoever to the ancient December 25th practice of eviscerating a 
>goose and using the internal organs to foretell the future, such as was the 
>practice of the pagan, ancient Romans.
    
    The ancient Romans were a very superstitious lot, and many of their
    practices, including the above, prognostication by the actions of
    mice, of the ways bones fell, from dice, and dozens of other methods,
    were by no means restricted to the Saturnalia, or any other
    holiday/feast, for that matter.
    
	"Halloween or "All Hallows' Eve" is a "name applied to the
	evening of October 31, preceding the Christian feast of
	Hallowmass, Allhallows, or All Saint's Day.  The observances
	connected with Halloween are believed to have originated
	among the ancient Druids, who believed that on that evening
	Saman, the lord of the dead, called forth hosts of evil
	spirits.  The Druids customarily lit great fires on
	Halloween, apparently for the purpose of warding off these
	spirits.  Among the ancient Celts, Halloween was the last
	evening of the year, and it was regarded as a propitious
	time for examining the portents of the future.  The Celts
	also believed that the spirits of the dead revisited their
	earthly homes on that evening." 

    If anything, this _Funk & Wagnalls_ description is of a people trying
    to _ward off_ evil, rather than embracing it.
    
>Exodus 22:18 says, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live".  The Bible 
>contains repeated denunciations of witchcraft and other practices of this ilk. 
 
    Indeed.  And Medieval theologians indicate that that meant that
    witches (and other nonChristians) would not be able to take Communion
    and partake of the Life of Christ, not that they should be stoned,
    hanged, or burned.  
    
    > Exodus 22:20 further warns, "He that sacrificeth unto 
    >any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed".  Thus, 
    >although the numbers of those who practice the black arts are
    >growing, we must remember that the ancient practices of sacrifice and 
    >witchcraft are expressly forbidden. 
    
    This depends upon how wishes to define "black arts."  As will be
    seen, the author(s) of this use the term rather loosely.
    

>_Man, Myth, and Magic_, a 24-volume encyclopedia of the supernatural, says
 
    A very superficial encyclopedia.
    
	>"All Hallows' Eve, or Hallowe'en, was originally a festival
	>of fire and the dead and the powers of darkness.  ...
    
    	Of course, it can be perverted, but the origins were to _ward
    off_ the spirits of the dead, and hold back the darkness.
    
>The Celts believed that on this night other creatures roamed with the spirits 
>of the dead.  Fairies, as reported by _Man, Myth, and Magic_,
>
>	"... could also be seen on All Hallows' Eve, moving from
>	one fairy hill to another with the music of bells and
>	elfhorns.  They were sometimes identified with the dead." 
>
>The Celts held that fairies could be good or bad; however, the introduction of 
>Christianity changed this distinction.  Jack Santino's work, _Night of the 
>Wandering Souls_, reveals:
>
>	"Samhain, with its emphasis on the supernatural, was very 
>	pagan.  While missionaries identified Christian holy days 
>	with native holy days, they branded the earlier supernatural 
>	deities as evil and associated them with the Devil.  As 
>	representatives of the rival religion, Druids were 
>	considered evil; their gods and spirits, devilish and 
>	demoniac.  The Celtic underworld inevitably became 
>	associated with the Christian Hell.  The effects of this 
>	policy were to diminish but not totally dispel beliefs in 
>	the traditional gods.  According to priests, fairies were 
>	fallen angels, thus identifying them with devils in 
>	Christian theology." 
    
    This quote is revealing.  To win people from their previous beliefs,
    they called those beliefs evil.   Nobody thought of "innocent,"
    "misguided," or even "erroneous."  I have heard nobody call the
    great Amerind nature spirit Satanic, nor the Hindu gods, nor the
    panthea of other _existing_ religions.  Today, organized churches
    may use these terms (misguided, erroneous, etc) for those who they
    think have never been exposed to the word or light, but that's all.
    

>As more Celts became Christian, the native Druids or Celtic priests were 
>correctly labeled "witches".  Witchhunting became a very common phenomenon 
>until the 17th century, with the usual punishment prescribed being burning at 
>the stake.  Whereas witchhunting crazes broke out indiscriminately, hunting 
>witches during Halloween became virtually a national pastime.  ...
    
    How inspiring!  Of course, one could quibble with the "correctness"
    of the label if "witch" doesn't mean "Satanic witch."  However,
    the witch hunting in Europe led to the death of as many as half
    a million _innocent_ people.  The notorious Matthew Hopkins, in
    England, set himself up as "Witchfinder General," and made a living
    "exposing witches," and having them burned or drowned.  Historic
    evidence indicates that Hopkins' charges were made on the flimsiest
    of evidence, the poor wretches who "confessed" did so under torture,
    and once the torture was removed, they overwhelmingly renounced
    their "confessions."  Hopkins died in bed, though finally discredited.
    
>What many apparently did not realize was that charms 
>themselves were as evil as the witches they were supposed to thwart.
 
    Well, the simplest "charm" of that sort is the Lord's Prayer (...
    "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. ...") spoken
    by Jesus Himself.  Is the saying of the Lord's Prayer, or a copy
    of the Lord's Prayer evil?  I think not.
    
    
>The story of the witch of Endor already possessed several significant 
>similarities to the witches of the Celts.  Familiar spirits are nothing more 
>than demons, and the fairies and leprechauns of Celtic myths are the same as 
>familiar spirits.
    
    Says who?  A familiar spirit was one _bonded_ to a specific person
    (a Satanic witch or black sorcerer [who sold his soul to one of
    the chief devils]), not a freely roving spirit.

>The Lord's pronouncements concerning witchcraft are quite clear.  There is no 
>such thing as "white" magic; it is all evil and empowered by evil beings.  It 
>should also be emphasized that these actions transpired at nighttime, as do 
>traditional Halloween activities.
    
    There is no clear citation for such a statement.  I doubt if the
    writers understand the differentiations, the symbolism, or the intent
    of white magicians versus black.  At least one Christian saint was
    a white magician (Alburtus Magnus).

>The other, and much more popular, so-called white magic act is the creation 
>and wearing of charms.  Few people realize that the wearing and use of charms 
>is simply another manifestation of witchcraft.  Be it rabbits' feet or 
>religious medallions, trinkets, or other such relics, these objects are 
>subject to demonic power.  
    
    Where does one draw the line at this?  Many Christians wear crosses
    that represent the Cross of Jesus.  Is that "subject to demonic
    power"?  Again, here, the writers show an abysmal lack of knowledge
    about symbols and their meaning.
    
    
>    The word "charm" means "to cast a spell on".  The 
>Bible contains several passages about charms and the use thereof.  Psalm 
>58:3-5 says,
>
>	"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as 
>	soon as they be born, speaking lies.  Their poison is like 
>	the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that 
>	stoppeth her ear; Which will not hearken to the voice of 
>	charmers, charming never so wisely."
 
    A careful reading of _just that_ makes it sound like the wicked
    are those who will _not_ listen to charms, and who prevent others
    from _hearing_ charms.  What does that say against charms?
    
>Isaiah 19:3 states:
>
>	"And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; 
>	and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek 
>	to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have 
>	familiar spirits, and to the wizards."
>
>The Lord purposefully groups together idol worshipers, witches with familiar 
>spirits, wizards, and charmers.  
    
    One interpretation of that is that _no matter what supernatural
    resources the Egyptians would consult, good or bad_, Egypt's thrust
    against the chosen people would fail.
    
    >Deuteronomy 18:10-12 says,
    >
    >	"There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his 
    >	son or daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth 
    >	divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a 
    >	witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, 
    >	or a wizard, or a necromancer (that is, 'one who seeks to 
    >	interrogate the dead', according to Schofield).  For all 
    >	that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and 
    >	because of these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive 
    >	them out from before thee." 
    
    True, but what does that mean?  The idea of divination (in its many
    forms) is antithetical to Free Will, God's great gift to Man.
    Particularly in the culture of the times, someone consulting a
    divinator would be relinquishing his or her Free Will; that is the
    abomination.
    

>This is a very explicit commandment from the Lord.  
    
    So was not eating pork.
    

>Virtually everyone in this country has either made or seen a jack-o-lantern.  
>These macabre, grinning pumpkins with candles inside often light the way of 
>the errant ghost seeking his or her candy.  Have you ever wondered where the 
>idea for the jack-o'-lantern originated?  

    What followed was a folk tale (hardly scriptural, and given the
    content, mildly blasphemous [making Jesus lettle better than a
    traveling magician]) about a blacksmith who outsmarts the Devil
    -- a common Celtic folk motif.  What the story _doesn't_ say is
    that the Jack-O'-Lanterns in Europe were meant to _ward off_ first
    the spirit of Jack, then, by extension, all spirits, evil or otherwise.
    The common folk who were compelled to travel on the 31st used _their_
    lanterns to scare off spirits; that is, they were not _celebrating_
    someone like Jack; they were trying to chase such beings away.
    
    In this respect, the Jack-O'-Lantern is more reminiscent of the
    gargoyles of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, and of many Medeival
    cathedrals where frightening figures were used both to ward off demons
    and to remind the faithful of the punishments of Hell.
    
>Studies in the occult, from both religious and purely academic points of view, 
>have shown a marked increase in the numbers and efforts of satanists in the 
>latter part of this century.  By satanist, we include such practices as 
>witchcraft, following pagan religions, charmers, necromancers, and other 
>practices of the black arts.
    
    Again, here the author steals a base by labeling all "practitioners
    of the black arts" as Satanists without defining just what constitutes
    "the black arts."  Also: suppose a child is brought up as a pagan
    and hasnn't been exposed to the Bible.  Is that person a Satanist?
    If so, why are there missionaries?  A Satanist must be one who knows
    both of Jesus and Satan and consciously rejects the former for the
    latter.

>According to Paul Lee Tann's _Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations_,
>
>	"Satan worship and all forms of the occult is evident 
>	everywhere.  It is estimated that there are at least 100 
>	million Americans who dabble in some form of Black Magic."

    That's roughly one American out of two!  Is this taken as a serious
    entry?
    
>    No, the occult is not dead.  In fact, the occult is currently probably 
>stronger than at any time since the Dark Ages.  Zombies are no laughing matter 
>in Haiti,
    
    Nor ever were.  But is the writer aware that the Zombi is one under
    the influence of a Voudoun rite -- and Voudoun is a strange offshoot
    of Christianity.
    
>... any more than demons are to Christians; and who is to say in what 
>form demonic power can manifest itself?  
    
>The evil world of the occult wages an ongoing assault against Christianity.
    
     Difinitionally: anything "occult" is evil.  So far, the writer
    hasn't given a convincing case.
    
>We believe revival of witchcraft and the black arts is indicative of the end 
>times.  Satan knows the time of Christ's return is near, and he is mustering 
>all of his forces to engage in a battle he has lost already.  Let no one doubt 
>that witchcraft and sorcery are very real.  The number of occult-related 
>murders has been on the increase in this country for more than a generation.  
>Moreover, one of the most significant occult dates of all - the one favored 
>for Black Mass - is Halloween, celebrated the last day of October in our 
>nation.  On college campuses and universities today, Anton LaVey's _Satanic 
>Bible_ is often a best-seller - in some cases, outselling the Bible itself.

    Who knows the increase in occult-related murders?  THese aren't
    backed by facts.  Further, a more significant occult date than
    Hallowe'en for Black Masses is Walpurgisnacht (or Walpurgis Night),
    April 30.  The Black Sabbaths performed on _that_ night were far
    worse than what was reputed to happen on Hallowe'en.  One suspects,
    though, that the writer(s) never heard of this "celebration."

    >Ephesians 6:12 states:
    >
    >	"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
    >	principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
    >	darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
    >	places." 
     
    Rightly so.  We should all striove against _dark_ powers, against
    evil, and against spiritual night.  Has this been shown for Hallowe'en?
    I think not.
    
    
>There is, in conclusion, only one way to win against Satan; that is victory 
>through Christ Jesus.
 
    No Christian would argue with that (and nonChristians would see
    it as a non-issue), but that does not make a good Hallowe'en
    Connection.
    Steve nKallis, Jr.   
    

From:	LESCOM::KALLIS       "Pumpkins -- Nature's greatest gift." 12-OCT-1990 08:53:47.35
To:	WMOIS::B_REINKE
CC:	
Subj:	Notefile DEJAVU Note 527.14

    Bonnie --
    
    Here's what our sorely missed Cosmic Anchovy added about it.
    
    Regards,
    
    Steve

            <<< ZENDIA::DISK_NOTES$LIBRARY:[000000]DEJAVU.NOTE;1 >>>
================================================================================
Note 527.14     Hallowe'en: the good, the bad, and the misleading       14 of 33
DECWET::MITCHELL "Face Trials of Piles with Prep. " 219 lines  16-OCT-1987 23:04
                                -< My turn... >-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RE: .0

    > Indications in our popular culture are that the public is becoming
    increasingly aware of the original rites of Halloween.  Probably
    largely responsible for this reawakening are three movies which have
    grossed millions of dollars: "Halloween", "Halloween II", and
    "Halloween III - The Season of the Witch". In all three movies, this
    cult of death which is celebrated October 31st is very well
    illustrated.  Now, for the first time in possibly one thousand years,
    many know the origins and true significance of Halloween. < 

The movie "Halloween" is no more about that day than "Silent Night, Bloody
Night" is about Christmas.  By this twisted logic, one could claim that
a film about ax murders on Christmas amounts to an expose of the "origins
and true significance" of that day.


    > Before examining modern witchcraft's rise, in relation to Halloween
    and its affiliated rituals, we should consult the Bible. Exodus 22:18
    says, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live".  The Bible contains
    repeated denunciations of witchcraft and other practices of this ilk. < 

By this argument, Christians who do not "suffer a witch to live" are breaking
God's law.  Is this what the writer is proposing?  Yet he later writes:

    >  Witch hunts, which resulted in the murdering of more than half a
    million persons in Europe during the last millennia, are not a
    phenomenon of the past. < 

So now the killing of suspected witches is considered murder!  So by allowing
a witch to live, one breaks a commandment.  By killing a witch, one breaks
another commandment.  This sets up a no-win situation for the faithful,
wouldn't you say? 


    > Therefore, claims by modern witches that they are "unopposed" to
    Christianity must be put to rest.  Exodus 22:20 further warns, "He that
    sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only, he shall be utterly
    destroyed".  Thus, although the numbers of those who practice the black
    arts are growing, we must remember that the ancient practices of
    sacrifice and witchcraft are expressly forbidden. < 

What about those who practice the white arts?  And although certain forms
of witchcraft may have been forbidden, sacrifice certainly was not.  And
as Steve has already pointed out, many of the rituals instituted by God
certainly bear a strong resemblance to magic.  Here is an example from the
book of Leviticus on how to get rid of a fungus growing on the walls of
a house:

    "In order to rid the house of impurity, he shall take two small birds,
    cedar-wood, scarlet thread, and marjoram.  He shall kill one of the
    birds over an earthenware bowl containing fresh water.  He shall then
    take the cedar-wood, marjoram, and scarlet thread, together with the
    living bird, dip them in the blood of the bird that has been killed and
    in the fresh water, and sprinkle the house seven times.  Thus he shall
    purify the house, using the blood of the bird, the fresh water, the
    living bird, the cedar-wood, the marjoram, and the scarlet thread.  He
    shall set the living bird free outside the city to fly away over the
    open country, and make expiation for the house; and then it shall be
    clean." [Leviticus 14:49-53] 


    > ...one of the reasons for bonfires, so common on Halloween, are to
    attract the dead and to keep them away from the home, until their
    journey into the afterworld. < 

I wasn't aware that lighting bonfires on Hallowe'en is that common a practice.
Have I been missing something all these years?


    > Samhain, or Sa-ween as it was pronounced, hence Hallo-ween, was the
    single most important festival concerning the dead to the ancient
    Celtic world. < 


The word Hallowe'en doesn't come from Samhain any more than sand comes from
sandwich.  Hallow means "holy" and e'en is a contraction for even (evening).
It's a lot quicker than saying "All Hallows Evening."

    > As more Celts became Christian, the native Druids or Celtic priests
    were correctly labeled "witches".  Witchhunting became a very common
    phenomenon until the 17th century, with the usual punishment prescribed
    being burning at the stake.  Whereas witchhunting crazes broke out
    indiscriminately, hunting witches during Halloween became virtually a
    national pastime. < 


This paragraph disturbs me in its tone.  Notice how the author makes
a point of saying that druids and Celtic priests were *correctly* labeled
as witches.  He also dispassionately reports that burning witches at the
stake was "the usual punishment," yet, in an earlier paragraph, he calls
the yearly burning of a single human by the Celts "one of the most hideous
acts imaginable."  There seems to be an implied disparity here...


    > Foretelling the future was an idea intriguing to the Celts, as much
    as anyone, and many still believed the Druids were witches - or in the
    case of males, warlocks... < 

FWIW: A male witch is called a witch.  A warlock is a male witch who practices
sorcery or black magic. (Any witches out there disagree?)
 

    > Even in our time, animals are sacrificed on Halloween in Europe and
    in the Philippines, as well as in the Americas. < 

Well, I don't know about Europe or the Americas, but in the 7 or so years
I lived in the Philippines, I never heard of any animal sacrifices.  In
fact, it is still considered a holy day there and is observed by eating
dinner at the family plot in the local cemetery.  It is a time for people
to honor loved ones who have died.
 

    > Using witchcraft to foretell the future was a crime that cost King
    Saul of Israel his life....The Lord's punishment upon Saul was
    pronounced to him the very same night. < 

Yes, but it had little to do with his having seen the Witch of Endor.  (Anyway,
if God were all that displeased, why did he not punish the witch for
practicing magic?)  1 Samuel 28:18 tells us that Saul was punished for
disobeying the Lord and for not executing "the judgment of his fury against
the Amalekites."  God was particularly displeased with Saul's mistreatment
of David.  There is no indication that the act of bringing up Samuel's spirit
was what displeased God.


    > The story of the witch of Endor already possessed several significant
    similarities to the witches of the Celts.  Familiar spirits are nothing
    more than demons, and the fairies and leprechauns of Celtic myths are
    the same as familiar spirits. < 

Interesting....  If the author believes in demons, and fairies and leprechauns
are demons, then the author believes in fairies and leprechauns.  Also, 1
Samuel says nothing about the apparition as having been demoniac in nature.
In fact, the spirit said the following:

    "Why do you ask me [why God no longer answers you] now that the Lord
    has turned from you and become your adversary?  He has done what he
    foretold through me.  He has torn the kingdom from your hand and given
    it to another man, to David.  You have not obeyed the Lord, or executed
    the judgment of his fury against the Amalekites; that is why he has
    done this to you today.  For the same reason the Lord will let your
    people Israel fall into the hands of the Philistines and , what is
    more, tomorrow you and your sons shall be with me." [1 Samuel 28:16-20] 

Do those sound like the words of a demon?  Wouldn't a demon have lied to
Saul and tried to lead him further from God?


    > The Lord's pronouncements concerning witchcraft are quite clear.
    There is no such thing as "white" magic; it is all evil and empowered
    by evil beings. < 


Hmmm... The Bible states that Saul was possessed by an evil spirit sent
from God.  I wonder what the author thinks of that?

As Steve pointed out, the Lord was quite clear on many pronouncements that
even the strictest fundamentalists today ignore.  As for the Witch of Endor, she
hardly sounds like an evil person.  When Saul heard the spirit tell him
that he would die, he fell to the ground out of fear and exhaustion.  Here's
how the witch reacted:

    "The woman went to Saul and saw that he was much disturbed, and she
    said to him, "I listened to what you said and I risked my live to obey
    you. Now listen to me; let me set before you a little food to give you
    strength for your journey."  But he refused to eat anything.  When his
    servants joined the woman in pressing him, he yielded, rose from the
    ground and sat on the couch.  The woman had a fatted calf at home,
    which she quickly slaughtered. She took some meal, kneaded it and baked
    unleavened cakes, which she set before Saul and his servants.  They ate
    the food and departed that same night." [1 Samuel 28:21-25]. 

Does that sound like the behavior of an evil person?


    > It should also be emphasized that these actions transpired at
    nighttime, as do traditional Halloween activities. < 

Oh, I see.  Traditional Hallowe'en activities happen at night, so they must
be evil.  Christmas caroling happens at night too, so...


    > The other, and much more popular, so-called white magic act is the
    creation and wearing of charms.  Few people realize that the wearing
    and use of charms is simply another manifestation of witchcraft.  Be it
    rabbits' feet or religious medallions, trinkets, or other such relics,
    these objects are subject to demonic power. < 

In Exodus 39, God commands the priests to wear precious stones with the
names of the twelve tribes of Israel inscribed upon them.  They were also
to wear a rosette of pure gold with the words "Holy to the Lord" inscribed
on it.  This qualifies for the "creation and wearing of charms."  Also, Steve
gave the example of Christians wearing crosses.



    > So the Bible tells us that idols represent demons, "demon" being the
    actual word used in the original Greek text.  Offerings of food are
    offerings of food to demons; the trick or treating of today is
    reminiscent of that practice.  In fact, trick or treating children
    often masquerade as demons.  Food is given these children under the
    guise of a "trick or a treat". < 



If food given to a child dressed as a "demon" is offering food to demons, then
food offered to a child dressed as an angel must be the same as food offered
to God.  What a ludicrous outlook!  This is a problem with many
fundamentalists: they have no sense of fun!  A child dressed as a goblin
can hardly be considered to be in league with the devil.  In fact, it can
be healthy for a child to dress as something he fears; it allows him to mock
the object of his fear and so overcome it.


I could go on and on, but this is enough for now.


John M.                             

    In Steve's long text he questioned the quote that referred to
    over 100 million Americans dabbling in Black magic.
    
    I have an idea as to where that comes from.
    
    In the original note there is a reference to Astrology as a form
    of Black magic. Thus by the definition of the person who wrote the
    original text, anyone who has every read his or her horoscope would
    be 'dabbling'.  
    
    Kinda silly if you ask me.
    
    BJ

    
    
    Thanks Bonnie.  I had thought of asking Steve for some input on
    this.  And it was great reading a John Mitchell entry again!
    
    Carole

    Prior to my excorcism, I was asked if I had played with tarot cards,
    seances etc. I'd fooled around with some of them, not able to take them
    seriously. Based on this 'evidence', and that I'd just been seen to go
    through what must have looked like a 'demon possessed' state, I was
    declared possessed.
    
    With hindsight, I thought it was too ridiculously easy for the
    charismatic christians I was associating with to see devils, demons and
    possessions everywhere. Though it took me ten years to work out WHY I
    actually had my 'fit' that looked so much like a demon to my friends,
    and turned out to be something quite simple really... I did think I
    might be mentally ill, or epileptic or even possessed as they said, I
    was too scared to talk it out with a counsellor. I'm glad I did in the
    end.
    
    Pete.

    	I guess by that definition there are tens of millions of Americans
    dabbling in "Black Magic". There are also tens of millions of Americans
    who would be very decidedly offended by such a charge and would take
    distinct and hostile exception to having it applied to them. A recent
    First Lady with strong ties to conservative Christianity would be among
    those so offended.
    	We now have well over 1000 lines of text devoted to this topic and
    I'm very sure several more extended pieces are on the way. I wonder if
    that will happen when we start to disect Christmas (what does the tree
    REALLY mean ;')) and Easter? Should we also discuss the propriety of
    Christians celebrating Veteran's Day - either as a festival of the dead
    or as a celebration of war and warriors?

    re:.20
    
    Pete,
    	if it was really quite simple, do you mind sharing what "it" was?
    Or am I being nosy? I know several people who have fooled around with
    the tarot and I Ching (the later may not be "Christian", but please
    don't be boorish and suggest it is "Satanic") - some of whom were
    dabbling and some of whom took it seriously - yet none of them have
    suffered fits of any nature. Nor have any turned into devil or demon
    worshippers.

Halloween?

I don't understand it.

    re: .12

	Bonnie, I have a small nit to pick with you and it centers around this
section of your reply a while back.  Please don't take it as a personal
attack.  It is not meant to attack, but to give some more insight.

    3.  Christmas is every bit as much loaded with pagan symbolism (despite
        .1 as Halloween is.) First off, and obvious is the date. For anyone
        who knows anything about sheep, the shepherds only watch at night
        in a group at lambing and that is the spring. Christmas was

	There is as much Scriptural evidence for Jesus's birth being on the 
25th of December as there is not, which is none.  But, most of the above 
paragraph is faulty concerning the timing.  Now, don't get me wrong about
it being part of a pagan holiday, I'm just saying that you can't use some of
your information to support it.

	First, have you ever been in Bethlehem in December?  Well, I know 
a couple of people who have spend more than a couple of Decembers living there.
One of their observations is that December in Bethlehem is not the same as
December in Montana.  It is not like the December in the U.S.  In Israel,
the rainy season runs from October to March.  During the rainy season, the
grass and vegetation grow.  The period between March and October are really
dry.  Everything turns brown and just about dies.  In fact, Israel doesn't
receive any rainfall during those months, or at least it is so little that
it is almost unmeasurable.  So, if you were to look at the availability of
food for the animals, and the best time for grazing, the period between
October and March would seem to be the best.

	So, seeing that the winters in Bethlehem are not that cold, and that
it is a common misconception that the shepards do not tend their flocks during
that time period (which they do), and that this paticular season is the rainy
season for Israel where the vegetation grows the best, no one can say that 
because of this, that the December 25th date is not Jesus's birth date.
        
								bill..g.

    re:.23
    
    Thanks, Pete, a simple panic attack. I've had those - well, not that
    bad. Keep me up on a ladder or roof for too long and I start to sweat
    and tremble and get glassey-eyed, take me down and I collapse and
    refuse mightily to go back up. Get me a beer, thanks. A minor case of
    acrophobia - at least I can go up for a while. So you were diagnosed as
    "possessed", eh? We better watch out for YOU! ;-) Glad you figured out
    what was really going on.

    Re .25 (Bill G):
    
>	So, seeing that the winters in Bethlehem are not that cold, and that
>it is a common misconception that the shepards do not tend their flocks during
>that time period (which they do), and that this paticular season is the rainy
>season for Israel where the vegetation grows the best, no one can say that 
>because of this, that the December 25th date is not Jesus's birth date.
 
    Bill, I don't think that there's any dispute that shepherds tend
    their flocks.  The point was that in Luke 2:8 it was pointed out that
    the shepherds were "abiding in the field, keeping watch over their
    flock by night."  Notice the plural of the shepherds and the singular
    of the flock.  Usually, according to what I've read, ordinarily
    only a single shepherd was necessary for nighttime duty.  When there
    was more than one generally occurred during lambing season, when
    at least one shepherd had to remain on watch while another (or others)
    would be available to help a ewe with a difficult birth.
    
    The usual lambing season, as I mentioned elsewhere, is in the spring.
    Thus, while there's nothing spelled out, there's fairly good
    circumstantial evidence for a springtime birth.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    Some shepherds utilized dogs to gaurd the flock by night.  A
    particularly trecherous night was known as a "3 Dog Night."
    
    
    Sing it, Chillun!!
    ==================

    Joy to the world,
        all the boys and girls,
    Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea,
        Joy to YOU and ME!
    
    If I was the was the king of the world,
        tell ya' what I'd do;
    I'd throw away the cars and the bars and the wars,
        and make sweet love to you.
    

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
    
    Oh, Richard!  
    
    (laughing out loud and getting really strange looks)
    
    Nanci

    
    re:.27
    
    	Once again, according to a source that has spend numerous Decembers
    in Israel, including Bethlehem, they tell me that the Shepards are
    tending their flocks, which mean that they are there with them.
    
    	As I said, the winters in Israel are not the same as they are
    in the U.S.
    
    	My whole point was that every year around Christmas, you here
    many preachers and pastors state that without a doubt, that the
    Dec. 25th date is impossible because of that verse and the
    circumstances around winter.  As I said, there is as much evidence
    for a Dec. 25th birth as there is not, which is none.  
    
    	Now, if you want to talk about the year in which Jesus was born,
    that is another matter which *can* be pinpointed.  But as for the
    month or day, there is no Scriptural evidence to support any one
    day over the other.
    
    							bill..g.
    

    bill
    
    In Israel do the sheep breed on a different shcedule than in
    other parts of the world? My sheep and goats would go into
    heat in the fall and continue, if not bred until early winter.
    Thus given the gestation period of sheep and goats the lambs
    and kids are born in the early spring. Having had sheep and goats
    I do know that we watched them much more closely around the
    time they were due to kid or lamb to be there if there were
    problems. From my own understanding of animals, and from what
    I've read about lambing in large herds, the only time that
    extra watchers would be necessary for a herd would be in lambing.
    
    Bonnie

    I'm not sure about this but I was thinking...wouldn't they have
    historical evidence of when Herod had the census taken in that
    time, and thus conclude that the birth of Christ would be in that
    period,  which probably is a more accurate way of determining Christ
    birth than  herding sheep ?

    Besides sheep herding was vastly different in that time period than
    it is today. For one, they didn't have barbed wire fences, or
    electrical fences to keep sheep in their pastures. The countryside
    was plagued with thieves, which seems to me that the shepherds would
    have to keep close watch on their sheep everyday and night.
    
    Peace
    Jim

    Jim
    
    There were a number of censuses in that period, none of which exactly
    coincide with the Biblical records of Christ's birth.
    
    And 
    
    1. sheep herding may have been different but that still wouldn't affect
       their natural reproductive cycles
    2. most shepherds had a 'fold' where sheep were kept at night to be
       fed. Sheep would be out at night when there was good pasturage
       or when it was important not to have them crowded together i.e. at
       lambing.
    
    

    Re the year of Jesus' birth:
    
    Caesar Augustus issued his Census decree in AUC (Ab Urbe Condita
    -- tbhe Roman year scheme) 746 -- 8 B.C.; Herod issued the order
    to slaughter the innocents (male children under 2) in the AUC 748
    - 749 period (6 - 5 B.C.).  This suggests that Jesus was born AUC
    747-748 (7 - 6 B.C).
    
    In 7 B.C., there was a triple conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter
    in Pisces.  The first of these was 29 May.
    
    I discuss the implications of that in (perhaps excessive) detail
    in the "Star of Bethlehem" note in the ANTIQUITIES conference.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    
    re: .32
    
    	Bonnie, I can't answer your question.  But I can tell you that
    the climate is different and that the food source is at its peak
    between Oct. and March.  
    
    	Again, I think some are missing the point that I was trying
    to bring up and that is that there isn't sufficient scriptural evidence
    to pin a date on the birth of Jesus.  
    
    								bill..g.
    

    From the book "Witch Hill" recently published by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
    
    	"Are you trying to tell me that you worship the Devil?" I knew
    little of the witch-cults.
    "Miss Latimer, only the ignorant call it by that name," 
    
    	Not that MZB is a world-renowned expert on the topic or that the
    book claims any factual basis, but I've heard similar sentiments
    expressed by certain non-Christians. I strongly suspect that MZB has
    much better contacts among Wiccans and "Pagans" than I and that she
    researched her topic well. I'm not yet half-way through the book but I
    suspect that this group, which does not worship "the Devil", will be so
    foreign to "Miss Latimer" that she will reject it, that "her love for
    Brian (would) drive all darkness from her soul".

    Re .37 (Dave):
    
    >From the book "Witch Hill" recently published by Marion Zimmer Bradley.
    >
    >	"Are you trying to tell me that you worship the Devil?" I knew
    >little of the witch-cults.
    >"Miss Latimer, only the ignorant call it by that name," 
     
    Anent witches:
    
    There have been discussions here and there in a few conferences
    about this subject.  This is complicated by the fact that one group
    of witches (or as they prefer, Witches) considers their brand of
    "the craft" the only one.
    
    A scholar on the subject, P. E. I. Bonewits (who was the first person
    to graduate from an accredited university with a Bachelor's degree
    in Magic [not the stage variety]), wrote of different kinds of witches.
    He differentiated those who are Pagan from those who are Satanic
    (the current Pagan crop are called Wiccans), referring to the Satanic
    ones as "Gothic Witches."  
    
    A point of differentiation:  a Pagan witch is one who practices
    a form of witchcraft that does not recognize Jesus (or God the Father)
    as being real (i.e., they don't believe in Them).  A Satanic witch
    is one who recognizes the divinity of Jesus (and His Father) but
    has rejected Them in order to worship and serve Satan.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

From: emarsh@hernes-sun.Eng.Sun.COM (Eric Marsh)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc,alt.censorship,alt.activism
Subject: S.J. Mercury News article, Sat. Oct. 20 1990
Date: 23 Oct 90 17:05:23 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mt. View, Ca.
 
 
                          The Witching Hour
                           By Joan Connell
                 Mercury News Religion & Ethics Editor
                San Jose Mercury News - Sat. Oct. 20 1990
 
 
			**********************************************
			As Halloween approaches, fundamentalists march
			to the Bay Area to begin a crusade against
			the devil and thousands of pagans and goddess
			worshippers prepare for the onslaught
			*********************************************
 
          A peaceful prayer crusade? Or just another witch hunt?
 
 
    The term "holy war" will take on a whoe new meaning in San Francisco on
Halloween, as Pentecostal Christans and goddess-worshipping pagans square off 
to prove who's holier than thou.
 
    Texas telvangelist Larry Lea is mustering 10,000 Christian soldiers in
San Francisco's Civic Auditorium Halloween night, to do battle with the 
forces of Satan. And memberso fhte normally low-key pagan community in the 
Bay Area - practitioners of Wicca, nature religions and New Age 
spiritualism - have launched a counter offensive, claiming Lea's spritual
warfare interferes with their constitutional right to practive their
religion.
 
    Lea, a protege of Oral Roberts and former pastor of the Church of the
Rock in Dallas, has made a name for himself among Pentecostal and chrismatic
Chrstians for a tendency to preach in Army fatigues and hand out "prayer
army dog tags" to his followers. He is a proponent of "spiritual warfare" -
using prawer to exorcise demons.
 
    Last month with the backing of 500 pastors of Bay Area churches, Lea
announced a three-day San Francisco crusade to "reverse the curse" of 
Halloween and march through the city to convert those they consider 
possessed by Satan: drug addicts, gay people, the secually promiscuous, 
believers in New Age religionists and Wiccans, those spell-casting, 
goddess-worshipping filks commonly called witches.
 
    "These are not just kids having fun," Lea said at the time. "There
is actual worship of the devil."
 
    Janet Christian, spokeswoman for the Bay Area Pagan Assemblies, an
organization of Wiccans and nature-worshippers in the South Bay, is outraged.
 
    "We're goddess worshippers: Witches don't have anything to do with
Satan. Who do these people think they are?" asks Christian, who's group
is sponsoring a Witches' Ball at the Palo Alto Hyatt tonight, an open-to-all
costume party designed to build bridges of understanding between the 
practitioners of Wicca and the community at large.
 
    "What if we brought some big-name witch to town on Christmas day to
do a ritual outside their churches? We's never do that to them," Christian
says. "Why are they doing this to us?"
 
                           Planning for trouble
 
    Christian's group has taken defensive action in the pending holy war,
hiring security police to keep out any Bible-wielding Christian soldiers.
But other pagan groups are on the offensive, planning counterdemonstrations
outside the Civic Auditorium and threatening guerrilla actions to disrupt
Lea's crusade.
 
    "Larry Lea's going to find out that there are more of us than he can
handle," ways Eric Pryor, high priest of the New Earth Temple, a San 
Francisco group of Wiccans and other pagans. Pryor is marshalling a show 
of spiritual force at 3 p.m. Tuesday in Civic Center Park, calling together 
New Age religionists, Hindus, Buddhists, humanists and other non-mainstream
faiths to form a prayer circle to counteract the Lea crusade.
 
    Pryor, who says he has repeatedly challenged Lea to public debate but
never received an answer, has called off the annual Hallow Mass ritual at 
his temple Halloween night to attend Lea's crusade in disguise, disrupt the
service and force a confrontation.
 
    "We're not a bunch of uneducated dingbats running around in robes
waving wands," Pryor says. "We're intellegent, purposeful people who have
chosen a particular spiritual path. We have a right in this country to 
practice any religion we choose." No reliable statistics exist on the 
number of practicing pagans in the Bay Area, but estimates range from
30,000 to 50,000.
 
    Lea, who arrived in San Francisco Wednesday to prepare for the crusade
says he was surprised by the intensity of the pagan backlash, which has not
been evident in similar campains in Anaheim, Miami, Chicago and Philadelphia.
Entreaties from several religious denominations to avoid confrontation -
including the Catholic Archdiocese of San Francisco - convinced Lea to
cancel plans for his spiritual warriors to march through the cith on 
Halloween night. Instead, Lea says, they will keep a low profile inside the
Civic Auditorium.
 
                       The right to disagree
 
    "I love people. I love all people. I think we have been misinterpreted;
we don't want to be seen as confrontational," Lea says. "Every person 
has the right to believe what they want to believe. But I have the freedom
to stand up and say they're wrong. To me, there are only two kinds of people
in the world: Those who have found Christ and those who haven't found him yet."
 
    The Rev. Dick Bernall, pastor of Jubilee Christian Center in San Jose
is disappointed that the prayer warriors will not be a visible presence on
the streets of San Francisco. Many of Jubilee's 5,000 congregants are expected
to take part in the Lea crusade. Bernal's not a complete spoilsport about
Halloween: Jubilee kids might not go trick-or-treating, but they do get to
dress up as Bible characters for a party at church.
 
    "Larry and I are beginning to look like a couple of wackos," says Bernal.
"The misconception is that we're a bunch of narrow-minded goody-two-shoes.
San Francisco's a city where everybody has parades; I wanted our people
to be a presence, too. We weren't going to call down fire on anybody; it
was not going to be a confrontation, just a little show of force.
 
    "But the war on Satan will go on - inside the auditorium. There won't
be any pussy-footing around," Bernal promises. "There'll be singing, 
preaching and speaking in tongues. It'll be wall-to-wall spiritual warfare."
 
    Bernal, a former ironworker and self-described hell-raiser who says
he was born-again a dozen years ago, has gained some fame himself as a 
televangelist and spiritual warrior.
 
    After the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, Bernal traveled to
Beijing and in a much-publicized ceremony, annointed the stones of the
square with oil to drive the devil out.  He also has prayed to cast the
devil out of several sites in the South Bay, including the San Jose
Mercury News.
 
    Bernal says he respects the rights of Wiccans to worship as they
please.
 
    "They're sweet, sincere people, who are operating out of ignorance,
not malice." Bernal says. "I don't condemn these poor people; I want to
convert them. I was a dope-smoking, LSD taking hippie myself once.  Some
of our greatest pastors today are old, burned-out hippies."
 
    To Eric Marsh, a 36-year old software engineer from Fremont who is a
practicing witch, Bernal's attidue demonstrates the stereotypes that are
inflicted upon Wiccans.
 
    "Fifty percent of big-city witches are involved in high-tech; 90
percent are computer literate.  That's because people in high technology
puersuits have innovative and inquiring minds," says Marsh, who
established a computer bulletin-board network for Wiccans who use the
technology to keep abreast of a variety of spiritual, philosophical and
environmental issues.
 
    What bothers Eric Pryor of San Francisco's New Earth Temple is the
automatic linkage of Satan and Wicca.
 
    "Satan is the best friend the church has ever had. Satan's the
bogyman who has kept them all in business," Pryor says. He adds that the
members of his temple, who follow a Welsh tradition of Wicca and have been
very private about their beliefs in the past, are starting to be more
public.
 
    "People can come in here anytime and see we don't sacrifice babies,
we don't worship Satan and we're not lunatics," Pryor says.  "And the
only good thing about this kind of campaign (that Lea is waging) is that
it makes us open up more and be more accessible."
 
    Carl Raschke, a sociologist at the University of Denver and a
specialist on Satanism in America, regards the pending Christian-Pagan
holy war with a certain amount of amusement.
 
    "This sounds like the gunfight at the metaphysical OK Corral,"
Raschke says.  "There are Satanists out there: criminal Satanists, who do
violent things in the name of the devil.  There are religious Satanists,
who dress up in black robes and do strange and essentially harmless
things.  And that's part of the whole, exotic religious flora and fauna
that is unique to the Bay Area.
 
    "Doing spiritual battle with Satan is an established tradition going
back to Jesus himself," Raschke says, adding that most spiritual warfare
is done quietly, through the power of prayer and laying on of hands.
 
    "But in the age of TV, there's an impulse to make religion into a
public spectacle.  And the whole thing strikes me as supreme street
theater.  We haven't had a good, crazy religious spectacle since the
harmonic convergence," Raschke says.
 
    "And now, on the streets of San Francisco on Halloween night, you'll
have neo-pagans doing ceremonial magic vs. Pentecostal Christians praying
up a storm.  This is probably better than skinheads bashing Geraldo with
a chair."

    re .39  Curious you should post this.  It is the same article I
    received Tuesday evening from my Sociology of Religion class.
    (My instructor is the Religion editor for the local newspaper)
    
    Richard

    re .39:
    
>    Janet Christian, spokeswoman for the Bay Area Pagan Assemblies, an
>organization of Wiccans and nature-worshippers in the South Bay, is outraged.
 
    Umm ... err ... a Christian apologist? :-D
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.   

           Why does the Halloween season last two full months now?  I
           know the stores push it for sales, but is this an indication
           of the increase of evil in the world, too?  The costumes seem
           more gruesome, there's more party'ing and witches are very
           bold in their "rights" stuff.
           
           Steve

    RE: .42
    
    Strickly $$$$....has nothing to do with "increase of evil in the
    world".
    
    Marc H.

    .43
    
    Agreed.  It's greed.
    
    Notice how quickly Valentine displays go up after Christmas.
    
    Peace,
    Richard

And more greed. Christmas trees are already up in some stores.

		Alfred

    Re: .45
    
    For this season or next?
    
    Marc H.

    RE: .43
    
>   Strickly $$$$....has nothing to do with "increase of evil in the
>   world".

           Oh?
           
           The "love of $$$$ is the root of all evil", correct?  Don't
           tell me evil is not increasing... come on now.  (We haven't
           been thrown into the boiling water, but we've been in the
           water and the heat is being turned up)
           
           SCS

    RE: .47
    
    You have valid comments with regard to "love of money is the root of
    all evil in the world"...but...to connect it to a childrens event
    like halloween is a long,long, stretch.
    
    Marc H.

    The love of money is the root of all evil.  
    
    It could follow that the increase of greed does in fact promote more
    evil.
    
    jeff

I agree with Marc,

The greed displayed by vendors of Christmas paraphenalia is no different from 
the greed displayed by vendors of Halloween paraphenalia (the vendors are 
typically one and the same).

But Christmas is more lucrative.  .-(

Peace,

Jim

Note 60.47
 
>           The "love of $$$$ is the root of all evil", correct?  Don't
>           tell me evil is not increasing... come on now.  (We haven't
>           been thrown into the boiling water, but we've been in the
>           water and the heat is being turned up)
           
SCS,

	I've heard the frog in the pot analogy ad nauseum from alarmist
preachers.  What makes you think things are more evil now than whatever
your ideal period is??

	Exploitation of Halloween and other days is plain old-fashioned
"whatever-the-market-will-bear" capitalism.  You are, of course, free to
choose whether you believe a given economic system to be evil or not.

Richard

          re: .51 


>	I've heard the frog in the pot analogy ad nauseum from alarmist
>preachers.  What makes you think things are more evil now than whatever
>your ideal period is??

           The ideal period being before the fall of Adam.  And, the
           Bible says wickedness will increase.  And, it's not the
           preachers who are alarmists... they're just preaching the word
           (and I believe you've heard all this before... so, harden not
           your heart).
           
           Sincerely,
           
           Steve

    .52
    
    Before the "Fall," eh?  Well, things just might be more evil now than
    then.  Is that what you meant when you said this??

>           Don't
>           tell me evil is not increasing... come on now.

    Richard