Okay, so they organised an "alternative" Hallowe'en party at the church because some parents are "concerned" about the pagan and satanic implications of Hallowe'en. Okay, I'm just going to keep my mouth shut, as my daughter would enjoy a party, and despite me (an ex-pagan) going into a rant about how many pagans actually get offended by turning it into a children's holiday where their beliefs get mocked.
But what did they replace it with? A Star Wars party. And they tried to sell Star Wars to the kids as "Judaeo-Christian" thing rather than as a Taoist-Buddhist-Joseph Campbell hodge-podge of beliefs that are shared across many world religions...
Talk about false idols. I am really disturbed by this. The closest thing in Christianity that the theology of Star Wars comes to is Manichaeism, a Gnostic belief system that was deemed a heresy as early as the 4th Century. Star Wars may have a story where Good ultimately triumphs over Evil, but there is an inherent dualism between the Dark and the Light Sides of the Force, an impersonal pantheistic force that penetrates everything. Definitely not the G-d of the Torah nor Our Saviour of the New Testament.
I am really torn. Do I inform the person who was selling this that she was misinforming the kids? Or do I let it slide? Is it really worth it?
Did you carve a Darth Vader head out of a pumpkin?
Posted by: Blognor Regis | 01 November 2008 at 00:23
The daughter actually wore a Darth Vader mask...
(that was part of our non-verbal protest at the ridiculousness of forsaking a traditional Hallowe'en.)
Posted by: James G. | 01 November 2008 at 08:24
Sounds like you're tending towards the dark side...
Posted by: Blognor Regis | 01 November 2008 at 15:07
I think goody-two-shoes do-gooders tend toward that side...
Posted by: James G. | 01 November 2008 at 20:37
LOVE the fact that she wore a Darth Vader mask, that's hysterical!
It's a good question on whether or not to discuss it. My first instinct would be to let it go, because not many people would pick up on that anyway. But then again, that's sitting back and watching ignorance.
Funny this came up too, I almost got Sean a Yoda costume, but I bounced it off of Mom while I was in the store. She said "The pur wee critter...don't dress him up as Yoda." Any time she uses that phrase I back down. Maybe next year...
Posted by: lisa | 04 November 2008 at 01:31