Thousands of children will hit the pavement in a few weeks dressed as everything from Sponge Bob SquarePants to superheroes, ready to claim candy and treats from their neighbors. Some churches, however, are troubled by the themes of Halloween. "It seems like it centers around the devil," said Gerald Zimmerman, 34, town of Unity, a member of the Unity Mennonite Church. "We take no part in it because of the devilish aspects of it." "We feel there's a lot more constructive things to think about," he said. The Kamp Kidz program at Faith Baptist Church in Marshfield - a weekly afterschool gathering for students in kindergarten through fifth grade - will have its annual harvest party on Oct. 29. The activity will include games and candy, but not costumes, said the Rev. Larry Sheahan. "We're trying to have something that's a positive alternative to Halloween," he said. "Halloween is a holiday with dark occultic origins, which many people do not realize." Some members in the church will go trick-or-treating, but Sheahan said he recommends those children wear positive-themed outfits, possibly going as Bible characters.

"I would not want children dressing in costumes like witches, when witchcraft is actually practiced today right here in Marshfield, and it's a growing danger," Sheahan said. "We need to be light in the darkness, not mimicking the darkness." However, Dan Kitz haber, youth coordinator at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Marshfield, said the holiday has Christian origins and should be celebrated by members of the church - but not in devilish costumes.

View: Full Article | Source: Marshfield News Herald

eih...*shakes her head* So now there's harm in Halloween? That leash keeps getting tighter, doesn't it. Halloween has nothing to do with the devil or the occult anymore (strictly speaking, the holiday is based on a ceremony to protect AGAINST evil), kids nowadays see it as the night you dress up like a vampire, and get given stuff to rot your fangs.

It's for entertainment...crying out loud...dressing up on halloween has been a tradition for years, and it's one that's endured because it's actually fun for kids to do. The chruch must be getting really desperate if it's actually trying to stamp out this now.

There's so many more important things that I would think
they would be worrying about.

Hey AL, the weirdest thing is, I know the guy who wrote that..."Allen Hicks". He used to go to school with me. I know it is him, very stange that you would find this.

I remember my Mom made me wear a Tweety-bird costume when I was 3or 4. As we all know Tweety is man-kind's greatest threat.

Kids aren't even allowed to Trick or treat after dark here anymore (what is goin' on?). I was kinda looking forward to cleaning up the TP and eggshells out of my yard the next morning. I say let the kids have some fun before the church tries to get rid of Santa and the Easter bunny.

Never worry about the world hunger or that millions of people die of HIV each year, what we really gotta do is wipe out the cancer of novelty candy suckers and little bags of m&ms. It really makes you wonder how these church groups hold on to thier credibility.

at Gonzo

My dad made me dress up as tweety, too. I hated tweety. He would not let me dress up as anything else. The costume was not made as well as the ones we have now. It rapidly fell apart during the school day. It was Catholic school too.
Most Catholic schools are changing, and are insisting that students dress up as Saints, and instead of bobbing for apples...they're bobbing for the forbidden fruit.

lol that article reminds me of my church. I got to a pentacostal one, so I hear all the good stuff. Like supposedly witches are banning together and putting up alters around the state of Oregon to try and eliminate Christianity here. Lmao half of the stuff they say has no back up what so ever. I swear my church makes stuff up just to keep it's attendence. Oh yeah when a group of ppl from there said they prayed at all for corners of the city my church is in, they automatically attributed it to all the drug busts in the area, but they happen almost daily in any Oregon town.

That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! There's nothing devilish behind the origins of halloween that's just a load of crap the church made up to keep its followers brain washed! If they want to stop celebrating Halloween (Samhaine) they should probably stop celebrating Easter and Christmas too (Ostara and Yule) cause they have their origins in paganism too! I would know, I'm Wiccan. Someone needs to plaster the rede to their foreheads so they can finally figure out what wicca and witchcraft is really about! Remember the rede- Harm none!

some witches don't follow the "rede"

I think this is sad - If they would put half as much energy into understanding others points of views and other religions the world would be a better place! I don't think anyone really feels that Halloween (although it is) is a religious holiday. I don't see where dressing up in a stereotypical manner (a witch) is dangerous to ones beliefs. I wish taht people would realize that knowledge is power and stop showing their ignorance in this manner. They don't know and they don't understand. These are the kind of people that I am ashamed of (to call them my brothers and sisters in Christ). If you don't know what other religions believe how do you know you have the right one? And you end up making an ass of yourself in a manner such as what the article refers to. It's one harmless night where kids run around and pretend to be something they are not. They get candy and the dentists get more work to do!