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Pagan rituals BE GONE

135

Posts

  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    It's ultimately just a stupid idea. I don't see the ultimate point. Ooo ahh, crazy mom from wife-swap won't be foaming at the mouth the next PTA meeting. Drats.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    bowen wrote: »
    It's ultimately just a stupid idea. I don't see the ultimate point. Ooo ahh, crazy mom from wife-swap won't be foaming at the mouth the next PTA meeting. Drats.

    The problem is, these are the four people who bother to show up for school board elections.

    enlightenedbum on
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • saint2esaint2e Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    My church does a "Family Fun Night" on Halloween to cater to the non-trick-or-treat bunch. They still dress up and get candy, but it's board games, and other "fun activities" that they do rather than the trick-or-treat thing.

    And the kids mostly dress up as superheroes or princesses, rather than ghosts or goblins.

    Personally I'm not bothered either way. It's nice to have an alternative at the church, but I got this box of Halloween decorations at home that I have to put to good use, and a bunch of neighborhood kids to try and scare at my front door. ;)

    saint2e on
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  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Is it still a good idea to be pandering to them just because they're there? I doubt it. Doesn't take much to tell someone like that they're crazy and they need to take their crazy home and lock it up in the cellar.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    saint2e wrote: »
    My church does a "Family Fun Night" on Halloween to cater to the non-trick-or-treat bunch. They still dress up and get candy, but it's board games, and other "fun activities" that they do rather than the trick-or-treat thing.

    And the kids mostly dress up as superheroes or princesses, rather than ghosts or goblins.

    Personally I'm not bothered either way. It's nice to have an alternative at the church, but I got this box of Halloween decorations at home that I have to put to good use, and a bunch of neighborhood kids to try and scare at my front door. ;)

    Non diced board games right?

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    bowen wrote: »
    Is it still a good idea to be pandering to them just because they're there? I doubt it. Doesn't take much to tell someone like that they're crazy and they need to take their crazy home and lock it up in the cellar.

    It's more because they're almost invariably on the school board and it's hard to ignore them.

    enlightenedbum on
    Self-righteousness is incompatible with coalition building.
  • Alistair HuttonAlistair Hutton Dr EdinburghRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    My daughter's school (which is a charter) doesn't celebrate Halloween or let kids dress up because a couple religious groups bitched about it.

    Instead, every year they have a "continent party" which always falls right around October 31. Each room picks a continent, and then learns about it in the run up to the party. Then, during the party, every kid dresses up as an animal from that continent. Then the kids go from classroom to classroom sampling treats, brought in by parents, that are native to somewhere in the respective continent.

    "Religious groups" are retarded.

    Everyone picks Europe and concentrates on Transylvania?

    Vlad the Impaler all round.

    Alistair Hutton on
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  • saint2esaint2e Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    bowen wrote: »
    saint2e wrote: »
    My church does a "Family Fun Night" on Halloween to cater to the non-trick-or-treat bunch. They still dress up and get candy, but it's board games, and other "fun activities" that they do rather than the trick-or-treat thing.

    And the kids mostly dress up as superheroes or princesses, rather than ghosts or goblins.

    Personally I'm not bothered either way. It's nice to have an alternative at the church, but I got this box of Halloween decorations at home that I have to put to good use, and a bunch of neighborhood kids to try and scare at my front door. ;)

    Non diced board games right?

    Oh there's dice. And sometimes... *whispers* they play cards..... and not just Uno!

    SCANDALOUS!

    saint2e on
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  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    That shit be crazy!

    Do they wear buttons too?!

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Nay, that's for the English.

    Tofystedeth on
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  • DeebaserDeebaser on my way to work in a suit and a tie Ahhhh...come on fucking guyRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I really couldn't give a shit if kids are/aren't celebrating Halloween/Harvest/Christmas/Solstice or whatever the fuck in schools. If they are cool. If they aren't, well they should be doing some educating up in that bitch anyway.

    Deebaser on
  • JihadJesusJihadJesus Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I did some educating up in a bitch once. I'm not really sure children should be exposed to that.

    JihadJesus on
  • WibodWibod Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    The public school board in Guelph sent out an amazing letter to the teachers. It basically said you have to call halloween the harvest festival, you can't have pumpkins and other things that celebrate halloween etc. Kids can wear costumes, but the teacher has to approve it. It's pretty silly.

    Wibod on
  • Void SlayerVoid Slayer Very Suspicious Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Wow those schools will be messed up without the fake ghosts to scare away the real ones!

    Also I thought Thanksgiving was the US harvest festival, Halloween is the oh shit the sun is disappearing and if we don't appease it it will fade forever!

    On the topic of Christians feeling uncomfortable, GREAT you get to feel how I do the other 364 days of the year when I see the word in god we trust on the money I use.

    Void Slayer on
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  • hawkboxhawkbox Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Feral wrote: »
    Also, girls were blowing dudes in the back of the bus to earn different color friendship braces.

    Middle school in the early 90s was fucking, REAL, man.

    Fuck I went to the wrong schools in the 90's. :x

    hawkbox on
  • ElJeffeElJeffe Moderator, ClubPA mod
    edited October 2010
    Feral wrote: »
    ElJeffe wrote: »
    My daughter's school (which is a charter) doesn't celebrate Halloween or let kids dress up because a couple religious groups bitched about it.

    Instead, every year they have a "continent party" which always falls right around October 31. Each room picks a continent, and then learns about it in the run up to the party. Then, during the party, every kid dresses up as an animal from that continent. Then the kids go from classroom to classroom sampling treats, brought in by parents, that are native to somewhere in the respective continent.

    "Religious groups" are retarded.

    That's a pretty neat way to have costumes and treats while keeping it educational, though.

    So kudos to your charter school.

    Yeah, her school's pretty awesome, even if I think their dress code is pretty nonsensical.

    ElJeffe on
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  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Wow those schools will be messed up without the fake ghosts to scare away the real ones!

    Also I thought Thanksgiving was the US harvest festival, Halloween is the oh shit the sun is disappearing and if we don't appease it it will fade forever!

    On the topic of Christians feeling uncomfortable, GREAT you get to feel how I do the other 364 days of the year when I see the word in god we trust on the money I use.

    Hm.

    The "Pagan" Harvest Festival is sometime near the end of September I believe.

    Why would you feel uncomfortable with money with meaningless words on them? I don't feel uncomfortable just because I disagree with it. I don't get the whole "we should feel uncomfortable and be angry and scared about people who are different than us" thing.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • Void SlayerVoid Slayer Very Suspicious Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I don't have to justify it, I feel it so you need to change for me.

    Void Slayer on
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  • BuhamutZeoBuhamutZeo Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    wrong thread...

    BuhamutZeo on
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  • durandal4532durandal4532 Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I thought Halloween was a secular holiday, like Thanksgiving.


    Doesn't Australia not celebrate it or something?

    durandal4532 on
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  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    It has it's origins in a few cultures. Day of the dead (All Saints' Day) and Samhein. It is pretty much an American thing though. But Christians have never really approved I don't think.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween#Christianity

    That third line down is very interesting.

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • Glass.CannonGlass.Cannon Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    ...Why not just give the kids the day off and avoid the subject entirely?

    I don't want to rant against the Christians here since I'm well aware that most of them aren't crazy, but I could easily make the argument that Christians shouldn't have the right to remove a large, popular subset of monsters from children's costumes because they don't like it. Sorry Christians, but witches, ghosts, and demons have very little to do with your particular religion, nor are they directly against it in any way. These things are common in almost every culture, and we dress up like them because we like to explore scary things in a safe environment.

    That's what Halloween always meant to me. A chance to face my fears or take on their role for a day. I think kids are at their healthiest, mentally, when they are given free reign to explore all sides of humanity. For every day a kid imagines himself as Superman and runs around making wooshing noises with his arms out, there will be another that he pretends to be a mobster or a vampire. This is normal, or at least it always was to me. Halloween is/was a great outlet for this, but it feels like it's slowly having its balls clipped.

    I'm trying not to get too worked up about it though, as we're already at the point that I probably wouldn't be allowed to celebrate it the way I'd want to. The last time I did anything special for Halloween was at my parents house shortly before I left for college. We had a very creepy dead guy right outside the front door (something like a scarecrow with a zombie mask), and I had the head rigged to a motor from an RC car. Whenever a kid came up to the door who looked old enough to take it, I'd flip the switch so the head would fly up and dangle in front of them. The crappy motor even provided a horrible screeching noise.

    Now that I have a good job and will soon have access to a house of my own, I'd love to go nuts with that and rig the whole walkway with mild jump scares and creepy imagery. Naturally I'd also have the best candy for those that dared come to the door :winky:.

    Nowadays I'd probably get sued as soon as some kid wets his costume though, so I'll have to content myself with staying inside and playing horror games.

    EDIT: I'm kind of curious how these people would react if a kid dressed up as Ezekiel's description of a cherubim.

    Glass.Cannon on
  • CabezoneCabezone Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    It's not the Christians removing the pgan stuff, it's the Wiccans. That's what happened out here in Cali anyway. Some Wiccans were bitching up a storm about people dressing as witches and it got banned in some school district.

    Cabezone on
  • Technicus RexTechnicus Rex All your base.Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I thought Halloween was a secular holiday, like Thanksgiving.


    Doesn't Australia not celebrate it or something?

    The trick or treat thing is not really done by kids in Australia but we will take any excuse for a piss up so there will be plenty of sexy witches and nurses and drunken zombies and super heroes this weekend in Australia.

    Technicus Rex on
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  • bowenbowen How you doin'? Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    @Glass:

    The many-eyed-blind-your-face-off-covered-in-wings Cherub or the head-of-a-lion/eagle/man/bull conglomeration?

    bowen on
    not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
  • Glass.CannonGlass.Cannon Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    The multi-headed thing. I almost went with the other one, but I actually think it's kind of beautiful and it certainly isn't scary unless it pulls the eye-burning trick.

    Glass.Cannon on
  • PasserbyePasserbye I am much older than you. in Beach CityRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Responding directly to the OP - I don't see anything wrong with kids dressing up however they like on Halloween/for Halloween at school, as long as it fits the school's dress code (for example, my middle school wouldn't allow low-cut tops, pants that showed someone's underwear, that sort of thing). And if other kids don't want to participate, or their parents don't want them to participate, they don't have to dress up.

    It seems like a better idea to not require participation than to outright ban it.

    Passerbye on
  • TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Halloween is/was a great outlet for this, but it feels like it's slowly having its balls clipped.
    Thanks. You've just provided the scariest mental image I'll have this halloween.

    Tofystedeth on
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  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Cabezone wrote: »
    It's not the Christians removing the pgan stuff, it's the Wiccans. That's what happened out here in Cali anyway. Some Wiccans were bitching up a storm about people dressing as witches and it got banned in some school district.

    Banned as in the kids are not allowed to wear them? Do kids not stand up against this stuff anymore? When I was in school the old "Coed Naked" shirts were banned, so for a week almost every one of us wore them to school. They started out making us turn the shirt inside out, but eventually gave up when they realized we wouldn't let up.

    I mean, what could the school really do if everyone showed up dressed as witches?

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  • Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I know the New Zealanders don't like Halloween (but then I think New Zealand is kinda fucked up for quite a few reasons)

    This is mostly because they see it exactly this way: a pagan ritual that threatens their strange little highly conservative Anglican brains.
    Also the New Zealand Anglican church's policies are about three decades behind most of the rest of said church. The things I learn from having a family incredibly tied to the inner workings of Anglicanism.

    Mortal Sky on
  • Aroused BullAroused Bull Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Mortal Sky wrote: »
    I know the New Zealanders don't like Halloween (but then I think New Zealand is kinda fucked up for quite a few reasons)

    This is mostly because they see it exactly this way: a pagan ritual that threatens their strange little highly conservative Anglican brains.
    Also the New Zealand Anglican church's policies are about three decades behind most of the rest of said church. The things I learn from having a family incredibly tied to the inner workings of Anglicanism.

    I grew up in New Zealand and this is completely contrary to my experiences. Halloween was very popular. I never met a kid who wasn't allowed to dress up. We always got trick-or-treaters. Adult Halloween parties were common.
    Considering that only about 15% of the population is Anglican, and I wouldn't characterise it as a particulary conservative country (probably more to the reverse, in fact), what makes you think your experiences are the norm in New Zealand rather than stemming from your family being close to the inner workings of Anglicanism, and therefore naturally moving in conservative Anglican circles?

    Aroused Bull on
  • GorelabGorelab Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Really, if you're going to complain about Halloween you might as well complain about all the others that were stolen from pagans in some form. Like Easter. And Christmas.

    Gorelab on
  • JacobkoshJacobkosh Gamble a stamp. I can show you how to be a real man!Moderator mod
    edited October 2010
    Haleskarth wrote: »
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    Most of the places I've worked allow some measure of dressing up. My current job has a costume contest.

    My workplace actually had a reversal. When I first started here 4 years ago, we got a mass email telling us to remember that we can't wear costumes to work, but we're welcome to wear silly socks to celebrate the holiday. This year and last year, at least (maybe the year before, can't remember) we've had costume contests.

    But anyway, just to make sure I got this: Christians complaining about Christmas being taken away? Shut up stupid Christians. Non-christians complaining about Halloween being taken away? Leave Halloween alone stupid Christians.

    For the record, I think banning "Pagan" costumes is stupid, but different people are obviously offended by different things.

    Yes, mainly because they're the exact same situation. -Blank-ists trying to RUIN SOMEONES FUN by making something specifically -blank-.

    Oh, I agree they're exactly the same situation. I just think it's utterly shocking that most of this forum is against the Christians in both situations.

    You may be surprised to learn that Halloween isn't a religion!

    Jacobkosh on
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  • Space CoyoteSpace Coyote Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    jacobkosh wrote: »
    You may be surprised to learn that Halloween isn't a religion!

    This country was founded on strong Halloween principles, and I am tired of elitists trying to take Halloween out of the classroom.

    Space Coyote on
  • Rhesus PositiveRhesus Positive GNU Terry Pratchett Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Are they using "Paganism" as a catchall term for "Non-Christian", so no dressing up as Buddha or Haile Selassie? What about ancient Egyptian gods? They're pagan, but pretty much relegated to the Mythology leagues these days.

    Do zombies count as pagan? They can have my zombie outfit when they pry it from my cold, undead hands!

    Rhesus Positive on
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  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Zombies originated in voodoo with a mixture of vampire thrown in.

    Couscous on
  • ElitistbElitistb Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Couscous wrote: »
    Zombies originated in voodoo with a mixture of vampire thrown in.
    Voodoo is christian, isn't it?

    Elitistb on
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  • CasedOutCasedOut Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Couscous wrote: »
    Zombies originated in voodoo with a mixture of vampire thrown in.

    Lets not forget ghouls, since really zombies are probably closer to ghouls than vampires.

    CasedOut on
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  • Aroused BullAroused Bull Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Elitistb wrote: »
    Couscous wrote: »
    Zombies originated in voodoo with a mixture of vampire thrown in.
    Voodoo is christian, isn't it?
    No. There is some cross-over between Voodoo loas and Christian saints, though.
    CasedOut wrote: »
    Couscous wrote: »
    Zombies originated in voodoo with a mixture of vampire thrown in.

    Lets not forget ghouls, since really zombies are probably closer to ghouls than vampires.

    Aren't ghouls shape-shifting demons/genies? Whereas vampires were corpses that return to life to eat the flesh and/or blood of the living.

    Aroused Bull on
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