?

Of course not. “Celebrating” Halloween suggests that there's something "good," not just "fun," about it. It's also inappropriate to “observe” Halloween as it's a day of no significance. On the other hand, Christian parents don't have to willfully resist Halloween either as long as the kids don't confuse it with anything meaningful.

I have fond memories of "Trick or Treating," watching “scary” shows on television, and participating in school costume parades as a youngster and I've encouraged my children to experience these things themselves, within bounds.

Come on. Let them have some fun.

The problem in 2008 is that with the secular/sacred polarization in the country (Secular people are more boldly anti-religious causing religious people to become defensive about their faith.), Halloween has strayed from its fun, childish roots to become a sort of gay/pagan/anti-Christian holy day: Celebrations in West Hollywood, Santa Barbara, and other places around the country are often the most festive of the year, a time to don their id-directed costumes; witches or Wiccan priestesses actually do celebrate Halloween or "Samhain"; and strait women nurture their inner-hoochie by dressing in ways that would make Brittney Spears blush (this is a huge problem at my high school, too). My wife's Christophobic friend loudly proclaims that Halloween is her favorite time of year. I don't mean to ruin any of these things for the people participating in these events- I certainly don't wish to ruin it for the men who enjoy ladies dressed in "Pirate Cutey" costumes, although I admit that parents should ruin it for boys who like to look at their under-18 daughters; but I think parents need to keep a couple of things in mind:

Perception of Halloween by children is key here. As long as Christian parents emphasize Halloween's triviality (like some secularists do for Christmas), kids should be OK. A Christian parent can use Halloween as a teaching moment, but I prefer to ignore the issues it presents altogether and just let the kids have fun.

A reason to participate in Halloween is that non and anti-Christian forces will certainly claim Halloween for themselves if Christians abandon Halloween altogether. Then, who knows what it'll evolve into?

Stipulation: If you live in a community where people make a big deal out of it or your child gets mixed up with some friends that do, then it may be smarter to assert your differentness.

And, for Catholics, it's a wonderful opportunity to explain All Souls' and All Saints days.

The total historical accuracy of the "sexy pirate" costume didn't deter this Halloween reveler from choosing it.

In response to this question:**

Dear Sir,

I am a college freshmen, and have found myself in a very curious situation. I stumbled upon Zeitgeist by happen stance and ever since have been questioning the world around me. Zeitgeist has opened my eyes to a many number of things. As a result I am considering denouncing my faith.
You seem to be a very knowledgeable man. I have a question that has been nagging at me. I hope that you can answer this question:
Why won't God heal Amputees? They served honorably in the Military,and yet they are the least taken care of by the church and state.
Also, Who invented "no mail on sundays"?

Sincerely, Brianna

Brianna,

Zeitgeist "opens eyes" in the same way that the The Protocols of the Elders of Zion opened the eyes of the world to the Jewish menace. In other words, both are nonsense.

As to the amputees:

I'm guessing you're asking why there's no recorded incidences of legs having grown back. Some points:

1. Nobody knows, of course.
2. It's necessary for Christians to believe in miracles, in general, and a few in particular.
3. I don't think it's necessarily wise to ask why there aren't any miracles of a certain type. There have been the miracles that God has wanted.
4. If one were to speculate, however, one might say that a leg growing back leaves no room for doubt which would also leave no room for faith, which God considers a good thing.
5. God can help people in different ways, not just physically.
6. Everybody needs, in the ultimate sense, God. Some, with particular problems will always have the comfort of knowing that Justice is certain and that some being cares for him.
7. I don't know about the claim that amputees aren't cared for by the government. I worked with amputees at Walter Reed and I didn't sense any mass neglect.
8. The beauty of America is that people can choose to help whomever they wish. Go ahead.

Mail on Sundays:

1. Sunday, for Christians, has traditionally been a day of rest. The United States, having been founded by Christians, mostly, would prefer Sunday as the day not to conduct business. Remember, it wasn't too long ago that cities would have ordinances prohibiting businesses from opening on Sundays.

**I know this may be a Bill Maher-style joke, but what the heck?

My atheist friends and I engaged in a religious discussion recently which left me feeling more religious than ever. Whenever I get interested in something, I go on Netflix and find some movies on the subject (Their "instant movie" option is great.). The first one I picked happened to be Song of Bernadette, a lovely, moving, and accurate account of the events 150 years ago.

Well, two days later, my friends tried to mock me with a picture of pilgrims at Lourdes. And, now, a couple of days after that, it turns out that all of this Lourdes talk hasn't only occurred at about the time of the year that St. Bernadette saw "The Beautiful Lady," but the 150th anniversary of those apparitions. What a coincidence!

The Song of Bernadette

I like when two interests combine. In this case, Cuban history and culture and Catholicism.

Story here.

Miami, Sep 10, 2008 / 12:36 pm (CNA).- Thousands of Cubans in Miami gathered for a Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Charity, the patroness of Cuba, and to participate in the jubilee year decreed by the bishops of Cuba to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the devotion.

According to the newspaper El Nuevo Herald, thousands gathered at the Bank United Center at the University of Miami where they were challenged during Mass to “renew their faith, hope and spiritual commitment.”

On Monday afternoon, hundreds walked in procession with the statue of Our Lady of Charity which is venerated at the shrine dedicated in her honor in Coconut Grove.

“This jubilee year has been a time of renewal in order to bring the message of salvation to the members of our family, our friends and all those in our communities,” said Archbishop John C. Favalora of Miami.

Bishop Thomas Wenski of Orlando recalled that Our Lady of Charity “is a gift from God to the Cuban people who are suffering so much from hurricanes right now and from previous storms.”

The original statue of Our Lady of Charity was found in 1612 by three fishermen—a black slave and two Indians—during a storm in Nipe Bay. After finding it they took it to the town of El Cobre.

In 1916 Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre was declared Patroness of Cuba by Pope Benedict XV and on February 24, 1998, Pope John Paul II crowned her Mother of the Reconciliation of Cuba.

Caridad church in Santiago, Cuba- inside and out.

New Dehli, Sep 3, 2008 / 07:08 pm (CNA).- Contrary to an earlier report by Fides, the outbreak of anti-Christian violence in India is not lessening. Some Christian converts victimized by extremist Hindu attacks in the Indian state of Orissa are now being forced to return to Hinduism and attack their Christian churches. The violence has prompted Sister Nirmala, head of the Missionaries of Charity, to urge the country to “put down the weapon of hatred and violence and put on the armor of love.”

As of Monday, it was reported that a church was destroyed by fire in Mondasore, under Raikia Block. Two Christians were killed in the fire. A convent, two hostels and 82 houses were also burned, the Catholic Bishops Conference of India reports on its web site.

Mobs of extremists have also destroyed ten prayer halls in Kundra in the Jayapur district and attacked and looted five villages in Tikabali Block. A Rapid Action Force has been deployed to several places in the area of Kandhamal with specific instructions to “shoot on sight,” but the violence has continued.

Here.

Tom Brokaw interviewed Nany Pelosi on abortion. During the course of the interview, she said:

Brokaw: …“I if [Obama] were to come to you and say ‘help me out here, Madam Speaker, when does life begin,’ what would you tell him?

Pelosi: “I would say that as an ardent practicing Catholic this is an issue that I have studied for a long time, and what I know is over the centuries the doctors of the Church have not been able to make that definition. And St. Augustine said three months. We don’t know. The point is it that it shouldn’t have an impact on a woman’s right to chose.”

Pelosi is correct as you can read in the Catholic Encyclopedia. The problem for St. Augustine and other Catholic philosophers (and the pagan ones as well) was a lack of scientific knowledge about the fetus. Once they obtained that knowledge, the Church began to teach that life begins at conception.

The problem for Nancy Pelosi is that the Church is a top-down, authoritative institution where, on faith and morals, communicants aren't allowed to interpret God's law. In other words, Pelosi can learn about the philosophical theories and medical facts concerning abortion, but, as an "ardent" Catholic, she must follow the teaching of the Church.

-
Dylan and Pelosi:

OK. It was Joan Baez singing I dreamed I saw St. Augustine.

**update** Augustine on abortion:

Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, wrote in On Exodus (ca. 415) that early abortion should not be regarded "as homicide, for there cannot be a living soul in a body that lacks sensation due to its not yet being fully formed." Augustine believed that "hominization" took place at forty days after conception for males and eighty days for females. This view has been termed "delayed hominization" or "mediate animation," in contrast to "immediate animation/hominization" where the human soul is thought to exist from conception. However, in another work, On Marriage and Lust, Augustine condemned both abortion and contraception as immoral, since they permit sexual intercourse to occur without procreation, which he (like earlier Stoic philosophers) thought to be its only "natural" purpose.

Here.

Sydney, Jul 17, 2008 / 04:18 am (CNA).- Cardinal Wilifrid Fox Napier, the Archbishop of Durban, South Africa, told an Australian news program that a change in Catholic teaching on condoms would not change the rate of HIV infection in Africa. Rather, he argued, positive change would result from trusting people to take control of their lives.

"You expect that because people are hearing from bishops, `You must use a condom', that they will do what the bishops say? the cardinal asked his interviewer.

"We have already been preaching all our lives, don't have sex outside of marriage," Cardinal Napier told the SBS Dateline program, according to the Australian Associated Press.

The cardinal, who is visiting Sydney for World Youth Day, said South Africa has the highest rate of condom distribution, but still has one of the highest HIV infection rates in the world.

He cited the Uganda program against HIV infection as a successful model. There, he said, the HIV prevalence rate was reduced from 29 to 6 percent in ten years with a program that promoted abstinence for unmarried Ugandans and monogamy for couples. The program also issued condoms only to married people.

Cardinal Napier said the Church trusted in people’s ability to control their own lives.

"At the moment, if you go on a policy of condom distribution as the only solution to HIV and AIDS, you are telling people that they cannot take control of their own lives," he said.

"And, therefore, I think you are doing them an injustice by saying: `You are so stupid. Even though this disease is a killer, you cannot take control of your own lives'."

Here.

Vatican City, Jul 25, 2008 / 10:31 am (CNA).- Today at Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father met with Prime Minister of Iraq Nouri Kamel Al-Maliki. During the course of their meeting, Pope Benedict stressed the need to end violence in the country, and received an invitation to visit Iraq.

According to a press release from the Vatican, their discussion, “provided an opportunity to examine a number of fundamental aspects of the situation in Iraq,” and its surrounding region.

The heads of stated focused on the struggles of the “many Iraqi refugees, both inside and outside the country, who are in need of assistance, also with a view to their hoped-for return.”

“Renewed condemnation was expressed for the violence that continues to hit various parts of the country almost daily, not sparing the Christian communities which strongly feel the need for greater security.”

The Pope also expressed hope that “Iraq may definitively discover the road to peace and development through dialogue and co-operation among all ethnic and religious groups, including minorities, which, while respecting their respective identities and in a spirit of reconciliation and of searching for the common good, together undertake the moral and civil reconstruction of the country.”

The Holy Father and prime minister also reaffirmed the importance of inter-religious dialogue “as a way to religious understanding and civil coexistence.”

The prime minister concluded his visit by inviting the Holy Father to visit Iraq