| It's my favorite time of year again.
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| | Ironically, to a modern day Satanist, the
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| There is a crisp sting to the weather
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| | most important day of the year is not
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| that is invigorating after the heat of
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| | Halloween but his/her individual
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| summer. Beautiful splashes of fiery reds
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| | birthday. October 31rst is not the
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| and oranges appear in the foliage, as the
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| | important date for Satanists that
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| trees prepare for their descent into
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| | Christians assume that it is.
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| winter hibernation. Along with autumn
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| | Catholics have long reserved a day, All
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| comes my birthday, Halloween. Yes, I was
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| | Saints Day, to celebrate Christian Saints
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| born on the day that fundamentalists rail
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| | who had died, both known and unknown.
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| against as being somehow demonically
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| | Originally the day was celebrated on May
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| derived. Every year, I listened as some
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| | 13, but in the 8th century Pope Gregory
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| panic stricken person details the evils
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| | IV moved the day to November 1. The
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| that this wonderful holiday is supposed
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| | night before All Souls day was an
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| to promote.
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| | important Catholic holiday and was called
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| Does Halloween actually have pagan
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| | All Hallowed Eve. The word Hallowed means
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| origins or is this connection to paganism
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| | sanctified.
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| an urbane myth? The Christian
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| | A portion of the Halloween panic is has
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| Fundamentalists state that Samhein was
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| | its roots in Catholic bashing. ?The
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| the Celtic God of Death, and that he
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| | concept of purgatory, the belief that the
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| demanded human sacrifices on the night of
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| | living could assist the condition of the
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| Halloween. Yet according to The
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| | dead by praying for them, and the notion
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| Dictionary of the Gaelic Language the
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| | that saints could function as
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| word Samhein-or samhuin-only means
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| | intercessors between humans and Christ or
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| summer's end. Samhein was neither the
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| | the Christian god, were all doctrines
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| Irish nor Celtic god of the dead. Because
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| | condemned by Protestants, and so this
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| neither of these groups left written
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| | complex of rituals was bound to run into
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| records, we aren't even certain how they
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| | trouble as soon as the latter took
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| celebrated summer's end. Was it a wild,
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| | control.? says Professor Ronald Hutton.
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| uncontrolled celebration, or a dark,
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| | Halloween and Christmas were both banned
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| somber one? All that we know for certain
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| | by the Puritans because these holidays
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| is that like almost every agricultural
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| | appeared too Catholic. Ironically, one of
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| society world wide, the Celts had some
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| | the reasons that the pilgrims broke with
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| sort of harvest festival. The truth is
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| | the Church of England to begin with was
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| that any claims about what occurred at
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| | that they believed Anglicism had not
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| this time, are purely speculative. Most
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| | completely purged itself of its Roman
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| of the ideas that have sprung up among
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| | Catholic roots. Halloween was not widely
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| both Christian and NeoPagans as to what
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| | celebrated in the United States until the
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| occurred during the Celtic end of year
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| | potato famine forced the Irish to
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| festival are not based on any
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| | immigrate to America. At that time the
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| archeological evidence.
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| | new arrivals brought their traditions and
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| Many of the activities surrounding
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| | holidays with them.
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| Halloween have a medieval, not pagan,
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| | It is no coincidence that the more
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| basis. ?In this way the opening of the
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| | extreme websites denouncing Halloween
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| season of darkness and cold had been made
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| | also link to web pages dedicated to
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| into an opportunity to confront the
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| | disparaging Roman Catholicism. The
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| greatest fear known to humans, that of
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| | cartoon pamphlets by Jack Chick are a
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| death, and the greatest known to
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| | classic example. In one tract entitled,
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| Christians, that of damnation.? writes
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| | The Trick, ancient Druids are drawn
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| Ronald Hutton, Professor of History at
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| | leaving a jack-o'-lantern fashioned from
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| the University of Bristol and in his book
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| | human fat on a doorstep in exchange for a
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| Stations of the Sun. Trick-or-Treat for
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| | child or virginal woman. This salacious
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| example, originated in the British Isles,
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| | and completely imaginary event is
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| when the poor would travel door to
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| | reported as historical fact. Never mind
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| door-called souling- and receive food in
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| | that pumpkins were unknown in England
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| exchange for a promise to pray for the
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| | until the discovery of the New World, or
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| dead on All Souls day. In Shakespere's
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| | that human fat would make a lousy candle
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| Two Gentlemen of Verona the practice is
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| | fuel. These truths do not get in the way
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| refrenced when the servant Speed accuses
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| | of Mr. Chick's bizarre assertions about
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| his master of "puling [whimpering,
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| | Halloween. Equally telling is that his
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| whining], like a beggar at Hallowmas."
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| | website exhibits tracts and comics
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| Even if a pagan connection can be found
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| | containing offensive and sick accusations
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| with the Halloween, my response is, ?So
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| | against Roman Catholics.
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| what?? Christianity, of course, did not
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| | In this article I have attempted to
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| invent culture from scratch. Instead the
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| | dispel some of the widespread urbane
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| first Christians built on the culture
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| | legends that have tenaciously taken hold
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| about them. We still have many reminders
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| | of the both the imagination of the
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| of our pagan past incorporated into our
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| | American Fundamentalist Christian and the
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| culture. The days of the week and months
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| | greater public at large. Far from being a
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| of the year are named for Greek and Norse
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| | diabolical conspiracy, Halloween is a
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| Gods. Yet, we seem to have enough common
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| | positive holiday: a time to connect with
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| sense to realize that being thankful that
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| | our neighbors and enjoy the merriment of
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| Friday has rolled around is not the same
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| | childhood. And on a much deeper level, it
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| as worshipping the Norse Goddess, Freya.
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| | is the holiday when we are allowed to
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| Another common fear is that on Halloween
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| | symbolically confront and defeat our
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| Satanists run amuck, determined to
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| | fears.
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| sacrifice innocent children and virginal
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| | References:
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| maidens. According to Kenneth V. Lanning,
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| | The Dictionary of the Gaelic Language
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| a Supervisory Special Agent at the
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| | Gentlemen of Verona by William
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| Behavioral Science Unit at the National
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| | Shakespeare
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| Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime,
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| | Halloween Errors and Lies by Isaac
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| he has been unable to document one
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| | Bonewits
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| satanic ritual murder committed on
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| | Halloween History Hysteria by Jennifer
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| Halloween in the United States. Agent
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| | Emick
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| Lanning narrowly defines ritual satanic
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| | Religious Tolerance.org
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| murder as involving more then one
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| | Signs of the Sun by Professor Ronald
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| individual who can rationally plan the
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| | Hutton
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| crime and ?whose primary motivation is to
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| | My website can be found at:
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| fulfill a prescribed satanic ritual.?
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| | .
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