More Fun With Fundies: Halloween Ban in Louisiana?

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Town Officials Want to Ban Halloween for being "Anti-Christian"

Officials in Baker want to ban 'anti-Christian' Halloween
10/16/2004, 11:11 a.m. CT
The Associated Press

BAKER, La. (AP) — The Baker mayor and two city councilmen want to ban Halloween trick-or-treating beginning next year, saying the celebration is anti-Christian and promotes witchcraft.

Councilman Fred Russell said he hears from 10 to 15 people each year asking him to ban Baker's Halloween celebration. The issue is especially touchy this year because Halloween falls on a Sunday, said Councilman Charles Vincent, who wants to introduce an ordinance banning the celebration beginning next year.

"I would like to see us eliminate it entirely," Vincent said.

Mayor Harold Rideau agrees, but the anti-Halloween faction on the five-member City Council is outnumbered, meaning passage of a ban is unlikely. Councilman Trae Welch and two other members said they would oppose a ban.

Welch, a lawyer, said a ban would almost certainly run into legal problems. He said the council lacks the authority to tell people what they can and cannot celebrate. If the issue of banning Halloween does come up for a vote, Welsh said he has already made his decision.

"I know I wouldn't vote for it," he said.

Rideau said he was also concerned about the safety of children trick-or-treating on the streets after dark.

The council voted Tuesday to change this year's trick-or-treating in Baker from Sunday, Oct. 31, to Thursday, Oct. 28, between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Police Chief Sid Gautreaux said that although it might disappoint his grandchildren, he is not a fan of Halloween. Trick-or-treating requires Gautreaux to put three times the normal number of patrol cars out on the street, and eats up a big chunk of his overtime budget.

"It wouldn't hurt my feelings in the least bit if they cut it out," he said.

Information from: The Advocate

Once again, Louisiana reaffirms its status as a Fundy Shithole.

AGAIN.

[The Cleric]

What the fuck are they smoking?

[Wicked Pilot]

What the fuck are they smoking?

Actually that's a good question. Baker is situated next to the industrial areas north of Baton Rouge, so perhaps is something smoking from the refineries that's causing this.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Bible Belters Want Witch Hunt on Halloween Just Because It's a Sunday.

Fri Oct 15, 2:42 PM ET

By KRISTEN WYATT, Associated Press Writer

NEWNAN, Ga. - Across the Bible Belt this Halloween, some little ghosts and goblins might get shooed away by the neighbors — and some youngsters will not be allowed to go trick-or-treating at all — because the holiday falls on a Sunday this year.

<Insert Generic Pumpkins and Trick-or-Treaters Photos Here>


"It's a day for the good Lord, not for the devil," said Barbara Braswell, who plans to send her 4-year-old granddaughter Maliyah out trick-or-treating in a princess costume on Saturday instead.

Some towns around the country are decreeing that Halloween be celebrated on Saturday to avoid complaints from those who might be offended by the sight of demons and witches ringing their doorbell on the Sabbath. Others insist the holiday should be celebrated on Oct. 31 no matter what.

"Moving it, that's like celebrating Christmas a week early," said Veronica Wright, who bought a Power Rangers costume for her son in Newnan. "It's just a kid thing. It's not for real."

It is an especially sensitive issue for authorities in the Bible Belt across the South.

"You just don't do it on Sunday," said Sandra Hulsey of Greenville, Ga. "That's Christ's day. You go to church on Sunday, you don't go out and celebrate the devil. That'll confuse a child."

In Newnan, a suburb south of Atlanta, the City Council decided to go ahead with trick-or-treating on Sunday. In 1999, the last time Oct. 31 fell on a Sunday, the city moved up trick-or-treating to Saturday, which brought howls of protest.

"We don't need to confuse people with this," Councilman George Alexander said.

In Vestavia Hills, Ala., a suburb of Birmingham, a furor erupts every time Halloween falls on Sunday. Local officials decided not to take a stand this time.

"About 15 years ago, we decided to have Halloween on Saturday instead. People went crazy. We said, `Never again,'" recalled Starr Burbic, longtime secretary to the mayor. "It messed everybody up to move Halloween. Some people don't like having it on a Sunday, but we just couldn't find a way to make everyone happy."

The patchwork of trick-or-treat zones could work to children's advantage: Some might go out on both nights to get all the treats they can.

With so many towns split over when Halloween should be celebrated, many are going with a porch-light compromise: If people do not want trick-or-treaters, they simply turn off their lights, and parents are asked not to have kids knock there.

"Most people don't have a problem with it. It's a pretty universal compromise, so that's what we go with," said Grand Rapids, Mich., police Lt. Douglas Brinkley.

[Prozac the Robert]

Heh, I think it's a good idea, it's pretty annoying.

This is a bloody stupid reason for it though. Thefact that it annoys me should be plenty of justification for banning anything .

[Wicked Pilot]

Someone needs to inform these people that witches and demons aren't real. Perhaps it's the adults that have been reading too much Harry Potter.

[Aaron]

Someone needs to inform these people that witches and demons aren't real. Perhaps it's the adults that have been reading too much Harry Potter.

I doubt these people read Harry Potter. After all it promotes witchcraft, remember? Actually I'd be surprised if they read anything but the Bible.

[DPDarkPrimus]

Smart Person.

"Moving it, that's like celebrating Christmas a week early," said Veronica Wright, who bought a Power Rangers costume for her son in Newnan. "It's just a kid thing. It's not for real."

Dumb Person.

"You just don't do it on Sunday," said Sandra Hulsey of Greenville, Ga. "That's Christ's day. You go to church on Sunday, you don't go out and celebrate the devil. That'll confuse a child."

Unless you teach a child that Halloween is all about Devil worship, they'll just think it's a time to get candy and dress up. No confusion unless you cause that confusion, dumb fuck.


And the Harry Potter comment reminds me of some fundie on another message board. To paraphrase:

"Yeah, but Lord of the Rings magic isn't real. Harry Potter magic is."

[Spice Runner]

It's a very simple concept. If you don't want to participate in Halloween then don't. But don't be a holier than thou jackass and deny everyone else in the community from having fun.

These people are so blinded by their faith, they can't grasp the concept that a world exists outside their faith.

[General Zod]

can't we nuke the south already? or ship the fundies off to australia like england did with its prisoners? i'd swear the aussies got the better end of the deal.

[Jalinth]

It's a very simple concept. If you don't want to participate in Halloween then don't. But don't be a holier than thou jackass and deny everyone else in the community from having fun.

These people are so blinded by their faith, they can't grasp the concept that a world exists outside their faith.

The "compromise" is just bizarre - they make it sound like some brand new concept in logic. It was standard where I grew up that houses with lights on outside were open, those w/o lights (or without any pumpkins, etc...) weren't . Simple logic - some people are simply not home, don't believe in it, whatever.

Worked fine for us. Kids got candy houses got rid of candy - non-participating houses weren't asked or bugged.

I agree this is "holier than thou" - and they want to impose their morality on everyone. Don't know if I could stand to live in those areas

[Perinquus]

Smart Person.

"Moving it, that's like celebrating Christmas a week early," said Veronica Wright, who bought a Power Rangers costume for her son in Newnan. "It's just a kid thing. It's not for real."

Dumb Person.

"You just don't do it on Sunday," said Sandra Hulsey of Greenville, Ga. "That's Christ's day. You go to church on Sunday, you don't go out and celebrate the devil. That'll confuse a child."

Unless you teach a child that Halloween is all about Devil worship, they'll just think it's a time to get candy and dress up. No confusion unless you cause that confusion, dumb fuck.

That's the problem, most of these Bible-thumping fundies are appallingly ignorant. But they have no idea how ignorant they are, and they think that the lies and half-thruths they have swallowed their whole lives are the truth, because they have mostly associated with other ignorant people their whole lives, and they go every Sunday morning to an ignorance clinic to get a booster shot.

People like this woman really do believe that Catholics aren't Christians because they think Catholics believe the priest forgives their sins, and they pray to Mary and the saints the same way they do to Jesus (none of this is actually correct, but they believe Catholics do these things because they get their ideas about what Catholicism is from other fundies, not from real Catholics). People like this woman really do believe that evolution is "just a theory, not a fact", and "evolution is like a tornado whipping through a junkyard and assembling a complete airplane", and so forth, because they get their ideas about what scientists actually believe from other fundies, not from scientists. People like this woman really do believe that Halloween, and Harry Potter books, and Dungeons & Dragons are kind of like "Witchcraft and Sorcery for Dummies", because these things all feature magic and spells and monsters and ghosts, etc., and fundies not only believe these things are real, but the Bible condemns them, so anything that smacks of magic must be evil, and of the devil. And again, they get their ideas about what these things are from other fundies, not from people who actually read Harry Potter books and play D&D, and who could tell them it's all just fantasy meant to be taken in good fun.

They are ignorant and indoctrinated, and the more you try to explain things to them, the more defensive they get in their ignorance. It's sad really, and makes me very pessimistic about the future of this country.

[Captain Cyran]

With so many towns split over when Halloween should be celebrated, many are going with a porch-light compromise: If people do not want trick-or-treaters, they simply turn off their lights, and parents are asked not to have kids knock there.

"Most people don't have a problem with it. It's a pretty universal compromise, so that's what we go with," said Grand Rapids, Mich., police Lt. Douglas Brinkley.

This is a new concept to them? What the hell?

I think the most ironic part is their going "We don't want our children celebrating the devil on this day, let's let them celebrate it on the day before." Dumbasses...

[Patrick Degan]

Banning Halloween...

That's simply insane.

[Mange]

Oh, brother. This is the most stupid fundie thing I've seen this week.

[Wicked Pilot]

Oh, brother. This is the most stupid fundie thing I've seen this week.

Believe me, as the month goes on it gets worse.

[The_Last_Rebel]

Oddly enough, the other night I was at the store and I saw my preacher's wife getting one of their kids what I thought was a Holloween costume(Ninja Turtle), although it might have been pajamas. I dunno.

And this preacher of mine is pretty serious about what he preaches, and believes. I think he's got a lot more intelligence and rationality than most of what you call fundies, though.

And you know, the Sabbath is actually supposed to be on Saturdays, the seventh day of the week, not Sunday. It was the Catholic church that made it Sunday.

[The_Last_Rebel]

Note: And FYI I live in Louisiana.

[Wicked Pilot]

Note: And FYI I live in Louisiana.

I'm guessing from your avatar you're near the Shreveport/Bossier area?

[lance]

Oddly enough, the other night I was at the store and I saw my preacher's wife getting one of their kids what I thought was a Holloween costume(Ninja Turtle), although it might have been pajamas. I dunno.

And this preacher of mine is pretty serious about what he preaches, and believes. I think he's got a lot more intelligence and rationality than most of what you call fundies, though.

And you know, the Sabbath is actually supposed to be on Saturdays, the seventh day of the week, not Sunday. It was the Catholic church that made it Sunday.

I thought Saturday was only the seventh day of the week in America, and in Europe Sunday was the seventh day.

[Alyrium Denryle]

two wrds: Establishment Clause

[Zed Snardbody]

Switching it to saturday does make a little sense. Monday is a school day and you don't want kids staying out to late and being tired hte next day for school.

Of course, Nevada doesn't have that issue. You get the 31st off or the friday or monday before or after it off. Our state founding fathers had the foresight to make Haloween our state founding day

[JME2]

Remember when I posted that "LA Wars: A New Hope" article after the gay-marriage ban vote got thrown out on a technichality? Well, thanks to this, they've lost all chance of redemption now in my book.

[HemlockGrey]

This is why we needed land reform after the Civil War....

[Crayz9000]

Man, they're dumb. And they let their kids believe in Santa Claus too... I mean, what's more absurd: that a fat man slides down a tiny chimney every Christmas morning with millions of gifts in his modeate-sized sack, or that ghosts roam about on October 31?

Come on. If you ban one, you might as well ban the other.