Is it sinful to use creepy Halloween decorations?

[Michie]

While many Halloween decorations are harmless, there is a darker side of Halloween that can tap into a warped view of the world.

In the United States, Halloween has become an increasingly popular holiday to decorate a home or apartment with a variety of props.

Typically these include such things as pumpkins, skeletons, black cats or bats.

Continued below.

Is it sinful to use creepy Halloween decorations?

While many Halloween decorations are harmless, there is a darker side of Halloween that can tap into a warped view of the world.

aleteia.org

 

[Wolseley]

Halloween is another one of those holidays that's supposed to be for kids. It's supposed to be a nice little dress-up thing where the neighborhood tots can go around and get candy and toys from door-to-door, and have a good time. And back in the day, it wasn't always costumes of ghosts and witches and Frankenstein monsters; there were also kids dressing up like military officers, or unicorns, or leprechauns, or any number of things.

But, our culture decaying as it is, the holiday has gotten co-opted by adults who want to try to re-create something out of a joint movie made by Eli Roth, James Wan, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and Tom Six: buckets of gore, mutilated bodies, images of torture, etc., etc. Plus, too many people put up pop-up monsters on their lawns with axe murderers that leap out of nowhere, which might be amusing for adults, but can be terrifying and traumatic for a tiny child who just wants to say "Trick or Treat" and get a chocolate bar.

Are such things sinful? Well, I suppose if you're deliberately, maliciously trying to damage a child's psyche, yes, that would be sinful; but I don't know how many people engage in that much premeditation. For everyone else, it might not necessarily be sinful, but it's certainly in extremely bad taste. It's certainly nothing I would expose my child to, that's for sure.

 

[RileyG]

Halloween is another one of those holidays that's supposed to be for kids. It's supposed to be a nice little dress-up thing where the neighborhood tots can go around and get candy and toys from door-to-door, and have a good time. And back in the day, it wasn't always costumes of ghosts and witches and Frankenstein monsters; there were also kids dressing up like military officers, or unicorns, or leprechauns, or any number of things.

But, our culture decaying as it is, the holiday has gotten co-opted by adults who want to try to re-create something out of a joint movie made by Eli Roth, James Wan, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and Tom Six: buckets of gore, mutilated bodies, images of torture, etc., etc. Plus, too many people put up pop-up monsters on their lawns with axe murderers that leap out of nowhere, which might be amusing for adults, but can be terrifying and traumatic for a tiny child who just wants to say "Trick or Treat" and get a chocolate bar.

Are such things sinful? Well, I suppose if you're deliberately, maliciously trying to damage a child's psyche, yes, that would be sinful; but I don't know how many people engage in that much premeditation. For everyone else, it might not necessarily be sinful, but it's certainly in extremely bad taste. It's certainly nothing I would expose my child to, that's for sure.

I admit I’ve seen waaaaay too many horror movies as a teen. Nothing scares me anymore.

 

[Lady Bug]

I don't think it's a good idea at all. The problem is that everyone will think you're crazy. Sometimes you just have to let people think you're crazy.

 

[Michie]

I don't think it's a good idea at all. The problem is that everyone will think you're crazy. Sometimes you just have to let people think you're crazy.

I’m into the harvest theme with a touch of goofy characters and pumpkins I make myself. I’m into the blessings and laughs. Not the gore.

 

[FaithT]

Halloween is another one of those holidays that's supposed to be for kids. It's supposed to be a nice little dress-up thing where the neighborhood tots can go around and get candy and toys from door-to-door, and have a good time. And back in the day, it wasn't always costumes of ghosts and witches and Frankenstein monsters; there were also kids dressing up like military officers, or unicorns, or leprechauns, or any number of things.

But, our culture decaying as it is, the holiday has gotten co-opted by adults who want to try to re-create something out of a joint movie made by Eli Roth, James Wan, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, and Tom Six: buckets of gore, mutilated bodies, images of torture, etc., etc. Plus, too many people put up pop-up monsters on their lawns with axe murderers that leap out of nowhere, which might be amusing for adults, but can be terrifying and traumatic for a tiny child who just wants to say "Trick or Treat" and get a chocolate bar.

Are such things sinful? Well, I suppose if you're deliberately, maliciously trying to damage a child's psyche, yes, that would be sinful; but I don't know how many people engage in that much premeditation. For everyone else, it might not necessarily be sinful, but it's certainly in extremely bad taste. It's certainly nothing I would expose my child to, that's for sure.

We went to Trunk or Treat tonight and the little kids, which this was for, had cute costumes on but there was what appeared a teenager dressed in black with an ax (fake) that looked like it was embedded in his shoulder. And a adult, I think taking his kids around, dressed as Michael Meyers with a (fake) bloody knife.

 

[fide]

I don't think it's a good idea at all. The problem is that everyone will think you're crazy. Sometimes you just have to let people think you're crazy.

And sometimes it's best to be rejected by those who are delighting in the evil/"craziness" of this world. I'm thinking of the "man born blind" in John 9, for whom Jesus waited until the so-called "those who could see" threw him out of their synagogue for seeing more clearly than they could. Jesus waited until they cast him out, before revealing Himself to the rejected man who had become, like Jesus, rejected by those belonging to this world.

Jhn 9:34 They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out.
Jhn 9:35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of man?"
Jhn 9:36 He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?"
Jhn 9:37 Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you."
Jhn 9:38 He said, "Lord, I believe"; and he worshiped him.
Jhn 9:39 Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind."

and again:

Luk 6:20 And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.
Luk 6:21 "Blessed are you that hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. "Blessed are you that weep now, for you shall laugh.
Luk 6:22 "Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on account of the Son of man!
Luk 6:23 Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

 

[Wolseley]

I was in Sam's Club with my wife a few years ago, and they had just finished putting up their Halloween displays; one of them was a creepy-looking skeleton with glowing eyes and a loud, sinister laugh as one bony hand reached out towards you.

The thing was, though, it just stood there and looked like a static display until you got close enough to it---the thing was motion-sensored, and once you got within three feet of it, there was a screeching sound, the laugh, the flashing eye sockets, and the movement. I did not know this.

We walked past it and it went "AH-HA-HA-ha-ha-haaaa!" and started reaching towards me. It triggered my PTSD, and I tensed and immediately turned around, glared at the display, and yelled "F*** YOU!!!" at the top of my lungs. I was dealing with the usual amygdala hijack that comes with such occasions, my heart was hammering, and I was discomfited and slightly angry (I admit that in the midst of a PTSD episode, my language and behavior is not very Christian, but I literally cannot do anything about that), but the people behind us were laughing to beat the band. I turned and one guy was grinning and giving me a "thumbs up" sign, and I kind of grinned back, and we went on our way.

I was wearing one of my veteran baseball caps with military pins all over it, as I usually do, and as we walked ahead, I heard a woman remark, "Well, that was a little extreme," and a man replied, "The guy's a vet---give him a break." I don't know whether it was the same guy who gave me the thumbs-up or not, but I was appreciative of the fact that there was one person there at least who recognized what was going on.

 

[RileyG]

Is it wrong if I enjoy scary movies and "creepy stuff"?

Ope.

 

[Michie]

Is it wrong if I enjoy scary movies and "creepy stuff"?

Ope.

Not sure. I think it would depend on the content. I enjoy spooky too but things like Saw +, not so much. Some of it is just gore/ torture porn feeding sicko fantasies imo.

 

[RileyG]

Not sure. I think it would depend on the content. I enjoy spooky too but things like Saw +, not so much. Some of it is just gore/ torture porn feeding sicko fantasies imo.

I admit I saw the first two saw movies.

It's gross!!!

Yuck.

 

[Wolseley]

I watch horror movies for fun, for entertainment, for a good shiver. I do not, and will not, watch the ones that are blood and guts and gore. I saw enough of that in real life when I was in the Air Force, thanks, and I while I enjoy a good revenge thriller from time to time, I'm not into sick reprisal stuff like I Spit On Your Grave.

This is why I still, even after all these years, never seen certain so-called "classics" of the genre, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I adamantly refuse to watch anything made by Eli Roth or Tom Six; in my humble opinion their movies are nothing but trash.

 

[RileyG]

I watch horror movies for fun, for entertainment, for a good shiver. I do not, and will not, watch the ones that are blood and guts and gore. I saw enough of that in real life when I was in the Air Force, thanks, and I while I enjoy a good revenge thriller from time to time, I'm not into sick reprisal stuff like I Spit On Your Grave.

This is why I still, even after all these years, never seen certain so-called "classics" of the genre, such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I adamantly refuse to watch anything made by Eli Roth or Tom Six; in my humble opinion their movies are nothing but trash.

They call those genre of movies by Eli Roth torture porn.

It really can’t be good for your soul or brain.

 

[Lady Bug]

I don't want to sound like I'm looking down on anyone but how can a Christian even be attracted by that stuff (horror, gore, torture)? It makes me angry to see this, even.

 

[Wolseley]

They call those genre of movies by Eli Roth torture porn.

It really can’t be good for your soul or brain.

I quite agree.

I don't want to sound like I'm looking down on anyone but how can a Christian even be attracted by that stuff (horror, gore, torture)? It makes me angry to see this, even.

Beats me. My idea of a good horror movie is like The Others, which is atmospheric and creepy, but not terrifying and certainly not gory.