This picture is from a Christian site. As bizarre as it seems at first glance, it makes sense when you think about it… after all, Jesus WAS a zombie.
As silly and goofy as this picture is, there’s a deeper meaning and positive side to it. It represents the Church’s need to co-opt a pre-Christian, pagan Celtic ritual, a secular US day of fun, and connect it in some whacky way to Jesus, in an attempt to stick Jesus where he never was and doesn’t belong.
It’s evidence of Christianity’s fear of becoming irrelevant in a modern secular world, a fear well founded given the erosion in church attendance and decline in believers in the industrialized world. To paraphrase Martha Stewart: “It’s a good thing.”
Have a fun and safe Halloween, and if you see Jesus trick or treating ... guard your brain.
As silly and goofy as this picture is, there’s a deeper meaning and positive side to it. It represents the Church’s need to co-opt a pre-Christian, pagan Celtic ritual, a secular US day of fun, and connect it in some whacky way to Jesus, in an attempt to stick Jesus where he never was and doesn’t belong.
It’s evidence of Christianity’s fear of becoming irrelevant in a modern secular world, a fear well founded given the erosion in church attendance and decline in believers in the industrialized world. To paraphrase Martha Stewart: “It’s a good thing.”
Have a fun and safe Halloween, and if you see Jesus trick or treating ... guard your brain.
2 comments:
Several churches here do Halloween carnivals and such. Some of it is actually good, lots of fun activities in a safe environment, and no serious proseltyzing, just an opening and closing prayer. Some of churches (Southern Baptist in particular) use it as another opportunity to inflict emotional abuse on children. Some of the churches run their Halloween Hell House, which is supposed to teach all the little trick or treaters about all of the things that'll send 'em to hell. For example, there's tbe man who skipped a few Sundays at church to go fishing...he's in hell now. Wonder how many little tykes are crying in fear that grandpa is going to hell for going fishing?
Oreo
Given a chance to spread their fear and supersition, some churches will stop at nothing, inclding infecting a benighn fun event with their craziness.
I guess they figure its worked for over 1500 years, no sense abandoning a good thing.
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