Halloween As An Agnostic/Atheist
It's Kind of a Bummer to Not Believe in Supernatural Evil Anymore.
It's that time of the year again when Halloween enthusiasts often face criticism from those who celebrate Jesusween. It's amusing, considering that Halloween itself is a Christian holiday that promotes the existence of supernatural evil. In fact, Halloween can be regarded as the biggest evangelism holiday of the year, especially through horror movies, which are often considered Christian propaganda.
The other night, my family and I watched the movie "The Conjuring", but I found it to be silly. It's strange to watch Halloween movies full of demons and demonic possession, hoping to be scared, when I no longer believe in supernatural evil. Horror films don't have the same impact as they used to, which is a bit of a bummer this time of year.
I used to be terrified of horror films. I truly believed that demons had the power to possess people and that they existed in reality. I was convinced that my mom's antique Chatty Kathy doll could become inhabited by a demon and kill me in my sleep. As a child, I can remember being scared in my bedroom after hearing a noise and I would say “In the name of Jesus I demand you to leave”, completely unaware that this a spell I was casting at seven years old.
Demons were very real to me because they were real in my religion. They were part of my reality. Part of what I understood about the world, so naturally, horror films and horror books freaked me out.
Nowadays, I find it amusing to watch exorcism scenes in movies. They are far from the truth and simply Christian propaganda aimed at evangelizing people, reinforcing the idea of Satan, and propping up religious leaders such as priests as having special intermediary powers to cast demons out of people.
I believe that some Christians tend to believe that the creepy decorations and spooky traditions of Halloween hold some sort of satanic significance to those who celebrate it. However, for many of us, it's just a myth and a way to have fun and explore our imaginations. Jesusween enthusiasts may consider chilling out on the satanic panic, as they are unnecessarily scaring children with what is essentially mythological fun.