HAT’S off to Troy Jenkinson, head teacher at a primary school in Leicestershire, who has no intention of cancelling a planned Halloween disco at his school – despite a dire warning that:
Celebrating Halloween means we are siding along with the Devil and all his works.
The warning to the inhabitant of nine villages which make up a benefice in the Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire, was contained in a dotty little Christian magazine called The Belvoir Angel.
According to this report, over 500 copies of the rag were printed and pushed through through letterboxes or left in churches for people to collect. The article has caused a furore in the tiny rural community, with parishioners saying they are offended and shocked.
The author of this piece of claptrap is unknown, but magazine editor, Peter Briant, said it had been written by a member of a local Christian group and had been approved by “a team vicar” before being published.
He said:
If people don’t like it then that is their opinion. It is a warning that it can be dangerous. It is a slippery slope. It opens doors to things.
Yeah, things like silly religious blathering by people blinded by biblical bullshit for starters.
The article, headed Halloween Isn’t a Treat – Don’t be Tricked, reads:
On this evening, normally law-abiding people damage the property of those whom they should be good neighbours … It is a concentration on evil and making fun of potentially dangerous situations.
Troy Jenkinson snorted:
I can definitely say we are not siding with the Devil…We have links with the Church and have assemblies tied into All Saints Day.
Silly Christian busybodies such as Briant should save their indignation for real acts of evil – frequently committed by religious fanatics of their own faith, and do something positive to eradicate superstitious beliefs that do actual harm to people.
For example, this harrowing report dating back to 2007 – sent to me by Duncan – reveals that in Nigeria a growing number of children are being targeted by Christian preachers, who are labelling them witches.
In a maddened state of terror, parents and whole villages turn on these “possessed” youngsters. They are burnt, poisoned, slashed, chained to trees, buried alive or simply beaten and chased off into the bush.
The report reveals that the “fanatical belief” that children can be witches is directly traceable to teachings of American and Scottish Pentecostal and evangelical missionaries visiting Nigeria over the past 50 years.
And it points out that:
Evil spirits, satanic possessions and miracles can be found aplenty in the Bible, references to killing witches turn up in Exodus, Deuteronomy and Galatians, and literal interpretation of scriptures is a popular crowd-pleaser.
Recently we reported that Nigerian atheist Leo Igwe – a regular contributor to the Freethinker who heads the Nigerian Humanist Movement – was attacked by a mob of Christians because he had the temerity to organise a conference to discuss the growing problem of children being demonised by demented Christians.
And we learn that in Uganda, ritual sacrifices have claimed the lives of 23 people, mostly children and juveniles, since the beginning of the year.
According to this report, child sacrifice is on the rise in the East African nation, where witch doctors kill children and infants and use their body parts in rituals aimed at bringing wealth to those who seek it.
Police spokesperson Judith Nabakooba told reporters:
The 23 who were confirmed dead were killed in circumstances related to child sacrifice.
The report said that there have been 954 cases of lost children this year. Of those, 800 were found alive.
Most of the children were simply lost or found at relatives’ homes, but an unspecified number were rescued before being sacrificed.
A total of 107 people have been arrested on charges of abducting and murdering children. Some 42 of those have been to court.
The Freethinker was founded in 1881 by GW Foote, an outspoken critic of religion. After the publication of 
October 24th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
‘It is just a warning… [it] opens doors to things’
Like what, kids being driven mad because they couldn’t master bobbing for apples? I’m willing to bet a few notes that Broomstick Briant doesn’t provide details of a single person on record who ended up a criminal or plain disturbed as a direct consequence of this childish custom.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Myers
October 24th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
If as the xtians believe, their imaginary friend made everything then he/she must have made the devil, so the sky fuhrer could easily dispatch the devil. So what is the problem? Is it because the xtains want a veto on all aspects of human behaviour?
October 25th, 2009 at 12:23 am
All this latter-day Halloween nonsense is just a commercial import from America. When I were a lad, we just had mischief night – and even that’s been amplified beyond reason. It used to be just the last chance before bonfire night to nick the wood from the neighbouring pyre.
Anyway, I was in Sainsbury’s this evening and they were extolling the cackles, over their crackling Tannoy, of their “Singing Dracula”. Whatever misconception that’s supposed to be, for £7.99. I rest my case.
October 25th, 2009 at 12:30 am
£7.99 for a “Singing Dracula” really IS wicked!
October 25th, 2009 at 7:08 am
The underwotld inhabitants avoid Halloween. They think it is tacky.
October 25th, 2009 at 8:31 am
BTW Has everyone read Matthew Parris’s Times article on the right? (“Why sacrifice free speech to swat a gnat?”) It really is excellent!
October 25th, 2009 at 11:39 am
Meanwhile, over in Derry/Londonderry:
http://tinyurl.com/yhs6pdu
October 25th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Leo Igwe, who would be canonised if secularists had saints, also posted http://www.amnesty. org.uk/news_ details.asp? newsId=18454 – a joint statement by 17 human rights organisations on a new Ugandan law which not only outlaws discussion of homosexuality but would mean the death sentence in some cases. This on top of a situation where, as far as I can tell, the Ugandan President was converted by a dippy US fundie cult and is now turning gay hunting into a new national bloodsport.
I’m an Amnesty member and signed up to their newsfeeds, but am ashamed to say Amnesty’s UK team did not alert UK supporters to the recent statement, of which I knew nothing until Leo’s post, and can’t recall seeing anything in the UK press.
October 25th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
Yes, hallow’en is a pain in the arse, mainly because morons think it an ideal opportunity to plaster properties with eggs and flour. The funny thing is that all of the kids who do this are from families who claim to have bought up their kids along christian lines and with associated morals! Just like the little jehovas wittness bastard who thinks it’s funny to splatter windows with a paint ball gun, and their father who is always astonished at his behaviour but is too pig thick to do anythig about it…except read the bible to him!
October 27th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Kev, I find that it always best to “stone unruly children”. ;o)
October 27th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/ac.....60001_en_1
October 27th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
An interesting and enigmatic comment there, Chindek Iwuji. I wonder if you are suggesting that Pagans have a case against these hate- and fear-mongering Christians under the Racial and Religious Hatred Act?
October 28th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
In my village the trick or treat ritual is nothing but harmless fun. We always prepare by buying some sweets at Asda for negligable cost and dole them out with due regard to how much effort has gone into the costumes. I doubt that refusal to supply sweets would result in any kind of vandalism because our trickortreaters are always accompanied by an adult hovering discretely in the background. Yes this practice is imported from the US, so what? I think that the fact that it pisses off a minority of godidiots is a bonus.
As to the morons who worry themselves that it might lead to devil worship, they should read their own Bible, Satan isn’t the bad guy, Yahweh is, and I know who I’d rather spend eternity with.