School Halloween celebration prohibited to avoid offending Wiccans??? (pagans, Commandment)

[DianeVera]

Here's another news story on the Agape Press site that surprised me:

* Fearful of Offending Wiccans, School District Invokes Vanishing Act

According to this story, "A school district in the state of Washington has banned all forms of Halloween activities, arguing they are a waste of time and disrespectful to witches."

Again I'm wondering: Is this story true?

Also I'm wondering if any Wiccans or other Pagans would actually favor banning Halloween activities at school. I've heard of fundy Christians objecting on the alleged grounds that Halloween is a "Satanic" holiday. But this is the first time I've ever heard of a school district prohibiting Halloween celebrations allegedly for the sake of Wiccans.

[Quoth The Raven]

oh, for heavens sake...when was the last time a pack of Wiccans got together and tried to ban a holiday?
Are we sure there isn't some shady extremist Christain group behind the whole thing, so that after the uproar they can step up and tell us again how evil the pagans are; this time for denying the kiddies the opportunity to knock on doors and ask for candy?

[Quoth The Raven]

Originally Posted by FeathersinHair

Interesting issue. I think most Wiccans/ Pagans are quite comfortable with Halloween being celebrated, although I personally have an issue with a lot of the 'stereotypical' images of witches that are so frequently associated with the holiday.

For instance, Halloween decorations and such seem to normally feature things such as



this. If the stereotypical witch associated with them were more like


this, then I'm not sure if I'd have any problem.

Too much Crone and not enough Maiden for your liking, eh Feathers?

[Feathers in Hair]

Originally Posted by lady_lazarus

oh, for heavens sake...when was the last time a pack of Wiccans got together and tried to ban a holiday?

I believe that was in '04, when I lauched a campaign to ban LetsTarandFeatherFeathers Day.

Great point, though! I'm thinking a group that takes issue with the holiday is using this as a mask.

[DianeVera]

Originally Posted by lady_lazarus

oh, for heavens sake...when was the last time a pack of Wiccans got together and tried to ban a holiday?
Are we sure there isn't some shady extremist Christain group behind the whole thing, so that after the uproar they can step up and tell us again how evil the pagans are; this time for denying the kiddies the opportunity to knock on doors and ask for candy?

Or perhaps just some overly skittish bureaucrats, overly fearful of lawsuits?

Perhaps a bunch of Pagans should write to them and inform them that the vast majority of Wiccans and other Pagans do NOT have a problem with Halloween celebrations? After all, for anyone to think that Halloween celebrations are so offensive to Wiccans that they must be banned for that reason is very bad press for Wiccans. Perhaps someone here could post about this story on Witchvox?

[retrorich]

Originally Posted by lady_lazarus

oh, for heavens sake...when was the last time a pack of Wiccans got together and tried to ban a holiday?
Are we sure there isn't some shady extremist Christain group behind the whole thing, so that after the uproar they can step up and tell us again how evil the pagans are; this time for denying the kiddies the opportunity to knock on doors and ask for candy?

I agree. I think Christians may be behind this frivolous protest, in an attempt to satirize the protests against Christian icons in public schools. The difference is that very few people associate Halloween with religion, whereas most people do associate nativity scenes, the ten commandments, etc. with religion.

[michel]

I think I see this as an 'extention' to the 'political correctness' absurdity ( as I see it). Sure enough, minority ethnic groups were treated badly in the past, and I would be the first to change the laws (if it was up to me) so that no one could abuse these people.

But now, I think we have come to the stage (In the UK, at any rate) where the rights of these minority groups seem to ' have gone too far the other way'; ie, I must be very careful when talking to, say, a west Indian, but he can say whatever he likes to me, and get away with it.

[DianeVera]

Originally Posted by retrorich

I agree. I think Christians may be behind this frivolous protest, in an attempt to satirize the protests against Christian icons in public schools. The difference is that very few people associate Halloween with religion, whereas most people do associate nativity scenes, the ten commandments, etc. with religion.

The story didn't say anything about any protest, frovolous or otherwise. The decision appears to have been made by a bunch of school district bureaucrats on their own, without any outside prompting. Again I suspect that the bureaucrats are just being overly "politically correct" in the interests of trying to avoid any possible hypothetical lawsuit. So perhaps someone should tell them that they really have nothing to fear from Wiccans in that regard?

That is, of course, assuming that the story is true in the first place and not just an entirely made-up bit of Christian right wing propaganda.

[Feathers in Hair]

Originally Posted by lady_lazarus

Too much Crone and not enough Maiden for your liking, eh Feathers?

Hehee, good point. (Odd, since I thought I'd double-posted, and went back and deleted one, only to have both deleted.) I should have put an image more like this...



I'm actually more at home with the Crone aspect of myself than any other one, so it's odd that I chose that picture. Come to think of it, I am trying to reconnect with the Maiden I sometimes wonder if I ever was, so that might have been why. *mulls this over*

I've yet to hear of any witch/ pagan protesting over Halloween, though.