Fright night. Theme Park

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That is a question that each person must answer from their own conscience as there are too many variables for a clear answer. The only analogy I can give is the USCCB movie ratings. Some scary movies are acceptable for adults. Others are listed as morally offensive, usually because of gratuitus sex or violence. There is nothing objectively wrong with getting scared though.
 
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me”.

I asked this question many years ago of my own priest and he said that in the sense of a “haunted house” being merely for entertainment and not a genuine calling of evil spirits, it isn’t wrong to visit haunted house amusements. What is wrong, as he explained to me, would be to do something like going to a place that is believed to be (or carries a legend of being) truly haunted and attempting to “conjure up” or “communicate with” the purported spirits.

If we go in with the mindset that this is a caricature of evil, and we’re merely making fun of or caricaturizing evil spirits, and keeping ourselves with God on our side, then attending an event like this where there is no genuine attempt to “conjure up” the dead or evil is not a sin. This is especially true if we pray before going in. That was the response from my priest when I was young. However, we must discern what OUR intentions are, and what the message of the particular Fright night" really is. If it’s just to get a rush from being startled or to poke fun at and mock and scorn the stereotypes of evil (the ridiculous imagery, etc.) then no problem. But if one has a proclivity toward the idolization of evil, then it’s a sin and one must avoid that “near occasion”.

~Spoken4
 
I have been wrestling with the question of Halloween for many years. As I walk further on the spiritual path, I realize that I am less ad less attracted to the scary and grotesque. I resloved that this year I will focus on Halloween’s Catholic dimension as the Eve of All Saints. I think it is more beneficial to celebrate light, goodness, and beauty than the dark and grotesque things of secular Halloween. I haven’t quite worked out my final position on the topic but I know I need to commemorate the saints better than I have on past Halloweens.
 
Marocchino said:
I have been wrestling with the question of Halloween for many years. As I walk further on the spiritual path, I realize that I am less ad less attracted to the scary and grotesque. I resloved that this year I will focus on Halloween’s Catholic dimension as the Eve of All Saints. I think it is more beneficial to celebrate light, goodness, and beauty than the dark and grotesque things of secular Halloween. I haven’t quite worked out my final position on the topic but I know I need to commemorate the saints better than I have on past Halloweens.
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Hmmm, our choir is singing the Fauré ‘Requiem" on All Saints’ Day (though the Requiem is traditionally for All Souls’… our parish is celebrating our pastor’s 75th birthday on All Souls’ so there’s a time conflict with his birthday party at the KofC hall!). This is a BEAUTIFUL work… I’ve posted it below for everyone to enjoy if you’ve never heard it before or even if you have. Simply gorgeous! My favorite movement is the ‘Sanctus’-- it sounds like the heavenly choir has come down… picture the angels appearing in the sky, their voices ringing loud and clear their praises of God and Christ for the whole world to hear… then they fade away and return to heaven. Gives me goosebumps, and I 'm a soprano. Perhaps THOSE are the kinds of chills and bumps that we ought to be experiencing as Catholics on Halloween!

Enjoy…

** ‘Requiem’, op. 48 by Gabriel Fauré youtube.com/watch?v=aGhgixsXVTQ&feature=related

Perhaps I’ll spend Halloween night practicing. 😉

In Christ,
~Spoken4
 
Maybe this too might help. There was a time that we lived deep in the bible belt. When Oct rolled around I would put my pumpkins and Halloween stuff outside. I never worshiped witches, ghosts, gobblins or devils. Let me tell you my neighbors had the vapers (old fashion word for fainting and fanning themselves with utter shock)

I dressed up our little ones is cute costumes and NO ONE and I mean NO ONE in our development had lights on so we could ring their door bell and say “trick or treat”. We were sad about this. After the Dark Night Passed over our town I did ask a neighbor what was going on with Trick or Treating?
Oh we dont worship the Devils night.

I thought to myself, we dont either. In my opinion they took it far far FAR out of perspective. If you want to go have fun at Fright NIght, go have fun. My guess is you are not going to set up a brew and chant afterwards.
Unless your priest and the church suggests not, go have fun.

JMO
 
Thanks for replies. I am just planning to ‘Whig out’ in the Asylum section. 😃
 
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