Conservative Christian’s ‘War On Halloween’ Fails In Court

A psychoanalyst could plumb the depths of the human psyche and explain why we need a holiday like Halloween. I suppose, deep down inside, we all know we’re going to die some day. Adults deal with that in part by playing footsie with the dark side for one night a year.

For kids I think the explanation is a lot simpler: You get to wear a cool costume and are showered with free candy. What’s not to like?

I know that some people are bothered by Halloween — but that doesn’t mean they get to spoil everyone else’s fun. I also know the holiday has ancient, pre-Christian roots — but that doesn’t mean it’s a religious holiday today. One needs to look at how the culture celebrates the holiday, and in America, Halloween long ago became secular.

That’s why I think a federal court made the right call recently in a case challenging Halloween decorations at a government building in Puerto Rico. The judge rejected the claims of a Pentecostal Christian employee who argued that the decorations establish paganism. Full Story

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