the archrival

I don't feel much of a need to comment on the appropriateness of Halloween for Christians. Although it's well-known that the roots of Halloween and its practices do have some pagan roots, going through the motions of a Halloween practice doesn't automatically make you a pagan any more than going through the motions of church attendance automatically makes you a devotee of Christianity. On the other hand, there's no getting around the fact that glorification of evil/gore/devilry/debauchery, no matter how insincere, is repugnant to the sensibilities and strivings of a Christian devotee. As is often the case, the issue is complicated enough to require judgment. Some Halloween activities are harmless, some are not, and some may be merely distasteful and unedifying.

One of the topics that Halloween tends to raise among Christians is witchcraft. And almost without exception, the danger seems overblown to me. Witchcraft is among the most unambiguous no-nos, so it isn't much of a temptation. Its spiritual power is trumped by our Lord, so it isn't especially threatening (and of course external forces cannot "take" your soul or salvation). I doubt that its popularity is nearly as high as some claim, and in my opinion it verges on ridiculous to view fiction that contains witchery as a "gateway" to actual occult. It's analogous to viewing Da Vinci Code as a gateway and popularizer to heresy, or video games as an irresistible stimulus to violent acts; people who could be so influenced by these factors must have had other problems and confusion before exposure (e.g. a lack of education about what constitutes a canonical Christian document and a grievous confounding of games and reality, respectively).

By and large, anxiety about witchcraft, at least in present-day America, is somewhat like watching attentively for an animal attack while sinking in quicksand. And the identity of that quicksand isn't another favorite hobgoblin, philosophical/scientific humanism, but simple materialism. This archrival of Christianity is ancient. Its spell is much more subtle than witchcraft. A "Christian witch" is unimaginable but we can observe Christian materialists every day. 


Furthermore the Gospels warn time and again about this possible infection. In Matthew 6:24 we learn that no one can serve both God and money. Matthew 19:24 resorts to hyperbole: it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. 


The question really becomes relevant when the two conflict. A materialist makes a sacrifice as long as it's sufficiently convenient and low-cost. A devotee holds nothing back. A materialist is concerned with earthly materials. A devotee sees earthly materials purely as tools for Good rather than ends. A materialist (addict?) craves, satisfies the craving, then craves still more. A devotee recognizes that the pursuit of mundane cravings is no more than a "treadmill" while the craving for God is the path to eternity. Desires aren't sinful, but the resulting loss of focus can possibly set the stage for sin.


Chances are that witchcraft is not the prime archrival to Christianity for most people. Open eye, remove plank, and double-check that your materials aren't a curse to you.

Glee's Grilled Cheesus episode

I usually don't post my reactions to portrayals of religion on TV. If I did, my objections would be highly repetitive: 1) the proportion of hypocrites is much greater on TV, 2) people can in fact be devotees and yet be knowledgeable and sane, 3) in my opinion "serious" discussion of religious topics tends to be largely trite and simplistic, 4) viewers should keep in mind that, as with any topic, anything that's merely photogenic is always overrepresented.

But "Grilled Cheesus" merits some special mention, both because the episode's single-minded focus is religion and because the show reaches so many people. My intent isn't to scold the TV show for attempting to address such a drastically important facet of human existence. And a scolding would of course be ineffective and unrealistic. Glee has made it repeatedly plain that, like any work of media, it has its own voice and style and ideology, so nobody should bother to expect it to be any more congenial to traditional Christian beliefs than it has in the past.

• Some of the song choices are curious: "Only the Good Die Young", "Bridge over Troubled Water", "Losing My Religion", "One of Us" (I've previously explained my annoyance with people who apply that song to Christ). Rather than songs that mention religion, why not "authentic" and unambiguous religious songs? There's no shortage! If the goal is inoffensiveness to the the American public, dare I suggest a common Christmas carol? Something in Latin? The song whose usage is so reflexive and pervasive in non-Christian contexts that it borders on kitsch, "Amazing Grace"? (What other tune would be played centuries in the future after an alien, Mr. Spock, dies?)
• A few of the episode's characters argue a distinction between religion and "spirituality" on the assumption that the latter should be treated differently, e.g. in a public school classroom. Naturally, I disagree. For many, the precepts of their religion are their personal spirituality. Their beliefs are as valid and worthy of expression as the beliefs of someone who professes to be "unorganized". It's quite naive to claim that we can talk comprehensively about human souls, supernatural forces/gods, or various customs and experiences without delving into the details of widespread religions.
• The inclusion of atheism was unsurprising given its increasing fashion and publicity in mainstream media, but the extensive coverage of it nevertheless seemed excessive for a belief system that's an undeniable minority. I was also irked by the manner in which the atheist perspective was presented by intellectual points and gibes while everyone else's perspective was comparatively unintellectual and toothless. As if the atheist reaches conclusions and others must compensate with grandiose leaps of blind faith (really, no one offers a credible counterargument to being called a "mental patient" for believing?).
• Someone commented to the effect that the notion of the unsaved going to Hell is not very Christian. This isn't the first time I've heard something similar. Know what else is not very Christian? The notion that rebellious and intentional sins have no consequences on one's relationship with a perfectly holy God.
• An appearance of a gospel choir was inevitable. Perhaps no other manifestation of Christianity has the same likable combination of excitement, showiness, and fluffiness.
• Not much more need be said about the grilled "cheesus" itself. It's a risible specimen of religion and a plot contrivance. Nothing else. Based on how it was treated in the episode, I don't think it was meant as a satire.