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There are real monsters among us
Published Saturday, October 31, 2009
Halloween has always been a holiday that has caused me to be a bit uncomfortable. I’ve always enjoyed the candy angle, especially as a young child. Walking for miles and knocking on stranger’s doors to receive candy was always fun. If people wouldn’t think me as being strange, I’d probably do it as an adult.
Even the costume part is acceptable, when children will dress up in non-threatening costumes. But the witches, vampires, and monsters; well that part of Halloween has always made me a bit uncomfortable. As a child, I would hide my eyes from images that might cause nightmares. Those pretend monsters instilled fear in many a child until we learned that they were only pretend.
Now Halloween has a new set of monsters. Not the kind that are created by people dressing up in scary costumes. No, today’s Halloween monsters are people who appear respectful, yet behind their masks of decency they are creatures who prey on the innocent. Men and women who disguise themselves as being responsible and concerned for the welfare of others, yet when unmasked reveal a soul that is disgusting and evil. In the past we were always afraid of the pretend monsters that lived in the dark, now we find ourselves frightened by the real monsters that are revealed by the light.
Halloween is a holiday that is often celebrated by normal people putting on scary masks. Yet, in real life the actual monsters are the scary people who wear masks of normalcy. They are judges that secretly abuse their position for personal gain, mayors who use their office to increase their bank account, businessmen who defraud the public for selfish profit and even pastors who abuse the innocent.
What creates such monsters? In the Bible we read, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9) These monsters are the result of a desperately wicked heart. When the evil of sin is allowed to go unchecked, then man, who was created in the “image of God,” is transformed into a monster. He tries to cover his wickedness with respectability, but like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde eventually the beast comes out.
How do we destroy these monsters? These kinds of monsters must be held responsible for their actions and when found guilty they deserved to be punished. But there are no silver bullets, special potions, or stakes to pound through their wicked hearts that will rid us once and for all of their kind. Nor do we defeat them by hiding, being afraid and distrusting everyone.
God has provided the answer to our monster invasion in the person of Jesus. When a sinner finds forgiveness in Christ, then monsters are transformed. But, if sin is allowed to go unchecked in a person’s heart, then decent people will continue to become the same kind of monsters that frighten us.
Dr. Fred W. Karthaus III
Pastor, First Baptist Church of Andalusia
Comments
Posted by MoreCowBell (anonymous) on October 31, 2009 at 1:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Very well said.
Posted by Andy_Lusia (anonymous) on November 1, 2009 at 12:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What bothers me about this letter is that the writer seems to think children who wear costumes which portray witches, vampires, and monsters will somehow be drawn in into a life of sin and depravity. Doing so on a day like Halloween when everybody but Fred Karthaus III knows that it is all make believe time and a time to have a lot of fun (while filling your bag with candy).
Fred goes on to talk about "real life the actual monsters are the scary people who wear masks of normalcy." We all know these people. There is one in the county jail tonight who masqueraded around town for 6 years as as preacher while molesting young boys. He obviously has fallen into sin.
But then he goes way off the square to somehow link people who do bad things with an annual time of fun and frivoiity. Maybe he would have approved of what happened to a sweet little six year old tonite. When we got in the car to go home she pulled a something out of her candy bag and said "this isn't for me" and handed it to me. It was a leaflet with a title "What happens after death". It had been given out by people from a church in another community in the county. Their idea of evangelistic outreach troubled me greatly. They showed their total lack of how to speak to children in general and a lack of how to express the Love of God to children.
Maybe Fred and the leaftlteers could read their Bibles more and find where Paul said "Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound." Grace seems to missing from Fres's letter and the folks giving out leaflets instead of candy.
Posted by MoreCowBell (anonymous) on November 1, 2009 at 6:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You really missed the point.
Posted by Shamrock (anonymous) on November 1, 2009 at 7:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I for one would like for the Clergy to give us a reality check and clear explanation of Lucifer, now called Satan, his fall from the highest position of the celestial beings, along with the minions of angels who followed him - devils -who roam the earth seeking the ruin of souls.
We cannot begin to imagine Satan's hatred of us, because we can enter Heaven to be eternally with God and he cannot.
Good people need to be reminded about Satan's hatred for us and the traps he uses to capture and destroy our souls. This is the Battle of battles we are waging today.
Halloween is just one example to minimize Satan's hatred of us by making it a fun time for children. Fantasy time. Evil shows its Face, and we all think it's cute.
Notice the time given to Halloween - will we see the Christmas Nativity on the Square?
These are only my personal comments and observations.
Posted by ToldYouSo (anonymous) on November 2, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shamrock; WELL SAID!
Posted by ruby2zday (anonymous) on November 3, 2009 at 5:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
To, Dr. Fred W. Karthaus III, your comment is excellent.
Posted by Jama (anonymous) on November 3, 2009 at 8:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shamrock: I do believe we have a lighting of the Christmas tree and a big party on the square every year at the beginning of december.
Posted by whereisthecommonsense (anonymous) on November 3, 2009 at 2:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ok, i just have to say, horse pucky!!! I grew up trick or treating, we would plan our cotumes for weeks and go out for hours, enjoying ourselves and admiring each others costumes. Never once in my life have I ever had the urge to worship the devil. Many times in my life I have caved into temptation and sinned, but I have always loved God, so it wasnt the devil, it was my own weakness and selfish belief in my own ability and strength that made me do sinful things. I am not discounting the devil's power and evil, but I know for a fact that he has no power over me, he can throw temptations at me, but the choice to sin is always mine. I get pretty tired of the self righteous, hypocritical Pharisee Christians who get so busy telling others how bad they are and how they are sinning that they oh so conveniently forget that they are as consumed by the ugliness of sin as much as the ones they are judging.
Posted by MoreCowBell (anonymous) on November 3, 2009 at 7 p.m. (Suggest removal)
This editorial is not about Halloween. Are people so blind sighted that they can't read between the lines to find the real meaning of what this pastor is trying to say? Open your minds, and your hearts; read this again, and maybe you'll understand.
Posted by Shamrock (anonymous) on November 3, 2009 at 9:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jama: a Christmas tree and a big parteey on the Square is not the Nativity Scene. It is, after all, Jesus' Birthday. Who remembers...do you?
Posted by Shamrock (anonymous) on November 3, 2009 at 10:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Whereisthere...: We all grew up trick or treating unless you are Jehovah Witnesses or such. Worshiping the devil is not the point here. If you think for a second the devil has no power over you - he has you right where he wants you.
The devils TEMPT us continually, and know our individual weaknesses the better to trap us. In the case of the man we are posting about without mentioning his name, he chose to give in to these intense temptations and ended up masquerading as a man of God to seduce innocent children.
Do not take lightly the seduction of Satan and his demons upon an individual. Thinking otherwise is part of his seduction.
Posted by Shamrock (anonymous) on November 3, 2009 at 10:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We can be sure this man's punishment for his sins will be great on this earth. We do not know what awaits him when he dies - only God knows. Again, the man will have to make his choice one way or the other, and you can be sure the devil will grapple for his soul to be damned forever.
We must be reminded of these things time and again and not put them aside.
Posted by captaindon (anonymous) on November 8, 2009 at 9:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The real monsters now live in the white house.
Posted by Shamrock (anonymous) on November 10, 2009 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
captaindon: I agree, and some in the senate and house - wolves in sheeps clothing.
Posted by HumanOnEarth (anonymous) on December 14, 2009 at 11:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually - Christmas BEGAN as a pagan ritual and these pagans were later incorporated into Christianity as a way to bring the pagans into the fold.
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