To say that “Halloween” is my favorite holiday and that this “deathly” game is meaningful to me, of course, is an exaggeration. I’m not a fan of “black humor”. But frankly speaking the activity our clergymen display exclusively against “Halloween” surprises me.
Is this the most important issue in our society? I have never heard a clergyman saying: “dear oligarch, dear official, be gentle, humble, temperate, modest, restrained, do not be gluttonous, greedy, narcissistic, violent and ignorant”. No clergyman voices this kind of advice, which I think is quite in line with the spirit of the Bible. On the contrary, if the aforementioned arrogant person decides to build a church, they start praising him: a “great philanthropist”, “national figure”, etc. Therefore, in this class, which is the “elite” of Armenia, our clergymen do not see any defects.
But when it comes to children who are playing “Halloween”, they become filled with such a rage as if once this game is stopped, all the spiritual problems of Armenia will be solved. Moreover, they demand all their interlocutors address such curses against “Halloween”, using the adjectives that they do: “satanic”, “demonic”, “infernal”, etc. That way clergymen believe they educate the youth. However, in fact, they make children become repulsive, they close their hearts before God’s goodness, by these dogmatic, narrow approaches.
Especially, that being so strict about a foolish game, they are too “liberal” when it comes to their own “subsidy”. The clergyman kills animals for fun, entertainment, and then proudly takes photos with the animals he has killed. In this case, the reserve of his “colleagues’” anger is exhausted: well, what to do, not everyone can be like apostle Paul. But when it comes to others, our clergymen become so severe that perhaps Spanish inquisitors would envy them.
I believe there is only one satanic, demonic phenomenon in this life, intolerance, the belief that the only right path is the one you have chosen, and everyone is obliged to take it. This very belief makes its holder and the latter’s associates feel like in hell.
Aram ABRAHAMYAN
