Halloween's supremacy in spending is a measure of spiritual crisis

On Sunday, I heard on my Catholic radio station(it's local and mostly has EWTN programs), a commentator who was in shock that Halloween had passed Christmas in popularity. Not only was he in shock, but he failed to see both the reasons and the best response that Christians in general could have.

I'm going to start with looking at the reasons. First, more and more people are nones. That is not to say atheists, but rather that they posses no faith. There's also been a rise in wiccan and other pagan belief systems, including the hedonist form of Satanism(I'll not discuss the diabolic version).

How many years have teachers and parents been telling children, at least in the United States of America, "You can be anything when you grow up."?  And slowly, when they reach adulthood(not maturity), it is uncovered for the lie it is. Still, the lie is attractive, and also attractive is the occasion of celebration.

But the celebration of religious holy days and festivals is largely a foreign concept, especially when one looks at the family problems of the day. When kids start seeing all the problems of Christmas and Thanksgiving in coordination at both mom and dad's houses, and want stability instead, the concept is undermined. Yes, further than the materialistic nature Christmas has taken on more and more.

Since family has been destroyed as a concept for many, there's the attractiveness of celebration with friends. And while holy days are indeed appropriate to share in feasting, they've already been poisoned in many minds and hearts. And Halloween in the minds of the nones has nothing to do with faith, after all, it's been associated with witches and horror for ages in pop culture.

Enough discussion of the causes. Let's look at what the response should have been, and can still become.

First, We should start calling the day by it's proper name: All Hallow's Eve. Names are words of spiritual power, or Christ would not have asked the names of the demons possessing people. Also, note Adam's first job: naming everything. When you name something, and it responds, you have gained some control over it. Some may call this magic, but music and art have similar effects on the soul, that are ultimately inexplicable by "science".

The second part has some progress made already, albeit in a less widespread form than we need.  Presentation of heroes of faith. I put it that way, for two reasons. The first being that Protestants don't recognize saints as such, and the second being that there are many heroes of faith not thus honored in Catholic or Orthodox traditions.

We are seeing well written novels come out that respect faith, and "Christian" movies are starting to get the need for less insular audiences as well. Who's missing? The commentators and populizers. But I don't think it's for the same reasons quite as conservatives. Some may be due to ignorance, some due to a rejection of portrayal of sin, which is lying to ourselves. We are fallen, and have redemption only as a gift.

And I have seen many push the idea of reading only old books, and the superiority of old art, etc. But the problem there is, if they won't help with supporting the new works, the restoration they desire will never happen; art needs funding. You want to replace modern garbage with real art? Put up or shut up. Enough with the navel gazing superiority.

When you play Social Justice, the world loses.