Ayn sent me this:

The Bishop of Leicester has said a church magazine article strongly criticising people who celebrate Halloween is "overstating the issue".

The article in the Belvoir Angel, delivered to homes in the Vale of Belvoir in villages between Bottesford and Long Clawson, said those marking Halloween or going trick-or-treating were "siding with devil".
The Right Reverend Tim Stevens has said he can understand why some people have been upset by the comments.
Pagans have also reacted angrily to the article, which describes the evening as a "concentration on making fun of potentially dangerous situations".
The Bishop said: "I think this article is overstating the issue. I'm not able to agree that families going to an innocent Halloween party are siding with the devil. I can understand why some parents are indignant about this. When my children were little, they used to have friends around and put a candle in a pumpkin. I don't think they came to any harm.


"I do think that there is a problem with trick-or-treating. Children going out on the streets like that, knocking on doors, is not a good idea."
The Mercury reported yesterday that about 500 copies of the magazine containing the article had been distributed.
Mum-of-four Mariel Heald, of Stathern, near Melton, who takes her children trick-or-treating, told how she was shocked and offended by the article. Today, the Reverend Barry Hill, the diocese of Leicester's head of mission, said: "I think Halloween is an unhelpful time, for religious, spiritual and practical reasons. A lot of churches are organising light parties instead. They would prefer to celebrate something that comes from goodness. The problem people have with Halloween is its roots and origins."
Halloween has its origins in the ancient Pagan festival of Samhain, which marked the start of the new year.
Pagans celebrate Samhain, but said they were outraged by the magazine article which claimed people marking it sided with the devil. Pagan Michelle Lygo, of Whetstone, described the article as "absolutely ridiculous".
She added: "We do not believe in the devil. The gods we worship have been around for thousands of years. This is just Christianity kicking off against Paganism." The Mercury has been unable to reach the Belvoir benefice's team vicar the Reverend Fred Connell, who approved the article. Belvoir Angel editor Peter Briant said if people did not like the article "that was their opinion".

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/n ... ticle.html