Dear Editor,

In the Oct. 16, Comox Valley Record, Courtenay Recreation advertised their upcoming 'Haunted Christmas' event. Linking Christmas, the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, to Halloween's 'haunting' theme, cannot help but be received with a measure of disrespect by the Christian community in the Comox Valley. The organizers of this year's theme may respond with, "We never meant to offend those of Christian faith."

Yet, how could the organizer not anticipate that Christians would have legitimate cause to take offence?

Respectful acknowledgement of the religious season of Christmas, including "Merry Christmas" has all but been eliminated from public view in favour of the politically correct "holiday season," or "happy holidays." But Courtenay Recreation's application of Christmas as a worthwhile means of advertising a Halloween event is baffling and unnecessarily dishonourable, despite how much fun it may well produce. Surely, fun can be achieved in other ways.

Will we see future, annual Halloween references to other religions, "Haunted Hanukkah" (Judaism), "Haunted Ramadan" (Islam), or "Haunted Diwali " (Hinduism)? I truly hope not. There is no shortage of clever, imaginative Halloween themes available. Linking Halloween, in any way, to any world religion — including Christianity — does not make for a responsibly clever, imaginative decision.

The relatively fun, harmless and playful "scariness" sewn into the Halloween season is one thing, but there is a genuine and subtle scariness to society's increasing religious insensitivity, especially when it is a blind insensitivity that cannot be camouflaged by a Halloween costume made out of the fabric of purported "fun, harmless, playful purposes."

This is especially true when it exhibits such an inconsiderate indifference to the seriousness with which most Christians embrace their faith, at Christmas and throughout the year.

Jim Thomson

Comox