Christian when convenient

The Virgin Islands found the energy to stop a Halloween party. What would happen if we brought that same urgency to the things actually hurting us?

Apparently, the most frightening thing that happened in the Virgin Islands this October was the idea of a children’s Halloween event.

The National Democratic Party’s Youth Movement announced a Halloween Treat Fest. Christian critics objected. The party cancelled it and promised a Family Fun Day instead. A costume party had become a test of moral character, and the NDP showed that they were not willing to fail it.

The objections came largely from religious voices, including Apostle R. Tasha Toussaint, who associated Halloween with the demonic. The NDP’s statement acknowledged concerns about Halloween “…in relation to our children, families, and the values that are important to many in our society”.

What are we protecting children from?

If Halloween is not in line with “Virgin Islands” values, then neither are many of the traditions we cling to so fondly. Rather, they represent the influence of American consumerism on our society.

We look forward to the restaurants that will undoubtedly release their Thanksgiving lunch and dinner specials in November 2026. A Holiday rooted in violent colonialism is happily celebrated by Virgin Islanders, many of which are devout Christians, yet Halloween gets a religious hearing.

Some in the Christian community will argue that the concern lies in Halloween’s imagery, i.e., depictions of devils and demonic figures, or symbols they associate with the unholy. Yet, how can just the image of a spooky-themed flyer generate such a response while we usually scroll past the dangers children actually face?

October is also Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Official figures show 398 domestic-related offences in 2025, up approximately 14 per cent from 2024. Meanwhile, in December 2025, interim Acting Police Commissioner Richard Ullger warned of growing reports of child sexual exploitation.

Protecting children means refusing to let an adult’s standing in the community, or church, outweigh a child’s safety. Taking “love thy neighbour” seriously asks considerably more of us than cancelling an afternoon of treats.

Love thy neighbour, conditions apply

Then there is the question of who qualifies as our neighbour.

We’ve all heard the term “down islander” used as a slur. We’ve all seen the comments under certain news articles featuring people who happen to be born outside of the Virgin Islands.

We can’t claim to be a Christian society while treating love of our neighbours as a benefit reserved only for people with the same ancestry as us.

This selective morality also shows up when we discuss those less fortunate than us.

The government’s 2024–2026 economic review recorded 3.2 per cent inflation in 2024 and

acknowledged that living costs remain especially challenging for low-income households.

A single mother struggling to afford groceries to feed her children needs more than reassurance

that the territory has taken a firm position on costumes.

NDP mistakes retreat for leadership

Which brings us back to the NDP.

The NDP says: “We respect these concerns and acknowledge the importance of listening to the

community and being mindful of the diverse beliefs and perspectives within it.”

Listening is a part of leadership, but so is explaining a decision and being prepared to defend it. The party’s statement never makes clear what changed in its own assessment of the event, beyond the arrival of objections. Were the planned activities actually inappropriate? Or did the party simply discover that defending them might be too unpopular?

If the NDP could not stand firm on a children’s event it had already approved, why should voters feel confident about its ability to withstand pressure when political decisions are not favourable among the public?

A faith that asks us to love our neighbours requires defending the neighbour we have been taught to resent, or taking a survivor seriously even when doing so makes our neighbors, or our congregation, uncomfortable.

The Virgin Islands does not need everyone to celebrate Halloween. It needs the concern for

children to last after the party has been cancelled.

Otherwise, we are simply just Christian when convenient, and convenience is a very poor moral compass.