Posted on 10/16/2006 12:36:04 PM PDT by truthfinder9
By Kenneth Richard Samples
In terms of holiday commercial sales, Halloween ranks second only to Christmas. But is this extremely popular tradition (especially in the U.S.) the devil’s night, a literal satanic and occult extravaganza? Or is Halloween a harmless celebration?
Many Christians raise questions and express concerns about holidays that have some historical connection, at least in terms of dates, to ancient pagan beliefs and practices. Some refuse to allow their children to participate in Halloween celebrations. Others would like to abolish the event. Addressing common questions about this scary holiday may alleviate some of the concerns surrounding this controversial cultural issue.
Like the dates of a number of major holidays (including Christmas), Halloween can be traced, at least in part, to an ancient pagan celebration. The winter festival “Samhain” was celebrated on or near October 31 by the ancient Celts. Samhain was a pagan tradition that commemorated the end of harvest, the beginning of winter, and the recognition of the physical cycle of death, which included crops, animals, and humans.
In conjunction with this festival, many pagans believed that the human spirits of the recent dead would not pass on to their final resting place in the next world until being placated with gifts. The restless spirit’s “trick” could be avoided only if appropriately “treated,” thus originated the present-day Halloween practice of children dressing up like spirits and arriving at the front door chanting or demanding “trick or treat.”
But while Halloween has distant connections to ancient pagan beliefs and practices, the holiday has also been strongly influenced by Christian belief and practices. The word “Halloween” comes from “All Hallows Eve,” a reference to the evening before the Christian celebration of All Saints Day (November 1st). The so-called hall of fame for the faithful in the Book of Hebrews (11:1-40) initiated All Saints Day, which was (and is) devoted to remembering Christian believers who have died, sometimes suffering as martyrs.
By overlapping this practice of honoring and thanking God for the example of faithful believers with the Samhain festival, the church attempted to counteract heathen thought and influence. This was especially true in areas of Europe where Samhain was popular. Christian apologists Bob and Gretchen Passantino note the following concerning the church’s apologetic reasons for doing so: “The Church not only sought to give Christians an alternative, spiritually edifying holiday; but also to proclaim the supremacy of the gospel over pagan superstition.”1
Historically Halloween has been influenced by both pagan practices and Christian devotion.2 Therefore, to view Halloween as only a pagan holiday is inaccurate.
Christians need to use good reasoning to support their moral and/or spiritual convictions. Drawing and applying biblical inferences to life’s questions and challenges takes intellectual skill and care. To outright condemn the practice of "trick-or-treating" on the basis that Halloween has certain pagan origins is, in this author’s mind, to come perilously close to committing the genetic fallacy.
The genetic fallacy is committed when an idea, person, practice, or institution is evaluated solely in terms of its origin, without giving appropriate consideration to how it has changed or evolved in contemporary practice.3 For example, one would be foolish to reject the scientific discipline of astronomy because its origins were connected to the ancient occult practice of astrology. Why? Because the practice of astronomy has changed significantly over time. While the Bible expressly forbids a believer’s involvement in certain pagan and/or occult practices (Deut. 18:9-13), for the vast majority of American families Halloween has nothing to do with the practice of, or belief in, occultism. Rather, this celebration gives children an opportunity to dress up in funny, spooky, and/or outrageous costumes and accumulate candy by the pillowcase full (a little known metric measurement).
Christians have a biblical mandate to discern what is evil and resist and/or avoid its influence. However, to what extent should one go to avoid evil people and their practices? And to what extent are practices evil in themselves?
Since Adolf Hitler brushed his teeth, should one rather knock one’s teeth out to avoid any association with an evil person and his practices? Could practices that were once associated with pagan superstition (such as carving pumpkins and bobbing for apples) be purely benign for people with a totally different motivation and intent? Should one avoid eating meat (especially lean and inexpensive meat) that has been offered to idols, even if one is convinced the idols don't really exist? First century Christians faced the issue of whether or not it was acceptable to buy and eat meat that had previously been offered to heathen idols. The Apostle Paul assured them that they could eat the meat in good conscience knowing that the idols were not real.4
According to the Bible, the world of the occult is real and energized by demonic powers. This realm therefore must be recognized and resisted by Christians. Spiritual beliefs and practices bear consequences in this world and in the next. However, this author distinguishes a clear difference between the real occult practices of spiritism, magic, and divination and the contemporary practice of trick-or-treating, carving pumpkins, and bobbing for apples. The door of the occult world must be entered through human interest and initiative. General Halloween practices engaged in by most people do not draw them into occult activities.
The intent here is not to engage in hairsplitting concerning potentially dangerous activities, but rather to think hard about logical and moral distinctions. Of course, if any Halloween practice is perceived as violating one’s conscience and commitment to biblical truth then that person should rightly abstain.
Again, one must follow his or her conscience on the matter, but this author finds it hard to believe that the systematic collection of candy in a given neighborhood by “Spider Man” and his “Rug Rat” friends constitute the promotion of an occult worldview or spiritistic racketeering. Personally, it seems difficult not to heartily treat a young child dressed up as “Captain America,” or “GI Joe.” Even the recognized Christian authority on cults and the occult, Walter Martin, said: “If Big Bird comes to my door, he’s definitely going to get a treat.”
When images are offensive, one should by all means avoid them. But is the use of all dark images in every context wrong? How about the use of dark images in the realm of literature? Was it wrong of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkein (both Christian writers) to include dark images (witches, monsters, etc.) in their writings? At what point does a Halloween costume become a dark image that should be avoided? Isn’t this largely a matter of conscience?
Different people do have different ideas about whether or not to celebrate Halloween with secular practices. However, one thing is certain. October 31st not only commemorates All Hallows Eve, but also honors Martin Luther’s protesting of certain medieval Catholic beliefs and practices, which sparked the 16th century Reformation. And, the central truth of the gospel can be celebrated in a variety of ways every day of the year—even on Halloween.
I've found it more common for people who do celebrate halloween (my daughter's mother-in-law, for instance) to become offended when we choose not to participate.
I've found it more common for people who do celebrate halloween (my daughter's mother-in-law, for instance) to become offended when we choose not to participate.
Aww, Jeeeez......not this $hit again
(Anybody have the graphic?)
Maybe a Harry Potter book burning party would be an acceptable alternate to trick-or-treating.
Aww, Jeeeez......not this $hit again!
I second that! Where do these people get this stuff? Talk about being sheltered!
It's All Saints Eve, a catholic based holiday totally Christian in it's basis....not a celebration of the occult...It's basis is actually anti-occult as stated clearly in the article.
That stated, the benign ghosts,goblins mixed with kitty cats and hobo's of our youth have morphed over the past 30+ years into very gruesome and graphic demons, occult based characters and ax murderers.....not my cup of tea
We just have our children dress out in that manner....the past several years we have had a friendly pirate theme around our decorations and dress.....much more acceptable to our family's taste...
BTW, the pirate theme is "hot" right now.....we're always leading the trend :^)
It pirates here too. We don't buy costumes but spend time together planning & making them. The whole family gets involved and I think its a great way to spend time together. I take my 7 yr old out after school and her older brothers take her to all their friends houses & to relatives houses to show her off. She loves it and I see no evil in Halloween. We a have neighborhood contest and party and I am betting she wins this year as she is just so cute in her pirate costume.
Uugh...
Halloween is a christian holiday.....
ahhhh for pirates....nope it's Disney princesses here. Never, ever send a dad out to a mall with a three year old, she'll come back looking like Snow White threw up all over her.......
Halloween is taking something grim and gruesome and turning it into fun for children. Somehow I think God gets kick out of it. And the next day it's off to Church for All Saints Day. Halloween can be as fun and as clean as you want it to be.
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