Posted on 10/25/2008 7:00:34 AM PDT by DouglasKC
It all looks like so much fun and seems so harmless: jack-o'-lanterns, grotesque grinning masks, long black witch attire with pointed black hats, costumes painted like skeletons, outfits that represent demons and goblins, and children going door to door, soliciting treats from compliant neighbors.
But when Halloween comes around, do you find yourself yearning for the hours to pass until the whole trick-or-treat farce is over? If you don't, you should!
Since when is it acceptable for little children to threaten to commit vandalism?
What happens if the homeowner doesn't come to the door or doesn't have the treats the kids might expect? Is it permissible for children to then soap his windows, toilet paper his trees, chalk mark his sidewalk or turn over plants as they leave? When is it okay for children to commit vandalism while on another person's property?
Isn't it about time for all well-meaning citizens to just say NO to Halloween?
The clergy, in general, hasn't stood against it. Some churches even have Halloween parties. Some citizens do speak up against it, as the letters to the editor in your newspaper occasionally show.
Is Halloween simply good, clean fun, or is it something else entirely? You need to know!
God is giving a wake-up call to professing Christians. As it was with those the prophet Elijah addressed in his day, so it is with us: "'How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.' But the people answered him not a word" (1 Kings 18:21). What will it take for Christians to accept and stand for God's truth rather than harmful traditions that originated in paganism?
Just where did Halloween come from, and why is it so widely celebrated?
The Encyclopedia of Religion explains: "Halloween is the name for the eve of Samhain, a celebration marking the beginning of winter as well as the first day of the New Year within the ancient Celtic culture of the British Isles. The time of Samhain consisted of the eve of the feast and the day itself (31 October and 1 November).
"On this occasion, it was believed that a gathering of supernatural forces occurred as during no other period of the year. The eve and day of Samhain were characterized as a time when the barriers between the human and supernatural worlds were broken. Otherworldly entities, such as the souls of the dead, were able to visit earthly inhabitants, and humans could take the opportunity to penetrate the domains of the gods and supernatural creatures.
"Fiery tributes and sacrifices of animals, crops, and possibly human beings were made to appease supernatural powers who controlled the fertility of the land . . . Samhain acknowledged the entire spectrum of nonhuman forces that roamed the earth during the period" (1987, pp. 176-177, "Halloween").
On this holiday "huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits . . . The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature" (The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th edition, Micropaedia, Vol. 4, p. 862, "Halloween").
It was, bluntly put, a day devoted to appeasing demonic spirits and the dark side of the spirit world—something no Christian should have any part in (Ephesians 5:11).
So how did this dark celebration continue into modern times? Sadly, Halloween came down to us from the Roman Catholic Church, which assigned a day of each year to each of their saints. When it reached the point that they had more than 365, they then combined them together on Nov. 1 and called it "All Saints Day" or "All Hallows Day"—the night before being "All Hallows Eve" or "Hallow Even" (holy evening), contracted to the name Hallowe'en or Halloween.
Why did they choose this particular day? Again The Encyclopedia of Religion explains: "Samhain remained a popular festival among the Celtic people throughout the christianization of Great Britain . The British church attempted to divert this interest in pagan customs by adding a Christian celebration to the calendar on the same date as Samhain. The Christian festival, the Feast of All Saints, commemorates the known and unknown saints of the Christian religion just as Samhain had acknowledged and paid tribute to the Celtic deities" (p. 177).
Thus a pagan celebration was relabeled as Christian.
You cannot find any support for Halloween in your Bible, because God is adamantly opposed to it and the pagan, occult practices it revels in. He warns His people to have nothing to do with these (Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:10-12). They blind us from the truth of God.
God does not take Halloween lightly. As He says, "Learn not the way of the heathen" (Jeremiah 10:2, King James Version). And, "Take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise'" (Deuteronomy 12:30).
God will not always remain tirelessly patient with those who insist on celebrating harmful and superstitious customs such as Halloween. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance . . . What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God" (2 Peter 3:9-12, New International Version).
The author of sin and death, Satan the devil, is also the behind-the-scenes author of pagan customs like Halloween. Jesus said that Satan is a liar and the father of all lies (John 8:44). God is the God of the living, not the dead (Matthew 22:31-32). He is the God of not only true Christians alive today but, because of the certainty of the coming resurrection of the dead (1 Corinthians 15), of those who will yet live when raised from death. So certain is this resurrection that to God it is looked on as an accomplished fact (see Romans 4:17).
Conversely, Satan is the "lord of the dead." Hebrews 2:14 says of Jesus Christ that "only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death" (New Living Translation).
Satan is the lord of the dead in that he leads people by his lies and influence into the way of death and, as the next verse shows, puts them in bondage to the fear of death.
He has foisted Halloween on ignorant people and even well-meaning Christians in a subtle and deceitful way, perpetuating it through the Catholic Church with a "Christian" mask that hides its demonic origins.
When it comes to Halloween—or any other holiday for that matter—you should ask yourself, "Did God make man in His image, or did God intend man to remake God in man's image?" Now that's a sobering thought.
The religious excuse for perpetuating Halloween might be that, as we've seen, church leaders long ago called it a "holy evening" for all the Catholic saints who had no day assigned to them. But face it: People who celebrate this evening today couldn't care less about such religious notions. All they think about is instant gratification, to follow the pack with everyone else and to have some fun.
The Encyclopedia of Religion goes on to say: "Modern Halloween activities have centered on mischief making and masquerading in costumes, often resembling otherworldly characters. Folk customs, now treated as games [such as bobbing for apples], have continued from the various divination practices of the ancient celebrants of this occasion. Supernatural figures [such as the ghost, the witch, the vampire, the devil] play a key role in supplying an aura of the mysterious to the evening, whether or not they originally had an association with the festival.
"Children are particularly susceptible to the imagery of Halloween, as can be seen in their fascination with the demonic likeness of a carved and illuminated pumpkin, known as the jack-o'-lantern. In recent times, children have taken up the practice of dressing in Halloween costumes and visiting homes in search of edible and monetary treats, lightly threatening to play a trick on the owner if a treat is not produced" (p. 177).
Halloween is one of many human traditions that cloud biblical teachings and keep people in the dark from God's truth that can set us free (John 8:32). It is not a harmless holiday for you or for your children. God warns us to avoid it and to follow His ways, because He hates for us to dabble in the spirit world of Satan and his demons! Instead, as God tells us in Isaiah 66:2, "On this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word." GN
Holidays or Holy Days: Does it Matter Which Days We Celebrate?
It's ironic that so many of today's popular holidays—including major religious celebrations like Christmas and Easter—originated in ancient pagan festivals and customs, while God's Holy Days revealed in the Bible are almost universally ignored. Which should you celebrate and why?
God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind
Is it possible to know what the future holds for us? The Creator of mankind does have a plan for us, and He reveals it to us through an annual cycle of festivals described in the Scriptures. It is an astounding plan offering an incredible future to every man, woman, and child who has ever lived.
Halloween's Dark Roots
In recent years eye-opening materials have been published about the questionable background of Halloween
Ghouls, Ghosts and Goblins
It seems like such harmless fun—children dressed as witches, skeletons or Darth Vader ringing the doorbell, enthusiastically announcing, "Trick or treat!" But is this preoccupation with the dead, witches and demons really harmless? And do you realize that Halloween was originally an important religious holiday—and still is in many parts of the world?
Can Halloween Be Christianized?
What should you do in deciding how you will approach this hotly debated issue?
what does “having faith in God” look like?
Then there is no prohibition?
There are practicing witches. They are real. That doesn't mean they have supernatural powers, simply that they believe in the power of what they're doing. Having spent a little time in the Caribbean, I'm slightly familiar with Voodoo. I don't think it works, but there are plenty of people who commit murders as parts of voodoo rituals. Same thing happens in Mexico. Here's a link to an account of Mark Kilroy and his murder. True Crime Library.
Halloween may, in my opinion, be safely celebrated without risking either our souls or perspective. We should be aware that others do truly believe in these dark forces and commit crimes in support of them.
Objectively? James addresses this. He said that faith will produce works befitting faith:
Jas 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.
Jas 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
John phrases it differently, but it means the same thing:
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
1Jn 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
1Jn 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Against Halloween? Sure there is. The article points to numerous scriptures that show why it's not something that Christians should engage in.
No, I’m specifically speaking of the faith that empowers the Christian to resist the devil.
It is self evident Christians may do good works and love the brethren, yet still commit heinous sins.
It's the same faith. It's what empowers us. We learn to let the indwelling Christ live in and through us. He produces those works and those attitudes that let us resist the devil. A large part of faith is letting his character and love through.
It is self evident Christians may do good works and love the brethren, yet still commit heinous sins.
Good works and outside expressions of "love" are meaningless in and of themselves. Atheists and pagans can do these things. Professing Christians can appear to be Christian, but aren't:
Mat 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?'
Mat 7:23 And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
Great works by themselves are nothing. Sure Christians can sin, but sin is lawlessness:
1Jn 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
Christians who don't live a lifetime of repenting from sin but instead embrace sin as a lifestyle are not really Christians. They're practicing lawlessness.
I understand the writer’s argument. What i don’t understand is how your contention that lack of biblical precedent invalidates the “neutering” of thse pagan holidays the way meat sacrificed to idols was similarly stripped of meaning?
Lack of precedent wasn't my only argument. The meat argument is commonly brought up, but it's not a perfect comparison. The issue was whether or not Christians could eat meat that they bought in the meat market if they knew or suspected that it came from an animal that had been sacrificed in a pagan ceremony. Most of the time they couldn't be sure. Paul's determination was that it was an individual choice on whether to eat that meat. It wasn't a choice to engage in the ceremony, but whether to later eat that meat. A halloween analogy would be halloween candy. I have no problem going to somebody's house and eating a candy bar offered to me. I'm not going to question whether or not they got it from trick or treating. But I'm not going to participate in the ceremony.
Did any of your spells work, by any chance? If you have a way with voodoo dolls, the McCain campaign could use you on staff.
It seems to me that most parents don’t dress their kids up in goulish or satanic or devil-based outfits. Halloween has basically become more of a costume party than anything else. Most people just come up with something humorous or whatnot. Most outfits don’t really have anything to do with the occult. This seems to be a broken record that various christian groups trot out every year about this time. Like a preacher talking into a megaphone most people just roll their eyes and ignore it. So in conclusion, yeah christians can “celebrate” halloween. Just dont call it halloween call it a costume party or fall festival.
If “learning” to let Christ indwell us is key to resisting the devil, how can so many preachers, teachers, and evangelists get to their positions of leadership without knowing how to teach that learning, and indeed not even know how to let Christ indwell themselves?
If the indwelling Christ is the key, why are we only told what will happen if he’s there and not hot to get him there?
If a person lives his lifetime repenting of sin, doesn’t that meanhe spends his lifetime sinning?
Ah, the annual anti-Halloween threads. It’s become part of the tradition. :)
If great works “by themself” are nothing, then how are they “evidence?”
I don’t see any scriptural support for your invalidation or description of the sacrificed meat argument.
I used to think Halloween was harmless until I moved to a house near a cemetery.
>>Ah, the annual anti-Halloween threads. It’s become part of the tradition. :)<<
Pass the popcorn. Or a mini-Snickers, maybe?
Lack of precedent may not have been your only argument, but that doesn’t answer how it is any argument at all.
I think you make interesting and useful contributions, too!
I was just throwing spitballs on this thread, as I don’t put much personal investment in the topic. Some years we have costumes and some Hallowe’en activity; most years we don’t feel like making the effort.
If someone believes any observance is wrong, okay. If it’s someone else’s favorite holiday, okay. As long as they’re not being unneighborly (breaking things, littering, etc.), then I don’t believe there’s anything wrong in it. I’d say it’s irrelevant to our Christian life, unless we become involved in greed or damaging others, for which there are many other occasions besides Hallowe’en.
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