Posted on 10/30/2009 4:35:37 PM PDT by DouglasKC
Does the Bible have anything to say about the strange customs surrounding Halloween? In fact, it does—and none of it is good.
While God's Holy Days in the Bible celebrate the role of Jesus Christ in bringing mankind to salvation in the eternal family of God (as explained in the following article and our free booklet God's Holy Day Plan: The Promise of Hope for All Mankind), Halloween is a celebration of the opposite—of demonism, witchcraft, death and evil spirits.
God's Word makes it clear that no one should dare entertain witchcraft or act as a sorcerer. "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD" (Deuteronomy 18:10-11, emphasis added throughout).
God pronounced death on any Israelites who would dare dally with demonism or Satanism: "A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them" (Leviticus 20:27). "You shall not permit a sorceress to live" (Exodus 22:18).
Why such a harsh penalty? God did not want such perverted, demonic practices to spread among His people and corrupt others. "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst" (Deuteronomy 13:5).
Would God be against something as harmless as Halloween, especially since it allows children to have fun and enjoy a little entertainment? Can't we let them have a little harmless fun?
Frankly, Halloween is anything but harmless. It focuses one's attention on witchcraft and demonism, which flies in the face of the holy God Almighty! When parents not only allow but also encourage their children to celebrate witches and goblins, they are teaching them that it's acceptable to deal in demonism.
And we have seen what God thinks of that. God is a God of light and truth (1 John 1:5). Satan, "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4), is a very real being—a being of darkness, deception and death (Revelation 12:9; John 8:44). We are to have nothing to do with his ways. (To learn more, request our free booklet Is There Really a Devil?)
Do not assume that Halloween is a harmless holiday. God hates mankind's dabbling in the spirit world of Satan and his demons!
If there were no other reason available, that should be enough. But there are more reasons. Halloween keeps humankind, and many Christians, confused, disoriented and separated from the one and only true God.
God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Nor is He the author of Halloween or any other "Christianized" pagan holidays (Amos 5:21). Why would the only true God who loves mankind support any worldly holiday that blinds human beings to Him and His truth and that holds men, women and children captive to deception?
Finding the shadows of the evil customs of Halloween abhorrent, many Christians have sought to sanitize the holiday by integrating religious symbols with which they are more familiar and comfortable (this process is called syncretism). Some, for example, carve the name Jesus onto pumpkins and add religious phrases in the hopes of evangelizing those who go trick-or-treating.
Others have undertaken a more elaborate revision of the holiday, attempting to turn it into a harvest festival interwoven with Christian themes and devoid of its more obvious pagan overtones. Church basements are turned into carnivals featuring games, contests and, of course, candy.
What should you do in deciding how you will approach this hotly debated issue?
The fundamental argument in favor of mixing ancient pagan customs and practices with the worship of God is that some believe it is an effective way to gradually win people over to Christian understanding. (Of course, in the present world we should ask ourselves why people who already see themselves as Christian would find any need to continue associations with pagan religious customs.)
This is sometimes a hotly disputed subject, and sincere people have concluded it indeed is useful to integrate the practices of ancient religious customs with the worship of God.
But perhaps we should address a fundamental question: What does God advise?
There is a scriptural precedent that offers guidance and direction for those who accept the Bible's instruction. The Israelites were confronted with these issues as they settled and built a new nation in the Promised Land. They encountered many worshipers of pagan deities as they entered the land and for centuries faced the problem as they dealt with neighboring peoples.
Even before they entered the land, God revealed His thinking and told them how to handle this challenge. His directions were explicit: "When the LORD your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed that you are not ensnared to follow them ... Do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods ... Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:29-32).
God's instructions are crystal clear. He refuses to accept worship that is compromised and tainted by customs used in the worship of fraudulent religion. He expects His worshipers to revere Him in accordance with His commands, not their own imaginings.
Many centuries later the apostle Paul expressed a similar thought when correcting some in the church in Corinth for their poor judgment. "What partnership can righteousness have with wickedness?" he asked. "Can light associate with darkness? Can Christ agree with [the devil] ...? Can there be a compact between the temple of God and idols? And the temple of the living God is what we are" (2 Corinthians 6:14-16, Revised English Bible).
The modern debate over Christianizing pagan worship customs could be resolved simply by reading and heeding God's plainly expressed will. GN
So I can still eat the candy?
Excellent article, Doug, thank you.
I agree with every word of it.
Our church always has a harvest fair, and the kids go there, rather than to halloween parties.
Ed
yawn
I love Halloween and all the witches and goblins. I like it and it does not inform my religious attitude whatsover. Lighten up. Treat it like the fun it should be. Scary movies, carved pumpkins, Dracula (kudu’s to Bram Stoker; new book out about Dracula by a nephew of Stoker’s, eager to read it). I love seeing all the little kids trick or treating in their cute costumes. I love fall weather, autumn leaves. It’s all part and parcel of the month of October, and the lead up to Thanksgiving. Don’t rain on our parade. Believe as you wish, but don’t be a spoiler to the rest of us who have common sense about Halloween and have no axe to grind (pardon the pun) with 8t.
“8t” = “it” above. Typo.
Yes, but watch out for the pennies.
"Can Halloween be Christianized?"
Let me rephrase that: "Can All Hallows' Eve be Christianized?
Let me rephrase that again: "Can the Vigil of the Feast of All Saints be Christianized?"
There is nothing wrong with MOCKING the devil and witches and ghosts on Halloween, precisely because it is the Vigil of All Saints' Day. Halloween doesn't need to be "Christianized" because it's already Christian.
You're welcome Ed..glad you enjoyed it.
Lighten up!
Halloween MAKES FUN of death and the devil!!!
There is no Biblical prohibition, you are bending scripture to fit your desires.
“Others have undertaken a more elaborate revision of the holiday, attempting to turn it into a harvest festival interwoven with Christian themes and devoid of its more obvious pagan overtones. Church basements are turned into carnivals featuring games, contests and, of course, candy.”
This seems to be an endictment against churches offering an alternative. We don’t celebrate Halloween. But getting together with other Christians to keep the children away from the “festivities” isn’t a celebration of Halloween.
What are we supposed to do? If we stay home, people come to our door. If you go out, everything is decorated and everyone is dressed up. The Bible says that we are in this world but not of it. I think a fall harvest festival is an example of this scripture. We have to live on earth on Halloween but we don’t have to partake.
Sacrifice one goat on Halloween and they label you forever. LOL
I'm not trying to be a "spoiler". I'm trying to inform others about the traditions and dangers associated with Halloween. You're free to take it or leave it. Prove it or disprove it. It's up to you.
Oh? Can you show me Christ kept Halloween?
More confused legalistic pseudo-Christians who don’t get the “It is finished” concept and it’s not what you can do but what has been done for you. From Halloween, to the obsession with not allowing your wife to cut her hair or having kids till her uterus falls out. They have the secret, they have a guaranteed way to feel holy and saved. Sad life to walk around worrying about holidays and seeing Satan in everything, to be so unsure and confused about the gospel. In addition the author is an ignoramus about Halloween and its origins. But I guess acting like a modern day Pharisees gives him some comfort.
“I think a fall harvest festival is an example of this scripture. We have to live on earth on Halloween but we don’t have to partake.”
My in-laws’ church throws a big festival party for the kids; lots of games, activities, contests; the kids dress up, have fun, eat too much candy, etc. We go because it’s more fun and easier and safer than walking the blocks.
” Lighten up. Treat it like the fun it should be. ..Don’t rain on our parade. Believe as you wish, but don’t be a spoiler to the rest of us”
No offense intended but you came on his thread to tell him not to tell you what to do but then told him what he should do.
From what I've seen Halloween make death and the devil fun.
There is no Biblical prohibition, you are bending scripture to fit your desires.
Not at all. Scripture is clear on what holy days to observe and what kind of things to avoid.
BINGO...now all you kids get out there with your rotten eggs and shaving cream and have some fun.
Halloween is a Celtic/Pagan ritual and a belief that the veil between the living and dead is the thinnest on that night. Superstition made people fear that this was the night that demons could slip through, so they dressed like them to make them think that they were one of them and the demons would leave them alone.
This tradition was NOT taking place to worship them or anything.
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