Posted on 10/30/2016 11:06:02 AM PDT by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
I received an email this week from Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church.
“Halloween,” he said, “is a huge opportunity … to be a light for Christ on a dark night.” Indeed, he explained, “you’ll have the MOST contact with families in your community than any other day of the year.”
So Pastor Rick asked members of the Southern California megachurch to do the following for Halloween:
Buy a package of the biggest candy bars we can find and tape “Trick-or-Treat invitations” to next weekend’s services at Saddleback. And stay home on Halloween night and turn on the lights so kids know they are welcome to drop by.
Now I appreciate that Pastor Rick is trying to reach out to the saved and un-churched in the communities in which his members reside.
But I am reminded of the words of Aldous Huxley, who famously authored “Brave New World” but who also less-famously authored a collection of essays on the religious experience:
“We know,” he wrote, “that the pursuit of good ends does not justify the employment of bad means.”
Indeed, using Halloween, a day on which the devil is exalted, to win the lost to Christ runs contrary to the word of God.
In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul warned that Christ followers must “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”
The annual observance of Halloween is an unfruitful work of darkness.
And rather than participate in such unholiness – much like the Hebrews during the time of Moses who prostrated themselves before a golden calf – the redeemed of the Lord should expose Halloween for what it is – an affront to God.
It owes its origin to the Celtic druids, who celebrated their new year (Samhain) on November 1, when the pagans believed the souls of the dead, as well as witches and demons, freely roamed the earth.
In the Eighth Century, Pope Gregory III declared November 1 All Hallows Day, an annual commemoration of saints and martyrs that effectively co-opted Samhain. October 31 came to be known as All Hallows Eve, which is celebrated today as Halloween, with the same unGodly influences as the pagan celebrations of Samhain nearly two millennia ago.
Halloween celebrates occult practices the Bible declares abominations – séances, necromancy, fortune-telling, casting of spells, wearing of charms, real magic, etc. It also is a day of adoration of the demonic – witches, vampires, werewolves, zombies, ghosts and the like.
Many, if not most of us who consider ourselves Christ followers think Halloween is harmless. That’s because the works of darkness associated with Halloween have been mainstreamed (like other cultural abominations).
Indeed, Walmart is selling a “Smoldering Devil Boys Halloween Costume.” Amazon is selling a “Bride of Satan Child Costume.”
That’s why, as much as I respect Pastor Rick, I will take a pass on his Halloween outreach tomorrow. This Christ follower will not be complicit in furthering the works of darkness.
I’m going to work dressed as the pope tomorrow.
It’s reformation day. I’m baptist.
Garbage like this article is why so many think Christians are not fun people.
Anyone taking Halloween seriously is a mental midget in need of an education and a drink to loosen them up and get that stick out.
Here we go again. Every year.
I am gonna step in trouble again
YES, Holloween is not an appropriate Biblical holiday, imho
i agree
but the kids do have some fun and as long as parents explain things carefully, I think we can let the kids have a little fun anyway.....
SEE NOW I WILL GET FLAMED here, just watch ! ha!
in my neighbourhood, there ARE no kids, however. all the new residents are rich immigrants from non=Christian countries and they do not have children, they prefer BMW’s and Lexii instead. So, there are no Holloween knocks on our door.
“The annual observance of Halloween is an unfruitful work of darkness”
REALLY?
31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows’ Day, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows), martyrs, and all the faithful departed
Wow we got really late in the season before we finally got an idiotic Halloween hatre based on no facts and lacking all logic or reason. Must be a really distracting election season. Meanwhile, back in reality, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Christians celebrating Halloween. It’s not Satanic, it’s not demonic, it’s a silly dressup holiday with fun decorations and candy. If you don’t like go ahead and be a boring stick in the mud, but don’t call it unchristian, cause that’s just plain silly.
Then you shouldn’t celebrate that pagan holiday in December either
But I draw the line at candy corn. Candy corn is evil and certainly a tool of the devil himself!
Jolla, thank you.
Indeed.
Because nothing screams satanism like saying trick or treat and binging on cheap candy. :-)
Maybe it is more about HOW you celebrate it. Kids used to dress up as their favorite Saint... or patron saint...so maybe celebrating the fall harvest with thanks... and a lesson on church history... would be appropriate here. After all... wedding rings are land wreathed are pagan symbols... yet I am sure almost all christians use Them
I’m going to scare alot of people for Halloween, I’m going as Hillary’s email server... :-)
Liberals are trying destroy all holidays including Easter, Christmas, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Washington’s and Lincoln’s Birthday, and now Thanksgiving. Liberals are the worst people on Earth and you seem to support this. Why are you on this site??????
It’s my birthday. I can still scare people, can’t I?
Or the one in spring.
Halloween was never a celebration of the devil. The reason for dressing up on Halloween is to scare away demons, evil spirits, and ghosts that were thought to be free to wander the earth on the eve of All Hallowed Day. In other words, it is the opposite of celebrating evil.
Presumably, demons are terrified of tiny three year old princesses mumbling "Twick o tweat."
I think Jack Chick came up with this or was at least the one who really got it out there.
So if you are a fan of JC then yes.
But if not you should rethink this.
Exactly. Christianity for too long has blended itself with worldy customs and practices and what has been the result? The stench of rot emanating from ALL mainstream Christian groups.
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