Halloween

[christianmomof3]

Here are some articles about halloween:
http://www.demonbuster.com/halloween.html
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/halloween.html
http://www.christianitytoday.com/holidays/halloween/features/real.html
http://home.computer.net/~cya/cy00061.html
http://www.bibletruths.org/holidays/hallowen.html
http://blowthetrumpet.org/halloween.htm

In truth, most people are not celebrating Satan on halloween. But, the symbolism and customs of the holiday have the appearance of evil - which we are to avoid, and do not glorify the Lord.
In the end, each of us must pray about it and follow the Lord in what we do on halloween and every day.

 

[LJSGM]

If you spiritualize halloween, then you are doing your enemy a favor.

Just my opinion.

Halloween is no more spiritually involved then having fun with bunnies and chocolate at easter time and going camping on memorial day weekend. They are just something fun to do.

 

[TankGirl]

If you spiritualize halloween, then you are doing your enemy a favor.

Just my opinion.

Halloween is no more spiritually involved then having fun with bunnies and chocolate at easter time and going camping on memorial day weekend. They are just something fun to do.

I don't believe I'm doing my enemy any favours by avoiding all allusions to him & his kind. I would hope that I am doing my Lord a favour by honouring Him & not detracting from my witness by being so worldly that I can't step back from something I believe to be wrong, just because everyone else is doing it.

And I don't play with bunnies & chocolate at Easter - I celebrate the death & resurrection of my Saviour...chocolate, on the other hand, is for every day, not just for Easter

 

[LJSGM]

I don't believe I'm doing my enemy any favours by avoiding all allusions to him & his kind. I would hope that I am doing my Lord a favour by honouring Him & not detracting from my witness by being so worldly that I can't step back from something I believe to be wrong, just because everyone else is doing it.

And I don't play with bunnies & chocolate at Easter - I celebrate the death & resurrection of my Saviour...chocolate, on the other hand, is for every day, not just for Easter

so, you're saying that you are more spiritual then me because I have fun with my boys during easter as well as celebrate the death and ressurection of my savior.

And you are more spiritual then me because I don't spiritualize halloween. hmmm...

 

[LJSGM]

If your spiritual walk doesn't allow you to go trick or treating with your kids and dress up during the fall season, ect. then don't do it. Let the rest of us have our freedom in Christ.

 

[christianmomof3]

I don't believe I'm doing my enemy any favours by avoiding all allusions to him & his kind. I would hope that I am doing my Lord a favour by honouring Him & not detracting from my witness by being so worldly that I can't step back from something I believe to be wrong, just because everyone else is doing it.

And I don't play with bunnies & chocolate at Easter - I celebrate the death & resurrection of my Saviour...chocolate, on the other hand, is for every day, not just for Easter

Chocolate is for every day.

 

[TankGirl]

so, you're saying that you are more spiritual then me because I have fun with my boys during easter as well as celebrate the death and ressurection of my savior.

And you are more spiritual then me because I don't spiritualize halloween. hmmm...

WOW! However did you read that in my post

If your spiritual walk doesn't allow you to go trick or treating with your kids and dress up during the fall season, ect. then don't do it. Let the rest of us have our freedom in Christ.

And I'm pretty certain I NEVER said that you had to do what I do...

My spiritual walk means I follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to let me know what I should & shouldn't be doing. I also have complete freedom in Christ, but as Paul said - all things are permissable for me, but not all things are beneficial. Toying with witchcraft & the occult, however cosy it's dressed up to be, is not beneficial to me or my daughter.

But I absolutely never attacked you personally, or suggested for one minute that it's my way or the highway. I'm flabbergasted that you would read that in my words...

 

[TankGirl]

Chocolate is for every day.

NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! That's just too tempting!

 

[LJSGM]

WOW! However did you read that in my post



And I'm pretty certain I NEVER said that you had to do what I do...

My spiritual walk means I follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to let me know what I should & shouldn't be doing. I also have complete freedom in Christ, but as Paul said - all things are permissable for me, but not all things are beneficial. Toying with witchcraft & the occult, however cosy it's dressed up to be, is not beneficial to me or my daughter.

But I absolutely never attacked you personally, or suggested for one minute that it's my way or the highway. I'm flabbergasted that you would read that in my words...

What surprises me is that you believe that dressing up and getting some candy the same as playing with the occult. Like I said before, I'm not the one that has made it into something spiritual.

And yes, you do make it sound as if you are more spiritual in your walk because you don't play easter games with your children, ect.

 

[christianmomof3]

Here are some posts from some pagans on another board http://www.mothering.com/discussions/index.php telling what they think about halloween. It does show that they celebrate Samhain, which is some sort of ancestor worship thing and day of the dead thing on Halloween. :

Now that DH and I are both pagan/heathen, we spend a great deal more attention on Samhein with regard to ancestor worship and entering into the dark/cold season.

and another post:

I will admit that my dh and I love to laugh at all the "Harvest Festivals" that pop up as a safe alternative to Halloween as they are so close to our actual celebration. Just invite the ancestors to the feast and your all set.

lots of the pagans agreed with that above post.
and here is another:

Long before I had even heard of Paganism I was very drawn to Halloween and this time of year. My mom's church had harvest fest, and I have fond memories of great food and lots of chocolate along with a service that honored our deceased and called us to look at our own mortality. Sounds a bit familiar eh?

Dd (almost 14) still trick-or-treats with her friend and I dress up each year. We have a great big altar and a feast. I read the runes, burn last years goals, and create new ones or reaffirm ones I still want.

and here is another:

We celebrate Halloween and Samhain, usually on the same night. We go all out decorating our altar and have an ancestor feast. We reminisce about our loved ones who've passed on. Then we get dressed up and go out trick-or-treating.

I found those responses interesting and they show that Halloween is a religious holiday for pagans. So, for those Christians who do celebrate Halloween, it may be something they want to realize.

 

[Zecryphon]

There was a CNN special called:

Gods Warriors: The Christians.

Look it up on cnn.com. These people make halloween look tame. Talk about wrong teaching. Ouch.

Really, I might dress up as something because it is fun. I won't be something from the dark side as it is the side you feed that grows. Nor will I act out something from the dark side. A clown seems fun enough? There's nothing evil about a clown is there? Nope. So don't be spooked by the spooks who want to control your thoughts.

God Bless.

"There's nothing evil about a clown is there?"

Remember John Wayne Gacy? Ever read IT by Stephen King? There's plenty of evil in clowns! I avoid them at all costs.

 

[LJSGM]

Here are some posts from some pagans on another board http://www.mothering.com/discussions/index.php telling what they think about halloween. It does show that they celebrate Samhain, which is some sort of ancestor worship thing and day of the dead thing on Halloween. :

and another post:

lots of the pagans agreed with that above post.
and here is another:

and here is another:

I found those responses interesting and they show that Halloween is a religious holiday for pagans. So, for those Christians who do celebrate Halloween, it may be something they want to realize.

Yes, and pagans celebrate easter and christmas as well, those evil christmas trees that represent a pagan worship alter. That easter bunny that represents the celebration of fertility and mother earth to the pagans. Do I care what they celebrate and when? No. Simply because that's not what they represent to me, or anyone else for that matter (except for the very few pagans).

My conscience lets me eat anything I want, and the reason being is because I didn't offer it to any other gods, even if someone else has.

There's no real spiritual significance in any "holiday" anyways as if there's some manditory requirement to celebrate Jesus' birth or something. It's all just Roman Catholic tradition in the end.

Those who become pagans do not become pagans because of past experiences with halloween. They becomes pagans for other reasons and then decide to celebrate whatever they want on whatever stupid day that they want.

Luke 11
"Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness."

Oh church! so concerned with the outside all the time! Never seeing that the conditions of our hearts need cleaning, not our outward appearances!

 

[Cris413]

I think what sets Samhain (October 31/Novemeber 1) apart from other pagan rituals/observances such Yule (winter solstice) or Ostara (spring equinox) leading to Beltaine (May 1st)

...is that this is the time when they believe “Thin Veil” is lifted between our world and the spirit world. Pagans and occultist believe this is the most opportune time to contact spirits and practice their craft with all types of invocations of the spirits.

The “festivities” Christianmomof3 noted are pretty mild compared to many of the goings on during this time.

I personally have little concern for those who choose to participate in “trick or treat” as LJSGM pointed out…it’s the condition of one’s heart that’s important.

I think it’s important not to judge someone else’s walk.

As I also think Tankgirl’s decision to set an example for her dd and for her friends and family by not participating as her witness is terrific!

Die13’s church is reaching out to the community…

However the Spirit leads us to witness…I think we should remember…apart from the Halloween parties, trick or treat, Harvest festivals and such….

That this is also a night of serious pagan/occult activity. A time to put prayer in high gear as well.

 

[fifi]

I don't think that there is anything wrong with Halloween. In fact, I think it provides a great opportunity for outreach to the community. For example, my church sets up a booth downtown (we live in a pretty small town), where a bunch of us dress up in Halloween costumes and hand out hot dogs and other treats to all of the trick-or-treaters. We don't proselytize; we don't hand out tracts (i really don't like them at all, anyway ); we just take the opportunity to show our community in a small way that we care about them and their kids.

I dont think that you any idea of what this day really means.

 

[fifi]

I don't believe I'm doing my enemy any favours by avoiding all allusions to him & his kind. I would hope that I am doing my Lord a favour by honouring Him & not detracting from my witness by being so worldly that I can't step back from something I believe to be wrong, just because everyone else is doing it.

And I don't play with bunnies & chocolate at Easter - I celebrate the death & resurrection of my Saviour...chocolate, on the other hand, is for every day, not just for Easter

Very much true.

 

[dies-l]

I dont think that you any idea of what this day really means.

Hmmm .... I am pretty sure that Halloween means the 31st day of October, the day before November 1 and the day after October 30. It is a day that falls about 6 weeks after the beginning of autumn and about 7 weeks before the beginning of winter. Any meaning that is attached to the day beyond that, as far as I can tell, is a matter of personal decision and opinion. I personally see it, as any other day, an opportunity to love other people as I love myself. I see it as a day when lots of little people, who God loves, people are out and about and especially receptive to acts of generosity. That's what the day means to me. I suppose it means something different to you, but that is your choice and your opinion. You are entitled to attach whatever meaning you like to the day, but please don't blame your own self-imposed value judgments on the day itself.

 

[VCViking]

A good general principle should be to refrain from any participation that would either compromise one's faith or bring dishonor to the Lord Jesus Christ. Another good principle is to look for ways to become a positive, Christ honoring voice in the midst of secularism and paganism. Each Christian must be persuaded in his own conscience about how he approaches Halloween.

Christians who follow the Bible should stay clear of the evil side. The Bible is clear on this:



3 John 1:11 "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil."


Psalm 34:14 "Depart from evil and do good"


Excellent articles on the subject matter:

http://logosresourcepages.org/Holidays/halloween.htm

http://www.johnankerberg.org/Question-of-the-Week/question-of-the-week-Halloween.htm

 

[Cris413]

A good general principle should be to refrain from any participation that would either compromise one's faith or bring dishonor to the Lord Jesus Christ. Another good principle is to look for ways to become a positive, Christ honoring voice in the midst of secularism and paganism. Each Christian must be persuaded in his own conscience about how he approaches Halloween.

Christians who follow the Bible should stay clear of the evil side. The Bible is clear on this:



3 John 1:11 "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil."


Psalm 34:14 "Depart from evil and do good"


Excellent articles on the subject matter:

http://logosresourcepages.org/Holidays/halloween.htm

http://www.johnankerberg.org/Question-of-the-Week/question-of-the-week-Halloween.htm

Good advise...not only on Halloween...but every day...

 

[fifi]

A good general principle should be to refrain from any participation that would either compromise one's faith or bring dishonor to the Lord Jesus Christ. Another good principle is to look for ways to become a positive, Christ honoring voice in the midst of secularism and paganism. Each Christian must be persuaded in his own conscience about how he approaches Halloween.

Christians who follow the Bible should stay clear of the evil side. The Bible is clear on this:



3 John 1:11 "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil."


Psalm 34:14 "Depart from evil and do good"


Excellent articles on the subject matter:

http://logosresourcepages.org/Holidays/halloween.htm

http://www.johnankerberg.org/Question-of-the-Week/question-of-the-week-Halloween.htm

Good example.

 

[fifi]

Hmmm .... I am pretty sure that Halloween means the 31st day of October, the day before November 1 and the day after October 30. It is a day that falls about 6 weeks after the beginning of autumn and about 7 weeks before the beginning of winter. Any meaning that is attached to the day beyond that, as far as I can tell, is a matter of personal decision and opinion. I personally see it, as any other day, an opportunity to love other people as I love myself. I see it as a day when lots of little people, who God loves, people are out and about and especially receptive to acts of generosity. That's what the day means to me. I suppose it means something different to you, but that is your choice and your opinion. You are entitled to attach whatever meaning you like to the day, but please don't blame your own self-imposed value judgments on the day itself.

ok we just have to different views on this.