Halloween!

[JRSut1000]

Whatever bro, love is wonderful and it's the highest things but it certainly doesn't negate deeper study/searching out of truths. We need to go beyond that and deeper than that.

 

[Freedom63]

Whatever bro, love is wonderful and it's the highest things but it certainly doesn't negate deeper study/searching out of truths. We need to go beyond that and deeper than that.

Agree with you there.

But there is NO deeper truth than love. That is why it is the great command of Christ. My lifelong study of the scriptures (as well as teaching them at the adult level for more than 20 years) have brought me to this simple truth as well as all the freedoms that go along with it.

 

[JRSut1000]

Then why are America's holidays such stumbling blocks to so many? (talking in general, not to you specifically) It's really quite unfortunate. We're called to be a separate people, then why do we look so much like the world when we celebrate the things they do?

 

[Freedom63]

Then why are America's holidays such stumbling blocks to so many? (talking in general, not to you specifically) It's really quite unfortunate. We're called to be a separate people, then why do we look so much like the world when we celebrate the things they do?

Not everything the world does or celebrates is evil you know. We need discernment to know the difference. We are not called to separate ourselves from the world BTW. We are called to demonstrate the love of God to them. This is how Jesus said we would be known as His disciples. They don't hear it or see it at all when we constantly tell them how sinful we believe they are. Sin is an impurity in the heart...nothing else is. This is why Paul was able to declare that "to the pure in heart all things are pure".

It really is that simple.

 

[JRSut1000]

But not all things ARE pure, don't forget also the verse taht says be cunning as serpants innocent as doves. God says a lot of places in His Word what is pure and what is evil. Also be wary and sober, the enemy walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. So yes, it takes being alert and discerning.

I'm just surprised Halloween of all holidays is one that we jsut say 'eh, we'll make it into a fun, non-evil thing". Just look at any store and see all the ugliness revolving around Halloween, do we really want to emulate that in any way or try to twist it into something 'nice'?

 

[Zebra1552]

Then why are America's holidays such stumbling blocks to so many? (talking in general, not to you specifically)

Such as? The only times I've ever seen a holiday be a stumbling block to people is when they obsess over its roots rather than recognizing how most Americans actually celebrate said holiday.

It's really quite unfortunate. We're called to be a separate people, then why do we look so much like the world when we celebrate the things they do?

We're called to be holy, and the fact of the matter is we live in this world right now. Refusing to participate in normal celebrations isn't righteous in this day and age, it's just weird.

 

[Zebra1552]

Why give ANY special credence to that day at all? Do Christians have to try and be like everybody else?

Gee, I dunno, because your kids will go to school and everyone will be asking them how much candy they got and everyone will look at them weird when they say 'my parents won't let me go out'.

 

[JRSut1000]

Is it 'normal' because our culture says so? Is that reason to celebrate? Is GOD okay with the excuse 'well everybody else is doing it'?

 

[Freedom63]

But not all things ARE pure, don't forget also the verse taht says be cunning as serpants innocent as doves. God says a lot of places in His Word what is pure and what is evil. Also be wary and sober, the enemy walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. So yes, it takes being alert and discerning.

I'm just surprised Halloween of all holidays is one that we jsut say 'eh, we'll make it into a fun, non-evil thing". Just look at any store and see all the ugliness revolving around Halloween, do we really want to emulate that in any way or try to twist it into something 'nice'?

Sometimes I even wear a monster mask when I answer the door and give candy to the kids.

Seriously...you are not going to influence me to make an issue over something I know in my heart is not.

Time for bed JR. I have enjoyed our exchange.

 

[chinchillin]

Because Christianity has a bad name many times needlessly because people just don't think things through, that's why.

Agreed...but mostly it is because of those Christians who are trying to tell everyone else what they need to do.

E X A C T L Y ! the christians who go around judging everyone else with their holier than thou attitudes are their faith's own worst enemy.

"Going astray"? Hmm...seems like you are not qualified to tell me my relationship with my Lord and Savior has "gone astray". Especially since you do not know me or anything about my relationship with Christ. Sorry but I am not buying such a noble motive on a discussion board while discussing a clear grey area topic with a stranger.

My higher standard...the law of love...has no problem with my Halloween activities because God knows my heart. You of course know nothing about my heart so therefor you stand in judgment. The problem with thinking you can lead another "back to the right way" is that it is based on the assumption that you know it better than he (me) does.

You don't.

 

[JRSut1000]

It's an opinion thread and I gave my reasons and argument concerning my perspective, if you wish to argue with it fine but don't call me judgmental for it. Judgment is passing sentence, I havent done that or said anyones going to hell for celebrating Halloween. But doing so certainly isn't God's best.

 

[SonOfTheWest]

Is it 'normal' because our culture says so? Is that reason to celebrate? Is GOD okay with the excuse 'well everybody else is doing it'?

People so monumentally ignorant of the positively monumental gap between ancient pre Christian holiday observances and the entire beliefs of the times and how that all played an integral role in what that observe meant to said peoples and a commercially motivated modern holiday observed in wildly difference ways for wildly different reasons by modern people scare me quite a bit more than people who dress little ones up as cartoon characters and the like.

 

[Freedom63]

It's an opinion thread and I gave my reasons and argument concerning my perspective, if you wish to argue with it fine but don't call me judgmental for it. Judgment is passing sentence, I havent done that or said anyones going to hell for celebrating Halloween. But doing so certainly isn't God's best.

Hmm...you indicated you were leading others back to the right way...this is impossible to do without passing judgment that they are heading in the wrong way. Even your final statement..."doing so certainly isn't God's best" is an act of judgment. Judgmental is not "passing sentence" on them per-se, but definitely on their actions. And being judgmental is being critical of the actions and/or attitudes of others. No need to get snippy about it...simply accept it for what it is. I have my opinions and judgments about these things as well. I do try to make my opinions about it about my actions and choices and not project them onto others however.

Now I am going to make a judgment so we all feel at home together.

Making an issue out of a non-issue in the lives of others and chastising them for it (Halloween for instance) is most certainly not "God's best".

 

[MasterpieceMesias]

Hmm...you indicated you were leading others back to the right way...this is impossible to do without passing judgment that they are heading in the wrong way. Even your final statement..."doing so certainly isn't God's best" is an act of judgment. Judgmental is not "passing sentence" on them per-se, but definitely on their actions. And being judgmental is being critical of the actions and/or attitudes of others. No need to get snippy about it...simply accept it for what it is. I have my opinions and judgments about these things as well. I do try to make my opinions about it about my actions and choices and not project them onto others however.

Now I am going to make a judgment so we all feel at home together.

Making an issue out of a non-issue in the lives of others and chastising them for it (Halloween for instance) is most certainly not "God's best".

trying to explain that to some folks is like trying to explain cell replication to an autistic rooster. . . .

 

[sniperelite7]

Paul dealt with a situation like this already with the early church. You know..the whole meat sacrificed to idols thing,1 Corinthians 8? Wasn't a sin...? Just don't be a stumbling block to a brother or sister with a weaker conscience.

I see no reason not to celebrate halloween. I'm not glorifying any other gods here. I'm just having fun and getting together with friends, or handing out chocolate(which is a sin in and of itself, but thats a different story). Or dressing up as a post-apocalyptic zombie hunter

 

[Zebra1552]

Is it 'normal' because our culture says so? Is that reason to celebrate? Is GOD okay with the excuse 'well everybody else is doing it'?

That was not my argument. My argument is that it hurts the Christian image rather than helping the Christian image to refuse to participate in a completely harmless holiday merely because one disagrees with how the holiday came to be. If you're going to argue here, you can argue against what I actually said rather than a straw man you created.

 

[PaladinValer]

That was not my argument. My argument is that it hurts the Christian image rather than helping the Christian image to refuse to participate in a completely harmless holiday merely because one disagrees with how the holiday came to be. If you're going to argue here, you can argue against what I actually said rather than a straw man you created.

Oh for rules that would actually enforce this...

JRS, let me ask you this: what is the history of Halloween, as you understand it? What makes you so adamantly against any form of its practice or celebration?

 

[JRSut1000]

Trick or Treat, ghosts, the ugliness of Halloween, focus on the dead rather than the living, etc.

 

[SonOfTheWest]

Trick or Treat, ghosts, the ugliness of Halloween, focus on the dead rather than the living, etc.

You're upset over a meaningless holiday catch phrase that inevitably leads to candy products being put into a bag or bucket or whatnot? I mean don't get me wrong I worry about cavities but that seems a tad...excessive.

I don't believe in ghosts so I suppose I'll have to leave that to you.

Ugliness is highly subjective and personally I find black and orange together to be rather nice and the time of year is certainly beautiful if you live in the right areas.

Every single human culture on the planet has had a focus on death in one expressed form or another. Christianity is in many ways focused on the dead. There is nothing inherently evil about death.

 

[JRSut1000]

Sorry but I wont partake in things relating to ghosts and goblins and trick or treat (have you looked up the origin?) and other unholy practices in regards to this holiday and I wont condone the practice of it for the body of Christ as a whole either. Not even for the sake of 'tolerance' and 'subjectivity'. That's my stance and I stand by it.