How many here celebrate Halloween?

[Rhamiel]

there is also a set of pagan Celtic beliefs that during the changing of seasons, and at sun up and sun down especially, at these transitional times, the veil between this world and the "other world" is thinner

the pagan concept of the "other world" is not as simple as a "land of the dead" since pagan celts believed in gods and fairy races
to be honest, belief in fairies carried on in both Catholic Ireland and Protestant Scotland until the late 1800's/early 1900's

 

[Albion]

Every day is a Pagan holiday.

Birthday celebrations is a pagan holiday.

All hallows eve, existed before Halloween. People go out of their way to make up issues. I wish I could just pop them in the head like a V8 commercial and tell them to stop griping and get on with life.

We have a life to live. It's God's witness on earth. It's the life God loves His creation through. It's the lives that God uses as tools to exxercise His will upon the world.

We aren't here to gripe about the law having to protect Gay Americans from Conservative Christian abuse in legal marriage issues. We aren't here to blow up abortion clinics, OR to make those who make that decision feel guilty, scarring them for life, or to gripe that we can't post the ten commandments in the courthouse. OR that people want to take in God we trust off of our coins, when WE added it on to them.... gripe gripe gripe. The Church should be known more for NOT griping, than FOR griping. Unfortunately the loud mouthed complainers are all that SOME PEOPLE see of God's Holy body, because the rest doesn't do the things they were saved to do.

I presume that this also goes for all those who regularly gripe about the church NOT being sufficiently worldly and failing to work for legal infanticide, gay "marriage" in the states without it, women's ordination, getting rid of the first and second amendments, etc. etc. They, after all, are the ones keeping the pot stirred up since they don't care for Christianity as it has normally operated.

 

[SilverBlade]

there is also a set of pagan Celtic beliefs that during the changing of seasons, and at sun up and sun down especially, at these transitional times, the veil between this world and the "other world" is thinner

the pagan concept of the "other world" is not as simple as a "land of the dead" since pagan celts believed in gods and fairy races
to be honest, belief in fairies carried on in both Catholic Ireland and Protestant Scotland until the late 1800's/early 1900's

Bah, anyone who believe that the barrier or 'veil' is thinner during one specific night doesn't have his head screwed on tight enough.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Ironically, the "dead" parts of halloween, ARE christian. The pumpkins were the pagan part.

It's a feast, celebrating the dead Saints. A time to reflect on the lives of other Christians that have gone before you.

Samhain was a seasonal harvest celebration. The end of the harvest season, the food was in, and stored, and they knew they could survive the winter months. After a long days work, some folks sit down to have a beer and relax with friends. Samhain was the same. Now, the pagan "religious" holiday of Samhain came LONG after Christ, although there were four seasonal celebrations in many faiths/continents, etc...

So, the only "dead part" to Halloween is Christian.

That's in part why there is a great deal of irony in those who rather than celebrate All Hallow's Eve, instead have a "Harvest Festival".

All Hallow's Eve is thoroughly Christian.

It's harvest festivals that are actually Pagan.

Shifting the Feast of All Saints to November 1st in the Western calendar was done to supplant the Pagan harvest feasts of Western/Northern Europe and redirect focus to Christ and and the faith of His saints rather than the superstitions surrounding harvest time.

In the Eastern Church(es) All Saints continues to be observed in the old way, on the first Sunday after Pentecost.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Originally Posted by Rhamiel

there is also a set of pagan Celtic beliefs that during the changing of seasons, and at sun up and sun down especially, at these transitional times, the veil between this world and the "other world" is thinner

the pagan concept of the "other world" is not as simple as a "land of the dead" since pagan celts believed in gods and fairy races
to be honest, belief in fairies carried on in both Catholic Ireland and Protestant Scotland until the late 1800's/early 1900's
​

Bah, anyone who believe that the barrier or 'veil' is thinner during one specific night doesn't have his head screwed on tight enough.

http://www.christianforums.com/t3981070/#post28149871
Why did Moses put a vail over his face?

Exd 34:
33 When Moses finished speaking to them, he put a veil over his face.
35 they saw that his face was radiant.
Then Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with the LORD.

2Cr 3:13
We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away.
15
Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.

What does this mean?
What does this vail have to do with plainness of speech?

Im asking kind of from a Dispensationalist perspective (not that I am one).... but what Im wondering is that ... Ok, Paul could use plainnes sof speech... yet Moses did not? I have ideas about this and I hope someone can follow what my question really is.

Why did Moses put a vail over his face and how did that make them not be able to look stedfastly to the end of that which was abolished?

WHAT was abolished? Doesnt the Bible say somewhere that the Law ws not abolished?.................

some other maybe related scriptures:

Isa 25:7 And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations.

Hbr 10:19
Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

Is the veil symbolic of our flesh?
I mean... what else "covers" us so that we can not see truth? Our flesh, right?

 

[J0SHUA]

Sometimes. I will dress up if my family is down for some fun. If not I just give candy to the scary kids. My brother and I once made a kid run away crying cause we did some sick stuff. That was freaking hilarious.

 

[TannarDarr]

there is also a set of pagan Celtic beliefs that during the changing of seasons, and at sun up and sun down especially, at these transitional times, the veil between this world and the "other world" is thinner

the pagan concept of the "other world" is not as simple as a "land of the dead" since pagan celts believed in gods and fairy races
to be honest, belief in fairies carried on in both Catholic Ireland and Protestant Scotland until the late 1800's/early 1900's

I don't think you can find that in existence until post "hallows eve".

Or so I've read, I'm way to lazy to go examine all the histories myself to check their work.

 

[TannarDarr]

I presume that this also goes for all those who regularly gripe about the church NOT being sufficiently worldly and failing to work for legal infanticide, gay "marriage" in the states without it, women's ordination, getting rid of the first and second amendments, etc. etc. They, after all, are the ones keeping the pot stirred up since they don't care for Christianity as it has normally operated.

You are free to presume as you will. but the assumptions in your presumption are only right sometimes....

 

[TannarDarr]

That's in part why there is a great deal of irony in those who rather than celebrate All Hallow's Eve, instead have a "Harvest Festival".

All Hallow's Eve is thoroughly Christian.

It's harvest festivals that are actually Pagan.

Shifting the Feast of All Saints to November 1st in the Western calendar was done to supplant the Pagan harvest feasts of Western/Northern Europe and redirect focus to Christ and and the faith of His saints rather than the superstitions surrounding harvest time.

In the Eastern Church(es) All Saints continues to be observed in the old way, on the first Sunday after Pentecost.

-CryptoLutheran

I was trying not to rub people's face in it. I deliberately stayed out of the "christian christmas" conversation.... people get mad at me in those chats.

 

[Albion]

You are free to presume as you will. but the assumptions in your presumption are only right sometimes....

If we can get beyond your fascination with that word and what rhymes with it...all you've done here is confirm what I wrote. IOW, there is enough blame to go around when it comes to the gripers.

Now let's get back to the real topic of the thread. Halloween, remember?

 

[WithLoveFromAlyssa]

Even when i was 5 I disliked it, my mom forced me to dress up, now that Im older No i dont and dont plan on letting my kids celebrate. We can stay at home and make cookies and drink hot chocolate.

 

[HannibalFlavius]

Ironically, the "dead" parts of halloween, ARE christian. The pumpkins were the pagan part.

It's a feast, celebrating the dead Saints. A time to reflect on the lives of other Christians that have gone before you.

Samhain was a seasonal harvest celebration. The end of the harvest season, the food was in, and stored, and they knew they could survive the winter months. After a long days work, some folks sit down to have a beer and relax with friends. Samhain was the same. Now, the pagan "religious" holiday of Samhain came LONG after Christ, although there were four seasonal celebrations in many faiths/continents, etc...

So, the only "dead part" to Halloween is Christian.

The whole history of Halloween is about Christ, it's a fall harvest festival that all Christians should keep, the day of the dead.

I think we should all get Obama heads, that would really be frightening!

OH, I'm gonna get my candy and celebrate Christ!

Jesus is the reason for the season, praise the Lord, thank you Lord!

 

[WithLoveFromAlyssa]

My bird was born on Halloween, Shes a Triton Cocaktoo named lily. She will be 2 this year.

 

[WisdomTree]

Hallowe'en just tells me that there is Hallowmas the day after.

 

[Thekla]

Bah, anyone who believe that the barrier or 'veil' is thinner during one specific night doesn't have his head screwed on tight enough.

Actually, transitions (like Samhain) have always been considered dangerous or cause for fear. The transition from summer to fall and the cold when sustaining life is more precarious is one obvious troubling transition. Even in the modern era, our present situation (economic disaster, political polarization) is typical of a transition time (from an industrial to tech economy) and is paralleled to our earlier transition from an agrarian to an industrial economy.

For those of us who cleave to Christ, there is less reason to fear

 

[HannibalFlavius]

Very soon now, Pumpkin head will be given an image and speak great wonders on the greatest day of the year.

We are all to listen to the great pumpkin and his prophecy.

 

[Albion]

Most kids look forward to Halloween, so I make it a point not to disappoint them. But as for "celebrating" it myself, that doesn't even seem realistic. After all, what would we be celebrating--dress up opportunity day?

I do like Reformation Sunday, but it's always on a Sunday, unlike Halloween.

 

[graciesings]

I am against Halloween because it is a holiday on which people celebrate death, destruction, witchcraft, and sin. I believe in Jesus, which is the opposite of all that.

I am also against the idea of going house to house demanding candy. I believe Jesus commanded us to give to others, not demand from them. So I do the opposite of trick-or-treating. Every October 30th I bake some sort of cookies (last year was 5 batches of cream cheese brownies) and bring some to everybody I will see that day. (I usually bring a serving to each of 3 elderly neighbors, to any classes I have that day, etc.) It is a lot of fun! People are always really pleased with the idea. I will never forget last year because my family stopped by a local nursing home and brought a brownie to an acquaintance who had recently had a bad fall. She was surprised and delighted! Last Halloween was probably one of the best days of my life, because that round of reverse trick-or-treating brought a lot of joy to both older neighbors and ravenous teenage boys who saw FOOD. It's a nice way to serve others and refrain from celebrating a negative holiday.

God bless you,
Grace

 

[WisdomTree]

I see celebrating Hallowe'en to be the equivalent of celebrating Christmas Eve, kinda pointless considering the day to celebrate is the day after. In terms of trick or treat, I think kids these days have way too much sugar in their diet so it is best to refrain from it.

 

[PaladinValer]

I am against Halloween because it is a holiday on which people celebrate death, destruction, witchcraft, and sin. I believe in Jesus, which is the opposite of all that.

Logical Fallacy of Equivocation along with straight out misinformation.

All Hallows Eve is NOT secular but a Christian feast since the days of the Undivided Church.

The secular celebration of it isn't just modern, but has nothing to do with death, destruction, actual witchcraft, and certainly not sin. More like a day to just have fun.

I am also against the idea of going house to house demanding candy.

The people expect the kids and youth to come knocking and they're in it to be kind to them. Whoopie-doo.

I believe Jesus commanded us to give to others, not demand from them.

It is a silly secular ritual; Jesus would have no issue with it.

So I do the opposite of trick-or-treating. Every October 30th I bake some sort of cookies (last year was 5 batches of cream cheese brownies) and bring some to everybody I will see that day. (I usually bring a serving to each of 3 elderly neighbors, to any classes I have that day, etc.)

Sounds like something out of a harvest festival, which, as another poster who goes by the handle ViaCrucis recently reminded everyone, is actually the Pagan thing to do since that was a major point of the actual Pagan celebration of Samhain.

It is a lot of fun! People are always really pleased with the idea. I will never forget last year because my family stopped by a local nursing home and brought a brownie to an acquaintance who had recently had a bad fall. She was surprised and delighted! Last Halloween was probably one of the best days of my life, because that round of reverse trick-or-treating brought a lot of joy to both older neighbors and ravenous teenage boys who saw FOOD. It's a nice way to serve others and refrain from celebrating a negative holiday.

There's nothing negative about giving candy away to children and youth one night a year who have a ritual way of requesting it.

I find it amazingly contradictory for the secular celebration of Halloween to be given titles like "negative" and be told it is bad because it "celebrates death" and "sin" when, quite honestly, THAT'S WHAT CHRISTIANITY IS LARGELY FOUNDED ON: the negative consequence of sin and the brutal, bloody death of God Incarnate.

Death is not evil. Destruction isn't evil. Sin is, but there is nothing sinful about kids dressing up and going door to door asking for candy. Nor are they found in bobbing for apples, eating cider and doughnuts, carving images in pumpkins, watching television specials and scary movies, listening to themed music surrounding the day, or even trivialities like haunted forests, haunted houses, and costume parties.

I have yet found any rational, let alone any real orthodox Christian, reason for anyone to call the secular celebration of Halloween wrong. Choosing not to participate is one thing based on likes and dislikes (or whims), but to call it something it is not and to try to convince others of it is the real sin because it promotes a lie.

Does Jesus like that?

Think about it.

My advice is to learn the actual history of the day. The truth is quite complex but dispels all the nastiness associated with its two acceptable but different celebrations.