Is it ok for Christians to engage with Haloween?

[savedbygrace05]

Do you as a Christian engage with Haloween? We have 3 young children and allow them to dress up, but not in scary (etc) costumes. We also allow them to go to a few neighbours doors. Otherwise we keep it low key, but we do open the door to 'trick or treaters' and give them a small amount of sweets.

Do you agree or disagree with this approach?

 

[High Fidelity]

Most engage in Christmas, so I can't see why not.

I personally don't like it, but that's because I don't like the fuss, but it's all just a bit of fun at the end of the day.

I'd be more concerned about people seriously concerned about 'witchcraft' and 'magic' than I would my kids running around dressed as Harry Potter characters or gremlins.

 

[savedbygrace05]

Most engage in Christmas, so I can't see why not.

I personally don't like it, but that's because I don't like the fuss, but it's all just a bit of fun at the end of the day.

I'd be more concerned about people seriously concerned about 'witchcraft' and 'magic' than I would my kids running around dressed as Harry Potter characters or gremlins.

What about the darker side? :o

 

[High Fidelity]

What about the darker side? :o

I wouldn't worry about it at all. I spoke about it in another thread where someone was saying it's bad because of promoting 'witchcraft' and stuff... But like, the only damaging part about 'practising' witchcraft is thinking you can actually do anything.

 

[ianb321red]

Just 1 day per year, so no harm in my view

 

[Bungle_Bear]

Do you as a Christian engage with Haloween? We have 3 young children and allow them to dress up, but not in scary (etc) costumes. We also allow them to go to a few neighbours doors. Otherwise we keep it low key, but we do open the door to 'trick or treaters' and give them a small amount of sweets.

Do you agree or disagree with this approach?

Do you mean engaging with Halloween (which is a Christianised celebration) or engaging with the trappings? It's a bit like asking if Christians can engage with Christmas.

 

[Hebraic]

Perhaps you should be asking, what does the Bible say? Jer 10:1-2 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: 2 thus saith the Lord,
Learn not the way of the heathen,
and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven;
for the heathen are dismayed at them.


Personally, I thank God that my parents choose not to truly observe Halloween, although we did go to a fall festival once or twice! However, I cannot and will not observe such a day for it is the high day of many pagan religions especially those that use witchcraft i.e. the Wicca's. However, it would be a great day for mature Christians or Christians groups to witness on the streets to the unsaved.

 

[Lotuspetal_uk]

I don't because I don't remember doing so as a child. As a teen we went through the whole silly 'contacting the dead' tricks at parties but we never did trick or treating. So, this day is like any other day imo.


I feel that it is more American than British. I make more of a bigger deal on Nov 5th

 

[Nige55]

Most engage in Christmas, so I can't see why not.

What ?!! You comparing a time of year when we celebrate the Birth of Jesus (allthough at the wrong time) to a festival that celebrates and glorifies horror ?!?! Do you even realise what you're saying ?

 

[Nige55]

Do you as a Christian engage with Haloween? We have 3 young children and allow them to dress up, but not in scary (etc) costumes. We also allow them to go to a few neighbours doors. Otherwise we keep it low key, but we do open the door to 'trick or treaters' and give them a small amount of sweets.

Do you agree or disagree with this approach?

I would say, we make a stand and completely ignore it. I engage in no way at all. IMHO.

 

[savedbygrace05]

A supplementary question to this thread - Is it ok to lie to our children about Santa and the tooth fairy?

My wife and I disagree on this one. I see it as a complete contradiction when we give our children a row for telling lies, yet freely lie to them about fictional characters!!

 

[High Fidelity]

What ?!! You comparing a time of year when we celebrate the Birth of Jesus (allthough at the wrong time) to a festival that celebrates and glorifies horror ?!?! Do you even realise what you're saying ?

Both are non-Christian events that are irrelevant to Christianity. If we're going to make an exception for the sake of indulgence (Christmas) then no reason why we can't let kids have harmless fun.

They aren't hurting anyone and it isn't going to affect them negatively.

 

[Ubuntu]

This was recently discussed in another thread on this forum... Here is my take on it:
http://www.christianforums.com/t7841191-42/#post66570060

 

[Bungle_Bear]

A supplementary question to this thread - Is it ok to lie to our children about Santa and the tooth fairy?

My wife and I disagree on this one. I see it as a complete contradiction when we give our children a row for telling lies, yet freely lie to them about fictional characters!!

So you don't allow your children to read novels or watch TV without pointing out what is real and what is make believe? When you read them a book at bedtime you tell them it's not real? You never play "let's pretend"? You are not the most fun person to live with, are you?

What it really boils down to is - do you encourage your child to believe, literally, or do you both pretend it's true but not lie when they question the story? Personally, I think it's OK to pretend Santa and the tooth fairy are real, but when my kids ask a question I will not lie to them. My eldest rumbled the tooth fairy after just 2 teeth. But we still play the game.

 

[Lotuspetal_uk]

A supplementary question to this thread - Is it ok to lie to our children about Santa and the tooth fairy?

My wife and I disagree on this one. I see it as a complete contradiction when we give our children a row for telling lies, yet freely lie to them about fictional characters!!

I didn't with my two (I didn't bother with the tooth fairy - HRH was congratulated on being brave when her tooth fell out ) but I also didn't make a big deal about the fact that Father Christmas etc didn't exist. MC is of an age where he is not yet distinguishing between real and unreal (in his role playing Thomas the tank engine really does speak) but when he is older he'll appreciate things more and so at that stage we'll explain things to him if the topic comes up.

 

[Nige55]

Both are non-Christian events that are irrelevant to Christianity.

How so ? I know it's based on the wrong things at the wrong time, but it is an opportunity in the year for Christians to celebrate Christ's birth.
What purpose would a Christian have at a haloween event ? Do you believe that the thread of haloween aligns with Christian values ?

 

[High Fidelity]

How so ? I know it's based on the wrong things at the wrong time, but it is an opportunity in the year for Christians to celebrate Christ's birth.
What purpose would a Christian have at a haloween event ? Do you believe that the thread of haloween aligns with Christian values ?

Nope, but people make of Halloween what they wish, just as people and Christians have done with Christmas.

 

[Nige55]

Nope, but people make of Halloween what they wish, just as people and Christians have done with Christmas.

But we're not talking about 'people', the OP asks should Christians engage with Halloween. Christians tend to remember the birth of Jesus at Christmas time, or are you suggesting they make something else out of it ? If so, - what ?

 

[savedbygrace05]

So you don't allow your children to read novels or watch TV without pointing out what is real and what is make believe? When you read them a book at bedtime you tell them it's not real? You never play "let's pretend"? You are not the most fun person to live with, are you?

What it really boils down to is - do you encourage your child to believe, literally, or do you both pretend it's true but not lie when they question the story? Personally, I think it's OK to pretend Santa and the tooth fairy are real, but when my kids ask a question I will not lie to them. My eldest rumbled the tooth fairy after just 2 teeth. But we still play the game.

There is a world of difference between the make believe of stories and telling deliberate lies which one day will become evident.

 

[High Fidelity]

But we're not talking about 'people', the OP asks should Christians engage with Halloween. Christians tend to remember the birth of Jesus at Christmas time, or are you suggesting they make something else out of it ? If so, - what ?

Christmas is a time for superficial consumerism. The fact that it's convenient doesn't change its roots and doesn't change the inaccuracy of its purported celebration.

If it was so much about celebrating the birth of Christ and not just a re-purposed Pagan celebration then an effort could/would/should be made to make it an appropriate event at the appropriate date.

As it stands, it'll never be a Christian event in my eyes. People can gloss over it all they want, but it'll always stand as a Pagan event re-purposed, most likely by corporations, or at least reinforced by, to sell, sell, sell.

If Christian leaders around the world pleaded with Christians to ask not for gifts but a donation made in their name to a charity of their choosing, they'd probably get look at gone out. Says it all really. At least that I could stomach -- You know, people being helped in the name of something good instead of a DVD that'll get watched once or twice instead of the proceeds feeding a kid for 3 months. At the very least, it has gone very wrong somewhere.