Is it o.k. for Christians to celebrate Halloween?
59I am not for certain if this question was directed at me, but I would say that Halloween asside from it's pagan roots has never been an issue in my household. Dressup, go out, get candy, no big deal. It seems to me however, that the influence of this holiday has been severely directed to exploit women with the abundance in provocative costumes for women. A shop opened in my neighborhood that definately takes it to the next level, with not only several rooms full of slutty outfits for women but, also multipule statues of decayed corpses, the place was adorned with half eaten torsos covered in rats and midevil torture victims reminicent of a Canibal Corpse album cover.
Still the fun for the kids I canot deny. People are too paranoid to let their children run around the terrorist filled streets to recieve poison candy or suffer from abduction, which in my mind lets the terrorists win. to answer this, my Church has a trunk or treat, in which all of the families gather together in the parking lot of the church and open candy filled trunks and let the kids run around from car to car collecting candy. Everyone has a good time, the trick or treating gets done in halfthe time and there is usually ample loot for the kids.
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down flag this hub
Comments
Right on, sounds like sound upbringing to me.
Good hub and good question. We have never celebrated halloween because, like you said, it comes from pagan beginnings. Our church and neighboring churches get together and have a fall festival for the children. Very few dress up because the constumes get in the way of playing the games we play. If anyone does dress up it's as Biblical figures and that is mostly the smaller children. They all leave with more than enough candy and are not out there celebrating a pagan-observed day.
In some of the colleges around the country, witchcraft and wicca is becoming a norm and we do not want to feed into that at all. Witchcraft and anything related goes against what the Bible teaches. The children have plenty of fun in the gym at chruch. We are not paraniod about them being outside going from house to house because around here, they have to be driven to the houses they'd go to because we live so far apart. We are out in the country. So, we wouldn't worry about poison candy because we'd know where they would go. It's that we don't want to let them think that it's ok to celebrate a holiday with people who worship satan or mother earth or whatever they call it, it's all the same, it's satanic. Or even to make light of how dangerous witchcraft is.
We have a friend who's daughter started college and the first friends she made got her into wicca. The whole family was devastated and she was pulled from that college. She said that she had never been taught anything by it and wanted to try it. She stopped going to a Christian church and went to do things with the new friends. It took a while to deprogram her. Today she's back in church and has rededicated her life to Christ. She no longer has any contact with any of those people from the college she left. She told me that she had always trick or treated and her mother helped her to dress as a witch or other things 'dark' and was never talked to about how evil they actually were. And that the girls she became friends with at the college told her how wonderful and peaceful wicca was. She now sees that she was lied to by those girls. She is speaks out against wicca now and has since had 1 girl to come out of it and be saved because she left. Witchcraft, of however they spell it to disguise it now, it pure evil from the pits of Hell. I didn't realize how rampid it was until this happened to my friends daughter. Which made me see the damage we can do if we don't share with our children how bad some things like witchcraft really is. Those girls still tried to get to her even though she left. They threatened her and her family. It was very scary for the family. She said they are very nice and friendly to her while she did what they wanted, then once she wanted to leave, they turned on her and she saw what they really were. Her story is chilling. I wish more people could hear it. The evil we see on TV on cartoons, etc is played to children to be innocent and lighthearted. But, in reality, it's qutie the opposite. It seems the TV and movies start out teaching them that there's nothing bad about it at an early age so they will accept it. Which is just what my friend did. I'm so thankful now that she woke up and is on the right track. I wonder who many do not wake up and end up losing thier souls.
It sounds as though she went through some rough trial and error. I myself was enciced to a pitfall, idleness of faith, for a few years and came out with several bad habits which have stained my countance and aspirations towards a gosple centered life.
Truely there is a point, or a fork in the road where the child must make the choice to choose a path, after all of the guidance and preperation which their parents have laid before them, the right path or some other path. One can only hope that in the end, our wayward children will eventually make their way back to the straight and narrow.
I let my kids celebrate Halloween, trick or treat and all that. I do not think there is any scriptural reason not to. In Fact, the apostle Paul tells us that meat consecrated on a pagan alter has no peril for the Christian. If you do not believe in their 'gods' then it is just meat to you.
The last poster has a good point, but not, in my opinion, that there is anything inherently bad in Halloween, only that Christian parents should not neglect to educate their children in the basic ideas behind other religions, and give them a firm grounding in why Christians do not believe in the principles of these other religions.
Too many time I dea with kids from Christian backgrounds who have no clue what other religions believe and why they believe differently. Therein lies the danger. Not necessarily the evi of the other religion, but in the unpreparedness of too many Christians.
Good thought, I wouldn't keep chairs out of my house if a thousand years ago somone decided to worship chairs.
Halloween never started as an evil day and Pagans are misunderstood. Pagans simply have diffrerent beliefs and not devil worshipers. People can make everyday evil if they wish. I think it strange how people are against Halloween but also celebrate Christmas and Easter which use non-religious symbols. Why be religous only two days out of the year ? It is just as bad. I would rather be guilty of dressing up in costume once day a year than proclaim religion only twice a year. I see no harm in Halloween fun. And there are emore bad things to worry about in the world.
The early Pagans started the day by throwing slaughtered animal bones into a fire, seems pretty harmless for the times however they sacrificed to the wrong Gods, therefore as a religious symbol is inherantly not a sacrafice to the one true God, and does not edify a Christian.
Also as they believed that the spirits of another world were able to cross into this plane of existance and establish dominion over mortal men, they conformed to practices that are ritualistic towards something other than God, therefore not adhearing to the commandments; "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me" and "thou shalt not bow down before any graven images."
Thus any form of worship contrary to the standards of Christ is "Evil."
As far as abstaining from the appearance of evil, maybe we should just turn off our tvs. Trash out of a trash can is still trash or however it goes.
There is a lot of trash on TV, I havn't been watching alot lately but it's not just on TV it's starting to spread to other places like coffee stands.
What does God's word say about celebrating such stuff?
I ask because it seems as if most of what I have read is rationalisation. If you took the whole idea of halloween and explained it to Christians out of lets say, Southern Africa do you know what their reaction would be? Perhaps any group of believers outside of the western world as another pick and I assure you that they would probably shun such a thing. Not because they do not get it, but because some things are seen more raw once you step outsideof a culture and are not desensetized.
I am not a person raised in western culture and one thing I can say without being judgemental is that folks in western societies take some occult things rather lightly. I do not see how halloween can be taken lightly. It does have some associations with the occult. Ask a foreinger to articulate their view on the occult and they will probably put some things in black and white where we often see shades of gray.
I unfortunately lack quotes but I do know that in the new testament Paul says that we should not associate with the occult, and yeah - sometimes it means turning off the tv FYI .
I am a believer in personal revelation so I would say for you to do as is directed by James, "If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given to him. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering,"
Personally, I know that God looks at my heart attitude. He hates arrogance, false pride, murder, coveting, greed, controlling behavior, manipulation, violence, torture,, avarice, selfishness, bearing false witness, terrorism and the list of evil and wicked things goes on. This is the real face of evil. Not some spooky images from haunted houses or Dracula costumes. I say don't worry about these external things like wether it's wrong to celebrate this or that and do this or that. If I look at the exact nature of what I do and know in my heart if something is not walking in love then I know that it is wrong for me. Could be that the over controlling parent who is a kill joy is sinning. Jesus was always moved by compassion and love and associated with people that drunk in hotels and prostitutes. Let your heart be your guide.
That last part threw me off for a second.
I grew up celebrating Halloween like most people. My parents encouraged the costumes and the trick or treating. As I grew up the scares had to be scarier and Halloween became the time of year to go see the bloodiest horror movies at the theater.
Well, let me tell you. The devil is not stupid. He knows very well that we can be deceived if he can blind us to the truth. If he can keep us from ever knowing Christ in our lifetime he has won our soul forever. We will go to hell. The problem for him is that we all have an overwhelming desire to know God.
Pagan: heathenHeathen: one that doesn’t acknowledge God the Father of Jesus Christ.
Maybe I was reading too fast, but I didn't see any mention here of two things. First, one of you might want to research "all hallows eve" and write a hub on that. Second, I find a huge difference between dressing up as a princes or Mickey Mouse verses dressing up a witch or satan. God's word is clear about certain evils, such as witchcraft, and when a person imitates, even in fun, that which is evil, I believe it opens up possibilities that will pull one away from Godly things.
that is definately worth reflecting on. At my church we have a "trunk or treat" activity that opens and closes with a prayer, lots of candy for the kids, and no inappropriate costumes allowed. I do however believe that far greater than the dressing up like spooky things, is the slutty costumes which are mass produced and plastered all over party city stores.
Onusonus
I agree with John Juneau when he said, "
John Juneau says:2 months ago
"Maybe I was reading too fast, but I didn't see any mention here of two things. First, one of you might want to research "all hallows eve" and write a hub on that. Second, I find a huge difference between dressing up as a princes or Mickey Mouse verses dressing up a witch or satan. God's word is clear about certain evils, such as witchcraft, and when a person imitates, even in fun, that which is evil, I believe it opens up possibilities that will pull one away from Godly things."
I went trick or treating as a kid and we never thought of it as celebrating any kind of ritual or holiday. As far as we knew it was just a day to have fun, get dressed up like a ghost or something and go around the neighborhood with friends and get candy. But like everything else these days we have to ruin good "clean" fun for kids. We have to get all worked up and tell them this is a "pagan ritual", like they know or care what that even means. For crying out loud we even banged on the rectory door as kids and the minister would give out candy too. I wonder how many parents that are so worried about scarring their kids by allowing them to go trick or treating ban MTV or VH1 or any of these crappy reality shows in their homes. One reply said that a lot of costumes are provocative slutty costumes for girls. Probably true, but have you seen MTV or VH1?? This is what the push, go to you friends homes, or maybe your own, and see what kids are watching. Talk about degrading to woman. I think we need to worry less about Halloween and pumkins and start exercising the V chip, or having the cable co. block those channels from your house. There is nothing of any value that your kids can take away from those channels. Long live the great pumkin and Charlie Brown. The Shark---taking a bite out of liberalism
Well put Shark! there's too much junk on TV to take the chance of letting your kids stay home on Halloween, instead of socializing with their friends, and runing around the neighborhood. keeping them in doors is how the terrorists win!
I don't see anything wrong with it,I grew up celebrating Halloween I grew up not knowing what that day really meant,I was in my twenties when I found out It was Hallows Eve the day for Satan and ghosts and goblins and witches,as a kid to me it was all about getting free candy.So I guess its how you celebrate it.
It's another overly comercialized event, makes me wonder if other religions celebrate Christmas just because all of the other kids in the neighborhood do.
they probably do I wouldn't deny my children if I wasn't christian.
As a parent I have the responsiblity to explain the truth behind all the so called celebrated holidays. I also believe that God's word gives us direction and understanding on how we should respond to things of the world 1 John says to be in the world but not of it, Jeremiah says (chapter 10) do not learn the ways of the Gentiles, Gods word says to abstain from every form of evil, to gorify Him in all things, we don't have to judge...but why particiate in any way. If all the Christians just decided not to celebrate halloween, not buy the candy or the costumes, spend the money on big parties then maybe just maybe someone might ask why.....God's word says if we don't consider it sin, then it's not to us but from all I have read it seems people are concerned and instead of us accepting something society throws in our face we need to pray about it and seek the Lord and His wisdom on the matter. For me and my family, we don't participate. I tried the church thing and the kids are just interested in candy and this is how deception starts and continues. A little leaven leaven the lump. This also seems to be the only holiday that gives no glory to God whatsoever. Thanksgiving, we're thankful for all He has done...Christmas we celebrate His birth, Easter.. Our Savior has risen. What can you say about October 31st?????
Patty Inglish, MS says:
14 months ago
Our church is like some that have a harvest festival and other events. Another large church has a Rennaisance Faire on their huge property. Halloween was never celebrated at my house, so I never really missed anything. I just don't like devil costumes.