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| SHOULD CHRISTIANS CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN? |
| The origins of Halloween are pagan and there are many great Christian websites and even some secular websites which document the pagan and occultic origins of Halloween. This article answers the question with practical biblical principles and healthy principles in mind. Let's Talk About What It's About Children walking outside in the dark, dressed up as something they are not, in search of receiving candy from neighbors and strangers in the cold dark night. The holiday is about witches, ghosts, goblins, magic spells, monsters, scary creatures, spooky black cats, haunted houses, tombstones, graveyards, masquerades, impersonations of people or creatures dead or alive, scaring people, causing fear, screams, etc. There is nothing pure or lovely about Halloween. There is nothing godly about Halloween. - This holiday has nothing to do with life. Jesus said in John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 12:46 [Jesus said] "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." Deuteronomy 18:9-13 "When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God." Has God changed His mind in our modern times? Malachi 3:6a "For I am the LORD, I change not;" The Bible Says: 1) Avoid the very appearance of evil. 1Thess5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil." 1Peter 3:11 "Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it." 2) As true FOLLOWERS of Christ Jesus, we are to seek after the things above. Col 3:1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 3) We are in the world and not of it. 1John 2:15 "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him." 4) Christians should follow the Lord Jesus Christ! Luke 9:23 And he [Jesus] said to them all, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." Ephesians 5:1 "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;" 1Peter 3:13 "And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" 3John 1:11 "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God." 5) Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Matthew 6:33-34 [Jesus said] "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." 1Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." 6) As Christians and followers of Christ Jesus, we are supposed to redeem the time... make good use of our time here on earth because the days are evil. Does celebrating Halloween redeem the time? Is celebrating Halloween a part of the will of God for your life? Eph 5:15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Eph 5:16 Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Eph 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. 7) What does light have in common with darkness? 2Cor 6:14 says, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" Ephesians 5:11 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." 1John 3:10 "In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." 1John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1Peter 2:9 "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:" What does Halloween stand for? Is Halloween a holiday exemplary of purity and light? One would say that just the opposite is true. The Bible tells us to think on lovely things. Philippians 4:8 says, "...whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." A TRUE Christian, who loves the Lord Jesus Christ, has no business participating in a holiday of Ghosts, goblins, witches, magic spells, monsters, demons, scary and spooky things and haunted houses. Let's Talk About Safety Well-meaning parents drive their kids from neighborhood to neighborhood in quest for more candy for their kids so that their kids will be happy. Total strangers then hand candy out to their precious little ones. A good parent would never let their kids take candy from strangers in a mall, yet these same good parents will let them eat candy from strangers on Halloween. Has one ever thought of the germs lurking on each candy wrapper handed out by these strangers? Can one guarantee that the person's hands are clean? The more people your child comes in contact with, the more suceptible they are to catching a cold, the flu, chicken pox, etc. Another question one may ask is: Are these candy bars even fresh or have they been sitting in someone's closet since last year?? Truth is we really don't know and we will never know. Let's Talk About Sugar For Children “One full sized candy bar typically contains 14 percent of the calories and 23 percent of the fat recommended daily for children ages 4-10 years old,” said Virginia State Health Commissioner, Robert B. Stroube, M.D., M.P.H. “Eating too much of high calorie, high fat candy at Halloween is unhealthy for children and adolescents.” "Sugar can suppress the immune system. Sugar upsets the mineral relationships in the body. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children..." (Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., www.nancyappleton.com - Author of the book "Lick The Sugar Habit") Christian Alternatives to Celebrating Halloween? Stay at home and read the Bible. Parents, if you have raised your child to love the Lord Jesus Christ, then they will honor Him by staying home. Christians cannot worship God on Sundays and say, "I love you Jesus with all of my heart..." and then go trick or treating on a holiday clearly designed to be scary, evil, dark and mystic. Many churches have alternative activities for the kids on Halloween. Some call it Harvest Night. They usually have pizza, games and prizes, bobbing for apples, pumpkin pie and apple pie and candy grab bags. Although it may seem like a great thing to do, is it really? One has to wonder if this is really what christians are supposed to do. A former witch wrote: "The Harvest Party is usually referred to as the Christian alternative to traditional Halloween hijinx. Alternative, however, implies substitute. It assumes our children need something to take the place of Halloween, since they won't be participating in the secular and pagan celebrations. It suggests our kids are missing out on something. And indeed they are, if we allow them to spend Halloween in celebration." Children must understand that they cannot celebrate Halloween -- not even disguised under another name-- for they are children of the Light and not of darkness. They should be pleasing in God's sight and seek to honor the Lord by being a light in the darkness rather than dressing up in a costume, as their secular friends will do. Jesus told us to, "Take up your cross and follow me." Are children exempt from obeying the Lord Jesus Christ? Christians are faced with difficult decisions in life and Halloween should not be one of them. Celebrating Halloween should not even be a question. Christian parents, if you allow one inch of compromise, where will it end? FOLLOWERS of Christ Jesus are supposed to be the salt of the earth... a preservation of what is godly and good. The world makes a BIG deal of man-made holidays. Non-christians are empty, in search of something to occupy their time and to give them a sense of fulfillment. The problem is that their joy is temporary and is based on the seasonal holidays of the year. These man-made holidays give only a temporary- momentary happiness that is soon over and they, the following day, immediately look forward to the next holiday. They wait in anticipation of it. The have high hopes and have bought into the hype only to find out the holiday they so longed for came and went and then they must look forward to the next holiday. It's a vicious cycle that never ends until one receives Jesus. as Savior and Lord. The Empty Space Deep in the heart of every person, there is an empty space that Only Jesus can fill. So no matter what man attempts to do in their quest for happiness, that space within their heart will remain empty until they receive Jesus as their Savior. Christians, rather than giving your kids Halloween, give them the Lord Jesus. Teach them about the goodness of God. Tell them how Jesus came to reprove the works of darkness. Sit with them and teach them what really matters in life. Be a good christian example for them. Man-made holidays are but vanity. The emptiness is realized the day after the holiday is over and all the hype has silenced. One should not teach their kids to live for the holidays or weekends but rather that they must receive their happiness from the source of all life-- The Lord of Glory. Candy does not bring lasting happiness and children should not be taught to rely on material things or holidays to bring about their happiness. If they are taught this, they will go through life most miserable because only Jesus satifies the thirsty soul. It was He, who died for our sins and imparts new life to all who receive Him as their Savior and Lord. For the Christian Still Sitting On The Fence How will Halloween profit your kids spiritually? Christians ought not to participate in a holiday celebrated by witches, atheists, satanists, etc. For all that Halloween stands for is anti-biblical. If one is born again of God's Spirit, the carnal man is dead to sin but alive to the Lord. Deny thyself... the Christian walk is a hard walk at times. That does not mean that one gives up and gives into unfruitful compromise just to appease their child. Parents are to raise their children and train them up in the fear of the Lord. Parents are supposed to raise their children and not the other way around. The devil desires to get your kids. Christian parents must be on guard for the sake of their kids. Teaching them to abstain from the very appearance of evil. Understanding that how you raise them is critical while they are young. Raising them to be a friend of the world, compromising biblical principles to gain candy, compromising their christian walk with Christ Jesus by dressing up in a costume and celebrating ghosts and goblins should not be a part of the Christian child's life. I Corinthians 10:31b "...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1Thess 5:5 "Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." Ephesians 5:8 "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:" Copyright © 2004 Cobblestone Road Ministries All Rights Reserved |
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