TRICK or TREAT?
Today, many young and old alike will dress up in costumes pretending to be someone or something else. From the fictional super hero to the outright gory, many will participate in Halloween. But, what do we know about this ‘holiday’ and its origins? Is this something we should be a part of or should we abstain?
“It is well known that the name Halloween is simply a shortened form of 'Hallowed Evening,' but there is nothing very hallowed, or holy, about this particular evening. Although it has been sort of 'Christianized' by some as an 'All Hallows Eve' preceding what is called 'All Saints Day,' neither its origin nor its observance is Christian in any way.
The observance of Halloween on this date has been going on since long before Christ and has been claimed as the high, holy day of Satan worship. It was resided over, they believed, by Saman, the lord of death, and was supposedly the night when witches and ghosts of all the wicked dead were able to roam about freely, marked also by the lighting of bonfires everywhere.
It does seem anomalous today that even many evangelical Christians have come to regard Halloween as sort of a harmless holiday on which to play games and dress up in masks and occult-theme costumes. These at least imitate and attempt to minimize those works of darkness which Paul exhorts us to 'cast off.' 'Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness,' he says in another place, 'but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret' (Ephesians 5:11,12). 'Prove all things; hold fast that which is good,' Paul says in yet another place. 'Abstain from all appearance of evil' (I Thessalonians 5:21,22). 'Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil' (Ephesians 6:11), for the devil 'walketh about, seeking whom he may devour' (I Peter 5:8).
It is perhaps an appropriate time, therefore, for Christians and others to think about the fires of hell and those who will be there. Those who go there include not only 'the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters' but also 'the fearful, and unbelieving, . . . and all liars.' The 'fearful' refers especially to those who are afraid to take a stand for Christ and 'liars' refers especially to those false teachers who spread lies about Christ and His saving gospel. The sin of unbelief is the one unforgivable sin, for 'he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God' (John 3:18).”
What should be a Christian's approach to Halloween? Wouldn’t it make more sense for Christians to celebrate October 31st as the day (in AD1517) that God providentially prompted Dr. Martin Luther to hammer his 95 Theses onto the Wittenberg church door, launching the back-to-the-Bible revival that became known as the Protestant Reformation?
(Photo credit: Daniel Nuckols, http://www.danspulpit.com/)
9 Responses
Join the ConversationJennifer says:
I think this may be a bit played up. No one really takes Halloween seriously. To most people it's just a day to dress up and get free candy.
But it is your chose to participate not. The only problem that arises is when people start judging others.
Caleb R. says:
I prefer to call October 31's celebration "Death and Witchcraft Day." Never before has negotiation with demons been so innocently charming. Never before has death been so fun.
Man loves thrill obsessively. To play with great, mysterious powers without getting hurt compares with the popular indulgence in high-speed or gravity-defying sports.
Or maybe Man has figured he should try loving death, the only power he knows that commands his destiny. He will not believe there is a loving Father in Heaven, only evil spirits to barter with; or a resurrection to save from earthly chaos and outer darkness, only miserable degeneration and anhiliation. He therefore attempts to accept hopelessness, and his pitiful state finds a kind of kinship in the works of darkness.
As the pope and his totalitarian empire maintained a grip of superstition on medieval Europe, one man stirred a movement to discover the power of God's word, the light of Man. That is cause for celebration.
Radical FeminINE-ist says:
My family and church's response is to make October 31 a time of gospel outreach. We welcome trick-or-treaters to hear a concise, Scripture-based gospel message as they go through candy stations that explain and depict sin, Christ's sacrifice, and the blessings of trusting Christ for salvation. Light dispels darkness and we choose to shine rather than hide under bushels as night falls.
Andy says:
It's total depravity. Let me point this out to YOM. Evolution is an anti-Christian doctrine, complete with its followers and institutions. It has only been around for about 150 years. Halloween is also anti-Christian. However, it has been around at least 10 times as long as evolution, and has had a much longer time to saturate in Western Civilization. If we as Christians have a struggle with the public indoctrination of evolution in our culture, how much harder is it to avoid public indoctrination of an ancient ritual that's been around for so much longer?
Toggle says:
I think that changing a "holiday" would be extremely difficult. It would be like trying to get rid of Santa and the Easter bunny. How many Christians participate in those ungodly traditions of men? It should be done, though. The true believer should not participate in things that would displease the Lord.
Martin Luther was very serious when he nailed his thesis to the door. He was risking his life to go against the pope like he did. Are we serious about the Lord in today's society?
It's time to get serious and throw off all the wordly things that have snuck into our lives as Christians. From the pagan Halloween practices to watching the filth spewed out on the TV, we must turn our hearts, thoughts, and actions to the Lord always. We should abstain from every appearance of evil, as the Bible tells us.
ROMANS 1:20 says:
I agree 100%!!!! We can't have one eye on the Lord, and one eye on the world. That is called lukewarm, and God detests that. The Bible says that he will vomit them out of his mouth.
CHRISTIANS! Where are you headed?
Nora says:
When I see all the Halloween decorations and costumes I am always reminded of Proverbs 8:36 ...: all they that hate me love death. Halloween is all about death, fear, witches; you name it, every evil thing under the sun. A Christian has absolutely no business taking part in the celebration of such wickedness.
1 Corinthians 10:20,21 But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with un infidel?
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
YOM has already mentioned Ephesians 5:11,12.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, bretheren, whatsoever things are true, 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.
Nothing about Halloween fits in any of the categories mentioned in Philippians 4:8.
1 John 5:17 says All unrighteousness is sin:...
And, by the way, all through the year we tell our children not to talk to strangers and not to take anything from strangers. Does is make sense to let them go to the houses of strangers to get candy on Halloween? Normal parents would not let their children see horror movies or read horror books, but they let them dress up in horror costumes? Or send them to the door of strangers that might open the door in a horror costume? Where is the wisdom in all of that?
You can have these horror displays around Halloween but a manger scene around Christmas offends people. Christians wake up!
Rod says:
There are Christians who do celebrate Reformation Day vs. Halloween today. I know folks in the Reformed tradition who do this (Reformed churches similar to RC Sproul teaching). The key issues I see after reading YOM’s report on Halloween origins, the celebrations are tinged with the occult and demonic world influence. As Christians we need to consider some Biblical passages here:
Leviticus 19:31 (NKJV)
31 'Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
Matthew 8:16 (NKJV)
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,
Acts 19:13-16 (NKJV)
13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."
14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"
16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
How should Christians who are committed to Christ approach Halloween? I feel the apostle Paul has the answer in Romans 12.
Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
I recommend we spend more time in the Word of God and leave Halloween behind.
Mark says:
Amen! I'm right there with you.
That is a very pertinent scripture. Why do we think we can flirt with evil and depict it in a cute and entertaining way? We are to stay as far away from it as possible.