Celebrate Halloween?

calbhach said:

I'm sorry, but that isn't what the thread is about; it's about Halloween and whether it should be celebrated or not.

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So I guess Christmas Eve has nothing to do with Christmas day then.

If you want my view of "All Saints Day", please start another thread, but please keep this thread on topic. If you believe that my view of Halloween is incorrect, please give me scriptural reference for why.

calbhach said:

If you want my view of "All Saints Day", please start another thread, but please keep this thread on topic. If you believe that my view of Halloween is incorrect, please give me scriptural reference for why.

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It seems to me that they are slightly related. If you read the article at history.com (I posted a link earlier and I think someone else did too) you can see how. In short, it was the Catholic Church's attempt to Christianize Halloween (or so it is believed).

If Halloween means more to you than candy and costumes, perhaps you should opt out of the holiday. It reminds me of Paul's ideas about eating meat sacrificed to demons.

aspen said:

If Halloween means more to you than candy and costumes, perhaps you should opt out of the holiday. It reminds me of Paul's ideas about eating meat sacrificed to demons.

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What did Paul say about eating meat sacrificed to demons? If I remember correctly, he said it won't harm you unless you think it will. However, did he say you should participate in the ritual? Honestly, can't remember.

FHII said:

It seems to me that they are slightly related. If you read the article at history.com (I posted a link earlier and I think someone else did too) you can see how. In short, it was the Catholic Church's attempt to Christianize Halloween (or so it is believed).

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I've stated my view of Halloween itself. It should have been totally avoided to begin with, never Christianized. If you have a legitimate reason to believe my view isn't Christ-like in any way, give Scriptural evidence, please. Here, however, is my Scriptural evidence that Halloween should be avoided.

The cult-oriented side of Halloween:

Deuteronomy 18:9-14 - "When you come into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD. And because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the LORD your God, for these nations, which you are about to dispossess, listen to fortune-tellers and to diviners. But as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do this.

Ephesians 5:6-12 - Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

1 Corinthians 10:21 - You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.



The children’s side of Halloween:

Teaching children -

Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Ephesians 6:4 - Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Proverbs 19:18 - Discipline your son, for there is hope; do not set your heart on putting him to death.
Proverbs 29:17 - Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.
1 John 3:18 - Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.


Threatening others (Christians are supposed to act in love, not in hate)-

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Ephesians 4:31-32 - Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Romans 12:18-20 - If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”


A final question: What is Christian about sending your children around to threaten people and take their candy? In essence, that's what it is. It's as good as a thief coming into a store of a bank or something and telling the guy at the cash register: "Gimme the money, or I'll _____". While the threat may be idle, it's still an unloving, sinful attitude. So please, tell me your thoughts on that.

calbhach said:

I've stated my view of Halloween itself. It should have been totally avoided to begin with, never Christianized. If you have a legitimate reason to believe my view isn't Christ-like in any way, give Scriptural evidence, please. Here, however, is my Scriptural evidence that Halloween should be avoided.



A final question: What is Christian about sending your children around to threaten people and take their candy? In essence, that's what it is. It's as good as a thief coming into a store of a bank or something and telling the guy at the cash register: "Gimme the money, or I'll _____". While the threat may be idle, it's still an unloving, sinful attitude. So please, tell me your thoughts on that.

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I'm with you 100% on all those points.... My only purpose was to show that Halloween and All Saints day may have a connection.

Oh, ok. Yes, I agree that they do. I was reading about that earlier. I just didn't want the topic to get thrown into another direction is all. ^^

Sorry if I sounded snappy, by the way. Wasn't at all intentional.

calbhach said:

Oh, ok. Yes, I agree that they do. I was reading about that earlier. I just didn't want the topic to get thrown into another direction is all. ^^

Sorry if I sounded snappy, by the way. Wasn't at all intentional.

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No prob!

Redeemed86 said:

I have been seeing people talk about Halloween and a lot of pumpkin carving lately. That got me thinking if it is something you think is appropriate for a Christian to do. A little digging led to my personal discovery of "All saints day" which is on November 1st, a day after Halloween. Which I find ironic.

I personally never grew up celebrating Halloween because of a somewhat strict religious upbringing. On the contrary, I have seen/heard of other Christians decorating as if it were Christmas and, the usual, costume & candy thing. I've always thought the candy and dress-up was a way to commercialize a Holiday with a deeper meaning (as in Easter, Christmas) but that's just my personal opinion.

I guess it really just depends on your upbringing and beliefs.

Anyone out there join in any of the festivities?

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I would say if one wants to be consistent then a Christian would have the same reason to observe Halloween the same they observe Christmas. Because they both have their roots in paganism. Because how would one justify keeping Christmas and not Halloween?

Again, Christmas is another topic, but yes, everything should be treated with the same scriptural accuracy. Don't you feel that Halloween is not something a Christian should be celebrating? All scripture points to that.

calbhach said:

Again, Christmas is another topic, but yes, everything should be treated with the same scriptural accuracy. Don't you feel that Halloween is not something a Christian should be celebrating? All scripture points to that.

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So was Christmas before Christians began to use it as a way to celebrate the birth of Jesus. So I fail to see why Christians who observe Christmas would have a problem with observing Halloween not Christmas.

Redeemed86 said:

I have been seeing people talk about Halloween and a lot of pumpkin carving lately. That got me thinking if it is something you think is appropriate for a Christian to do. A little digging led to my personal discovery of "All saints day" which is on November 1st, a day after Halloween. Which I find ironic.

I personally never grew up celebrating Halloween because of a somewhat strict religious upbringing. On the contrary, I have seen/heard of other Christians decorating as if it were Christmas and, the usual, costume & candy thing. I've always thought the candy and dress-up was a way to commercialize a Holiday with a deeper meaning (as in Easter, Christmas) but that's just my personal opinion.

I guess it really just depends on your upbringing and beliefs.

Anyone out there join in any of the festivities?

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Personally, I don't see anything wrong with Halloween. I see it as "mocking" and "making fun" of the devil. Afterall, Jesus Christ already conquered death, so why should we be afraid of death or even of Satan. He no longer has any hold over us. We can dress up and make fun of him. That's a healthy way of viewing Halloween.

ridiculous

selene. sounds like you are making excuses for celebrating halloween.

teamventure said:

ridiculous

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Could you be more specific in what you think is ridiculous rather just saying one word?

teamventure said:

ridiculous

selene. sounds like you are making excuses for celebrating halloween.

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It's not an excuse. Why should I fear the Devil? Why should I judge those who decided to make fun of the Devil because that's exactly how I see Halloween. The Devil is not happy when people mock and make fun of him, which is what Halloween is about. The Devil would be more happy if people took him more seriously. I would be more worried about those voodoo witchdoctors that I hear about because they're the ones taking those things seriously. Halloween is not something you take seriously. But voodism and anything that has to do with Necromancy is what one should take seriously.

do you even know what halloween is about? have you read about the pagan roots of halloween?

teamventure said:

do you even know what halloween is about? have you read about the pagan roots of halloween?

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Halloween means "Hallow's Eve", which means "evening." Halloween is typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain (whose original spelling was Samiun). The name of the festival historically kept by the Gaels and the Celts in the British Isles is derived from an old Irish and means "Summer's End." According to the Oxford Dictionary of English folk lore: "Certainly Samhain was a time for festive gatherings, and medieval Irish texts and later Irish, Welsh, and Scottish folklore use it as a setting for supernatural encounters, but there is no evidence that it was connected with the dead in pre-Christian times, or that pagan religious ceremonies were held."

Buzzfruit said:

So was Christmas before Christians began to use it as a way to celebrate the birth of Jesus. So I fail to see why Christians who observe Christmas would have a problem with observing Halloween not Christmas.

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Anyone who bags the berth of Christ and the truth in celebrating it is off their rocker. regardless of all the nonsense people can dig up.
Have you ever seen the Grinch that stole christmas.
Halloween is a sickness.

MR ROSENBERGER said:

Anyone who bags the berth of Christ and the truth in celebrating it is off their rocker. regardless of all the nonsense people can dig up.
Have you ever seen the Grinch that stole christmas.
Halloween is a sickness.

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I don't get me information from movies or from fiction. Christmas was not always about the birth of Jesus.....they (Christians) just changed it and adopt it to honor the birth of Jesus. Because Jesus was not born of December the 25. Read the Bible and you will see that the shepherd were out tending their flocks when they got the word about where the baby Jesus was......they don't look after sheep in winter in Jerusalem. Do your research and see where Christmas came from......it came from pagans just as Halloween. Why is one pagan holiday was fine to be adopted for Christians and another is not?

teamventure said:

do you even know what halloween is about? have you read about the pagan roots of halloween?

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Do you celebrate Christmas? Do you know where that celebration came from?