Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

[JohnDB]

So...
Who here actually does something to celebrate All Saints Day?

And how do you celebrate it?

 

[Waiting on him]

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.


If God does not give us a spirit of fear but 365 times tells us not to fear, why will we invite fear by a celebration that breeds fear?

I believe the whole point is that if He has given you the Spirit, you will have a sound mind, power and love, and you’ll have no fear.

 

[Josho]

Like I said, I looked for news on the subject and it came up empty except for some false claims. Regarding @TLHKAJ, do they have any evidential information? I'm a factual person and require facts to form an opinion.

She has experienced some nasty stuff.

But I would not equate Christmas and Easter to Halloween, witches might like Good Friday, but they hate Resurrection Sunday.
;)

What seperates them, is Easter is a time of celebrating victory over death, it is a time of celebrating LIFE in Jesus, same with Christmas, Christmas is about celebrating LIFE, because Jesus was brought into this world so that we may have eternal LIFE, it's because of Jesus Christ we are spiritually ALIVE in Him.

Halloween on the other hand is not a celebration of life, but is a celebration of the dead.

 

[Waiting on him]

So...
Who here actually does something to celebrate All Saints Day?

And how do you celebrate it?

Lol, good question.

 

[JohnDB]

This year...
I know that the many halloween parties are not happening...
No trick or treaters either.

So a lot of that extra candy in grocery stores is going to go on sale. 50% off and better.

I'll celebrate the savings for sure.

 

[Waiting on him]

This year...
I know that the many halloween parties are not happening...
No trick or treaters either.

So a lot of that extra candy in grocery stores is going to go on sale. 50% off and better.

I'll celebrate the savings for sure.

Now there is something to celebrate.

 

[Raccoon1010]

Halloween on the other hand is not a celebration of life, but is a celebration of the dead.

Well that is except that it is the dead Saints. And if they are Saints, then they're resurrected now and not in fact dead. So All Hallows' Eve (Halloween) is not really a day to celebrate spirits or dead people but rather resurrected beings and the service they've performed for God.

 

[Waiting on him]

I love to celebrate the experience of seeing my little grandchildren dress up and use their imaginations, Please don’t tell any I said so but especially the little 3 year old. She’ll be an adult soon enough right now they are children and are entitled the best most magical childhood I can give them.

 

[Prayer Warrior]

So I am sure this has been talked about before, but Ive been convicted over the years to stop participating in Halloween. Though I am not against fall festivals at churches and think it is a great witness opportunity, here are reasons why I will be staying home on Halloween.


First of all, Halloween is also the shortened name of Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Evening, and All Saint’s Eve, which is celebrated on October 31st. It is also a religious holiday for Satanists and Wiccan faiths. I did not believe this part until I had a friend who was a witch for 30 years and was completely delivered from it. She told me some scarey stories, true stories, of what they actually did on Halloween. But I will not be going into the roots, but the reasons why I personally believe Halloween is ethically wrong for someone proclaiming Christ to celebrate.

1. Halloween breeds fear

Ephesians 5:11, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”


1 Thessalonians 5:22


22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.


Some good questions to ask yourself are:


Does Halloween fill me with faith or fear?


Yes, Halloween celebrates fear—the theme of darkness, graves, blood, skulls, vampires, witches and wizards infuse fear.


2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.


If God does not give us a spirit of fear but 365 times tells us not to fear, why will we invite fear by a celebration that breeds fear?


How I’m I honoring God in this celebration?


1 Corinthians 10:20


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.


About the dark and ghoulish themes and scarey stories:


Leviticus 20:27 tells us that anyone who practiced witchcraft, soothsaying, sorcery should be killed.


Deuteronomy 18:9-13 adds, “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you … one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord.”


Even though Christians are under the new covenant of grace, we should still be aware of what God loves and what He does not love. He said to abstain from all appearances of evil, and talks about how witchcraft is an abomination to Him. Halloween promotes being afraid and promotes dark/witches/satan/ and all the matter of monsters and other evil things. And people are dressing their CHILDREN as such.

1. Testimonies I have heard/read about

A Well known Christian evangelist(featured on Christian Broadcasting Network) who was once satanist warn against the celebration of Halloween.


A satanic priest was once quoted as saying,” He is thankful to Christian parents who allow their children to worship the devil on October 31st” Some who have been saved from such deception say it is considered one of the biggest days in satanism.


They share that they pray satanic prayers over customers and the candies to have access to the lives of, especially Christians.


WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT GHOST?


Let’s see how the Bible uses the word ghost.


Firstly in the phrase “to give up the ghost,” meaning “to die.


We also see it in the Holy Trinity the HolySpirit or Holy Ghost


The Bible refers to ghosts or spirits of the dead as “familiar spirits” and warns us against having anything to do with them.


Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:11; 2 Kings 21:6; Isaiah 8:19

1. Less Depression and Anxiety: I just have to say, since I have dropped celebrating Halloween, my anxiety for sure has went way down during this time of year. I stopped watching scarey movies and other things I know the Bible warns against and I feel very good about this decision.

If you do celebrate Halloween, I just would like to say to pay attention this year and ask yourself how you think Christ would respond to things you see. Is one day out of the year worth it? Im not against dress up or fall fun. But I highly doubt there will be Halloween in Heaven.




HALLOWEEN - Word Mission Church International

Some things to consider from GotQuestions.org:

Halloween, no matter how commercialized, has almost completely pagan origins. As innocent as it may seem to some, it is not something to be taken lightly. Christians tend to have various ways to celebrate or not to celebrate Halloween. For some, it means having an “alternative” Harvest Party. For others, it is staying away from the ghosts, witches, goblins, etc., and wearing innocuous costumes, e.g., little princesses, clowns, cowboys, super-heroes, etc. Some choose not to do anything, electing to lock themselves in the house with the lights off. With our freedom as Christians, we are at liberty to decide how to act.​

Scripture does not speak at all about Halloween, but it does give us some principles on which we can make a decision. In Old Testament Israel, witchcraft was a crime punishable by death (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27). The New Testament teaching about the occult is clear. Acts 8:9-24, the story of Simon, shows that occultism and Christianity don’t mix. The account of Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13:6-11 reveals that sorcery is violently opposed to Christianity. Paul called Elymas a child of the devil, an enemy of righteousness and a perverter of the ways of God. In Acts 16, at Philippi, a fortune-telling girl lost her demon powers when the evil spirit was cast out by Paul. The interesting matter here is that Paul refused to allow even good statements to come from a demon-influenced person. Acts 19 shows new converts who have abruptly broken with their former occultism by confessing, showing their evil deeds, bringing their magic paraphernalia, and burning it before everyone (Acts 19:19).​

So, should a Christian celebrate Halloween? Is there anything evil about a Christian dressing up as a princess or cowboy and going around the block asking for candy? No, there is not. Are there things about Halloween that are anti-Christian and should be avoided? Absolutely! If parents are going to allow their children to participate in Halloween, they should make sure to keep them from getting involved in the darker aspects of the day. If Christians are going to take part in Halloween, their attitude, dress, and most importantly, their behavior should still reflect a redeemed life (Philippians 1:27). There are many churches that hold "harvest festivals" and incorporate costumes, but in a godly environment. There are many Christians who hand out tracts that share the Gospel along with the Halloween candy. The decision is ultimately ours to make. But as with all things, we are to incorporate the principles of Romans 14. We can’t allow our own convictions about a holiday to cause division in the body of Christ, nor can we use our freedom to cause others to stumble in their faith. We are to do all things as to the Lord.

Source: Should Christians celebrate Halloween? | GotQuestions.org​

 

[Waiting on him]

I guess my answer to the op would be, if you fear Satan is greater than God then don’t participate, but don’t not participate because you fear your peers will disapprove.. because in the latter case he is.

 

[Mayflower]

I guess my answer to the op would be, if you fear Satan is greater than God then don’t participate, but don’t not participate because you fear your peers will disapprove.. because in the latter case he is.

It is the promotion of fear generally that is my concern.

 

[Mayflower]

This year...
I know that the many halloween parties are not happening...
No trick or treaters either.

So a lot of that extra candy in grocery stores is going to go on sale. 50% off and better.

I'll celebrate the savings for sure.

Yessss :)

 

[Mayflower]

I believe the whole point is that if He has given you the Spirit, you will have a sound mind, power and love, and you’ll have no fear.

So what would be your answer to the question?

If God does not give us a spirit of fear but 365 times tells us not to fear, why will we invite fear by a celebration that breeds fear?

 

[Raccoon1010]

She has experienced some nasty stuff.

But I would not equate Christmas and Easter to Halloween, witches might like Good Friday, but they hate Resurrection Sunday.
;)

What seperates them, is Easter is a time of celebrating victory over death, it is a time of celebrating LIFE in Jesus, same with Christmas, Christmas is about celebrating LIFE, because Jesus was brought into this world so that we may have eternal LIFE, it's because of Jesus Christ we are spiritually ALIVE in Him.

Halloween on the other hand is not a celebration of life, but is a celebration of the dead.

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. A day to celebrate resurrected Saints is not the same as celebrating Jesus:

Matthew 17:4-5

4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

 

[Mayflower]

So...
Who here actually does something to celebrate All Saints Day?

And how do you celebrate it?

See I know nothing about all saints day. Like a memorial day for good people. Which is nice. I think it is funny how holy days like Easter were pagan holidays, and Halloween was originally all saints day.

 

[Mayflower]

So what would be your answer to the question?

If God does not give us a spirit of fear but 365 times tells us not to fear, why will we invite fear by a celebration that breeds fear?

Even if it doesn't cause us to stumble, it surely causes others to stumble.

 

[Pearl]

So I am sure this has been talked about before, but Ive been convicted over the years to stop participating in Halloween. Though I am not against fall festivals at churches and think it is a great witness opportunity, here are reasons why I will be staying home on Halloween.


First of all, Halloween is also the shortened name of Allhalloween, All Hallows’ Evening, and All Saint’s Eve, which is celebrated on October 31st. It is also a religious holiday for Satanists and Wiccan faiths. I did not believe this part until I had a friend who was a witch for 30 years and was completely delivered from it. She told me some scarey stories, true stories, of what they actually did on Halloween. But I will not be going into the roots, but the reasons why I personally believe Halloween is ethically wrong for someone proclaiming Christ to celebrate.

1. Halloween breeds fear

Ephesians 5:11, “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.”


1 Thessalonians 5:22


22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.


Some good questions to ask yourself are:


Does Halloween fill me with faith or fear?


Yes, Halloween celebrates fear—the theme of darkness, graves, blood, skulls, vampires, witches and wizards infuse fear.


2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.


If God does not give us a spirit of fear but 365 times tells us not to fear, why will we invite fear by a celebration that breeds fear?


How I’m I honoring God in this celebration?


1 Corinthians 10:20


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.


About the dark and ghoulish themes and scarey stories:


Leviticus 20:27 tells us that anyone who practiced witchcraft, soothsaying, sorcery should be killed.


Deuteronomy 18:9-13 adds, “When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you … one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the Lord.”


Even though Christians are under the new covenant of grace, we should still be aware of what God loves and what He does not love. He said to abstain from all appearances of evil, and talks about how witchcraft is an abomination to Him. Halloween promotes being afraid and promotes dark/witches/satan/ and all the matter of monsters and other evil things. And people are dressing their CHILDREN as such.

1. Testimonies I have heard/read about

A Well known Christian evangelist(featured on Christian Broadcasting Network) who was once satanist warn against the celebration of Halloween.


A satanic priest was once quoted as saying,” He is thankful to Christian parents who allow their children to worship the devil on October 31st” Some who have been saved from such deception say it is considered one of the biggest days in satanism.


They share that they pray satanic prayers over customers and the candies to have access to the lives of, especially Christians.


WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT GHOST?


Let’s see how the Bible uses the word ghost.


Firstly in the phrase “to give up the ghost,” meaning “to die.


We also see it in the Holy Trinity the HolySpirit or Holy Ghost


The Bible refers to ghosts or spirits of the dead as “familiar spirits” and warns us against having anything to do with them.


Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:11; 2 Kings 21:6; Isaiah 8:19

1. Less Depression and Anxiety: I just have to say, since I have dropped celebrating Halloween, my anxiety for sure has went way down during this time of year. I stopped watching scarey movies and other things I know the Bible warns against and I feel very good about this decision.

If you do celebrate Halloween, I just would like to say to pay attention this year and ask yourself how you think Christ would respond to things you see. Is one day out of the year worth it? Im not against dress up or fall fun. But I highly doubt there will be Halloween in Heaven.




HALLOWEEN - Word Mission Church International

When i was growing up the first time I heard about Halloween was in a sort of quiz at school when I was 10 or 11. It was like 'What does o'clock stand for? What does 'halloween stand for?' etc. Everybody knew all the other answers but nobody knew that one. Then as a teen my boyfriend's family did ducking for apples and that was it really. I never 'celebrated' it with any of my kids but over here in the UK is become an annual excuse for money making and the shops are full of weird stuff from the start of September. I hate it and don't want anything to do for it. These days because of where we live we don't get kids in black bin bags knocking anymore. But I think parents don't give it much thought they just go along with the herd. Christians should definitely have nothing to do with it.

 

[Raccoon1010]

So...
Who here actually does something to celebrate All Saints Day?

And how do you celebrate it?

I think Catholics would be celebrating it year round in spirit for the most part, as well as other orthodox.

 

[Waiting on him]

So what would be your answer to the question?

If God does not give us a spirit of fear but 365 times tells us not to fear, why will we invite fear by a celebration that breeds fear?

I don’t have a Spirit of fear.

 

[Waiting on him]

I’ll be loading the trailer with bales of hay, hook up the tractor and pull them through the woods, they’ve already carved some cool pumpkins for me it’ll be an opportunity to experience some fun with them.