Where the World is Our Classroom - Halloween - I know..Let's wrap it with candy and call it fun!

Where the World is Our Classroom

Oct. 27, 2008

Halloween - I know..Let's wrap it with candy and call it fun!

My take on Halloween.

I can hear the Devil talking to his demons..

"Sshhh! Don't let those Christians get a real sense of conviction over Halloween. Why right now they are raising their children to practice it. We wrap it with candy and costumes and in the name of fun and treats and we can get them on the streets. Don't forget all the companies out there making all the money on candy and costumes,etc. In fact the highest sales except for Christmas.

Who cares about it's pagan origin? Who cares where the celebration really came from. " They are free-at least they believe that their celebrating it is a freedom which Christ has given them, even if it does glorify ME instead of Him. Besides Halloween has nothing to do with Jesus-It's us-Death, Darkness, Depravity- we get all the glory."

Why we'll even have them believing our lies, that celebrating it really is harmless. And for those other Christians-those prudes..You know the ones that are saying it is bad, why they are just trying to spoil all the fun....Yeah we can cause even more trouble through division and strife..."

So you think that probably isn't the conversation going on? Hmmm, I beg to differ. And for many Christians -he has us DUPED!

I realize this is a touchy subject among Christians. Since Christians seem to have different convictions on this issue.

In fact I have remained pretty silent about this over the last few years. Silent in not voicing my opinion much on this matter. (At least where other Christians were concerned). Even though we have not practiced it in our family.

One of my other friends just shared her convictions on her blog and I decided to do the same this year.

For our family, this issue is very easy to make and a very clear line is drawn. There are no gray areas.
Just like our commitment to life and morality, and voting for a candidate that has those same values.
I would not vote for anyone who does not see the value of Life and Morality. (And I really don't understand how other Christians can.) But somehow their convictions are different than mine. That doesn't make them any less a Christian or any less saved than I am. It doesn't mean I am a better Christian either.

I do have a deep down conviction about this issue. And to practice an activity that does not bring glory to God would be to go against my conscience and also teach my children to do so.

Now before you get upset, I realize there are many Christians (even close friends) that do not see it the same way I do.

But I thought that perhaps sharing my convictions might help others who struggle with this issue.

No one ever told me not to celebrate Halloween. I never needed to hear a sermon about it. I never had to go read an article to see if it was right or wrong.

When I became a Christian- I saw Halloween in a new light. I saw it as a celebration that glorifies evil, witchcraft, gloom, destruction, darkness, and fear. (What in the world do any of these things have to do with me and being Christlike?)

I have been transferred out of the kingdom of darkness-into the kingdom of light.

To celebrate or not to celebrate Halloween that is the question.
Of course when we make a decision we have to look to the word of God.
As a Christian does God's word support the celebration of Halloween?
Does it condemn it?

I don't see anything in the celebration of Halloween that brings glory to God.
(Death and evil are glorified throughout the whole month of October. Skeletons, vampires, spiders, snakes, skulls, death, yuk, yuk..I don't even want to go to the store-because it is like walking down a r rated video isle looking at all the gross stuff!

So I cannot see anything that supports the celebration of Halloween.

And if we really wanted to look it would be much easier to find scriptures that would condemn the practice than support it.

Christmas and Easter at least celebrate Jesus. His birth, and His death and resurrection.

Here are a few scriptures that come to mind.

Ephesians 5:7-12

Don't participate in the things these people do. For though your hearts were once full of darkness, now you are full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in (have no fellowship with) the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, rebuke and expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. (NLT)

The word fellowship derives from the Greek “koinonia” which means, literally, “commonness.” Those who follow the Lord should have no commonness with the unfruitful works of darkness. Halloween is filled with darkness. Dark, evil, wicked occultist practices makes Halloween Halloween. The Bible specifically commands us to avoid every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). How could we possibly, knowing the Bible condemns the practices and ideas of Halloween as intrinsically anti-Christian, partake in such a day?

1 Peter 4: 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Here are a few interesting articles about Christians and Halloween.

http://www.annieshomepage.com/halloween2.html
http://www.chick.com/seasonal/halloween/celebrate.asp
http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/OnlineDiscipleship/Halloween/halloween_Watt05.aspx
For this article scroll down to where it says Attitudes of various religious groups.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/hallo_re.htm
http://holiday-blogs.blogspot.com/2005/10/origins-of-halloween.html

A couple years back I heard my daughter tell my son "Christmas is Jesus' birthday and Halloween in the Devil's birthday. So do you want to celebrate God or the Devil?"

No one told her to say that or to think that. But somehow in her mind this is what she saw in the 2 Holidays. She at the age of 4 made her own opinion of what these two Holidays represented.

(Of course I have explained to her that Halloween is not really the devil's birthday, but I thought that her take on this was funny.)

I myself have posed the question to my children.
So I wonder-"would Jesus dress up and go trick or treating?" Hmm-"I wonder what costume he would choose to wear" What do you think he would do on Halloween"?

I would ask every Christian that is trying to live a Christ centered life to truly pray about their families involvement in celebrating Halloween. It's not about other Christians and their judgement of you.
It is about your family, your conscience and your conviction before God that matters.

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Oct. 29, 2008 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Mother

The Holy Spirit may have showed Lexi that to help her understand Halloween better. It really is amazing that she came up with that by herself. I know Brittany & Domonick when they were little refused at school to draw any art that involved halloween, without being told not to. Domonick would draw crosses, and Brittany got in trouble for refusing & singled out. Mike went to the school about it. Sometimes, I think children are more in tune with the Holy Spirit than we are as adults. I know you were when you were little.

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