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Christians should not celebrate Halloween.

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  • 23-10-2007 3:52pm
    #1
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭


    Christians who dress up their kids and take them out ought to feel guilty because Halloween is the Devil's night. "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." -Ephesians 5:11

    The Roman Catholic Church at that time, decided to allow the new converts to maintain some of their pagan feasts provided that from then on they would be celebrated as "Christian" feasts, Such examples as mentioned in an earlier post would be "Christmas day" and "Easter". For this reason the church decided to call November 1 the "Day of All Saints," and the mass to be celebrated on that day "Alhallowmass." In consequence of this, the evening prior to this day was named, "All Hallowed Evening" which subsequently was abbreviated as "Halloween." In spite of this effort to make October 31 a "holy evening," all the old pagan customs continued to be practiced, and made this evening anything BUT a holy evening.

    No professed Christian should support such a wicked holiday. Just because nearly everyone does it doesn't justify it. "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." -1st Corinthians 10:21.


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    #2
    Ciaran500
    Registered Users Posts: 8,225 ✭✭✭Ciaran500


    Where did you work out that Halloween is the devils night?


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    #3
    BrianCalgary
    Registered Users Posts: 3,196 ✭✭✭BrianCalgary


    RTDH

    We are in a spititual battle.

    Ephesians 6:12
    12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

    So if the church can take a pagan festival and turn the focus ointo Jesus Christ then we have accomplished what we need to. Otherwise the pagan festival will continue. Replace it with a Christian festival focussed on Christ then the pagan festival disappears.

    On the dressing up bit. We were taught thatthere was a time that people actually believed that spirits came out on Oct 31. And well you know the story.

    We then used it as a time of play and fellowship. The whole fall season beginning with Thanksgiving and ending with Halloween became a period for thanks to God for His bounty in providing us with our food and sustainance. Halloween was an understanding of sharing that bounty.

    Again, it comes down to how you use it? Going door to door asking for candy is not inherently sinful. The question is why do you do it?

    For many it is to get free candy and that is all. There are covens around who take the day pretty seriously to worship Satan. Then the question is how do we as Christians handel it?

    I have told that above.


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    #4
    Zombrex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    Every year this issue comes up, and every year I find myself saying the same thing...

    Halloween is not a celebration of the occult, the devil, demons or any of that nonsense.

    Halloween is supposed to be the day that spirits in the after life are closest to Earth (that isn't a Christian idea, as if this needs to be said)

    This belief is found in other cultures, such as the Day of the Death in Latin America, suggesting that the notion of the spirits of the dead returning for a short period of time has a common origin.

    The reason people traditionally dress up their houses and themselves with scary monsters is to scare away any evil spirits that may come back on this night.

    It is not a celebration of these scary monsters, it is not a celebration of evil or demons. The scary monsters are simply used as imagery to scare away even scarier monsters.

    Halloween is supposed to be about remembering family members and friends who have passed on to the after life and re-enforcing the belief that life continues after death. Its a holiday for dead people basically.

    Of course now it is about chocolate, but that is a different issue altogether.


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    #5
    Rev Hellfire
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,346 ✭✭✭Rev Hellfire


    Wicknight wrote: »
    Of course now it is about chocolate, but that is a different issue altogether.
    You'll take that back !
    I'll have nothing bad said about chocolate... chocolate....


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    #6
    JimiTime
    Registered Users Posts: 7,418 ✭✭✭JimiTime


    BrianCalgary wrote: »
    Then the question is how do we as Christians handel it?

    how about just pay it no attention? Don't do anything with it? I really find this, 'lets assymilate everything and call it christian' quite ludicrous tbh. Seriously, you don't even see how there might be a problem with this no?

    Meeeshak shadrach and abendigo: 'lets just bow down in front of the golden image, but in doing so we'll be giving glory to YHWH not their god'. Doesn't really cut it does it. If its Pagan ritual, its pagan ritual, you can say what you like, but you are still taking part in pagan ritual. To coin your own phrase when referring to if its not in scripture, 'its not from god'.


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    #7
    Acid_Violet
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,295 ✭✭✭Acid_Violet


    RTDH, surely the day is what you make of it, it doesn't matter whether it coincides with 'apparent' (might I add) devil worship or not! And what should you make of the day? Fun and diabetes!


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    #8
    Zombrex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    JimiTime wrote: »
    how about just pay it no attention? Don't do anything with it? I really find this, 'lets assymilate everything and call it christian' quite ludicrous tbh. Seriously, you don't even see how there might be a problem with this no?

    Meeeshak shadrach and abendigo: 'lets just bow down in front of the golden image, but in doing so we'll be giving glory to YHWH not their god'. Doesn't really cut it does it. If its Pagan ritual, its pagan ritual, you can say what you like, but you are still taking part in pagan ritual. To coin your own phrase when referring to if its not in scripture, 'its not from god'.

    Way to sap the fun out of what is essentially a fancy dress competition :D


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    #9
    coffee_cake
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    Wicknight wrote: »
    Of course now it is about chocolate, but that is a different issue altogether.

    That's what all holidays are about in the end!


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    #10
    BrianCalgary
    Registered Users Posts: 3,196 ✭✭✭BrianCalgary


    JimiTime wrote: »
    how about just pay it no attention? Don't do anything with it? I really find this, 'lets assymilate everything and call it christian' quite ludicrous tbh. Seriously, you don't even see how there might be a problem with this no?

    Meeeshak shadrach and abendigo: 'lets just bow down in front of the golden image, but in doing so we'll be giving glory to YHWH not their god'. Doesn't really cut it does it. If its Pagan ritual, its pagan ritual, you can say what you like, but you are still taking part in pagan ritual. To coin your own phrase when referring to if its not in scripture, 'its not from god'.


    Absolutely 'if not from scripture it's not from God'.

    Football isn't from scripture either, yet we still participate either as coach, player or spectator.

    When I went trick or treating as a kid and then took my kids out we weren't bowing down and worshipping anybody or anything. We were knocking on doors getting candy (chocolate was always my favourite :)). We dads had a bit of a laugh as our kids went knocking, our kids had a great time with their friends and NOTHING was worshipped.


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    #11
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    BrianCalgary wrote: »
    RTDH

    We are in a spititual battle.

    Ephesians 6:12
    12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

    So if the church can take a pagan festival and turn the focus ointo Jesus Christ then we have accomplished what we need to. Otherwise the pagan festival will continue. Replace it with a Christian festival focussed on Christ then the pagan festival disappears.
    Christians should not partake at all in these festivals. Satan desires to keep people from the truth. The devil knows that people will not accept him as he is in true color. So the devil has to deceive people by presenting a lie, wrapped in a truth. If a criminal makes counterfeit money, he does not use a crayon. Rather, he uses the best equipment he can afford to make the counterfeit money look as genuine as possible. He has to or no one would accept his fake money. In the same way, Satan has to make his filthy lies and heresy look like it's really the truth, likewise he tries to make all these ancient pagan holidays appear to be "Christian holidays".
    BrianCalgary wrote: »
    On the dressing up bit. We were taught that there was a time that people actually believed that spirits came out on Oct 31. And well you know the story.
    We then used it as a time of play and fellowship.

    The whole fall season beginning with Thanksgiving and ending with Halloween became a period for thanks to God for His bounty in providing us with our food and sustainance. Halloween was an understanding of sharing that bounty.
    The true origins of Halloween lie with the ancient Celtic tribes who lived in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Brittany. For the Celts, November 1 marked the beginning of a new year and the coming of winter. The night before the new year, they celebrated the festival of Samhain, Lord of the Dead. During this festival, Celts believed the souls of the dead—including ghosts, goblins and witches returned to mingle with the living. In order to scare away the evil spirits, people would wear masks and light bonfires
    BrianCalgary wrote: »
    Again, it comes down to how you use it? Going door to door asking for candy is not inherently sinful. The question is why do you do it?

    For many it is to get free candy and that is all. There are covens around who take the day pretty seriously to worship Satan. Then the question is how do we as Christians handel it?
    Christians should have absolutly no part of this at all, it is contary to scripture, Ie "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 (One that consults the dead). For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD" Deuteronomy 18:10-13.

    Also spoken in Ephesians 5vs11 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them"

    A interesting thing is that the costumes and masks are getting generally more bloody, gory, and depraved each year. Unfortunately, the gruesome and grotesque and the occult are increasingly glorified in our society, not only on Halloween, but is now stretched throughout the year in horror movies, television programs and computer games.


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    #12
    Son Goku
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,475 ✭✭✭Son Goku


    Maybe it's a day of evil and paganism,..............

    ......or it's a day when kids dress up, eat some sweets, watch fireworks and have fun with their friends.

    Seriously lads, it used to be a pagan day, now it's just a holiday for kids.


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    #13
    robindch
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 24,402 Mod ✭✭✭✭robindch


    RTDH - do you actually believe that there are charmers, wizards and warlocks, necromancers and the rest actually living and doing bad stuff these days?


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    #14
    JimiTime
    Registered Users Posts: 7,418 ✭✭✭JimiTime


    BrianCalgary wrote: »
    Absolutely 'if not from scripture it's not from God'.

    Football isn't from scripture either, yet we still participate either as coach, player or spectator.

    Oh come on Brian!!!! Football has nothing to do with anything, it has no relevance. That is such a poor arguement. Purgatory is not in scripture, but it has spiritual relevancy, football has no relevancy! Flippin heck.

    When I went trick or treating as a kid and then took my kids out we weren't bowing down and worshipping anybody or anything. We were knocking on doors getting candy (chocolate was always my favourite :)). We dads had a bit of a laugh as our kids went knocking, our kids had a great time with their friends and NOTHING was worshipped.
    As I said, the pagan ritual was being observed and being partaken of, on a day when pagans observe it. Your theory means I can just pick any satanic or pagan ritual, rebrand it, and partake in it. Do you seriously not smell a rat, even slightly? At the end of the day i can use smiley faces and harmless type language about using Ouija boards. 'Sure it was just a board game we enjoyed as teens, nobody believed all that stuff'. In fact, i was trying to contact the apostles. So now, does that make Ouija boards acceptable christian practice? yeh, lets have a Christ board day. It used to be called Ouija board but now its Christian because we only contact apostles and stuf. Sorted. Where do you draw the line. i suppose its force of habit and tradition for most, so its hard to suddenly call time on them. Doesn't make em right though.


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    #15
    Scofflaw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    Hoo boy, there are days when being an atheist is just great.

    amused,
    Scofflaw


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    #16
    Son Goku
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,475 ✭✭✭Son Goku


    I think the crucial nugget of information not being grasped here is that:
    It's a freakin holiday for kids!!!

    Seriously it involves five-year olds, with white sheets over their heads and little ghost faces drawn on them, going door to door to get a few lollipops and watch fireworks later.

    If anybody pictures the scene above as one with hints of damnation and evil, then I don't know what you're thinking.


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    #17
    hairyheretic
    Registered Users Posts: 1,257 ✭✭✭hairyheretic


    robindch wrote: »
    RTDH - do you actually believe that there are charmers, wizards and warlocks, necromancers and the rest actually living and doing bad stuff these days?

    Living, yes; doing bad stuff, not so much.

    Drop by the paganism forum and have a chat with them :)


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    #18
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    robindch wrote: »
    RTDH - do you actually believe that there are charmers, wizards and warlocks, necromancers and the rest actually living and doing bad stuff these days?
    Absolutly, all contary to the teachings of God. It is a huge business to-day, go to the back pages of any British tabloid newspaper and look up horoscopes, psychics, tarots, fortune telling etc. all using premium call charges.


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    #19
    JimiTime
    Registered Users Posts: 7,418 ✭✭✭JimiTime


    hairyheretic wrote: »
    Living, yes; doing bad stuff, not so much.

    Drop by the paganism forum and have a chat with them :)
    Or pop over to haiti, or cameroon.


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    #20
    JimiTime
    Registered Users Posts: 7,418 ✭✭✭JimiTime


    Son Goku wrote: »
    I think the crucial nugget of information not being grasped here is that:
    It's a freakin holiday for kids!!!

    Seriously it involves five-year olds, with white sheets over their heads and little ghost faces drawn on them, going door to door to get a few lollipops and watch fireworks later.

    If anybody pictures the scene above as one with hints of damnation and evil, then I don't know what you're thinking.


    Son Goku, I understand what you are saying. However, as a christian, these festivities have more connotations than this. The damnation and evil thing, would not be my language, but these festivities are certainly spurious as a christian. At the end of the day, if it was celebrated blatantly as a pagan festival, it'd still be the same for children. dressing up and eatin sweets. Its entirely irrelevant though.


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    #21
    coffee_cake
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    Run_to_da_hills wrote:
    Satan desires to keep people from the truth. The devil knows that people will not accept him as he is in true color. So the devil has to deceive people by presenting a lie, wrapped in a truth. If a criminal makes counterfeit money, he does not use a crayon. Rather, he uses the best equipment he can afford to make the counterfeit money look as genuine as possible. He has to or no one would accept his fake money. In the same way, Satan has to make his filthy lies and heresy look like it's really the truth, likewise he tries to make all these ancient pagan holidays appear to be "Christian holidays".

    You're a bit obsessed with "Satan"...


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    #22
    Son Goku
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,475 ✭✭✭Son Goku


    JimiTime wrote: »
    Son Goku, I understand what you are saying. However, as a christian, these festivities have more connotations than this. The damnation and evil thing, would not be my language, but these festivities are certainly spurious as a christian. At the end of the day, if it was celebrated blatantly as a pagan festival, it'd still be the same for children. dressing up and eatin sweets. Its entirely irrelevant though.
    Is it? Halloween is not some etheral abstract force that exists behind the day. It is the day and what people do on it. The point is, it is not celebrated as a pagan festival, there is nothing pagan about it. What is actually pagan about it if no pagan Gods are worshipped and the kids aren't pagans?

    If we avoid things because of what they used to be in the past, then you'll have to avoid a lot of things.


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    #23
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    bluewolf wrote: »
    You're a bit obsessed with "Satan"...
    I would be aware of his tactics


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    #24
    coffee_cake
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    Run_to_da_hills wrote: »
    I would be aware of his tactics

    Where did you get that from?
    Is there even much biblical backing for a satan? None of the other christian posters here seem half as caught up with it
    The devil knows that people will not accept him as he is in true color.
    Why? And how would you know if the devil knows or not?


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    #25
    bushy...
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,467 ✭✭✭bushy...


    Run_to_da_hills wrote: »
    Christians should not partake at all in these festivals. Satan desires to keep people from the truth. The devil knows that people will not accept him as he is in true color. So the devil has to deceive people by presenting a lie, wrapped in a truth. If a criminal makes counterfeit money, he does not use a crayon. Rather, he uses the best equipment he can afford to make the counterfeit money look as genuine as possible. He has to or no one would accept his fake money. In the same way, Satan has to make his filthy lies and heresy look like it's really the truth.........

    So going on that maybe He faked the bible and all the rest and half the show is following His deception ?


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    #26
    Fanny Cradock
    Registered Users Posts: 10,245 ✭✭✭✭Fanny Cradock


    Ugh, blatant riling - dare I say 'trolling'


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    #27
    BrianCalgary
    Registered Users Posts: 3,196 ✭✭✭BrianCalgary


    bluewolf wrote: »
    Where did you get that from?
    Is there even much biblical backing for a satan? None of the other christian posters here seem half as caught up with it?

    Well we are aware of him and his tactics. The Bible does call him the father of lies, the deceiver and other names which I don't have at my finger tips.


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    #28
    coffee_cake
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 81,309 CMod ✭✭✭✭coffee_cake


    BrianCalgary wrote: »
    Well we are aware of him and his tactics. The Bible does call him the father of lies, the deceiver and other names which I don't have at my finger tips.

    Could you show me some quotes when you have a chance? It's not something I think I've seen discussed on the forum and I find it odd


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    #29
    Scofflaw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,283 ✭✭✭✭Scofflaw


    Fanny Cradock wrote: »
    Ugh, blatant riling - dare I say 'trolling'

    Definitely no Biblical authority for trolls.

    cordially,
    Scofflaw


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    #30
    keano_afc
    Registered Users Posts: 8,711 ✭✭✭keano_afc


    bluewolf wrote: »
    Could you show me some quotes when you have a chance? It's not something I think I've seen discussed on the forum and I find it odd

    Father of lies: John 8:44
    Deceiver: Revalation 20:10
    He is also called a "roaring lion" in 1 Peter 5:8.


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    #31
    Zombrex
    Closed Accounts Posts: 25,848 ✭✭✭✭Zombrex


    JimiTime wrote: »
    Oh come on Brian!!!! Football has nothing to do with anything, it has no relevance.

    I think that was his point. Halloween is nothing but a bit of fun. Just because its not in the Bible doesn't mean its automatically evil. No one "worships" a bad Frankenstein costume.
    JimiTime wrote: »
    As I said, the pagan ritual was being observed and being partaken of, on a day when pagans observe it. Your theory means I can just pick any satanic or pagan ritual, rebrand it, and partake in it.

    Football is a "pagan ritual" (it was invented by the Romans). If you partake in it are you worshiping Satan?


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