Halloween And Christians Its origin and, should we celebrate it?

[zootycoongold 0]

I really enjoy Hallloween. I think it's something to look forward to in the year other than Christmas, Easter or your Birthday. I've been Trick-or-Treating since I was about 5.

[ZeroHawk 0]

I'm a deep believer, and find I'm not really against it (at least in what it's become). It's a dumb idea, dressing up in costumes that have no point to them. But it's not a real holiday in my opinion, it's just a day for kids to have fun. If you don't like it, don't go out and don't give out candy. That's what I do. And the my friends think I'm weird because of that.

[Ao)K-General 0]

I think you should celebrate it if you want to, no matter what religion you are. It's not wrong. It maybe a sin. But so are many things people do. We sin everyday. So we gotta take that out on a Holiday? Thats dumb. If you don't want to celebrate it, fine. But don't make everyone else stop celebrating it too just because you feel it is wrong.

[dexter 0]

It's really a no-brainer. Just about all "Christian" holidays are just modifications of older pagan holidays. Christmas is based on a Roman holiday around the same time of year where they would give little idols and such to each other. A holiday at easter time has been celebrated since the Egyptians. As for Halloween, I live in Australia like FuChelle... I really the whole idea is ridiculous. In fact, I abuse people who think it'd be cool to do Halloween.Speaking of which... it's about that time, isn't it?

[wild20 0]

Ao)K-General:I am slightly appaled at your reasoning! You are basically saying it is okay to sin as many times as we want to because we sin everyday. The point as a Christian is to improve! If you can use that logic everywhere, there would be mass choas. And again, I am not trying to make you guys stop, man, people have VERY touchy opinions around here. If you don't like the topic, just don't reply to it.Dexter:Yes, you have a point there, but I am trying to make a statement that halloween actually had satanic origins. However, Easter is a little different, sure the Egyptians may have celebrated a holiday, but it is just a coincidence that it fell around the time of Christs death. Easter, for me, is a time where I remember what God has done for us, By sending His Son to die for us.

[Ao)K-General 0]

Well. Let me change that. Its okay to sin once inawhile as long as you go to church once inawhile and ask for forgiveness and he forgives you. I mean, its part of being a Human, of existing to sin. We all sin once inawhile. We go to church to ask for forgiveness. God expects us to sin but also expects us to go to church to worship him. We don't have to go every Saturday or Sunday or whatever day you go as long as you go atleast once a month. But it shouldn't be a sin to have fun, to a certain excent. We should be able to have fun with things like these without the worry of sinning and going to hell. We should be able to go out and celebrate Halloween without worrying about sinning and without it being a sin. Thats my changed idea.

[wild20 0]

So are you saying that going to church "once in a while", saves you from sin? I do believe you have some mixed up reasoning. Of course we sin every once in a while, but we are not suppose to. Of course we should worship Him, but that is not what saves you. It sounds more like your philosophy is getting to heaven by works. And also, you say we shouldn't have to worry about sinning while celebrating Halloween. So is it okay for me to use God's name in vain and call Him swear words just so long as I am having fun? Or kill someone without worrying about sinning just so long as I am having fun and go to church afterwards? I think not! We are boung by the bible, if the evidence I have given you about Hallowwen isn't enough to show you that it is wrong for a Christian, then I don't know what is. The bible says to stay away from evil things. That should be enough to keep away from Halloween and it's satanic origins. I don't mean to offend you, but a true Christian, follows God's word.

[concertina226 0]

O_O Woah... very serious discussion here... here's my 2 cents worth:I personally think that it is not sinful for anyone to celebrate Halloween. In the first place, many religions to a certain extent have influences gained from each other, and if you really went to the root of a lot of them, you might as well just not bother celebrating any of them. Christmas for example, was merged by the Romans, who wanted to bring peace between the pagans and christians. The Christmas tree is pagan, as is the tradition of eating lamb and eggs etc etc at Easter. So are you going to toss out your Christmas ornaments and the Easter Bunny now too? There is no real harm in any of this because of the fact that it brings millions of people together in peace every year. I am very certain that God does not disapprove of this.Halloween is an innocent festival/event/occassion celebrated more for children nowadays - there is no true religious meaning to it at all. Yes, the capitalistic nature of it does suck, and there will always be people trying to ruin things for other people, but if it bothers you, don't celebrate it, as people have said in this thread. If you really care so much about it religiously, go celebrate All Saints' Day and do it properly. But I highly doubt that God is going to go, "Aaah... you dressed up as Spiderman/Cinderella at Halloween... you have sinned greatly against me and I intend to smite you down in all my holy fury..." - please... could we get back to the important aspects of the Bible, the core themes of love, care, concern and compassion for others? As long as you do not hurt anyone through your actions (on this day as on any other), there is nothing wrong in celebrating it.Really, there is a huge problem with this religion that people cannot look beyond the words in the bible and grasp the core, essential themes. It's just like the Salem pilgrims saying, "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" and going and killing people on that claim. I think God would prefer you dress up as a ghost and ask people for candy as opposed to taking another person's life - that's how I equate evil. Dressing up as Spiderman and running around for candy? Not quite on my panic radar...

[wild20 0]

But the problem with your veiwpoint, that I see, concertina, it that you are not looking at the small things. Sure, the "big" things in the bible are important, but they are also easy to grasp.The small things we are talking about here are important. People who read this will have their choice on whether to act upon the information I have given. But why do you want to keep celebrating something with such satanic origins? Not even Christmas and Halloween have the origins Halloween has.

[wakelim 0]

There's some good points there, concertina226. I think there's alot of similarity with this issue and Harry Potter. I know Christians who think that it's wrong to read Harry Potter books and watch Harry Potter films etc. I would disagree with them by saying that I'm not a wizard and I don't actually practice "magic" and that stuff. I just read them because I think JK Rowling's a good writer. I can see where they're coming from by saying that reading Harry Potter is taking power away from God and presenting it to humans in the form of magic. I feel that it's silly to get worked up about it.

 

It's the same with halloween. OK, the original basis of the festivities may have been supernatural, but does the average child going out on halloween think about those things? No. The action in this case is, in itself, not sinful. It very much depends on your emphasis for the action. If you're going around trickle-treating to terrorise old grannies or to egg people's houses just becuase they won't give you sweets then that's obviously not very loving. If you're just having a good time and acknowledging that you're not all-powerful over God, then I would say that you're fine.

 

In regards to the Bible quotation, I noticed it said "...who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft...". Going around in a witches costume is no more practising witchcraft than walking around in a Spiderman suit is flying around New York. Paul writes in the New Testament that all women that go to church without a hat on are to be disgraced. That was only because people wandering around in the streets at the time were prostitutes. Is there anyone who would stand at the door of their local church giving abuse to women without hats on? Some Bible passages simply need to be taken into context.

[wild20 0]

I don't think you guys are getting the point of this matter. I don't blieve in reading harry potter because I actually have heard from several sources, books, news, and articles, that the books were actually written so that kids could see how witchcraft works. I was reading and also heard from a friend, that after reading the books, some kids started playing, "devil games". The would actually levitate on brooms that they sayed were held up by demons, or evil angels. They would use this as a new way to play soccer. See a problem with the books now. If you wanted to, you could indulge your mind into that book and play around with witchcraft. You are letting the devil actually sneak in. Same with halloween. Its origins may have been long ago, but I don't think God is looking down with approval as He sees His followers dress up as the witches, and goblins, and ghosts, and monsters that are suppose to be dead.I can't find anywhere in the bible supporting that. That text can be used in todays context. Now we have seances, devil worship, and supporting these practices with things such as Halloween.

[wakelim 0]

Does the fact that some children happen to be mislead into witchcraft make the books evil? The books were never written to encourage children to practice these things. The only people who are despnsible for that are the companies that churn out Harry Potter wand merchandise and other things like that. I personally believe with all my heart that it's nonsence that the Harry Potter books "let the devil in"to your mind. I acknowledge that the things that you listen to and read etc. does have an effect on you, but this certainly doesn't have that drastic an effect (at least not on me).Also, the Bible doesn't have to support it. There are many things the Bible doesn't support, from double glazing to fridge-freezers and from tennis to computers. Does that mean we should disassociate ourselves from everything and go and live as Nomads in Jeruselem? Maybe not.As to the dressing up, many people dress up as things all the time. Perfectly normal things like businessmen. If you take it to the extreme you could say that you "dress up" every day by putting on clothes. The way that you dress is not important as long as it has reasonable coverage and isn't being used to show other people up or stand out from the crowd. As long as you're not thinking "witchy thoughts" as you go around, I can't see a problem with it.P.S. Who said that you have to dress up to be involved with Halloween anyway? You could just go trickle-treating nicely with your friends. Or, to turn the situation on its head, go to (or organise) a Christian Halloween party. I know of a Christian holiday that runs over New Year. They have a full-on banquet and then a disco and just general fun. And you're surrounded by Christians. I think this is a brilliant way to make a period of time usually darkened by drink, drugs, wild partying etc. into a positive way to serve God and have a good time.

[heavensounds 0]

Well I think it is one of those days that we celebrate but not think about anything very religious! Its roots are in some sort of witchcraft, but the whole meaning of this day is to FIGHT EVIL and darkness, eventhough it is totally popularized and that it is still a nice thing i guess - i love it, maybe that is so, because I have birthday on 31 of October

[wild20 0]

By leading children astray, yes, it does make it evil. It could have been prevented! The books were actually written with real life witchcraft in them. This lady actually took and researched and maybe even messed around with witchcraft and then put it in a book. Do you see something wrond with this?I also think it is great for a church to have a get together. But it better not be related to anything concerning Halloween. Do you really lok at Halloween and it's origin and see God smiling down His approval?

[goldinero 0]

I'm a God-fearing guy myself and my kids collect candy on halloween every year. It isn't that I'm ignorant of the origins of halloween, but that it makes no difference to my kids.If I took a firm stand on halloween, I'd have to do likewise with Christmas and Easter, which have their roots in paganism. Then I'd have to take a hard look at Mother's Day, Father's Day and most other Hallmark "holidays" because they have their roots in commercialism. We should also stop putting money under the children's pillows when they lose a tooth because the tooth fairy is a familiar spirit.What's really important is to have a strong relationship with your kids and teach them what's really important, which is to have a strong relationship with you and with Jesus. Most everything else is trivial.