Halloween... Christian or secular... is it evil ?

[Cygnus]

Ah wrong type of post for the thread.

Then origins of Halloween have to do with pagans,like Christmas in many aspects.we can make both more Christ pointing or not.

Way back when.....they used to put out "treats" to appease the evil spirits so they would torment another house.
They would also dress up as evil characters to scare away the evil spirits....now things are a bit different.

 

[jasonc]

Way back when.....they used to put out "treats" to appease the evil spirits so they would torment another house.
They would also dress up as evil characters to scare away the evil spirits....now things are a bit different.

You could say the same about Christmas in yule logs and other things.that's why I say it's up to the person.I can easily become legalistic and suggest avoiding alot things.

Even sports.old tv shows.magic in alot of those great shows.I dream of genie,be witched.Nevermind the humanistic views of the outerm limits and Sci fi.

 

[1Genesis]

For me a time of giving and fun.

Halloween is also for farmers the Autumn Equinox. That halfway point between autumn and winter solstice.

Halloween, All Hallows Eve, began as a time of celebration in the pre-Christian world of mostly old europe. England, Ireland, Scotland.
It was a two fold celebration Life and death. Hallows occurred at the taking in of the harvest. Collecting the crops and storing for a long winter. Celbrating the bounty of that was the tradition of Hallows eve along with recalling the dead loved one's who'd passed that same season and would not be there to enjoy the gala.
All Hallows Eve in Ireland was known as Samain, or in the old Irish also, Samhain. (pronounced "Sow-in") It too was a harvest celebration and a time when the dead were remembered, mourned, and yet celebrated for the life they had and that enriching, like the harvested crops, the lives of family, community.

It was not demonized until the advent of the early Christian missionairies who saw the celebration as part of the new religions Satan and practices. It was then persecuted or in some areas outlawed. This is what led to what we see today; masks. Early pre-Christian communities in order not to be persecuted for celebrating their age old tradition of All Hallows or, Samhain, would wear masks to journey to their family and or friends homes to begin the celebration and initiate the harvest. This so as not to be identified by witnesses to the authorities. Or authorities themselves.
The first "Jack-O_lantern", was a carved turnip. Then it moved to pumpkins. Hallowed out not to make eerie faces to scare little children as we do today. Rather carved out with cuts in the surface so that a candle could be set inside to serve as a lantern on the walk to the festivities.
It is not Satanic.There was not a Satan in the pre-Christian communities where Hallows celebration began.

Today's Satanists will exploit the celebration of Samhain, Hallows, or as the Church of Satan refers to it, for their own purposes. Though there are no requirements in the CoS to celebrate any holiday at all. There are dark practitioners that are Satanists. Then there are those who are actually atheists, such as Church of Satan. Identifying as Satanists because it causes believers to balk, and because those particular atheists relish carnality and satisfying the flesh because they believe this life is all there is. And thus they revel while they are able.

 

[Mike]

This is a great thread... for The Lounge Forum. Since it didn't begin or proceed with the unique format of the Theology Forum as explained in the rules sticky, to The Lounge it's going.

There's no fun in the Theology Forum!! Take your fun to The Lounge!

 

[Cygnus]

Halloween is also for farmers the Autumn Equinox. That halfway point between autumn and winter solstice.

Halloween, All Hallows Eve, began as a time of celebration in the pre-Christian world of mostly old europe. England, Ireland, Scotland.
It was a two fold celebration Life and death. Hallows occurred at the taking in of the harvest. Collecting the crops and storing for a long winter. Celbrating the bounty of that was the tradition of Hallows eve along with recalling the dead loved one's who'd passed that same season and would not be there to enjoy the gala.
All Hallows Eve in Ireland was known as Samain, or in the old Irish also, Samhain. (pronounced "Sam-hain" It too was a harvest celebration and a time when the dead were remembered, mourned, and yet celebrated for the life they had and that enriching, like the harvested crops, the lives of family, community.

It was not demonized until the advent of the early Christian missionairies who saw the celebration as part of the new religions Satan and practices. It was then persecuted or in some areas outlawed. This is what led to what we see today; masks. Early pre-Christian communities in order not to be persecuted for celebrating their age old tradition of All Hallows or, Samhain, would wear masks to journey to their family and or friends homes to begin the celebration and initiate the harvest. This so as not to be identified by witnesses to the authorities. Or authorities themselves.
The first "Jack-O_lantern", was a carved turnip. Then it moved to pumpkins. Hallowed out not to make eerie faces to scare little children as we do today. Rather carved out with cuts in the surface so that a candle could be set inside to serve as a lantern on the walk to the festivities.
It is not Satanic.There was not a Satan in the pre-Christian communities where Hallows celebration began.

Today's Satanists will exploit the celebration of Samhain, Hallows, or as the Church of Satan refers to it, for their own purposes. Though there are no requirements in the CoS to celebrate any holiday at all. There are dark practitioners that are Satanists. Then there are those who are actually atheists, such as Church of Satan. Identifying as Satanists because it causes believers to balk, and because those particular atheists relish carnality and satisfying the flesh because they believe this life is all there is. And thus they revel while they are able.

Do you have a reference for that "history" or halloween?

 

[1Genesis]

Do you have a reference for that "history" or halloween?

That was my personal narrative. This is one source I found for you. There are many others found through search engines.

 

[ezra]

we can take any event and turn it to a gnat strain . i know people who will not put up Christmas trees . to be honest it never says turn the birth of Christ in a holiday of giving gifts . some dont like the idea of hunting Easter eggs or the easter bunny or Santa Claus . some dont even think it is bible to have a pastor .. some find so much fault with the Church they just stay at home

 

[Christ_empowered]

Christmas and Easter have been Christianized. Halloween? Yeah...ummmm....good luck with that one. I'm not saying don't celebrate it, but I think Christians can find more constructive ways to deal with the day than what the world has to offer.

 

[brujaq]

Since my kids were small, if I'm out halloween I'm usually on watch to look out for the little ones or help the big ones .. Same as we all do .. And I've been known to scold a trouble maker but it hasn't happened too often ..

 

[Northman]

Halloween was fun stuff back in the 50s not any more ... the gore of today reminds me of aborted babies ... a desensitizing of human life...

I think its still fun for the kids. There are the costumes of ghosts and goblins and firemen and soldiers and policemen and princesses and the like. Of course I am in a small town. For one elderly couple that lives in the lot behind the vacant one behind our old house, it is the highlight of their year. They turn their recliners away from the TV and directly face them at the door. I don't think she can get up anymore that much to give out candy, but she still loves to see them.

 

[Cygnus]

That was my personal narrative. This is one source I found for you. There are many others found through search engines.

Thank you.

 

[Creative]

First, I do not know if it is myth or not that Halloween stems from pagan holidays.

Secondly, it is sad that Halloween mainly stems from Christian celebration of celebrating lost loved ones in a positive way.

Trying to spin it into the negative seems political to me, too bad on the surrendering of a Christian holiday of giving and fun because you have no fight left in you.

I celebrate Halloween because I am a Christian.

 

[1Genesis]

Thank you.

You're most welcome.

 

[1Genesis]

Since my kids were small, if I'm out halloween I'm usually on watch to look out for the little ones or help the big ones .. Same as we all do .. And I've been known to scold a trouble maker but it hasn't happened too often ..

I adore this time of year. Seeing all the little one's in their costumes. Now Walmart has these giant animal heads that someone can wear as a costume too. Cat, dinosaur, tiger, panda. Great fun. Babies in their costumes are super adorbs. And of course the pets and their costumes as they're taken for a walk with the little tykes.
I have friends who have dog's and even cat treats to give out also for those occasions.

 

[Rollo Tamasi]

Halloween is the day Martin Luther posted his 95 theses on the door of the church.
Many call it the birth of protestantism.
It brought about many changes, one of them being the interpretation of the Bible from the ancient Latin Vulgate to German.
This allowed the common people to read the Bible on their own for the first time.

Satan just wants to get our minds off the good stuff.

 

[evenifigoalone]

My view is that today's holiday as it's celebrated has little meaningful connection to the past. I don't have any problem trick or treating, watching scary movies, giving out candy, etc. But I have little motivation to do them since I never did growing up and I still live with my family who still is against it. It's a nice excuse to wear my anime cosplay and maybe visit community events.

 

[Corn Pop]

Halloween, when kids knock on doors wanting free candy. Trick or treat, last time i said trick and they they just stood there didnt know what to do all innocent looking, then i felt like i was being mean so i had to give them some candy. Its a lose lose candy situation.

 

[Corn Pop]

Who wears a pumpkin on there head.

 

[Corn Pop]

Teach your kids the joys of socialism by giving 50% of there trick or treat haul to the kid down the road who played xbox all night.

 

[MadHatter]

Halloween is one of those things that I believe falls under the heading of "what does your conscience permit?" If in your mind it is evil and akin to worshiping Satan, then don't participate. But, I think there is a real Christian aspect to Halloween. Children are able to have a night of pleasure- to be scared in a safe way, to do things that seem a little wild- without really doing anything too terribly wrong. Rebelling without sinning. On the positive side, it is a day for sharing with others, for making people happy by allowing them to give. God loves a cheerful giver. With all the sadness in the world, it is nice that children can go to peoples homes and find out that not ALL adults are scary and mean, and there ARE good people in the world.

Human nature needs an outlet, we need to let loose. If that means putting on a scary mask and growling at a little kid, (who generally squeals in false fear), then that is something I think is healthy. Halloween is, in a sense, making fun of ghouls and beasties and things that go bump in the night. We disrespect them, so we dress as them and eat candy. They have no real power, in the grand scheme of things. By dressing as them, we are saying "we are not afraid". Christians ought NOT to be afraid of ghosts, and witches, demons, and ghouls.If God has us, these things can not get us.

Death is something to deal with, to acknowledge. In a way, Halloween is a reminder that death is coming. No one will escape. This is the main tenet of Christianity. This life is brief- a blink of the eye. Eternity is forever. We sometimes need to be reminded of death.

I am all for Halloween, but I am not the best Christian in the world- so my opinions should be taken as those of a worldly Christian.