Bible Study The Christian, the Church, and helloween

[tzalam2]

Ephesians 5:11-12 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. {12} For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.

Do not let Satan neutralize your Christian walk, by mixing with it pagan or satanic practices. If it is not of God it is of the flesh and the world: Ephesians 6:12
http://www.bibletruths.org/holidays/hallowen.html

Lest I be accused of gathering slanted information, and putting
a spin on what Halloween is today, I went to this website,
set up and maintained by a person who obviously is NOT born again,
nor a fundamentalist Christian in any way. His website has been
As a “caverns of blood†link of the month, as you will notice on the bottom
Left side of his page, and the bottom right side has a witche’s pentagram symbol.
I’ve also listed websites at the bottom of this topic, from sources
other than pagan/witchcraft people.
http://www.neopagan.net/Halloween-Origins.html

Here’s a site that balances out the first site: http://www.bibletruths.org/holidays/hallowen.html

Here are quotes from the satanic/pagan website:

Halloween is the modern name for Samhain, an ancient Celtic holy day which many Neopagans  especially Wiccans, Druids and Celtic Reconstructionists  celebrate as a spiritual beginning of a new year.
Halloween is a time to confront our personal and cultural attitudes towards death and those who have passed on before us.
Halloween is a time to lift the veil between the many material and spiritual worlds in divination, so as to gain spiritual insight about the pasts and futures.
Halloween is a time to deepen our connection to the cycles of the seasons, to the generations that have come before us and those that will follow, and to the Gods and Goddesses we worship.



http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN% ... 57-7668045
I learned a lot from this book and I consider it essential reading for everyone (especially neo-pagans) who has an interest in this subject.
As a neo-pagan I wouldn't want to have this vast subject explained to me in one sentence - I want examples as to why a certain custom or seasonal festival is important/necessary in the wheel of the year.
****************************************************
Hutton debunks everything he presents; after a while it kind of got on my nerves. Virtually every description and explanation is followed by some sort of "but this probably didn't happen" or "this probably wasn't really the way it was" disclaimer. After reading several chapters, my attitude morphed into "why are you wasting my time telling me about stuff that didn't happen?

http://www.neopagan.net/Halloween-Origins.html
At various times and places in the Middle Ages, customs developed of beggers, then children, asking for “soul cakes†on All Souls Day.

In 19th Century America, rural immigrants from Ireland and Scotland kept gender-specific Halloween customs from their homelands: girls stayed indoors and did divination games, while the boys roamed outdoors engaging in almost equally ritualized pranks, which their elders “blamed†on the spirits being abroad that night.

skeletons and skulls joined the ghosts as symbols of the holiday. Again, there’s nothing evil here, at least to the innocent in heart. Indeed, in Mexico, where the holiday is known as Los dias de los Muertos, or “Days of the Dead,†(combining All Saints Day with All Souls Day) skeleton and skull toys and even candies are made and enjoyed by the millions, many by and for devout Roman Catholics.

Most psychiatrists and psychologists seem to agree that Halloween’s emphatic celebration of death serves to bring out our culture’s suppressed feelings about the topic,

Celebration of death. Hmmm….
Ever heard of the phrase, the death culture? That’s the body of people today, who support
Abortion, ( premeditated death of a child, which is the abortionist convincing the pregnant woman to be a god, and decide who lives, and who dies) euthanasia(death of anyone inconvenient) suicide(the taking of one’s own life, thus, elevating yourself to the status of God), and all sorts of other cheapening of human life. Evolution cheapens the human,
but, we won’t go there right now.


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 8&v=glance

Here is a book that brings witchcraft out of the shadows. The Triumph of the Moon is the first full-scale study of the only religion England has ever given the world--modern pagan witchcraft, otherwise known as wicca. Meticulously researched, it provides a thorough account of an ancient religion that has spread from English shores across four continents.

Do you still get involved in ANY WAY with Halloween?
Are you a born again Christian?
Do you know what God says about the occult, and about witches, wizards, familiar spirits,
Do you know what God says about witchcraft, sorcery, divination, oaths, charms, enchanters,
and all things associated with this root of following satan?

Why do churches insist on confusing children, and holding their yearly
“fall festivals� They give out candy, (just like antiChristians do) they encourage
The little ones to dress up in costumes (just like antiChristians do), they play games
And hold their Halloween gatherings after dark, (just like the antiChristians do)
WHY DO YOU CONTINUE TO LINK YOURSELF TO THE DEVIL?
Come out from among them, and BE YE SEPARATE.



I’d like to hear from any pastor, preacher, priest, or church leader who LIKES
To have Halloween festivals at their church.
I’d also like to hear what true Christians do, instead of practicing this demonic
Festival.
What do you do, to sanctify yourself, and to be obviously DIFFERENT from
The pagans who delight in and promote this satanic gathering?

I do not participate in any way, personally. Halloween is treated as
a regular day of the week, a regular night of the week, in that I don’t use the money
God gave me, to buy candy, or costumes, or jack o lanterns, or anything to do with
this wicked night. God gave me the income, and I plan on spending it on things
other than Halloween.
And you?

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/ ... gins1.html

http://wilstar.com/holidays/hallown.htm

http://www.halloweenishere.com/history.html
The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. (the plot thickens!)

http://www.chick.com/default.asp
http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/5012/5012_01.asp
http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0058/0058_01.asp

Peter I 5:8 Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking some one to devour.
1Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.

 

[Gendou Ikari]

Hey, I'm with you bloke. Holloween is a pagan holiday.

 

[tzalam2]

Glad to hear it, Gendou Ikari. What I'd like to know is, the ridiculous reasonings that must be behind the excuses given,
by churches,
church leaders, to be precise, that makes them feel ok about having Halloween carnivals on the church property.
I wish I could hear from a preacher, etc., who is planning on holding a helloween, er, uh....FALL FESTIVAL on their church grounds.

The children I"ve listened to, tell me it's a HALLOWEEN party at the CHURCH.
SO.....no matter what type of icing you put on that cake, TO THE KIDS, it's the church saying ok to satan.

 

[tzalam2]

Has anyone in here ever gotten up the nerve to confront their pastor, about the helloween parties held at their church?
I confronted mine, and he gave a watery, lame excuse about it being
a diversion for the children.

Why do children need to be entertained at all costs? Just say no, and tell them WHY you say no. The child will certainly understand.

Are there any pastors in here who want to tell me why they like inviting the demons onto their church property, during the time of the most satanic holiday of the year?

 

[von]

Wow, this was interesting. I don't believe in celebrating Halloween either, but I want to know why Christians have made Christmas and Easter Christians days also. They are both pagan days and Christians have accepted them and put their own spin on them. Kind of a double standard.

 

[Amity]

Wow, this was interesting. I don't believe in celebrating Halloween either, but I want to know why Christians have made Christmas and Easter Christians days also. They are both pagan days and Christians have accepted them and put their own spin on them. Kind of a double standard.

I agree, von.

I find no Biblical authority for "Christmas" or "Easter" as religious holidays, and the Christians I worship and fellowship with do not celebrate them as such.

Love in Him,

 

[Lewis]

Wow, this was interesting. I don't believe in celebrating Halloween either, but I want to know why Christians have made Christmas and Easter Christians days also. They are both pagan days and Christians have accepted them and put their own spin on them. Kind of a double standard.

You can thank the Catholics for, that crap. But if you are going to have Christmas just don't worship the tree.

Jeremiah 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
JER 10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
JER 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
JER 10:5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

 

[Amity]

You can thank the Catholics for, that crap. But if you are going to have Christmas just don't worship the tree.

Hi Lewis....I'm curious. Why is it that you feel the tree is a tradition of man, but you don't feel the celebration of Jesus' birth as a holy-day is a tradition of man? Jesus tells us to stay away from those. Mark 7:7

We are told in scripture to remember Jesus' death, not His birth. And that is not done via a "holy-day" either (i.e. Easter) but rather, during the Lord's Supper, which by Biblical example, my congregation partakes of on the first day of every week. 1 Corinthians 11:26 , Acts 20:7

In Christian love,

 

[Lewis]

To many Christians, have Christmas, and they are not going to give it up, so you do the math. And there is nothing anybody can do about it, my good brother.

 

[von]

No kidding Lewis. I know that Christians aren't going to give up Christmas but that doesn't change the fact that is a pagan holiday. It all boils down to the same thing, people take what they want out of the bible and make it fit their lifestyle and that just isn't going to work.
One thing I am finding out and that is people expect all of the blessings of God but don't want to do anything for Him that will take them out of their comfort zone. Eve down to Christmas. That is sad.

 

[Amity]

To many Christians, have Christmas, and they are not going to give it up, so you do the math. And there is nothing anybody can do about it, my good brother.

Actually, I'm a sister, not a brother.

I celebrated "Christmas" as a religious holiday for 28 of my 29 years. Then I started studying and realized there was no Biblical authority to do so, so I repented of that.

There may be nothing one person can do about all the people in the world who practice traditions of man other than teach each person I come into contact with about what the scriptures say, but as far as following those traditions, I did what I needed to do in order to be worshiping in spirit and truth (John 4:24) which we are told we "must" (pretty strong word).....I left denominations and found a group of Christians that are Christians only, and follow the Bible and the Bible only.


Matthew 7:21

God bless you my friend.
In His love,

 

[imported_Christian]

We celebrate the holiday time with our children. We exchange gifts and have a large meal and lay around the house stuffed an miserable afterwords.

We do not celebrate this time as the birth of Christ. He wasn't born on Dec 25th anyway.

The Bible is very clear about warning us not to follow after the traditions of men.

Col 2:8
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

I Follow the Bible. It's the standard and the final authority for everything.

In Christian Love

 

[NRoof]

Has anyone in here ever gotten up the nerve to confront their pastor, about the helloween parties held at their church?
I confronted mine, and he gave a watery, lame excuse about it being
a diversion for the children.

Why do children need to be entertained at all costs? Just say no, and tell them WHY you say no. The child will certainly understand.

Are there any pastors in here who want to tell me why they like inviting the demons onto their church property, during the time of the most satanic holiday of the year?

I've talked to many pastors about about Halloween and Christmas and have gotten the same lame excuses.

My family (wife and children) don't do anything with Halloween and I have told my children the truth about it. We don't participate in any of it including school events. When the teacher announces that the class will have a party my kids tell the teacher that we don't celebrate it at all. The teach will usually call us and try to get us to allow our kids to participate and we will inform the teacher we will be pulling the kids from school that day.

Christmas is another one I struggle with. The chruch I attend now is good for the most part but last Christmas they put up a tree. It hurt me so deeply that I had to stop attending for a short time.
I've talked to many pastors and many other people and it seems I'm in the minority in my views which has me questioning why I feel this way when it doesn't bother anyone else.

I did have a minor victory with my family (my parents, my brothers family and my wife and kids) with regards to Christmas last year. In stead of giving each other gifts we took the money we would have spent on each other and used it to help others.

 

[tzalam2]

No kidding Lewis. I know that Christians aren't going to give up Christmas but that doesn't change the fact that is a pagan holiday. It all boils down to the same thing, people take what they want out of the bible and make it fit their lifestyle and that just isn't going to work.
One thing I am finding out and that is people expect all of the blessings of God but don't want to do anything for Him that will take them out of their comfort zone. Eve down to Christmas. That is sad.

maybe the ones who won't give it up, nor give up easter, are not saved yet. not born again.

or, they're quenching the Spirit of Truth.

 

[guibox]

I agree with all of you concerning Halloween. And churches having Halloween parties, much less having haunted houses :o in the church is simply blasphemy, plain and simple.

However, I must disagree with you all concerning Christmas. The difference between Christmas and Halloween is that Halloween has never changed its spots. It is still one of Satanists highest days. It still celebrates fear, evil and demonic spirits. It still worships the god of death, whether you want to call him Samhain or Satan.

In other words, fear, evil, death, occultism and anarchy have always been Halloween. It is ingrained in its very nature.

Christmas (though an amalgamation of paganism and Christianity) is not the same holiday that it always was. December 25 was the birth of the sun god but that is basically about it.

If you get hung up on the day, then you will have issues. However, the principle of the season should be focused on the birth of Christ (if the whole Christmas celebration was celebrated in the fall when Christ was most likely born, would you really all have a problem with it?)

Yes, practices like bobbing for apples (who really does this anymore though?) derive from superstition (the equivalent of horoscopes today) but even that doesn't hold any original meaning anymore. The decorated Christmas tree is not about nature worship and actually finds its origin during the time of Martin Luther, if I am correct.

It is a time of giving, love, thankfulness and family. It is not a 'pagan' holiday anymore except the meaningless date.

You cannot associate Halloween with Christmas. They are completely different in context and principle.

 

[SputnikBoy]

You can thank the Catholics for, that crap.

Sputnik: Could be. The thing is, however, while mainstream Christianity is oh, so critical of the RCC, it also quite willingly ACCEPTS Catholic practices and 'holy days'. It's a case of 'thou speaketh out of both sides of thy mouth'. It's no wonder the RCC can smirk whenever it hears criticism from Christian Evangelicals.

 

[Lyric's Dad]

Well, I am opposed to halloween and we do not celebrate. We do have a harvest party at the church though. No costumes and no references to halloween but they can win candy and prizes at games that follow a theme for the year. Last year was a safari.

I do however think it dangerous to judge Brothers and Sisters on this topic. The Bible says that we should not judge on the days people keep. Education is fine but I hope this would not come in as a divisive item.

 

[dcookcan]

Well, I am opposed to halloween and we do not celebrate. We do have a harvest party at the church though. No costumes and no references to halloween but they can win candy and prizes at games that follow a theme for the year. Last year was a safari.

I do however think it dangerous to judge Brothers and Sisters on this topic. The Bible says that we should not judge on the days people keep. Education is fine but I hope this would not come in as a divisive item.

Actually, the scripture says "Let no MAN judge YOU with regards to a festival..." That is much different than what you presented. We must judge for ourselves if we are going to fall in line with what mainstream christianity is doing or whether we will do what GOD wants.

God created his own festivals. How many christians even know what they are, let alone when they are or what they represent?

 

[tzalam2]

I
Christmas (though an amalgamation of paganism and Christianity) is not the same holiday that it always was. December 25 was the birth of the sun god but that is basically about it.

If you get hung up on the day, then you will have issues. However, the principle of the season should be focused on the birth of Christ (bobbing for apples (who really does this anymore though?) derive from superstition (the equivalent of horoscopes today) but even that doesn't hold any original meaning anymore. The decorated Christmas tree is not about nature worship
It is a time of giving, love, thankfulness and family. It is not a 'pagan' holiday anymore except the meaningless date.

You cannot associate Halloween with Christmas. They are completely different in context and principle.

OK, then, how often do you wear a pentagram? If the pentagram means nothing to you, why not wear it?
what do you think about Santa Claus?
What do you do to propagate the lie of the Easter bunny?
How do you feel about giving out colored eggs at easter time?
what do you think about sunrise services, and the sunrise services held
in cemetaries on easter morning?
I'll check back later to see your answers.

 

[guibox]

OK, then, how often do you wear a pentagram? If the pentagram means nothing to you, why not wear it?
what do you think about Santa Claus?
What do you do to propagate the lie of the Easter bunny?
How do you feel about giving out colored eggs at easter time?
what do you think about sunrise services, and the sunrise services held
in cemetaries on easter morning?
I'll check back later to see your answers.

This is what I was saying. A pentagram has always, still is, and will always be used and celebrated as an occultic/Satanic symbol. My taking it and saying, 'I want it to represent peace and love' doesn't change it's inherent meaning. Halloween is like that.

As far as Santa Clause goes, does it have a contextual place alongside Christ? No. Is it 'occultic' or 'pagan'? Absolutely not. It is commercial and reflects the commercialism of Christmas.

What does the Easter bunny have to do with the Christ-centered aspect of Easter? If all I did was celebrate Ishtar and her fertility by focusing on the bunny, then Easter is wrong. However, celebrating the resurrection morning which doesn't really even fall on a set date from year to year is the proper way to celebrate. Again, as far as 'paganism' goes, the issue with most people is not paganism but commercialism.

The easter bunny is not pagan god to most people. What it does represent is greed and commercialism to our little ones. That to me is more damaging and wrong then whether or not the rabbit symbolizes fertility which then points to Ishtar.

Really. Do you think that is an issue or even THOUGHT of at Easter?

Cemetaries on Easter morning?? Never heard of it. Sounds a little macabre. It could be that some are associating the link of Christ's resurrection to that great day of the Second coming when all in the graves will arise, and meeting to reflect on that truth.