Should Christians Celebrate Halloween

Originally posted by darvlay
Inspired by TerrierJack and taken from a CBN.com article:

http://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/OnlineDiscipleship/Halloween/halloween_Watt05.aspx

The conclusion:

"As Christians you and I are placed in this world to be a light in a world of darkness. There is no lasting benefit to ignore a holiday that exists around us, but it also does harm to celebrate ...[text shortened]... g a world where evil is lauded and viewed as an ultimate power."


Where do you fit in?[/b]

As long as people who aren't Christian celebrate Christmas and claim it's a secular holiday, then I see no reason for Christians to not celebrate the secular trappings of Halloween.

Originally posted by pawnhandler
As long as people who aren't Christian celebrate Christmas and claim it's a secular holiday, then I see no reason for Christians to not celebrate the secular trappings of Halloween.

what has it got to do with secularism? consumerism maybe, but secularism, mmmmm

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
what has it got to do with secularism? consumerism maybe, but secularism, mmmmm

Secular as in it's kids (and adults) dressing up in fantasy clothes, showing off the costumes, and getting paid in candy in return for showing off the costumes. Going begging from door to door is a Franciscan thing, not a Pagan/Wiccan thing, if you want to talk religion. Few people dress as ghouls and witches, compared to all the other things they dress up as. Whatever its beginnings, the holiday as it's celebrated by most children and adults has nothing to do with its beginnings.

Originally posted by pawnhandler
Secular as in it's kids (and adults) dressing up in fantasy clothes, showing off the costumes, and getting paid in candy in return for showing off the costumes. Going begging from door to door is a Franciscan thing, not a Pagan/Wiccan thing, if you want to talk religion. Few people dress as ghouls and witches, compared to all the other things they dres ...[text shortened]... holiday as it's celebrated by most children and adults has nothing to do with its beginnings.

""""Whatever its beginnings, the holiday as it's celebrated by most children and adults has nothing to do with its beginnings.""""

I believe you may be wrong..............

Go to Wikipedia:

Halloween
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Halloween (disambiguation).
Halloween

Jack-o'-lantern
Also called All Hallows’ Eve
All Saints’ Eve
Observed by Numerous Western countries (see article)
Type Secular, with roots in Christian and Celtic tradition
Begins Sunset
Ends Midnight
Date October 31
Celebrations Costume parties, trick-or-treating in costumes, bonfires, divination
Related to Samhain, All Saints’ Day
Halloween (also spelled Hallowe'en) is an annual holiday celebrated on October 31. It has roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Christian holy day of All Saints. It is largely a secular celebration but some have expressed strong feelings about perceived religious overtones.[1][2][3]
History
Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while "[s]ome folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, [it is] more typically [l]inked to the celtic festival of Samhain or Samuin (pronounced sow-an or sow-in)",[4] which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end".[4] A similar festival was held by the ancient Britons and is known as Calan Gaeaf (pronounced kalan-geyf).


Snap-Apple Night by Daniel Maclise showing a Halloween party in Blarney, Ireland, in 1832. The young children on the right bob for apples. A couple in the center play a variant, which involves retrieving an apple hanging from a string. The couples at left play divination games.The festival of Samhain celebrates the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half", and is sometimes[5] regarded as the "Celtic New Year".[6]

The celebration has some elements of a festival of the dead. The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. The family's ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. It is believed that the need to ward off harmful spirits led to the wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm. In Scotland the spirits were impersonated by young men dressed in white with masked, veiled or blackened faces.[7][8] Samhain was also a time to take stock of food supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. All other fires were doused and each home lit their hearth from the bonfire. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames.[9] Sometimes two bonfires would be built side-by-side, and people and their livestock would walk between them as a cleansing ritual.

Another common practise was divination, which often involved the use of food and drink.

The name 'Halloween' and many of its present-day traditions derive from the Old English era.[10][11][12][13][14]

Origin of name
The term Halloween, originally spelled Hallowe’en, is shortened from All Hallows' Even – e'en is a shortening of even, which is a shortening of evening. This is ultimately derived from the Old English Eallra Hālgena ǣfen.[15] It is now known as "Eve of" All Saints' Day, which is November 1st.

A time of pagan festivities,[6] Popes Gregory III (731–741) and Gregory IV (827–844) tried to supplant it with the Christian holiday (All Saints' Day) by moving it from May 13 to November 1.

In the 800s, the Church measured the day as starting at sunset, in accordance with the Florentine calendar. Although All Saints' Day is now considered to occur one day after Halloween, the two holidays were once celebrated on the same day.

Symbols

A traditional Irish halloween Jack-o'-lantern from the early 20th century on display in the Museum of Country Life, Ireland.On All Hallows’ eve, many Irish and Scottish people have traditionally placed a candle on their western window sill to honor the departed. Other traditions include carving lanterns from turnips or rutabagas, sometimes with faces on them, as is done in the modern tradition of carving pumpkins. Welsh, Irish and British myth are full of legends of the Brazen Head, which may be a folk memory of the ancient Celtic practice of headhunting[citation needed]. The heads of enemies may have decorated shrines, and there are tales of the heads of honored warriors continuing to speak their wisdom after death. The carving of pumpkins is associated with Halloween in North America where pumpkins are both readily available and much larger- making them easier to carve than turnips.[16] Many families that celebrate Halloween carve a pumpkin into a frightening or comical face and place it on their doorstep after dark. The American tradition of carving pumpkins preceded the Great Famine period of Irish immigration[17] and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until the mid-to-late 1800s.[18][19]


Halloween spiders at a row house in Washington DCThe imagery surrounding Halloween is largely a mix of the Halloween season itself, works of Gothic and horror literature, in particular the novels Frankenstein and Dracula, and nearly a century of work from American filmmakers and graphic artists,[20] and British Hammer Horror productions, also a rather commercialized take on the dark and mysterious. Modern Halloween imagery tends to involve death, evil, the occult, magic, or mythical monsters. Traditional characters include the Devil, the Grim Reaper, ghosts, ghouls, demons, witches, goblins, vampires, werewolves, zombies, skeletons, black cats, spiders, bats, and crows.[21]

Particularly in America, symbolism is inspired by classic horror films (which contain fictional figures like Frankenstein's monster and The Mummy). Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins, corn husks, and scarecrows, are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween.

The two main colors associated with Halloween are orange and black.[22]

Trick-or-treating and guising
Main article: Trick-or-treating

Typical Halloween scene in Dublin, Ireland.Trick-or-treating is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" refers to a (mostly idle) threat to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. In some parts of Ireland and Scotland children still go guising. In this custom the child performs some sort of show, i.e. sings a song or tells a ghost story, in order to earn their treats.

Costumes
Main article: Halloween costume
Halloween costumes are traditionally those of monsters such as ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils. They are said to be used to scare off demons. Costumes are also based on themes other than traditional horror, such as those of characters from television shows, movies, and other pop culture icons.

In view of the Bibles many warnings to abstain from such things as the occult, witchcraft, fortunetelling, talking to the dead, etc, why would a true Christian that should be following the Bible have anything to do with Halloween? Is it ok to do it because it's a custom and most others do it? Is it ok to just play with things condemed in the Bible and teach your children the same?

Originally posted by galveston75
""""Whatever its beginnings, the holiday as it's celebrated by most children and adults has nothing to do with its beginnings.""""

I believe you may be wrong..............

Go to Wikipedia:

Halloween
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
For other uses, see Halloween (disambiguation).
Halloween

Jack-o'-lante ...[text shortened]... s condemed in the Bible and teach your children the same?

Keep on digging - you're already wearing the clown hair just pop that big red nose on and you'll be ready for tonight!

Originally posted by TerrierJack
Keep on digging - you're already wearing the clown hair just pop that big red nose on and you'll be ready for tonight!

Why do you find it appropriate to insult? I'm not here to insult you or anyone else. The information is only to help ones see what the Bible says. Just because you don't see it gives you no right to insult and degrade....

Originally posted by galveston75
....

In view of the Bibles many warnings to abstain from such things as the occult, witchcraft, fortunetelling, talking to the dead, etc, why would a true Christian that should be following the Bible have anything to do with Halloween? Is it ok to do it because it's a custom and most others do it? Is it ok to just play with things condemed in the Bible and teach your children the same?

It is ok to do for people who can distinguish between make-believe and reality.

I, for one, teach my children between pretend and real life. When they're older I can teach them that the ancients did not have the knowledge that we do today and warned against their fears and superstitions, but we can rise against the make-believe and understand the things that do not exist for what they are, and were.

Must every "true Christian" be an irrantional, superstitious ignoramous?

Originally posted by Badwater
It is ok to do for people who can distinguish between make-believe and reality.

I, for one, teach my children between pretend and real life. When they're older I can teach them that the ancients did not have the knowledge that we do today and warned against their fears and superstitions, but we can rise against the make-believe and understand the things ...[text shortened]... ey are, and were.

Must every "true Christian" be an irrantional, superstitious ignoramous?

Superstition has noting to do with it. The Bible again is very clear on what God expects of his followers and one of them is to "stay away" from those things that Halloween is connected with. And nothing has been said from him to this day to change those scriptures.
Jer 27:9. Ex 22:18. Mal 3:5. Duet 18:10-12. Gal 5:19-21. 2Cor 11:14,15. Lev 19:31, 20:6,,27 . Eccl 9:5,6,10. 1Sam28:3,7-10. Isaiah 8:19,20. Rom 1:28-32. Matt 8: 29-34. Mark 5:7-13. Luke 8:28-33.
These are just a few scriptures in the Bible that strongly show God's viewpoint on these demonic practices. Again the Bible does not say Halloween is wrong, but if one trys to use wisdom and dissernment, one could learn that anything to do with this, even for play, would not be looked on from God in a pleasing way.
But it's your call....

Originally posted by galveston75
These are just a few scriptures in the Bible that strongly show God's viewpoint on these demonic practices.

Demonic practice? Aren't you a little off topic now?

I asked a kid if he practiced demonic practice when he was tricking&treating. He just stared at me and looked as I was from outer space.
Of course what he did had nothing to do with any demonic practice. He just wanted to have some fun!

Why do you think he did any demonic practice?

Originally posted by FabianFnas
Demonic practice? Aren't you a little off topic now?

I asked a kid if he practiced demonic practice when he was tricking&treating. He just stared at me and looked as I was from outer space.
Of course what he did had nothing to do with any demonic practice. He just wanted to have some fun!

Why do you think he did any demonic practice?

I didn't say anyone was doing a demonic practice. But is there a differance between praticing such things as the Bible condems or just playing with it and showing that we don't totally abstain from it?
The Bible actaully has very few laws that we are to follow as the new testiment shows. But there are hundreds of principles that we are to consider. A principle is usually a very strong suggestion as to what God would expect from his followers. And with much study of the Bible, one starts to see the personality of God and what he does not except.
1 John 5:19 says the whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one
( Satan ). What does that mean? 2 Cor 4:4 says that he ( Satan) blinds the eyes of those who do not want to know about God. Could this be applied to this holiday?
Do you think Jesus would be involved in this holiday if he were here today? Think on this really hard....

Originally posted by galveston75
I didn't say anyone was doing a demonic practice. But is there a differance between praticing such things as the Bible condems or just playing with it and showing that we don't totally abstain from it?
The Bible actaully has very few laws that we are to follow as the new testiment shows. But there are hundreds of principles that we are to consider. A p ...[text shortened]... k Jesus would be involved in this holiday if he were here today? Think on this really hard....

oh Galvy, it is as the proverbial Solomon states,

(Proverbs 26:12) . . .Have you seen a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for the stupid one than for him.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
oh Galvy, it is as the proverbial Solomon states,

(Proverbs 26:12) . . .Have you seen a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for the stupid one than for him.

It is very sad but it's not just the individuals fault as most churches do not stick to the principles in the Bible and actuall promote these holiday celibrations...

Originally posted by galveston75
It is very sad but it's not just the individuals fault as most churches do not stick to the principles in the Bible and actuall promote these holiday celibrations...

i dunno, i like to blame Jack, after all he is responsible as hes always chastising us for 😛

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
i dunno, i like to blame Jack, after all he is responsible as hes always chastising us for 😛

I'm having a blast right now giving out candy and sipping Irish Whiskey! Already I've seen a few devils at my door but none as scary as Rob and Galv! But I have to ask - has it occurred to either one of you that you might be the pharisees you laugh at? Naaaaaah, you're both as infallible as the Pope - in fact I'm sure that is how you are both dressed right now. Take the bullet hat off and laugh for once!

Originally posted by Badwater
It is ok to do for people who can distinguish between make-believe and reality.

I, for one, teach my children between pretend and real life. When they're older I can teach them that the ancients did not have the knowledge that we do today and warned against their fears and superstitions, but we can rise against the make-believe and understand the things ...[text shortened]... ey are, and were.

Must every "true Christian" be an irrantional, superstitious ignoramous?

"Must every "true Christian" be an irrantional, superstitious ignoramous?"

Yes. Otherwise everybody would believe us and then it wouldn't be fun anymore.