Halloween

[Bro. James]

Whatever happened to: "abstaining from even the appearance of evil"?

If one has to ask someone if their white shirt looks dirty--it does.

I know the seasonal merchants will love this suggestion: let us take all the money we would spend on Hallowed Eve and Mass of Christ and all the other ways we aggrandize the wealthy and give it to the poor and suffering--start with the U.S. Gulf Coast and move up towards New Hampshire. If there is any left--take it to Appalachia.

Then take up the cross and follow Jesus.

Where is our cross today? In the heart or in the bank?

Selah,

Bro. James,

 

[HankD]

Christmas trees had origins in paganism too, yet many Christians have those because they have made it something else.

Don't forget those enigmatic bunnies who lay and hide those chocolate chicken eggs!

HankD

 

[TexasSky]

Brother James,

What a judgmental comment to make!

In our home we honor Christ 24/7, and on certain holidays we take a little extra time to honor him more.

If you can't enjoy a Christmas tree and use it to honor Christ, then by all means, DON'T use one, but don't incorrectly assume that because you can't or won't no one else can or does.

This is EXACTLY the kind of thing I'm talking about when I say Christians do more to MAKE it secular.

Your answer to turning Christmas BACK into a day to Honor Christ seems to be turn it over to the secular world and forget it is about Christ.

 

[TennisNE1]

Robbing children of their "Childhood" is a sin IMO.


Cindy

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

Thank you for your judgement. I am tempted to respond in kind, but will not .

My children, aging from 26 down to 9, have not been "robbed of their childhood" by not being permitted to go door to door asking for free sweets.

What an assertion to make.

 

[jshurley04]

So according to what I am understanding, doing anything more than your regular everyday activities on or around Halloween then you are acknowledging the day to Satan? That is a harsh assertion. It is completely wrong for the Christians and the Church to keep silent and do nothing. Somehow I believe that when we stand before Christ, those who chose to do nothing will have more to answer for.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

I hope you are not including me in those who say that your choice in acknowleding Hallowe'en is turning the day over to Satan. I have yet to be critical of your choice, on the other hand you have accused me of neglecting my service to the Lord and put yourself in God's place of judging me.

As I said - I am ready to stand before God this moment and answer for why I do not acknowledge Hallowe'en. Somehow I don't beleive I will be chastened for that decision. What kind of God do we have who would be displeased with a decision made on Bible principles?

Observe Hallowe'en or face God's wrath? Hardly.

 

[jshurley04]

So it stands that any activity other than regular daily routine by Christians or the Church is an acknowledgment to Satan.

That is Unbelievable!

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

No my friend, your unmitigated attack on brothers and sisters in Christ who disagree with you is what is unbelieveable.

Could you please indicate where I have even come close to attacking your choice on Hallowe'en observance? Can you show me where I even mentioned Satan?

Hallowe'en has nothing to do with Satan directly. It does have much to do with Celtic druid pagan practices.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

Originally posted by jshurley04:
So it stands that any activity other than regular daily routine by Christians or the Church is an acknowledgment to Satan.

Could you please indicate where this claim was made?

 

[menageriekeeper]

My question is, just when did Halloween get to be such an issue?

When I was a kid, being raised by very strict IFB, KJVO parents, we dressed up every year and went trick or treating. As far as I know it was a non-issue. We used to bring home enough loot that mother could make it last till Christmas! We only stopped the mamoth gathering when evil people began poisoning the candy and putting razor blades in the fruit. After that we stayed in the neighborhood.

Granted, my childhood was a good 30 years ago, but what has changed to make it an issue?

It seems to me that the worst thing about Halloween is that it trivializes that which is in direct opposition to the Christian way of life. The occult, witches, demons, the devil, seances, spells, etc. are treated as innocent fun things, a joke, a mere fantasy passtime. Children see their parents unconcerned with such things and so they, too, are unconcerned and think evil is not really so bad.

Perhaps this trivialization occurs because Christian parents know that the war with evil has already been won! However, I really believe that most people and their children have nothing at all to do with the occultic/pagan side of Halloween in our country and really just see it as a fun day of dress up for the kids.

C4K has a much different life experience in Ireland than we have here and his decisions in this matter rightly reflect that experience. I can see how his witness could be hampered by his participating in Halloween activities that are much more directly related to paganism than the secular activities are in the USA.

This is truely one for each person to decide for themselves.

As far as standing before God on the day of judgement, the sins of a Christian will have already been covered by the blood of Christ and remembered no more.

 

[NaasPreacher (C4K)]

Originally posted by menageriekeeper:


This is truely one for each person to decide for themselves.

As far as standing before God on the day of judgement, the sins of a Christian will have already been covered by the blood of Christ and remembered no more.

Perfect post.

 

[Bunyon]

"When I was a kid, being raised by very strict IFB, KJVO parents, we dressed up every year and went trick or treating. As far as I know it was a non-issue. We used to bring home enough loot that mother could make it last till Christmas"----------------------------------------------------
I don't have a problem with Christians letting their kid's trick or treat. But I think it has become an issue because everywhere you look now a days, whitchcraft is haveing a nice and alluring face painted on it. You have Charmed, buffy the vampire slyaer, Angel, Harry Potter etc etc etc. And I have noticed that the selection of books for teen readers at the book store has become full of series about young people solving their problems with witchchraft. Believe it or not, I saw a display in the childrens section at Barnes and nobles with a series like this that came with stick on black cats and pentograms.

I don't do halloween simply because it is not a very important holliday, and I can easily get rid of it and avoid lending my own authroity to something that can potentially (I said potentially) put a smilly face on withcraft. I would be very easy to confuse children and help them believe the lie that these shows and books purpetrate, that is that their is such a thing as good or white witchcraft. The "good" wiccan witches will be waiting to recruit you children someday.

 

[Helen]

Originally posted by C4K:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by menageriekeeper:


This is truely one for each person to decide for themselves.

As far as standing before God on the day of judgement, the sins of a Christian will have already been covered by the blood of Christ and remembered no more.

Perfect post.

</font>[/QUOTE]No, not quite, I don't think. Our sins are not the issue. It is the influence we have on others which is the issue. We will have to answer for that.

 

[SAMPLEWOW]

Well put Helen,I believe that we as Christians need to be very careful as to the things we endorce,say and do.

To you JohnV will we find anything to agree on ?

 

[Rachel]

We know there is evil and how witchcraft has become the 'in' thing lately but like it was said before "It is up to us to teach our children the aspects of Halloween that are wrong."

All that goes on daily not just on halloween. So if we make into a fun day that kids dress up in something good and get candy from people we know, that is still wrong? By doing that can't we have a good influence on others when they ask why we don't do certain things? We decided to go to a few houses this year of people we know and we might go to a church fall festival, they are always fun, safe, and a good witnessing tool for the kids in the area.

 

[Bunyon]

Rachel, the church fall festivals don't involve witches and such, so what I said does not apply to that situation. And you are right, it is up to us to teach our children and I do that by saying goodbye to halloween. I don't know about other folks, but it is simply not very important holliday to me- even when I was a kid and participated, so the easiest thing for me is to just forget about it.

 

[menageriekeeper]

Well I've been thinking on this just a bit more and I personally have decided that this is just one more issue that Satan has put out there to cause dessintion and turmoil in the body of Christ.

Helen, if all our sins are forgiven us, does that not include our lack of example if we make a wrong decision in the process of daily living? How then will it be held against us?

If we do wrong, I believe God will chastise us here on earth, but as far as answering on judgement day, I believe that all my wrongs will be covered by the blood.

 

[jshurley04]

Lot of bad theology about us standing before God on Judgment Day. We do not stand before Him, we stand with Him. We do however answer for our actions and decisions at the Bema Seat of Christ. That is where our works are tried by fire. That is where we will answer for those sins we have committed post salvation and not repented of before our death/rapture. That is also where our actions are also tested. This is why we must be active to reach people now when the opportunity arises. I simply believe that we get over separated too many times and not in touch with the world to do them any eternal good.

 

[Bro. James]

"Bema Seat"--do not hear much about that lately. Some works will abide, some will be burned. Yes, all of us will give an account of what we have done with what God has given--this is not the judgement at the White Throne.

The scripture says we are not to be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of the mind--a constant necessity.

Disagree about being too separate. God's people are not separated enough--it is difficult for the world to see any difference. Many of us act like the world, talk like the world, dress like the world and worship like the world.

How does one determine which ones are the Christians?

Selah,

Bro. James