Halloween Information

H A L L O W E E N

Child Ghost Picture One of the symptoms of the sickness of the church today is the way it allows and accepts the world's way of doing things. It has allowed the world to commercialize Christmas until people dread it instead of rejoicing in it; it has allowed Easter to become cottontails instead of Christ rising; and it has adopted the pagan worship of demons and witches into it's bosom by PROMOTING THE SYMBOLS AND SINS OF HALLOWEEN [Churches actually sponsor "Haunted Houses"!!! and encourage their young people to dress as Witches!!!]. One author has rightly said, THE TWO MOST FREQUENT WAYS CHILDREN ARE INTRODUCED INTO THE OCCULT ARE THROUGH ROCK MUSIC AND HALLOWEEN!

Let's look at where Halloween came from, what's bad about it, and what we can do as an alternative.

I. THE BACKGROUND‑

NAME: On May 13, 610AD the Catholic Church first celebrated the "Feast of all Holy Martyrs". Eventually they decided a day was needed to honor all Saints and not just Martyrs. They called it "All Saints Day" and moved it to November 1 of each year. The Evening before "All Saints Day" began to be called "All Hallow's Eve (Eve of all the Holy One's Day) and eventually was mutated to Halloween. [The Celts- and Satan worshipers today- call this the feast of Samhain (Sow-in). It is celebrated as the "feast of the dead" and is thought to be the time when the "curtain@ between the spirit and physical world is thinnest; Thus allowing special communication with the evil spirits.]

CUSTOMS: The Customs associated with Halloween come from the Celtics [Halloween was banned in America until 1845 when thousands of Irish immigrants flooded America because of the Irish Potato famine] .The old Celtic calendar began the New Year on November 1 (Their year ended with the harvest of their crops) and the night before (Oct. 31) became known as a time when witches and goblins roamed around trying to hold back the new year. People began to have New year's Eve parties (just as they do today) on Oct. 31 and they would dress up as witches and goblins to "placate" the demons. Eventually they began to go from house to house demanding an offering (Treat) from the householder in exchange for protection from the demons for the coming year (or I'll trick you!). [The Druids would go to a household demanding a human for sacrifice. If the sacrifice pleased them then they would put a hollowed out turnip on the door steps (Changed to a pumpkin when the custom came to America because they were bigger and more easily carved] with a candle within to tell the demons not to brother that home that night. If the sacrifice was not given or did not please the Druids then they would draw a hexagram on the door of the home and curse the home so that someone in the home would die of fright that night].

The Druids would sacrifice their offerings to the fire god- (Note that Halloween is called AHell Night@ in Detroit and arson is a major problem). In the morning the people would gather around the burned out fire and look at all the bones in the fire- hence it was called a Abonefire@ - bonfire.

Because of the nearness of the spirit world this was thought to be a time to learn about future events- The entrails of the sacrifices were read by the Druids priest to determine future events. In order for them to be effective they had to be taken from a person while they were still alive! (when a King became too old to rule he would be sacrificed and was a Aspecial@ omen).

Young people would bob for apples with the first one to get an apple to be the first to get married that year. People would trim their apples with the length of the peel determining how long their life would be.

Jack-O-Lantern came from the fact that a man named "Jock@ was supposed to have offended the gods and was sentenced to wander for eternity. His spirit was said to inhabit the turnips (pumpkins) placed on the door of homes. AJock@ was changed to AJack@ when the custom came to America.

1. When so many people are becoming involved in cults, witchcraft, and Satanic "churches", do you think a Christian parent (or Church) should allow their children to dress up as demons and witches and then find they get rewarded for dressing that way????? What kind of roll model do you want your Children to have???

2. The very principle of you give me a "Treat" or I will "Trick" you is absolutely foreign to the teachings of Christ. Do you think we should promote this among children???

3. With the problem today of a sick society that puts poison in candy, razor blades in fruit, and molests children; "Trick or Treating" has become not only spiritually bad but physically dangerous.

III. WHAT CAN WE DO?? (Rom 12:21) Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

The idea of Children having fun and being treated is a good one. We don't want to "throw out the baby with the dish water!". Here are few suggestions:

1. Let's do away with the name Halloween and all it means‑ call your get together a "Fall Festival" or "Family Fun Time" or AHallelujah Night@.

2. Instead of having the kids go from door to door organize a house party (or church get‑together) where the kids can play games and enjoy themselves. Let each of them bring a bag of candy and pour it into a big bowl from which everyone eats as the Evening progresses [This will teach them to share‑‑‑or that eating too much candy at one time makes you sick!!!]. Think about the decorations‑‑what do they mean??? (The black cat was a symbol of a witch or a demon helper- even today a black cat is thought to be a symbol of bad luck).

3. Control the Costumes. If you don't have a "Theme" for people to dress in then let everyone know that they will have to explain what their costume represents (A good theme for a Church party is to let everyone dress as a Bible character, or as a person from a foreign country where we have missionaries). I don't know that it's wrong to dress in some "Silly" costumes or even in some "Scary" costumes‑‑ just be aware of your testimony.

4. Remember the basis for everything we do‑ I Cor 10:31 (Note that 10:31 is not only the verse but the date!!) WHETHER THEREFORE YE EAT, OR DRINK, OR WHATSOEVER YE DO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD. If you could not feel free to invite Christ to your get together then you need to make some changes.

(Exo 22:18) Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. [witch= a sorceress; A woman who claimed to have superhuman powers by means of spells, magic, or knowledge that comes from evil spirits .]

(Deu 18:10) There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, ["pass through the fire"-The worship of Molech sometimes involved human sacrifice in the fire. "divination"- We would call them Psychics. "an observer of times"- The use of Horoscopes. "enchanter"- One who interprets omens. Balaam did this (cf. Num. 24:1). "witch"-A practitioner of spells, occult magic, or "charms". One who consults with familiar spirits, A medium. One who pretends to know about the unseen world. One who inquires of the dead.

(1 Sam 15:23) For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

(Gal 5:20) The sins of the Flesh are- Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, [Witchcraft refers here to the use of drugs and magical potions].

Don=t Astrain at a gnat and swallow a camel@. Make sure your own heart is right so people will see the joy you have in Christ instead of simply hear your negative comments.

(Acts 19:18‑20) And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. {19} Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. {20} So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.