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It's that time of year again. Witches and ghoulish decorations; scary movies and Halloween costumes are everywhere. Yet, just as all years prior, I've had this question running through my mind: Should Christians Participate in Halloween?
There have been a number of blogs, videos, and other such media presentations discussing this issue. I watched a portion of one particular video made by a Christian radio host, but what I found to be more enlightening than the video content itself, were the comments...some from so-called believers.
I do want to say up front, I am not judging you if you have pumpkins on your front porch and have just purchased your kid's costume. What I am doing is thinking out loud, asking questions that need to be asked, and getting you the reader to think and make your own decisions. Let's take a look.
First, Halloween has become one of the biggest money makers of the year. According to Forbes, consumers spent a whopping 10.6 billion dollars last year on all the spooky decor.
With that said, let me give you a first-hand account of what Halloween shoppers will be purchasing. If you were to drive through most larger subdivisions on Halloween night, you will see house after house with extensive Halloween decor. Some are as elaborate as animatron headless horsemen, spooky butlers, witches that move, opening and closing caskets, flickering lights, and fog machines to set the mood.
Creepy music, if you can call it that, plays in the background--sounds like screeching cats, slamming doors, squeaky coffin lids, evil laughter, etc. Eager trick-or-treaters are often greeted by adults dressed up as ghoulish characters holding their sugary reward in a large bowl, cauldron, or some other type of devilish device.
Okay. So what's the big deal? Sounds like good clean fun, right? Well...let's look a little further.
Communities and businesses also enjoy cashing in on the holiday fun. Often, old abandoned buildings are transformed into haunted houses. The draw? In some weird way, people love to be scared...if they know it is not real.
Peering a bit inside these haunted domains, we find disfigured and distorted faces growling and moaning as they lunge forward with chainsaws, knives, and other type of crude tools of misery.
The unsuspecting (or perhaps they really are suspecting) patron, will also see pools of blood, chains with demonic-looking creatures, zombies, torture chambers, severed limbs, and other dark type of paraphernalia, all within the context of a maze-like setting, and often in pitch black darkness.
Okay, Kristi, this is just a quick 20 minute thrill. What's the big deal? Again, let's keep looking.
Third--and it keeps getting a little darker--there are actual celebrations of sorts on this night. I'm not talking about your childhood parties with games and loot bags. I'm talking full-out demonically induced orgies or parties involving the occult, witches, warlocks, etc.
One article I read was from a former Satanist who claimed this night is especially for those participating in dark magic and other demonic-related activities. He also said that Christians should not be too hasty in allowing their children (or themselves) to participate in the "devil's holiday".
Alrighty. So there are dark things happening on this night in some places, and perhaps surrounding ourselves with devils and witches is not all that appropriate, but is it harmful if our kiddos dress up in fun costumes like Spider Man or Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz? Let me give you a few more things to think about before we try and draw some type of conclusion.
Every single day we turn on the news or pull up social media and read horrible true stories of people who have been brutally murdered, put through the horrors of abortion, or subjected to some type of horrific trauma. Honestly, I almost get sick to my stomach by the unconscionable and vile ways our human race inflicts pain and evil on one another.
So I guess a question I have to ask myself is: Why would I want to celebrate, replicate, and have fun with a mirror of something grotesquely abnormal and inherently wicked?
You'll notice that I haven't offered one scripture yet. So what does God say about this sort of thing? Halloween, specifically, is not mentioned in the Bible. But there are definitely verses which talk about the wickedness of sorcery and witchcraft, how we are to flee evil, and that there are powers of this world which are dark and against us.
So what's the bottom line? Should Christians participate in Halloween? I'm not going to make that call for you. That's a decision you and the Lord will have to make together. Personally, I try not to participate much in it, if any. Instead, my husband and I shut the lights off, pop popcorn, and watch a good movie.
What I do hope is that this blog has given you things to think about. I know I ponder these and more every single year. It's one of those topics you and I have to pray about and do what we feel best honors our Lord.
Now...where did I put that snicker bar?
Blessings,
Kristi