Halloween is coming up

[NickHassan]

Hi not3,
Do you think halloween is a modern form of syncretism?

[Lightenup]

Hi Mandy,
I appreciate the inner struggle and I am sifting through all this as well. As far as “roots” of days go, the roots are good. God made the days and He declared them to be good. So, the roots of any day of the year is good. Therefore the argument about “roots” of a day being pagan is a non-issue with me. Evil has turned the good into bad not the other way around…the root is good. Good fruit can come from a good root as well as bad fruit unfortunately and the bad fruit needs to be pruned. I believe that halloween is not about celebrating some Christ honoring event like Christmas (Christ's birth) and Easter (Christ's resurrection) and therefore would be better not celebrated by the believers or considered even in the same category. I do not see halloween as a Christian holiday, but I do see Christmas and Easter as a Christian holiday so when I celebrate the Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter I do not have a struggle. Christmas and Easter are certainly celebrated poorly by many with an emphasis on materialism and drinking parties, etc. but some celebrate them in a God honoring way. I don't suggest to celebrate Christmas and Easter poorly but celebrate those days Godly. Yes celebrate! However, I see no need to celebrate halloween at all. Do you see the difference?

My daughter did carve a pumpkin and wants to dress up and go door to door and attend the festival at church that night and we did go to my cousin's “haunted farm” where he gives a speech about how the farmer's depend on God for the fruit of their labor and has a blow-up giant “telling” the children that he wants to eat without working for it and the overall message is that the giant is wrong. (It was great to see my cousin though after 28 years though.) So, I am struggling with following my own advice…I am weak. I do suggest that the church could strengthen the believers by taking a strong stand in a way as not to offend though. Why couldn't my cousin just have a corn maze, a farm tour and presentation of God's role in it, pumpkin patch (not to promote jack-o-lanterns but fall decor and pies/bread, etc) hay ride and a petting zoo. Why does there have to be a haunted barn, cobwebs all over, eyeballs and mummies in the gift shop, etc.?

Ya know?

Love,
Kathi

[Not3in1]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Oct. 21 2009,06:03)

Hi not3, Do you think halloween is a modern form of syncretism?

Yup. And you?

[Not3in1]

Kathi,

Quote

So, I am struggling with following my own advice…I am weak.

I love this. Not because you feel weak but because you recognize the inner struggle that we apparently share. Not all struggle with this, they may struggle with other things.

Quote

As far as “roots” of days go, the roots are good. God made the days and He declared them to be good. So, the roots of any day of the year is good. Therefore the argument about “roots” of a day being pagan is a non-issue with me.

It's not so much the DAY that is being debated as are the practices/festivals/parties/traditions of that day. To join in or not to join in – is the question? And how to join in is another….

Quote

I believe that halloween is not about celebrating some Christ honoring event like Christmas (Christ's birth) and Easter (Christ's resurrection) and therefore would be better not celebrated by the believers or considered even in the same category.

The argument here is that originally Christmas and Easter were NOT to celebrate Christian themes. They were dedicated to other “gods”. And so we have just warmed-over a pagan tradition with some added goodness. But as you say, some good truly has come of these holidays….

Quote

I don't suggest to celebrate Christmas and Easter poorly but celebrate those days Godly. Yes celebrate! However, I see no need to celebrate halloween at all. Do you see the difference?

I do but I doubt the die-hard law keeper's will. So much of Christianity is a “yes” or a “no”. There seems to be no middle ground. What you are suggesting is middle ground.

Love,
Mandy

[NickHassan]

Hi LU,
Does the honor aspect of Christmas and Easter justify participation in what God did not give us?

[Worshipping Jesus]

Quote (Lightenup @ Oct. 20 2009,14:34)

Why couldn't my cousin just have a corn maze, a farm tour and presentation of God's role in it, pumpkin patch (not to promote jack-o-lanterns but fall decor and pies/bread, etc) hay ride and a petting zoo.  Why does there have to be a haunted barn, cobwebs all over, eyeballs and mummies in the gift shop, etc.? Ya know? Love, Kathi

Hi Kathi

Im confused by your statement. On one hand you are saying that the church should do nothing on the day (therefore conceding the day belongs to Haloween IMO), yet you are saying that your cousin should have an alternative.  

We do not celebrate Haloween and its ghost and gobblins, we choose an alternative for the kids. How is that sin? How is that wrong?

Don't we choose alternatives to the worlds practices all the time. Like using the internet or the TV?

Blessings WJ

[Lightenup]

Nick,
God did give us His Son as a baby with a birthday, and God did resurrect Him from the dead. God did those things and He did those things for us and we celebrate that, not some winter solstice or fertility goddess. So I know you believe that God did give us this so why do you say “God did not give us?” He didn't tell us to make an annual celebration of these events but I don't believe that was because He thought it to be wrong or pagan to do so. He did not want to load us down with rules and tradition. Jesus came to set us free from following or not following traditions. All traditions are not necessarily bad in themselves, it is the guilt and judgement that we heap on ourselves or others if we/they participate or not. We have freedom. The problem comes when that freedom does not ultimately edify ourselves and others.

You see, I don't believe that God commanded us to annually celebrate anything as a tradition because we would then be sinning if we didn't celebrate. So, now we have the freedom to make a celebration or not of a God honoring event in our Christian history. We have freedom to celebrate, not a God mandate to celebrate. Therefore no one should judge another for celebrating Christmas or Easter or not celebrating those events on those days. Just because many Christians celebrate Christ's birth on Dec. 25th does not mean that He actually had to be born on Dec. 25th, it just means that they have chosen to especially make more of a point of celebrating the fact then. On halloween, Christians do not celebrate any particular Christian event and halloween is not merely a legal holiday to honor a country's freedom or courage but it honors evil things and that is why it should not be on the calendar, imo.

LU

[NickHassan]

Hi LU,
The birthday date is incorrect and for most the arrival of the Son signs their death warrant as they ignore him and his message of salvation.

Those who are in Christ have useful things to do rather than joining with the world in an excuse to party surely? Why would they join with the worship of a man, a wonderful man who served and revealed God, when they are meant to be joined in him?

Those who do the will of the Father are of His family but these celebrations are of man.

[Worshipping Jesus]

Quote (Lightenup @ Oct. 20 2009,15:47)

God did give us His Son as a baby with a birthday, and God did resurrect Him from the dead.  God did those things and He did those things for us and we celebrate that, not some winter solstice or fertility goddess.

Hi Kathi

And we do not celebrate Haloween and the ghost and goblins and demons etc, but rather we celebrate the scriptures and the truths of Gods word found in Bible Characters etc!

Another day of fun and learning for our kids!

WJ

[NickHassan]

Hi WJ,
Fun is an excuse for everything.
But are we not servants?

[Worshipping Jesus]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Oct. 20 2009,15:53)

Hi WJ, Fun is an excuse for everything. But are we not servants?

NH

Are you a servant?

When is the last time you led someone to Christ?

WJ

[KangarooJack]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Oct. 21 2009,07:53)

Hi WJ, Fun is an excuse for everything. But are we not servants?

And you have a lot of fun posting on HN all day long. Now what do you do in the way of service?

thinker

[Worshipping Jesus]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Oct. 20 2009,15:53)

Hi WJ, Fun is an excuse for everything. But are we not servants?

NH

Does your religion demand no fun? Is your religion just a dreary practice of “will worship”?

WJ

[KangarooJack]

Quote (WorshippingJesus @ Oct. 21 2009,07:55)

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Oct. 20 2009,15:53) Hi WJ, Fun is an excuse for everything. But are we not servants? NH Are you a servant? When is the last time you led someone to Christ? WJ

WJ,
Nick's idea of service may be posting on HN all day. This way he can avoid personal contact with sinners who need the gospel. Nick would do well not to tell others about service.

thinker

[NickHassan]

Hi WJ,
Yes I serve though poorly.
Fun is the world's excuse for doing what they wants to do.
But the servants of God do the will of God-Jesus did not go to the festival till he got the nod from God.

[KangarooJack]

Quote (WorshippingJesus @ Oct. 21 2009,07:57)

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Oct. 20 2009,15:53) Hi WJ, Fun is an excuse for everything. But are we not servants? NH Does your religion demand no fun? Is your religion just a dreary practice of “will worship”? WJ

WJ,
Nick's religion allows for fun. He gets a blast posting on HN.

thinker

[KangarooJack]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Oct. 21 2009,08:00)

Hi WJ, Yes I serve though poorly. Fun is the world's excuse for doing what they wants to do. But the servants of God do the will of God-Jesus did not go to the festival till he got the nod from God.

thinker

[NickHassan]

Hi TT,
Is this the best you can offer in the defence of this worldly tradition?

[KangarooJack]

Quote (Nick Hassan @ Oct. 21 2009,08:07)

Hi TT, Is this the best you can offer in the defence of this worldly tradition?

Apparently you have closed your eyes to my numerous arguments on the preceding pages.

thinker

[NickHassan]

Hi TT,
Do the traditions of men deserve such devoted attention from God's servants?

[Author]

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