Today is Halloween, the day of “trick or treating”, neighbors actually TALKING to eachother, families enjoying eachother’s company, and Christmas for dentists.
But if you are a member of American Christendom, than you are aware that the holiday also brings some controversy with it. Some more conservative churches use this time of year to speak out against what they consider a neive way of inviting satan into their parishoners home. They say that the vague similarities between the ancient, pagan celebration of Samhain (harvest feast) and todays commercial practice of Halloween are almost equivalent to worshipping the devil. I understand this argument, but after some parental research and common sense thought, I disagree with it.
Mainly, it is an ENTIRELY inconsistent position for Christians. I am a huge fan of consistency in convictions and the boycott of Halloween feels more like an emotional and convenient reaction instead of a safeguard from inadvertently practicing paganism. If you boycott Halloween, fine, I get that… I would also expect you to boycott Christmas too then. The pagan similarities to traditional Christmas are even MORE stark than to Halloween.
Second, so much good, God-honoring fun can come from Halloween! When else do Christians have an open invitation to knock on their neighbors door and vice-versa? In Phoenix, there is a huge lack of community identity, but I look forward to Halloween because it makes my neighborhood feel like a big block party. Not to mention an excuse to FORCE your family to do stuff together such as pumpkin carving, trick or treating, and roasting marshmallows on the front porch while handing out candy.
Third, as a follower of Christ, I am tired of always feeling the need to be “anti” things. There is a big difference between taking a firm stand against injustice and sin and boycotting something because people COULD use it to POSSIBLY do harm. Instead, we need to be a redeeming force in the world by taking things from it and making them glorify God. The story of Saint Boniface is a great example of this.
Anyways, here is a great blog post I stumbled upon regarding this if you want to read more.
Garbinski
I’ve always said to anti-weeners (people who oppose halloween; not lesbians) that Halloween is my second favorite pagan holiday. Additionally, I know someone who seriously believes that putting a jack-o-lantern on your porch invites evil spirits into your home. She goes to Calvary Chapel if that explains it.
Adam
I grew up in a fundamentalist church.. and Halloween was such a big Taboo. But.. what i dont understand is we couldnt go trick or treating.. but our parents allowed us to throw water balloons at the kids who did.. does that make any sense?!?! doesnt to me.
I agree with you (yet again) that this is such a great opportunity to show people that we as Christians aren’t CRAZY people. That we are normal, and can have a good time. I think that opens the doors for communication to others way better then yelling from you porch that this is the Devil’s holiday. (I’ve actually walked past a house and someone was doing that)
The line that hit me was….”I am tired of always feeling the need to be “anti” things.” that was good..
Seth
I am anti-Halloween…for my family! My wife and I have made a decision to not observe Halloween for a couple main reasons.
1. Halloween is a holiday that does have pagan roots…but moreover, has nothing Christ oriented about it. Before you read this and say, “What about Christmas…that’s pagan in origin too!” …Well…the present day observance of Christmas (and Easter for that matter) is a fully-Christian observance. Spare me the commercial rhetoric on commercial sales vs the heart of GOD…I am opposed to the consumerist spins on Christmas as much as the next guy…i digress… My thing with Halloween is that there is nothing redeeming or God-glorifying about Halloween…as opposed to other holidays, such as Christmas and Easter.
2. The impact that comes from communicating to our kids we can have a “my life + Jesus” mentality. I agree with Nick about christians being anti-whatever. But i have a concern that with Halloween comes a slippery slope of take something that is far from Christ-oriented…add Jesus in some fashion…and wallah you have something Christian and GOD glorifying. I am concerned for my daughter to grow up with an attitude of “me with a little jesus on the side” is not exactly what Jesus had in mind when he joined us her e on Earth. And that is how I feel about Halloween… add a little Jesus and it is good to go…but i am not ready to do that for my family.
So… I will say in closing… I WHOLE heartily believe the observance of Halloween by christians is a morally neutral issue! I DO NOT think it is a sin to go trick or treating… this to me falls into a Romans 14 issue…a issue of personal conviction. “Each person should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Rm 14.6.b) of what he/she will do. I am far from a the devil is going to come into your house if you go trick or treat or carve a pumpkin with your kid. I am more concerned with people just thinking about issue…i am afraid a lot of people dont even take the time to do the research or think through a majority of what they think or do…
So Nick i will go on celebrating Christmas… =) with out observing Halloween =)
~in HIM
Lindsay
I love Halloween. I think its fun to be creative with costumes, carve pumpkins, do the whole Schnepf Farm thing. While I agree with Seth that Christmas and Easter are Christian observances then I would have to argue that Christmas and Easter are the ONLY holidays that Christians should celebrate (considering they don’t choose to not celebrate Halloween because it isn’t Christ-oriented at all). The 4th of July, any president holiday, MLK Jr. day, Thanksgiving for goodness sake has nothing to do with Christ! We’ve added being “thankful for our blessings” to Thanksgiving which is just us adding US + Jesus. Anywho, Happy Halloween!
Lindsay
sorry that should be *considering they choose to not celebrate Halloween….
Nick
@Garbinski – love the new word invention! ha!
@Adam – we need to find something we disagree on… that would be more fun!
@Seth – are there Cliff’s Notes to accompany your comment? jk… good stuff, I love numbered arguments
@Lindsay – possibly my favorite argument so far… you win.
Josh Barton
I don’t want to win, but just as a side note I would like to tell you what really bothers me:
I love when we tell our kids at church that we don’t celebrate Halloween because it is a pagan holiday. But we will be having a “Fall Festival” right around Oct. 31 this year, and you can dress up in costumes. Oh yeah, we will be handing out candy at our “Fall Festival”.
But Halloween is EVIL!!!!! – See you at the FESTIVAL
Adam
i know it sucks having to agree with you all the time.
ryan guard
Lindsay you sound pretty hot.
Um, I have no opinion. I like pumpkin pie… I hope that’s ok.