Trick or Treat

What does the Halloween of old have to do with today?

This is a time of year that many Christian's hope goes by quickly. There are those who are radically opposed to the holiday of Halloween and then there are those who still take part in it. It has become something that people don't want to talk about or bring up for fear that someone is either going to judge them over it or they will be called a "crazy over the top radical". So for most part there is this hush………………that takes place.

Personally to be honest with you I have been all over the place on this. Years ago I decorated my house with jack o lanterns and I put up cute spiders, cats and skeletons. But as I became a believer and I grew in my faith and read God's word I began to think that maybe this isn't the image that I wanted to project to the world so I threw out all my Halloween decorations, my pumpkin lights, cute cats and spiders and chose instead to decorate my house for Fall.

This happened slowly so as to not freak out my unsaved at the time husband who was raised as I was - that this holiday was nothing more than just a fun time when we innocently dressed up as another person and got candy for it.

What could possibly be wrong with that??!!

I spent a lot of my life as a child thinking about, making and putting together costumes to wear to school for Halloween room parties and then planning the night my night of trick or treating. But we all grow up – right?

One day I read what this innocent night was exactly about and I have to admit I was surprised. This innocent fun wasn't as innocent as I thought it was.

I'm sure you've heard that the Catholic Church long ago designated October 31^st as the eve of the holy ones day. All Hallows eve is a prelude to All Saints Day which is held on November 1^st every year; but it was actually a pre - Christian pagan religion which gave Halloween its more sinister meanings and traditions.

It was a celebration that was drawn from Scottish and Irish folk customs of the celebration of Samhain (pronounced Soween) which was performed by the priests or Druids to honor the souls of the dead of the wicked who had perished within the past 12 months who were now they believed condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals. These druids believed that the souls of good men were taken by good spirits and carried away to paradise but that the souls of the wicked were left to wander in the space between the earth and the moon OR that they inhabited the bodies of animals. This celebration that took place originated from the belief that on this one night a year, these souls of the dead returned to their original homes. These same druids also believed that on Halloween that ghosts, spirits, fairies, witches and elves came out to harm people on that night too. And…out of their fear and their desire to exorcise the ghosts from these animals or to free yourself from the influence they had over you – people were told to set out food (Or give them a treat) and provide them shelter for the night. If these spirits were satisfied with what you had given them they would hopefully leave you in peace but if they didn't then these ghosts would trick you by casting a spell on you and your home.

Sadly these traditions just got passed down year after year and then brought into Christian and other mainstream societies. After the year 300 AD when Roman Emperor Constantine began to Christianize the Roman Empire and multitudes of immoral pagans flocked into the church and became members they brought these pagan practices along with them.

The Roman Catholic Church didn't like it but because of the sheer numbers that these people brought into the church and the strength they had combined with them AND of course the $$ income $$ that they brought with them they decided to not stop them but handle it by allowing these people to keep their pagan rituals but then put a Christian spin on it by renaming it All Saints Day to commemorate the saints who had died that year. The mass that was held on this day was called Allhollowmas; which eventually led to the evening before being called Halloween which meant hallowed or holy evening.

So, where does that leave us with Halloween today?

Most people outside the church who really don't know Jesus and have never received His forgiveness and free gift of salvation have a clue that Halloween has its pagan roots. They simply look at it as I used to look at it- just as a day when kids can be kids and enjoy dressing up like their favorite super hero, animal, or cartoon character and enjoy the frivolity; and they DEFINITELY don't understand the passion of the church thinking that it's evil.

So, let's see what the bible has to say about all this? For sure there are some things that are linked to and included along with Halloween like violence, fear and murder. They have become just about as identifiable to the holiday as candy corn and pumpkins have. We all know today that Halloween is one of the most popular nights for movie rentals; at this time of year video stores stock extra copies of horror movies because of the demand for them. Halloween's coming so of course that means a new horror movie like Halloween, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13^th and of course another Saw.

There's NO ANBIGUITY here – the bible makes it clear that followers of Christ should not be entertained by murder, death or fear because these things come not from God but from our enemy Satan.

Jonah 3:8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence.

Psalm 23:4 even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Other things associated with Halloween - like witchcraft, divination and the occult; are also against God's plans for believers - but what about just plain old dressing up and going out for candy?

Let's read Roman 14 to take a look at what another situation that Paul was dealing with has to say about it.

Romans 14 NIV

Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He, who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.

If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: "'as surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. Some Christians thought that it didn't matter; that it was just meat. They didn't believe that the pagan gods to whom the meat was sacrificed actually even existed. But there were still other Christians who believed that it was wrong to eat anything that was once dedicated to a pagan god or false idol.

Paul basically states – that's fine; if you are uncomfortable with it then don't do it but realize that there are other Christians who will eat the meat and have a right to do so." He says the same thing about holidays saying that one person might regard one day above another but another person will regard all days as alike. Today, we have a holiday that was once dedicated to a pagan god. Some people have no problem participating in this celebration every year; yet others believe that Halloween's beginnings make it something that all Christians should avoid.

 What is it that you believe?

For me I DON'T shut off my lights, hide, and pretend I'm not home. I also DON'T give out tracts to the people who trick or treat at my door, and I DON"T tell the people that come to my door that Jesus loves them, and I DON'T blare Christian music to announce to them that I'm a Christian…. I just instead - be me, smile and give them each a big candy bar and try to be friendly… and I pray… for each of those people who come to my door, they may not know it (because of course, I don't pray out loud in front of them) but God hears my prayers and sends opportunities for them to come closer to Him.

 I myself choose to look at it as a way that I can let my light shine before men.

That's how I feel. You - you're on your own like Paul says…