Halloween – why a dilemma?

For a lot of Christian believers and their families... the word Halloween can cause one to cringe a bit. Like a lot of things, each of us decides how we are going to react to elements of our culture.

Growing up, our family pretty much abstained from Halloween participation in any manner… including not answering the door to the sound of “trick or treat”. We were very aware of the origins of the day and did not want to be displeasing to God by reflecting “evil imagery”. We didn’t participate in even a superficial way, knowing the demonic roots of the occasion. So, I think our “motive” was right, and I fault no one for drawing that line then or today. It’s a personal/family decision.

However, many believers take a different tact on October 31st of “meeting people where they are”; knowing in our culture there will be lots of people out & about, especially parents with kids who want to have fun.

So many churches or other groups over the years have opted to create a “safe alternative”. It takes the form of a “fall” or “harvest” festival which serves as an outreach to the community. Instead of the imagery of witches, goblins, ghosts, haunted houses, etc… you’d more likely see harvest-time décor, as well as a message sharing the hope of the Christian faith. For Christian parents, it allows their kids to enjoy some the fun aspects of this day in the culture (dressing up in a costume, playing games, and getting treats to eat) without all the demonic symbolism. So, I also see some of the merit in that tact as well; others may label it ‘worldly”.

Side note: Even the roots of today’s Christmas echo symbols of pagan idol worship that time of the year, but believers sought to transform the meaning of “sun worship” to “Son worship”. Because of the old pagan symbols, Christians throughout the centuries chose not to celebrate Christmas, as they felt it displeased God. Of course, today many Christians look forward to that time (often with great enthusiasm) placing the meaning on celebrating Christ. I can empathize with both sides of that question of participation.

We all have to make the choices that we feel are best for our families. Our choices may change from year to year, and that’s OK. We also have to be cautious on judging others in how they choose to interact or retract from our culture. We have to know our own vulnerabilities.

Whatever you decide, this time of year does give us an opportunity for a conversation about the spirit realm. The Bible is very clear there are spirits that are evil, and can manifest themselves. In our world today, the evidence of evil influence is everywhere. It’s not make believe, and not something to toy around with. However, God gives us power to push aside those Satanic spirits, if we choose to believe in Him.

Those are my thoughts at this juncture in time… perhaps you have a few as well. May we all look to God for direction in our lives!! - Larry