Oct. 31 and Christians

Ultimately, what's the point???

While I have a position on what the world calls "Halloween," it is not my desire here to have anyone adopt my view. However, I do believe the "Christian" community has, once again, been taken in by its culture. Because "it has always been that way" we just do it.

What is it about this activity that attracts the Christian? Why does the Christian pick the same day as Satanists to dress up and walk around asking for free candy. THINK, what is behind the idea of normally sane people dressing up, even in supposedly innocent costumes, and walking the neighborhood and ask neighbors for candy? I dare say very few "Christians" have given literally one second of thought to this. What is it about this activity that attracts the Christian?

I now share a few thoughts that are not my own, but that I have come across and admittedly agree with to varying degrees:

1 - Religion Today, October 27, 2000

French Christians don't want the latest American import: Halloween. The dark holiday was introduced into France a few years ago to help increase fall department store business, but Christians consider it a satanic festival that could traumatize children and endanger older people, Reuters reported ..... Halloween is a "veritable resurgence of druidical beliefs," the Protestant Evangelical Committee for Human Dignity reported. All of France should be alarmed that Oct. 31, a day dear to fans of witchcraft, will be observed in public schools, because psychologists have found that the holiday can harm children psychologically, it said. Society "must not focus its attention on the death cult that surrounds Halloween," the group said. Catholics in the resort town of Saint Raphael have organized a protest against the holiday, according to Reuters.

2 -What's Halloween about? Narcissism, if anything.

• Look cute.
• Get candy.
• Soap windows.
• Throw eggs.
• T.P. the coach's house.
• Scare the bejeepers out of everyone you can.

That's it. No be nice to others, no gather with family, no wave the flag.

• Juvenile irresponsible pranks? You get a free pass! Everyone's going to be up until midnight anyway.
• Attempt to make the little second-grade wimp down the street wet himself by pretending to attack him with a knife? Go for it.
• Portray a gory disembowlment with corn syrup and food coloring? Have at it.
• You're a homeowner with some minor property damage that night? Kids will be kids, don't worry about it.

3 -What does the Bible say?
1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (“Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.”)
James 1:27 (“keep oneself from being polluted by the world”)
3 John 1:11 (“do not imitate what is evil”)
Romans 12:9 (“abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.”)
Deuteronomy 18:9-14 (do not learn to imitate detestable ways, including spiritists, sorcerers and witchcraft)
Ephesians 5:11-12 (“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness” / “live as children of light”)

4- Churches frequently disapprove of Halloween because it is really a modern version of ancient, satanic traditions which were originated by the pagan Celtic religion, and their druid priests, long before Christianity.

However, the Dictionary of the Occult and Paranormal, states "Halloween was originally a pagan festival of darkness, fire, and death. All Hallows Eve was celebrated by the Celts of northern Europe... Halloween was also an important date for the witches' calendar."

According to witchcraft organizations, witches have eight major festivals throughout the year. Four are the solar festivals: one at both equinoxes, and one at both solstices. The other four occur almost midpoint between the Solar festivals; the most famous of these are Samhain (Halloween to non-witches) and Beltane (May day). Samhain, or Halloween, is the beginning of their new year, and is the time when they claim that they can most effectively communicate with the dead.

Please feel free to educate me on the benefits of recognizing Halloween - for anyone, especially the Christian.