Right here I think is one thing we are talking about. I don't feel like I am ignorant of any facts nor do I need anyone to share God's Word with me. I have never read or been shown anything Biblical to make ME not take my kids trick or treating, or to make me feel a conviction that it is wrong. Clearly you do think it is wrong and clearly I do not. I don't care at all if you or anyone else celebrates Halloween and I certainly will not try and convince you to do so. I do care about being called ignorant because i celebrate it. That bothers me. I am well aware that the title has to do with NOT celebrating. I am also aware that this is a public board and we are all free to jump in and give our opinions. My opinion initially was - who cares! Who cares what we each do in our own families.
Sometimes people don't mean to point fingers, but the way certain things are worded could sometimes lead people to believe otherwise. It's one thing for someone to state an opinion, but if it's not worded appropriately it comes across as though someone IS pointing a finger.
I am willing to make a bold statements here. Participating in halloween is going against God's commands. If you are ignorant of scripture, then you are given grace. But if you claim to know and understand the scriptures and still see nothing wrong with participating in a real satanic holiday, then you are guilty of disobedience. Am I judging a person who participates? No. God is the one who judges. I am responsible for stating truths in scripture to those who claim Christ as I do. And I expect a fellow believer to point out to me when I am erring as well. It is not offensive to me to have someone point out to me when I am not in line with God's Word. I appreciate the truth spoken in love. I don't want to be ignorant of any of God's truths. I might not like what I hear at first, but I test the scriptures with an open heart to the Lord and pray for Him to reveal to me what needs to change.
I completely disagree. And that is ok with me. Is it ok with you that we disagree? I do not believe that by taking my kids trick or treating I am going against God's commands. I just don't believe it. You can believe it. That is fine! But I do not. You can point out what you believe to be truth until the cows come home but I do not see it the same way that you do. I am NOT participating in ANYTHING satanic. If you think playing dress up and soliciting neighbors for free candy is satanic then you have some issues to deal with that have nothing to do with me. God is not mad at me for decorating my home with spiders and pumpkins. God is not mad at me for allowing my kids to dress up and ask people for candy. If you think He is then by all means pray for me.:roll:
I don't know how to quote piece by piece so forgive me please for putting this all together. #1 Trick or treating isn't evil. Neither is decorating my house is spiders and bats. #2 I don't know what you have heard by I don't have anything to do with Adultery, fornication (except with the husband ), uncleanness, lasciviousness,Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like on any day. Just because it is October 31st doesn't change things. #3 the other things you have quoted don't seem to have a thing to do with October 31st. I fail to see how they pertain to Halloween. What else ya got?
Wow. This turned into a hot topic again this year. Well...as the child of someone who used to celebrate it for the druidic and satanic reasons, I can't. I've seen the fearful side of Halloween that no child should ever see. We do not participate. We go so far as to no participate in even the Churchy Harvest Festivals either. I judge no one that does. Of course, if they have seen what I have seen in my life time, I doubt that they would.
Krista did the druidic and satanic behavior only come out and be apatent in these people on October 31st? I personally know someone who IS a devil worshipper and it is always. NOT only on Halloween. Just curious. Again I don't care what anyone does!!! I do take offense to someone spouting off and running their mouth about me saying I am going against God when that person or people know NOTHING about me.
1 Corinthians 10 speaks to this issue: 14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 17Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 18Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? 19What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? 23 "All things are lawful," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful," but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. 25Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 26For "the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof." 27If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. 28But if someone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— 29I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else’s conscience? 30If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks? 31So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 32 Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, 33just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved."
This thread is quickly becoming a stumbling block. Soon it will appear to be fighting among sisters in Christ and that is far more harmful than trick or treating...and that is from an non Halloween Christian. Forgive me if this sounds harsh or rude..not my intention. My intention is to keep the body of Christ functioning and not worry about secondary concerns. I realize for some Halloween may not be a secondary concern yet it does come behind unity in Christ. We may disagree but if we all have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus than we are all sisters.
I'm sorry, but anyone can quote scripture to make it mean what they want it to mean. When one quotes scripture it's also important to note the parallel verses. The scripture above is Paul talking about divisions within the church at that time. I do not put allowing my children to go trick or treating in the same category as sitting at a table with demons, idolatry, or sacrifices.
That is true. I should have said more than the quote. By quoting that I believe it shows that it is lawful to participate in Halloween, but not everything Halloween is beneficial or good. In other words...taking a child in a princess costume door to door is very different than dressing up like something evil and trying to scare the b'jeebers out of someone else. Halloween can be simple childhood fun. But it can also be satanic and evil.
Thanks for clarifying. :love: I totally agree! If I ever went to a Halloween party where Satanic rituals were taking place, you best believe I would hightail it out of there! :lol: However, if it were innocent and fun, people just dressed in cute costumes socializing and laughing...seems pretty innocent to me. I also think there is a difference between a child dressing as the devil versus dressing as a princess, or something of the like. IMO, there are ways to keep evil out of a day that originally the Lord created in the first place, even though some humans turned it into something disgraceful. I guess this just more or less points out what I'm trying to say about people interpreting Scripture differently. The first time I read it, I thought you were trying to point out that anything having to be even 'indirectly' connected to evil should be avoided...meaning even someone who is trying to turn something bad into something good. So, when I read it, that point kind of stuck in my head and it made sense to think it that way. Then, when I reread it a second time I read it to mean what you had just clarified. Then, when I again reread it a third time, I read it knowing who Paul was addressing and then it gave me whole other different intrepretation. :lol: In the end, I came out with 3 different interpretations in my mind because each time I read it I was thinking of something totally different! Ha!
Krista, my heart goes out to you and yours. This is the real part I was referencing earlier. People tend to think that this only occurred in the past. They don't realize just how real and active it is today.
It was more than just October 31st. However, October 31st was treated like a more blatant, more horrific in nature. Unspeakable things occurred. Bad things happened ALL the time. But UNSPEAKABLE things around Halloween - the month leading up to , the few days after. I wish I were exaggerating. Again - don't say ANYTHING TO ANYONE about how they chose to deal with the holiday.
When I was growing up, we had "hallelujah" parties at church. I have let DS go trick or treating a little, just so he won't end up feeling like he "missed out" later in life. We talk about what the day means to some people, but it doesn't have to mean that for us. It's just a day to do something silly & have fun. Kind of like santa & the tooth fairy. I wasn't allowed to believe in anything as a child. DH explained it all to me. There really is a santa, he's just not who you think he is. DS still gets a present from "santa" every year. He (of course) figured it out a few years ago, but it's just fun. I think it all comes down to just letting a kid be a kid. They have fantastic imaginations that, when guided properly, can end up in wonderful childhood memories. Oh, and I do believe in santa!
I'm always unfashionably late. :-( This discussion had turned into a lot more than the first few post that I read. Sorry.
It was still nice of you to stop on by and give your two cents. :love: Oh...and even though my oldest doesn't believe the whole Santa thing (we really don't push it much around here), I still 'play' Santa. I wait until Christmas Eve to put out the presents when the boys go to bed so they can wake up to a tree filled with goodies. I love the look on their faces that morning. I usually video record it every time. Christmas morning we eat breakfast first, pray, and in recent years have made Jesus a birthday cake, and open presents. OH man, now all this talk about Christmas is making me really want to get over Thanksgiving so I can start my Christmas stuff!!! lol I love Christmas and everything about it.
