More accurately, I believe the question is, " 'should' Christians celebrate Halloween?" (because, after all, you "could" eat your parents, it is physically "possible" to, but it doesn't mean that you "should", nor that the Commands allow it as God's good, pleasing, perfect will).
For example, Balaam—whom you can read about in Numbers 22-24—he "could"/it was "possible"/he was capable of going to curse the Israelites, but it doesn't mean he "should" have, nor that God was pleased with him for doing so (i.e. angel sent to smite him), that it was God's preferred option that safeguards Israelite and Gentile alike, nor that cursing the Israelites was actually honoring to God even if it's done in God's Name. Though God's original instruction was "no", God eventually allowed Balaam to go along in his stubborn insistence to serve what the Gentiles wanted to do. But the only thing God allowed Balaam to speak was against cursing the Israelites, consequently only blessing them—and thus not what the Gentiles were asking him for / to come participate with them in (to curse them); Balaam could only go there to speak God's will, thus speak against the very thing they were seeking to do, not rewarding them for it nor allowing them to. So, even while there, he did nothing that ultimately honored their pursuits/requests.
Before I get to the relevant Commands, meditate on Balaam's example for a second.
For compromising on God's original instruction, Balaam almost got killed by angel on the onset, and then ultimately gets killed by the Israelites in Numbers 31:8, Balaam's followers also get killed i.e. Numbers 31:16. In their heart of hearts, they wanted to disobey God's Instruction, and go ahead and curse the Israelites anyway, so in return, they got cursed and placed in danger themselves in the end of it all.
People can argue and reason all they like, even appealing to God and His Word for why they want to do something, but if what they want to pursue literally—and emphasis on literally, not symbolically but literally—goes against what His Commands would have you do (or not do), and their motives are fleshly, God cannot be mocked; it will not work well for anybody because His Commands are the protective fence that keeps whoever would obey them (in Spirit and Truth) protected, but also keeps dangerous things out.
Proverbs 2:6-8 (NIV)
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Jeremiah 17:10 (NIV)
10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
God's original, preferred, perfect will, safe-guarding God's people (even gentiles) from getting cursed (and attacked by spirits and fellow man) vs. God's will compromised/watered-down by man's stubbornness that wanted to pursue what pleases the worldly (and the flesh), walking on spiritually dangerous ground, for yourself and others, and also at the risk of mis-communicating God's actual will by our participation, even if the content of our message is speaking against the very thing we're presently finding ourselves in, but not indulging in.
If in your heart of hearts, you're doing [whatever] to please God/obey a Command, not the flesh, God will know. If you're doing [whatever] to please the flesh, not God's Command, God will also know. He cannot be deceived like a man.
Having clarified "could/possible vs. should" and offered that Biblical example of Balaam as, "food for thought", I'll move on to more specifically and explicitly answer "should we celebrate Halloween". I would say, "no, we shouldn't" based on three main Biblical criteria built on the Commands from God. The other two criteria stem from the first, so starting with the most important:
(1) the Commands of God where He mandates (not suggests, but outright Commands) that we be holy, like He is holy—thus set-apart—from what the pagans worship. He is unlike what they worship: their gods, if not myth (lies) and idols, are actually demons (not YHWH, Creator, Father of Spirits, Holy Spirit, Spirit of Christ); consequently, their customs will always honor unclean spirits, not the Holy Spirit. We follow the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life; so, we're to be set-apart from the customs of the nations, which honor deviance from the Way, that teach LIES/myths about reality, and that lead you to death/spiritual death, not everlasting life.
1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a]
Footnotes:
1 Peter 1:16 Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2
Leviticus 20:26 (NIV)
26 You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.
Jeremiah 10:2 (NIV)
2 This is what the Lord says:
“Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them.
Deuteronomy 12:30-31 (NIV)
30 and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” 31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 (NIV)
9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.
1 Corinthians 10:19-22 (NIV)
19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
1 Corinthians 10:23 (NIV)
23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.
Jeremiah 16:19 (NIV)
19 Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, “Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good.
Romans 7:12 (NIV)
12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
So, if not worthless, the pagan's (the nations') spiritual practices are detrimental and demon-honoring. Our God doesn't command worthlessness nor do the Commands cause harm to the obedient follower (on the contrary, they protect us and we only suffer at the hands of His enemies/His enemies' ways/by becoming His enemy/those who are hostile to God and His Commands). Much less does He want us honoring demons/inviting evil spirits to us, yet an open invitation we make to demons when we engage in the practices that honor them, which communicates to them, "you are welcomed in this place; I'm under your jurisdiction"—not the Holy Spirit's. So we must be holy / set-apart from the contaminated (and demonic) ways of this world (for our and fellow man's good, physically and spiritually).
(2) Halloween communicates a false view about what happens in death / to the dead. Halloween, which originates from the Celts and druids (the nations plural, not the set-apart nation of YHWH), carries the idea that on one day, every year, the border between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead is thinnest; thus, that spirits can cross over freely whenever they want on that night, and you must hide from the evil spirits that come out at that point in time by wearing costumes; in contrast, the Biblical worldview speaks of evil spirits that aren't impeded by physical objects/a piece of cloth/clothing/costume. Demons can possess you any time of the year (if one is not filled with the Holy Spirit), and no, you, as a human soul, cannot come out of the realm of the dead by your own volition, yet this is not limited to a specific date (Moses appearing to Jesus at the transfiguration for instance); the angels take your soul to Sheol/Hades/realm of the dead, you cannot go in or come out on your own (e.g. the angels taking Lazarus into the realm of the dead, and "elohim/gods" bringing the dead prophet Samuel back up).
• Human souls cannot freely travel, but necessitate divine escort:
1 Samuel 28:13-14 (NIV)
13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”
The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure[a] coming up out of the earth.”
14 “What does he look like?” he asked.
“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Samuel 28:13 Or see spirits; or see gods
Luke 16:22 (NIV)
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
• In contrast, demons can freely go in and out of human vessels on earth, who are not under YHWH's protection nor filled with His Spirit, whenever they want, undeterred by what you wear:
Matthew 12:43-45 (NIV)
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
1 Samuel 16:14 (NIV)
14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil[a] spirit from the Lord tormented him.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Samuel 16:14 Or and a harmful; similarly in verses 15, 16 and 23
(3) The very festivity seeks to induce fear in what Jesus came to deliver us from:
Hebrews 2:15 (NIV)
15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Yet the horror movies, the gore, the haunted houses, campfire stories, fictitious, lies, seeking to make you feel terrified of death itself, a cheap adrenaline rush to the flesh. Placing people in a state of fear (for entertainment's sake). Is that Christ-like?
(edit: What's Christ-like is for salvation's sake: using truth/truthful examples to make you see the gruesome consequences of sin / lawlessness, the true nature of sinners, so to repent of sinful, unjust, lawless, foolish behavior—look how it affects you and others—stimulating your soul to be saved from danger, both on earth and in the heavenly realms by following God's Wisdom. Not to jolt and excite your flesh.)
So, all these elements combined: the spirits and the ways that Halloween honors, the warped worldview/ideas that it promotes (the gods/religions of the pagans, lies, fearing death, and the fear of death as cheap thrill to the flesh), they are strong Biblical evidence that suggests Halloween is contrary to what a Christian is suppose to reflect. And the way that one "participates" in Halloween—by going out to preach against the celebration and the ideas that originated the festivity—is essentially not celebrating it just as much as the one who stayed home and associated none whatsoever with it. But if you're not speaking against what it stands for, then what are you doing there in their midst? Even if Christians have celebrated it in the past—because "possible", "I can do anything"—that doesn't make it God's good, pleasing, perfect will, nor beneficial and good for you and them. Maybe Christians in the past were ignorant, but we're suppose to grow in the knowledge of Christ.
Matthew 5:48 (NIV)
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Hebrews 6:1 (WEB)
6 Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God,
2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
For more in-depth information on holiness and how to apply it, not just concerning a particular secular/worldly celebration, I recommend reading this topic: [Holiness: what is it?]
More accurately, I believe the question is, " 'should' Christians celebrate Halloween?" (because, after all, you "could" eat your parents, it is physically "possible" to, but it doesn't mean that you "should", nor that the Commands allow it as God's good, pleasing, perfect will).
For example, Balaam—whom you can read about in Numbers 22-24—he "could"/it was "possible"/he was capable of going to curse the Israelites, but it doesn't mean he "should" have, nor that God was pleased with him for doing so (i.e. angel sent to smite him), that it was God's preferred option that safeguards Israelite and Gentile alike, nor that cursing the Israelites was actually honoring to God even if it's done in God's Name. Though God's original instruction was "no", God eventually allowed Balaam to go along in his stubborn insistence to serve what the Gentiles wanted to do. But the only thing God allowed Balaam to speak was against cursing the Israelites, consequently only blessing them—and thus not what the Gentiles were asking him for / to come participate with them in (to curse them); Balaam could only go there to speak God's will, thus speak against the very thing they were seeking to do, not rewarding them for it nor allowing them to. So, even while there, he did nothing that ultimately honored their pursuits/requests.
Before I get to the relevant Commands, meditate on Balaam's example for a second.
For compromising on God's original instruction, Balaam almost got killed by angel on the onset, and then ultimately gets killed by the Israelites in Numbers 31:8, Balaam's followers also get killed i.e. Numbers 31:16. In their heart of hearts, they wanted to disobey God's Instruction, and go ahead and curse the Israelites anyway, so in return, they got cursed and placed in danger themselves in the end of it all.
People can argue and reason all they like, even appealing to God and His Word for why they want to do something, but if what they want to pursue literally—and emphasis on literally, not symbolically but literally—goes against what His Commands would have you do (or not do), and their motives are fleshly, God cannot be mocked; it will not work well for anybody because His Commands are the protective fence that keeps whoever would obey them (in Spirit and Truth) protected, but also keeps dangerous things out.
Proverbs 2:6-8 (NIV)
6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Jeremiah 17:10 (NIV)
10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
God's original, preferred, perfect will, safe-guarding God's people (even gentiles) from getting cursed (and attacked by spirits and fellow man) vs. God's will compromised/watered-down by man's stubbornness that wanted to pursue what pleases the worldly (and the flesh), walking on spiritually dangerous ground, for yourself and others, and also at the risk of mis-communicating God's actual will by our participation, even if the content of our message is speaking against the very thing we're presently finding ourselves in, but not indulging in.
If in your heart of hearts, you're doing [whatever] to please God/obey a Command, not the flesh, God will know. If you're doing [whatever] to please the flesh, not God's Command, God will also know. He cannot be deceived like a man.
Having clarified "could/possible vs. should" and offered that Biblical example of Balaam as, "food for thought", I'll move on to more specifically and explicitly answer "should we celebrate Halloween". I would say, "no, we shouldn't" based on three main Biblical criteria built on the Commands from God. The other two criteria stem from the first, so starting with the most important:
(1) the Commands of God where He mandates (not suggests, but outright Commands) that we be holy, like He is holy—thus set-apart—from what the pagans worship. He is unlike what they worship: their gods, if not myth (lies) and idols, are actually demons (not YHWH, Creator, Father of Spirits, Holy Spirit, Spirit of Christ); consequently, their customs will always honor unclean spirits, not the Holy Spirit. We follow the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life; so, we're to be set-apart from the customs of the nations, which honor deviance from the Way, that teach LIES/myths about reality, and that lead you to death/spiritual death, not everlasting life.
1 Peter 1:15-16 (NIV)
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”[a]
Footnotes:
1 Peter 1:16 Lev. 11:44,45; 19:2
Leviticus 20:26 (NIV)
26 You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.
Jeremiah 10:2 (NIV)
2 This is what the Lord says:
“Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified by them.
Deuteronomy 12:30-31 (NIV)
30 and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” 31 You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.
Deuteronomy 18:9-12 (NIV)
9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.
1 Corinthians 10:19-22 (NIV)
19 Do I mean then that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons. 22 Are we trying to arouse the Lord’s jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
1 Corinthians 10:23 (NIV)
23 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive.
Jeremiah 16:19 (NIV)
19 Lord, my strength and my fortress, my refuge in time of distress, to you the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, “Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods, worthless idols that did them no good.
Romans 7:12 (NIV)
12 So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous and good.
So, if not worthless, the pagan's (the nations') spiritual practices are detrimental and demon-honoring. Our God doesn't command worthlessness nor do the Commands cause harm to the obedient follower (on the contrary, they protect us and we only suffer at the hands of His enemies/His enemies' ways/by becoming His enemy/those who are hostile to God and His Commands). Much less does He want us honoring demons/inviting evil spirits to us, yet an open invitation we make to demons when we engage in the practices that honor them, which communicates to them, "you are welcomed in this place; I'm under your jurisdiction"—not the Holy Spirit's. So we must be holy / set-apart from the contaminated (and demonic) ways of this world (for our and fellow man's good, physically and spiritually).
(2) Halloween communicates a false view about what happens in death / to the dead. Halloween, which originates from the Celts and druids (the nations plural, not the set-apart nation of YHWH), carries the idea that on one day, every year, the border between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead is thinnest; thus, that spirits can cross over freely whenever they want on that night, and you must hide from the evil spirits that come out at that point in time by wearing costumes; in contrast, the Biblical worldview speaks of evil spirits that aren't impeded by physical objects/a piece of cloth/clothing/costume. Demons can possess you any time of the year (if one is not filled with the Holy Spirit), and no, you, as a human soul, cannot come out of the realm of the dead by your own volition, yet this is not limited to a specific date (Moses appearing to Jesus at the transfiguration for instance); the angels take your soul to Sheol/Hades/realm of the dead, you cannot go in or come out on your own (e.g. the angels taking Lazarus into the realm of the dead, and "elohim/gods" bringing the dead prophet Samuel back up).
• Human souls cannot freely travel, but necessitate divine escort:
1 Samuel 28:13-14 (NIV)
13 The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?”
The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure[a] coming up out of the earth.”
14 “What does he look like?” he asked.
“An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said.
Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Samuel 28:13 Or see spirits; or see gods
Luke 16:22 (NIV)
22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
• In contrast, demons can freely go in and out of human vessels on earth, who are not under YHWH's protection nor filled with His Spirit, whenever they want, undeterred by what you wear:
Matthew 12:43-45 (NIV)
43 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation.”
1 Samuel 16:14 (NIV)
14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil[a] spirit from the Lord tormented him.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Samuel 16:14 Or and a harmful; similarly in verses 15, 16 and 23
(3) The very festivity seeks to induce fear in what Jesus came to deliver us from:
Hebrews 2:15 (NIV)
15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Yet the horror movies, the gore, the haunted houses, campfire stories, fictitious, lies, seeking to make you feel terrified of death itself, a cheap adrenaline rush to the flesh. Placing people in a state of fear (for entertainment's sake). Is that Christ-like?
So, all these elements combined: the spirits and the ways that Halloween honors, the warped worldview/ideas that it promotes (the gods/religions of the pagans, lies, fearing death, and the fear of death as cheap thrill to the flesh), they are strong Biblical evidence that suggests Halloween is contrary to what a Christian is suppose to reflect. And the way that one "participates" in Halloween—by going out to preach against the celebration and the ideas that originated the festivity—is essentially not celebrating it just as much as the one who stayed home and associated none whatsoever with it. But if you're not speaking against what it stands for, then what are you doing there in their midst? Even if Christians have celebrated it in the past—because "possible", "I can do anything"—that doesn't make it God's good, pleasing, perfect will, nor beneficial and good for you and them. Maybe Christians in the past were ignorant, but we're suppose to grow in the knowledge of Christ.
Matthew 5:48 (NIV)
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Hebrews 6:1 (WEB)
6 Therefore leaving the teaching of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to perfection—not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God,
2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.
Ephesians 4:11-16 (NIV)
11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
For more in-depth information on holiness and how to apply it, not just concerning a particular secular/worldly celebration, I recommend reading this topic: [Holiness: what is it?]
spiders,bats, pumpkins, scareacrows, cats were okay for Halloween and the rest isn't okay.
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2017 3:08 pm
clockwork-rider93
spiders,bats, pumpkins, scareacrows, cats were okay for Halloween and the rest isn't okay.
It's not that simple. Context and others' perception of the symbol matters too. Whatever you do, whether in front of an outsider (and thus in front of an idolater totally lost in the world) or in front of a fellow believer who also came out of idolatry and is struggling to stay out of it, don't give them—who lack mature discernment in the faith—the false impression that you're honoring the same thing/idea (i.e. a false belief system, an idolatrous holiday) or that the idolatrous ideas behind the symbol are okay to continue having.
Colossians 4:5 (NIV)
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
1 Corinthians 8:10 (NIV)
10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?
...likewise, emboldened to believe that there's nothing wrong with the surrounding idolatrous belief, that it's okay to partake of/accept. You may have knowledge that an idol/image isn't anything (but that the idol/image honors a demon and demonic thought), however because it honors that demonic thought in the eyes of the world, even when you don't give an image or practice the same meaning as them, it matters what we lead others to believe (or the false beliefs we leave others in). Ergo, not only must we guard against accepting the physical practice itself (which can be unhealthy, not good / not beneficial), and against the spiritual entities (demons) themselves, but also the surrounding unclean ideas attached to it need to be guarded against accepting too.
Do we really think that our use of those symbols, collectively, is not going to be associated with their false gods/false beliefs? and not express approval of their beliefs? all the more in their pagan culture, in the month that pagans honor their demonically-inspired festivities? Why do we want to decorate with spiders, bats, pumpkins, scarecrows, and cats during this time? who told us to do this? God? or the world [and the prince of this world, i.e. Satan, with his demons ]? the Commands of God or the lust of the flesh (lust of the eyes)? are we really going into Halloween to speak against it or we participating just to indulge in their gluttonous ways? What we should be in love with is doing things God's Way, interacting with His creation the Way He says, not loving the things in the world (and their ways) in and of themselves.
1 John 2:15-16 (NIV)
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
Footnotes:
a. 1 John 2:15 Or world, the Father’s love
Zechariah 7:5-6 (NIV)
5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?
Similarly, who/what is inspiring us to use this group of symbols collectively? And why? Is it to merely indulge in the flesh and participate in the very same thing they're honoring during this time (demonic invitation, uncleanness, fear of death, their nature worship, Samhain, godless myths, superstition, and unhealthy eating)?
1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)
7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
Isaiah 57:8 (NIV)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.
Let's be honest: you didn't come up with using "spiders, bats, pumpkins, scarescrows, cats" specifically together out of nowhere. And in and of themselves, what God created isn't idolatrous, but the images we make of them and how those symbols are being used in a particular way to honor the demonic thoughts and practices is.
The practices that comprise Halloween you don't find commanded by God, but you do find them as having originated to honor their demons, myths, and lies. So, who/what gets the glory when people decorate themselves (or their house) in a way that honors the specific symbolism the world associates with Halloween (the costume-wearing festivity of the Celts and druids)? The demons, the Celts, the druids, and the demonic beliefs get the glory, not the Holy God of Israel who tells us to set ourselves apart from the worthless practices/beliefs of the nations (which if not harmful and not good for us, is a useless, lying myth that honors demonic thought/doctrine, not the Holy Spirit and His sound doctrine in truth).
So adopting a certain set of symbolism associated/recognized as pertaining to the false belief system, or that could be mistaken as your approval of the idolatrous belief system, should be avoided to prevent miscommunicating that we approve (and that He approves) of their unholy ideas/beliefs and way of life. Not just doctrinal/belief contamination that we're avoiding and defeating, but physical (unhealthiness) and spiritual (demonic oppression). Guarding holiness on all levels.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 (KJV)
7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)
7 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
Please do read the in-depth topic I linked to previously for fuller context on Bible verses that describe holy living, separated from unclean thoughts, speech, and practices, and not misleading anyone into them (nor leaving them in it). If we love our neighbour, then we need to be holy in everything that we do, on all levels of our being, to guard against contaminating body and spirit (ours and theirs), and guard against profaning God's holy reputation.
spiders,bats, pumpkins, scareacrows, cats were okay for Halloween and the rest isn't okay.
It's not that simple. Context and others' perception of the symbol matters too. Whatever you do, whether in front of an outsider (and thus in front of an idolater totally lost in the world) or in front of a fellow believer who also came out of idolatry and is struggling to stay out of it, don't give them—who lack mature discernment in the faith—the false impression that you're honoring the same thing/idea (i.e. a false belief system, an idolatrous holiday) or that the idolatrous ideas behind the symbol are okay to continue having.
Colossians 4:5 (NIV)
5 Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.
1 Corinthians 8:10 (NIV)
10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?
...likewise, emboldened to believe that there's nothing wrong with the surrounding idolatrous belief, that it's okay to partake of/accept. You may have knowledge that an idol/image isn't anything (but that the idol/image honors a demon and demonic thought), however because it honors that demonic thought in the eyes of the world, even when you don't give an image or practice the same meaning as them, it matters what we lead others to believe (or the false beliefs we leave others in). Ergo, not only must we guard against accepting the physical practice itself (which can be unhealthy, not good / not beneficial), and against the spiritual entities (demons) themselves, but also the surrounding unclean ideas attached to it need to be guarded against accepting too.
Do we really think that our use of those symbols, collectively, is not going to be associated with their false gods/false beliefs? and not express approval of their beliefs? all the more in their pagan culture, in the month that pagans honor their demonically-inspired festivities? Why do we want to decorate with spiders, bats, pumpkins, scarecrows, and cats during this time? who told us to do this? God? or the world [and the prince of this world, i.e. Satan, with his demons ]? the Commands of God or the lust of the flesh (lust of the eyes)? are we really going into Halloween to speak against it or we participating just to indulge in their gluttonous ways? What we should be in love with is doing things God's Way, interacting with His creation the Way He says, not loving the things in the world (and their ways) in and of themselves.
1 John 2:15-16 (NIV)
15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
Footnotes:
a. 1 John 2:15 Or world, the Father’s love
Zechariah 7:5-6 (NIV)
5 “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months for the past seventy years, was it really for me that you fasted? 6 And when you were eating and drinking, were you not just feasting for yourselves?
Similarly, who/what is inspiring us to use this group of symbols collectively? And why? Is it to merely indulge in the flesh and participate in the very same thing they're honoring during this time (demonic invitation, uncleanness, fear of death, their nature worship, Samhain, godless myths, superstition, and unhealthy eating)?
1 Timothy 4:7 (NIV)
7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
Isaiah 57:8 (NIV)
8 Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols. Forsaking me, you uncovered your bed, you climbed into it and opened it wide; you made a pact with those whose beds you love, and you looked with lust on their naked bodies.
Let's be honest: you didn't come up with using "spiders, bats, pumpkins, scarescrows, cats" specifically together out of nowhere. And in and of themselves, what God created isn't idolatrous, but the images we make of them and how those symbols are being used in a particular way to honor the demonic thoughts and practices is.
The practices that comprise Halloween you don't find commanded by God, but you do find them as having originated to honor their demons, myths, and lies. So, who/what gets the glory when people decorate themselves (or their house) in a way that honors the specific symbolism the world associates with Halloween (the costume-wearing festivity of the Celts and druids)? The demons, the Celts, the druids, and the demonic beliefs get the glory, not the Holy God of Israel who tells us to set ourselves apart from the worthless practices/beliefs of the nations (which if not harmful and not good for us, is a useless, lying myth that honors demonic thought/doctrine, not the Holy Spirit and His sound doctrine in truth).
So adopting a certain set of symbolism associated/recognized as pertaining to the false belief system, or that could be mistaken as your approval of the idolatrous belief system, should be avoided to prevent miscommunicating that we approve (and that He approves) of their unholy ideas/beliefs and way of life. Not just doctrinal/belief contamination that we're avoiding and defeating, but physical (unhealthiness) and spiritual (demonic oppression). Guarding holiness on all levels.
1 Thessalonians 4:7 (KJV)
7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.
2 Corinthians 7:1 (NIV)
7 Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
Please do read the in-depth topic I linked to previously for fuller context on Bible verses that describe holy living, separated from unclean thoughts, speech, and practices, and not misleading anyone into them (nor leaving them in it). If we love our neighbour, then we need to be holy in everything that we do, on all levels of our being, to guard against contaminating body and spirit (ours and theirs), and guard against profaning God's holy reputation.
yes I am aware of that. I don't understand about this stuff is bad. However I sometimes uses extremely caution and there are some good and bad in this holiday. and I infact thought if you dress up something from history couldn't be such a bad thing. I hate to argue but some people dressed scary. Well I do understand about what I am gonna wear. Well it's depends on how strictly Christian you are. Well on Halloween I watch pirates of the Caribbean. But sometimes people have been misleading to understand what this holiday is about. When I was little we never gone trick or treating, instead we make jack o laterns and hangout candy. I do enjoy it. But afterwards of thinking about this seriously, there are bad things out there on that night. And i disocvered that I don't like Halloween because there's a background story about my own self in the past. Well the little kids pretend to be horrible creatures of the night and chanting I want to suck your blood, and chasing me and tied my shoe laces together. That is why. And I don't like Halloween in that direction. And I got my bravely up and running. I pretend that I'm not scared of everything. And I couldn't decide what to do with my life.
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