Halloween – Do the parents know? – a different look
This is a follow on to Halloween – do the parents know? However this is not written by me, but rather by a good friend. I agree 100% with what he has written.
” I’m not convinced that particular line of argument is very solid. If the criticism is that of a given celebration’s roots alone, then you’d have to toss out Christmas and Easter as well, which are only two examples of ancient pagan festivals that were Christianised. I’d like to make 2 points here, arguing both for and against certain aspects of modern ‘religious celebrations’.
First, I think that ancient days of celebration (pagan or otherwise) that become Christianised can stand as an example of the power of Christ’s redemption. I’ll explain further. Jesus can rescue anything and anyone and turn all things from that which despises God to that which brings Him glory. If you bunk everything that has un-Christian roots then, in addition to All Saint’s day, Christmas and Easter and you wanted to take that line of thought all the way through to it’s conclusion, you’d have to bunk me as a friend and even your own family and yourself. I stand as a prime example of something that has distinctly un-Christian roots. I stand, only by God’s grace, as a product of that powerful redemption. And not just you and me – it’s all of us. Paul claimed he was ‘the chief of sinners’. From Col 1:13-14: ”He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
If Christ can redeem me from ‘the domain of darkness’, devoting my life to everything that despises Him ‘to the kingdom of His beloved Son’. Into one where He is glorified by me being seen as a recipient of His grace – where the Father can look at me and see the sinless perfection of His Son – then He can redeem anything. Some more from Col 1: v16 “For by Him [Jesus Christ] all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities— ALL THINGS were created through Him and FOR HIM.” and in vv19-22 “For in Him [again, Jesus Christ] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him TO RECONCILE ALL THINGS, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, HE HAS NOW RECONCILED in His body of flesh by His death, IN ORDER TO PRESENT YOU HOLY AND BLAMELESS and above reproach before Him…” [my own emphases added]. I believe that the story of redemption is a powerful one that we can see all around us and should celebrate in the right way as often as we can.
The second point is this. In the largely post-Christian west there is not much content left in so-called Christian holidays, or, indeed any other religious holidays, whether it’s Hunukkah, Easter or Diwali other than opportunities to use vague references to those events as a colour palette to set up corporate marketing campaigns aimed at getting people to feel all warm and fuzzy and generous with their wallets – and that not for goodwill to all men but rather goodwill to retail coffers. As Christians, we can and do fall for this very easily.
All things considered, I would say this: days of celebration are no different to any other day in the sense that we should use all occasions and all actions to glorify God but, where there is an opportunity that the church or tradition or even popular culture affords us to point special attention onto the redemptive work that Christ has done and who He is we should take it, regardless of where it’s ‘roots’ lie. Christ can and does redeem all things to His own glory.
I would go further and also say that we do need to temper how we do this by considering the two things that Paul asks the church in Rome to do in Rom 14 and the first 7 verses of ch 15.
First – be convinced in your own mind about what you do ‘in honour of the Lord’ and don’t pass judgement on anyone who does what they do, also ‘in honour of the Lord’. There are people of stronger or weaker faith but equal devotion.
Second – in love, decide to never put a stumbling block or a hinderance in the way of a brother. Even if Paul says “everything is indeed clean… (v20)”, “Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. (v22)” and “So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (vv16-17)” he also says, “The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God.(v22)” and, “For if your brother is grieved by what you eat [your actions], you are no longer walking in love (v15)”.
The main thrust of this passage is unity of faith between those who practice it in different ways. An encouragement to keep the main thing the main thing and not to heckle and, worse, split and divide over minor issues. So, whatever you do, who you do it in front of, how you talk about what you do, as well as how and why you do it must proceed from faith (v23) and love for one another. From v19, “So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.” Paul ends this line of argument with this: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” Rom 15:5-7)
And again from Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church: “…walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Eph 4:1-3 ”
By JW
The Masculine Man: is a Fighting Man!
What has society done to the masculine man? It has disrobed him, cut off his manhood, and put him on display for the entire world to see. It has turned him into a sissy, wrapped in insecurity and emotion, and unable to be the man he is intended to be.
Take a look at what is being played on TV nowadays, everywhere you turn it seems to be a show where the man is dumb, can not do anything right, and is walked all over by family and friends. This is not how we were ever supposed to be.
We see whole families being ripped apart because the man is not man enough to admit that he has a drinking problem and needs help. We see fathers treating sons and daughters like prostitutes and prisoners. We see wives and woman being raped, beat up like a punching bag, and put into slavery in their own homes. Now I am not for a second saying this is all the man’s fault or societies fault; but there are greater forces of evil at work here, however, the men need to stand up and FIGHT!
In ancient days gone by the men were warriors; they protected, hunted, provided for and loved their families. As time has gone by and evil has worked its way in, men have lost their masculinity. Men now need to realize this and need to stand for what they believe in. They need to take the role of leadership that has been given them and do it. They need to take up the role of protecting and providing that has been given to them and do it. They need to love and be loved!
We as men need to be fighting men, no longer backing down and allowing the evil one to take ground, but standing up in the authority that God has given us and FIGHT.
FIGHT!
Halloween: Do the parents know?
Father Gabriele Amorth, a Vatican-appointed exorcist in Rome, has said, “If English and American children like to dress up as witches and devils on one night of the year that is not a problem. If it is just a game, there is no harm in that.” I have a problem with that statement!
Halloween may in some ways externally be about candy, games, going door to door, pumpkins, and scary pictures. It is however at the heart a demonic day. The Halloween we see now has become something much more played down then it used to be, that is in part to Western society, it did not always us to look like this.
Halloween has roots in the Celtic Festival of Samhain (Oct. 31) and the Christian holiday All Saints’ Day (Nov. 1), however it draws most of its heritage from the Celtic Festival of Samhain. The festival of Samhain celebrates the end of summer and beginning of winter, and is sometimes call the Celtic New Year. The Celtics believed that the border between our world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirit to pass through. These spirits were both harmful and harmless, and family ancestors were honoured and invited home. In order to ward off or placate the evil spirits people would dress up in costumes and masks, sometimes made from animal skins and heads or young men dress in white with veiled or blacked faces. (You can now see why kids now-a-days dress up as demons and evil spirits.) During this time they would make two bonfires and walk between it as a cleansing ritual. They would also take stock of the harvest and slaughter live stock to see them through winter. The bones of the slaughtered live stock were thrown into the flames.
The jack-o-lantern came out of this festival as well. It used to be carved turnips with candles in them, and they were placed on window ledges to ward off evil spirits. The carved turnips were also done so show a soul in purgatory, later this was adapted into pumpkins and the jack-o-lanterns we see today.
The words trick or treat came from, kids going door to door asking for a treat if not some form of mischief was done to the property. It also resembles the medieval practice of souling. This was when poor folk would go door to door on Nov. 1 receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (Nov. 2). Another place trick or treat may have come from was the Druids, who were members of the priestly class in Gaul and possibly other parts of Celtic Western Europe during the Iron Age. They would go door to door asking people for animals or humans to sacrifice in the bonfires. If you gave to them then you were blessed if not then you were cursed.
The things I have mentioned above we see forms of now, this is due to the Western Society dulling down and making fun the tradition of Halloween. I leave it to you to decide whether or not you celebrate Halloween, I will not. I do not think even in fun, to give glory to the demonic in any way is wise, helpful, or Godly. I leave you with the below quote:
Halloween is a religious day, but it is not Christian. Tom Sanguinet, a former high priest in Wicca (Often referred to as Witchcraft or the Craft) has said: “The modern holiday that we call Halloween has its origins in the full moon closest to November 1, the witches’ new year. It is a time when the spirits (demons) are supposed to be at their peak power and revisiting planet earth… Halloween is purely and absolutely evil, and there is nothing we ever have, or will do, that would make it acceptable to the Lord Jesus.”
Some of the information above was taken from Wikipedia and other sites found online.
Timothy West 