Featured Halloween is near! What will You do?

Years ago a free will church where I belonged started having church related Halloween parties because a number of young children were attending. I am old school when it comes to services. I don't believe churches should support Halloween period. The Catholic church had what they called All Hallows Eve on Oct 31 the day before All Hallows Day or all saints day on Nov. 1. Some of the members of the Catholic church would go around from door to door receiving small cakes and in return promises were made to pray for their dead relatives. The pastor at that time was of the mind if the church doesn't do things for the children to keep them in church then the devil will steal them with his intertainment. I called a member of the church and was in discussion with him about this issue when I heard his wife in the back ground refer to me as the devil by saying, " every time something is done for the young people, here comes the devil ". This All Hallows Eve later was renamed Halloween and according to tradition people would dress up in costumes because evil spirits were present on Oct 31 and if you were in a costume it would trick the evil spirits and they would not inter into you. The scripture gives warning against people partaking with the occult. This is the reason I don't think the church should support Halloween.

 

Personally I enjoy history from the perspective of others, as it can sometimes be contrary to the popular notions.

Handing out tracts is a great idea, though just from my perspective I think something more geared for the adult is more appropriate. While I think some of the cartoon tracts are good, some can come across as offensive to children in the perspective of the parent, so a tract geared for an adult may be less offensive. We know the Gospel will offend, but probably better to target the parents.

As to our culture and certain holidays, not sure it's a waste of time discuss Halloween and it's history. If no-one does that, then a relevant part of history is lost to those only familiar with modern custom.

And just wanted to throw this in: I was listening to the radio going down the road when some guy started making fun of "fun-sized" candy bars, lol. Thought it was a pretty good point, lol, so bought full size candy bars, as well as some little ones. When the kids came up (got stuck with passing it out that year, and kind of wanted to see what the reaction would be) I asked, "You want fun size or life size?"

They all wanted life size, lol.


God bless.

 

Heathen! LOL

 

I have a great idea. October 31st is Reformation day, the day Martin Luther posted his 95 theses. We should all dress up as 16th Century Augustinian monks and nail copies of Luther's 95 theses on the neighbors doors. I wonder how that would go over?

 

To each his own my brother!:wavey:

I'm not disagreeing with you that, in some cases, a tract that's targeted to parents might sometimes be better, but, IMHO, today's Halloween observance, at least in my town house development, seems to be more aimed to the children of, say, 13 YO or younger.

Granted, a parent or some other "responsible adult"---maybe an older [18 YO or older] brother or sister, or possibly a neighbor who looks after other neighbor's children till their own parents get home from work (Often that can nowadays be as late as 7:30 pm--or even later!)---SHOULD or, given what we've often seen on the news, MUST accompany these little folks :tear:

In my experience, in the bus ministry--in which I was a Bus Captain for about 20 years--even some of the most hardened parents will at least listen to what you have to say about salvation, etc., because they see that you personally and/or the church that sponsors the bus ministry, take time to care for their children.

I know that some of these parents at first only see the bus ministry as a "babysitting service." I've even taken flak from Christians who, for some mysterious reason(s) see no need for a ministry whose goal is to reach out to these young ones in their formative years.

My response to these cynics--some of whom call themselves born-again Christians--is this: These children have souls too. If we who claim to love the Lord and want to obey Jesus's Great Commission in any legitimate way we can, don't reach them before the satanic-controlled world system in which they are forced to live, then guess who is and will reach them and destroy them?

Sadly, most of these apathetic Christians think that all they have to do is show up on Sunday, toss their offering in the plate, and PRESTO, they're good to go for another week!!

My Bible doesn't say that an hour or two on Sunday, and possibly another hour on Wednesday puts a person on the Lord's "Well done thou good and faithful servant!" list.

I forgot who it was who first said that if people want to know that you care about them (or their children), then you'd better get off your "Blessed Assurance" and demonstrate by doing all that you can for them in order to fulfill that "Love Your Neighbor Thing."

Not everyone is necessarily called to minister to children, but all who claim Jesus to be their own personal Savior, is called into some kind of ministry based on his or her spiritual giftedness and/or their own personal life experiences.

I've never been called to preach, nor (thankfully!) would I probably be named "Nursery Worker of the Century :laugh:," but I've been called to do my part to reach that Arabic neighbor or those little girls whose complexion is a lot darker than mine who use my back yard as a short cut to their town house when the public school bus off loads them and their friends every afternoon at about 3:30 pm.

What God has called anyone else to do while we're here on this earth waiting for Jesus to come back for us is a matter that only that person and the God Who created them can determine for themselves.

I don't know how many of these little ones I'll see in heaven, but, if it's just one who came to know Jesus in a saving relationship because I reached out to that snotty-nosed boy or that little girl who every week would show me her torn-up Raggety Ann doll, that'll be worth it all to me.

 

I know I don't!... I'm not supporting the candy and costume industry... Pagan rites well thats to deep to go into... I turn off all the lights in the house except one and my wife and I sit in the back room and watch T.V... While the little urchins go door to door begging for food... I just had a thought how many homeless people go trick or treating?... Perfect night for them... I did like comment about the 95 theses... Brother Glen

 

http://www.sermoncentral.com/church...house-a-halloween-perspective-5467-detail.asp

 

One year I went over to my neighbors with a sheet on, and went up the steps on my knees to make him think it was a kid. Held up a bag and left it there after he put some in, and so he put a little more in. He kind of looked at me funny after that and I said "More."

He busted out laughing. He figured it out but it was priceless.


God bless.

 

We are having a halloween party on our farm, mainly just to make people mad. I get so tired of churches hijacking halloween yet then doing everything that halloween has always been, except very awkwardly in a church parking lot and calling it something different.

I'm not going to go along with the political correctness anymore. Kids will be able to come out to our place, trick or treat, throw real sharp darts at balloons, hike on a mildly haunted trail, bob for apples, wear costumes, and yes we will be using the word "halloween".

And I will be unshamefully unapologetic about it. We've done this before and it was a HUGE hit, but several people were weird about it until we called it a fall festival. It's really dumb. I'm calling it a halloween party and if you're such a goody-goody that this is too much to handle, you can stay home.

 

According to tradition, December 25 was a huge Pagan holiday where people got sloppy drunk and had huge crazy parties in the streets, which was so bad the pilgrims even banned Christmas. Yet, I bet you celebrate Christmas and think nothing of it.

 

Well it's just like trick or treating, except really lame and stupid. Kids just kind of line up in a row by the dozens and go from car to car, many of which have extensive halloween decorations in them, collecting candy from each in the church parking lot. Somehow it's supposed to be a non-evil alternative to going to your grandmother's house to trick or treat.

 

People have practiced this stupid holiday for so long it has become second nature to them. Can you imagine if we lived in the times right after Christ return to the Father a bunch of Christians decided to dress their children up in devil costumes, witch costumes, vampire costumes ect. to parade them all over the community and then claim there Christians. People would probably stone the whole bunch as being out of there minds.

 

What you're describing really only started here in the 1930's.

Well, to be fair, it wouldn't take much. Remember the guy who got stoned for picking up sticks on a Saturday? Yeah. Numbers 15:32-36

 

In the First Century, probably. 2000 years after the binding of Satan, we can triumph in the overcoming of principalities and powers and make a show openly.

That's how I see it, anyway. Because the only way this can be fun is if there is no possibility of them regaining the power they once had.

 

It looks like we've covered pretty much the entire spectrum of how and/or why we (or our own particular local church) do or don't "observe Halloween like most of the rest of the "pagan world out there" does.

OTOH, what about going out "trick or treating," but not asking for any candy at all but giving out information and a postage-paid envelope wherein your "neighbor down the street," or wherever, can make a tax-deductible donation to a valid organization that does less-fortunate people in, say, some "third-world" nation across the seas?

Way back in the middle 1950's, the church that my family [hence WPE3BQL too] went to had their Youth Director coordinate with such a valid national charitable organization [I think it might have been something like a "Feed The Nations," or something like that---60 years has done a lot to mess up my memory database!! :laugh::BangHead:.].].

Or, what about "celebrating" Thanksgiving by donating your time at, e.g., your local Gospel Rescue Mission, or some home that serves to help a Crisis Pregnancy Mothers' Care Center, or a Christian World-Based "Third-World" Adoption Referral Agency, or just your local "Meals on Wheels, etc.?

They all need help year round, not only financially, but also in actual manpower, etc., and they really need help 24/7/365.

Is there anything inherently wrong with, e.g., foregoing that NFL game(s) to show up and help any of these agencies on Thanksgiving?

 

We have virtually the entire calendar year to address those missions and charities. Why exactly is it important to you that I sacrifice my Thanksgiving with my family to do this. I'm taking my kids trick or treating because on that day they can put on an Anna or Elsa costume (how demonic) and go door to door to get candy. My window to volunteer time, money, resources, etc. doesn't close if I don't sacrifice a holiday to accomplish these otherwise worthwhile actions.

 

There have been some charities that have tried to mooch off of trick or treating. It's really weird to be honest. One got in with the girl scouts and slipped a bunch of 6th grade girls some envelopes and had them ask for money without their parents permission. I was as horrified as the homeowners were when my daughter whipped it out. There's a time and place for everything, and having little kids ask for money at night as a homeowner is grabbing some tootsie rolls isn't the time nor place.

 

:thumbs::applause::laugh: Amen!