Making Halloween Safe and Fun for Kids with Diabetes

Here are a couple of different perspectives on the issue.

http://users.rcn.com/tlclcms/canhallo.htm

http://www.drbilly.com/shed/halloween/hpamphlet.htm

 

AMEN! and thank you. i've asked this before and no one ever has a suitable answer. </font>[/QUOTE]What do you do differently on Fridays than any other day? Do you put on a black robe on Saturdays and sacrifice kittens? Is Tuesday the day you set aside for worshipping idols? </font>[/QUOTE]Do christians who have fall festivals on Oct 31st, or who actually take their children out, dress in black robes and make sacrifices of neighborhood pets and burn candles and summons satan?
By using the traditional names of the days of the week you are invoking the names of false gods, honoring them with a day dedicated to them.

 

Yes, by the unsaved pagans.
And yet you honor a false god everyday of the week, a different one each day by using their names.

 

October 31st is also Reformation day. It is the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the door at whittenburg (?spelling?) - at least I think that is the place. The date is definately right.

 

You all cannot have it both ways. Either we only look at the present or we look at the historical significance.

In my last post, I agreed to eliminate the historical, because it doesn't always apply to today. However, with Halloween, the present is still full of witches, warlocks, goblins, ghosts and much more of Satanism. The days of the week do not have that pagan God influence in present day. Nor does Christmas or Easter. No matter how you look at it, Halloween is an evil day and any Christian that supports this Holiday is going against Scripture (as quoted earlier)

 

I disagree. There is nothing in the fall festivals in my church and others that has anything to do with what you have listed. "Alternative" to Halloween would be another way to phrase it.

Karen

 

I agree. A fall festival is not a Satanic Holiday, I don't care what anyone else does. And Easter and Christmas ARE still paganized by many. Go through any town and to any school " holiday" program, and you will see this. Some have stated they don't do Easter eggs so it makes it ok. We don't dress as monsters and gouls and sacrifice animals on Halloween, so on that same line of arguement we're ok. Tell me the difference between celebrating Christmas on the 25th of Dec. and sepersting myself from the pagan practices, and celebrating the harvest on Oct. 31st and seperating myself from those pagan practices. I see no difference.

 

You may have a point on the days of the week. But to say that Christmas and Easter do not have this meaning today for some is admitting that your head is stuck in the sand. Look at the movies in which people pray to Christmas trees and the like - need I say more.

 

HOHNancy, great post and it is very much appreciated! There is some diabetes in our family and I will pass this on.

We don't worship Astarte, but we do eat chocolate Easter bunnies. We don't worship Santa Claus, but we do eat candy canes. We don't worship Satan, but we do eat Halloween candy. And on "Hallow e'en", I even think of, and tell my kids about, "all hallowed evening", the night before All Saints Day, where we can think about and learn faithful members of the church from history who we can learn from by example and thus edify each other. Satan stole the holiday ("holy day"). I say we steal it back!

 

You may have a point on the days of the week. But to say that Christmas and Easter do not have this meaning today for some is admitting that your head is stuck in the sand. Look at the movies in which people pray to Christmas trees and the like - need I say more. </font>[/QUOTE]Are those people christians?
So you think people are still not worshipping the sun? (for the name Sunday) Then visit a beach.

 

Sorry, but the thread title begins "Making Halloween safe..."; my contention is that those words are laced with irony - Halloween cannot be made safe

Yours in Christ

Matt

 

Let me start by saying that I have never stated that I am against doing something with the children of a church on Oct. 31st to get them off the streets. I wouldn't do it, but I don't think it is wrong.

With that said, eating candy canes at Christmas and going Trick or Treating are not in the same world. Those of you who wish to continue defending this satanic holiday are quite frankly not in agreement with what Scripture clearly teaches. Again, so there is no confusion, I am not talking about a harvest gathering in a church, I am talking about the celebration of Halloween and the activities that are associated with this Satanic Holiday.

 

Since my birthday is Halloween, and my son's birthday is Halloween (!), and since I used to be an astrologer and had Pagan clients who celebrated Halloween, and since I'm asked about this topic all the time by email and when I give talks, I will weigh in here.

The day itself cannot be evil because God gave us days, months and years. It is how it is celebrated that counts. I personally am not comfortable with Christians sending their children trick or treating and certainly do not think Christians should let their kids dress up as witches, goblins, ghosts, ghouls, vampires, etc. However, if Christian parents do let their kids trick or treat, then other Christians should not condemn them as I see the trick or treat part as a "meat for idols" issue.

I do think a festival held in a church where children from the neighborhood can come and play games and hear Bible stories is a good way to use this day. It can be used as an outreach.

As far as handing out treats to kids who come to the door, this is too close to participating in the day the way the world does and I do not do this. I did it once but I gave out tracts with the candy. However, I am usually speaking somewhere on this day or I live where kids don't go around to get candy, so I have not had to deal with the issue much.

There is also a lot of misinformation in the Christian community regarding Halloween. Pagans (witches, Wiccans and others) celebrate Samhain (the Celtic pagan name for Halloween) differently from Satanists, who also celebrate it. These are two distinct groups with different views. Pagans do not sacrifice animals; Satanists are a varied lot and it depends on who is calling himself a Satanist. A mixed up teen who thinks he is a Satanist might sacrifice animals, but most of the more organized groups do not do this or if they do, it's in the privacy of where they live or are having rituals.

I am not going into detail, believe it or not, so am leaving stuff out here. I wrote an article for my site a few years ago on the topic of Halloween because I got so many emails on it:
http://cana.userworld.com/cana_halloween.html

What I would love to see, instead of the bickering that goes on in churches about Halloween, is Christians uniting in prayer on Halloween for those in the occult to be drawn to Christ and saved by the Savior who died for them.
I am sure Satan loves the bickering but would hate for us to pray for those he has deceived.

 

Dear Pastor J,
Thanks for your gracious clarification.

Karen

 

Meat for idols is a very good analogy, so lets take a look at it.
Acts 15
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

In Acts, the apostles told the gentiles to abstain from meats offered to idols, and called this a necessary thing.

1 Corinthians 8
1 Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.
2 And if any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.
3 But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
5 For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
6 But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of your's become a stumbling block to them that are weak.
10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

Here we are told that the danger in eating meat offered to idols is not in being defiled by the meat, as an idol is nothing. The danger is in putting a stumbling block before a brother who does not have the understanding that an idol is nothing, and by them seeing our example, they defile their conscience. The easy answer is avoid it.

Likewise, even if it is 'nothing' to celebrate halloween in fun, you may be causing a weaker brother, who believes it is wrong to celebrate halloween, to sin by following your example and doing it anyway. Likewise the answer in this case is avoid it.

 

Marcia, thanks for your post. It pretty much sums up my stance on the day.At our church we stage an 'Alternative Halloween' at our building which is basically a fun party with a Christian theme; non-Christian kids are invited and it keeps them and our kids off the streets and also means that the supervising adults aren't at home to answer the door!

Yours in Christ

Matt

 

[/qb][/QUOTE]I guess I disagree. My point is that the horse has been so thoroughly transformed by many that it is no longer a horse.

Karen [/QB][/QUOTE]

No longer a horse? Are we now talking about evolution? Sorry sis It's still a horse. I have four kids 15yrs to 10 mos. and every year we go through the same thing. "Everyone else does it so why can't we?" It doesn't matter if people know what it's about, it's still not of God, therefore it is sin.

How can we as Christians tell people of the love of God and how God can transform lives if we live like the pagan? From Halloween to divorce it is getting harder to distinguish between the save and the lost. I'm beginning to think the salt has lost it's flavor! Are we told to be in the world but not of the world? If so then why do we continue to live like we did before?

by His Grace,
Michael
www.friendship-piqua.org

 

I find it interesting that the #1 costume sold last year was a witch. Please tell me how this day is not evil. It is also the #1 day for children to disappear.

I believe also, it is the #1 day for molesters to do what they do. Which by the way according to a survey of known child sex offenders 86% of them are into some Satanic cult such as witchcraft or direct Satan worship. Can anyone guess what these folks consider to be the holiest day of the year?

In the case of Halloween, It is not a good holiday for Christian or pagan.


by his Grace
michael
www.friendship-piqua.org

 

I guess I disagree. My point is that the horse has been so thoroughly transformed by many that it is no longer a horse.

Karen [/QB][/QUOTE]

No longer a horse? Are we now talking about evolution? Sorry sis It's still a horse......It doesn't matter if people know what it's about, it's still not of God, therefore it is sin.

How can we as Christians tell people of the love of God and how God can transform lives if we live like the pagan? From Halloween to divorce it is getting harder to distinguish between the save and the lost..........[/QB][/QUOTE]

Dear Michael,
Thanks for joining in. My comments meant that what we do is an alternative to Halloween, not observing it. Along the lines Matt Black does in his church. Took a while in this thread to spell things out clearly.
All posters seem agreed that Halloween is not a good thing.
Some like me say do a completely different alternative. You and James Newman seem to be saying to not do anything on that day, although I presume you would allow a harvest party on Nov. 4, 5, or 6.
An alternative is not, in my opinion, living like a pagan.

Karen

 

I apologize if anyone took my posts to mean don't do anything on that day. Don't do like the world does, for sure. If you want to give the kids a godly alternative so they don't feel left out, I guess thats just fine. But we need to make sure our children understand that not participating in the worlds junk is not being left out. We are commanded to be separate from the world, and if we do not, then we will be left out with the world during the kingdom!