I was wrong concerning Halloween

For the past 43-years I have been doing something that I shouldn't. I'll go ahead and confess that until this year I have never felt convicted of it. In fact, I've bragged about NOT feeling convicted of it before. Even at this time last year I was boasting of it, along with my entire family.

Now, bear in mind that what I'm about to tell you, you may not agree with, and that's fine. It may not be wrong for you, who am I to say? I can only tell you my feelings about it and why I feel convicted of it. So, here goes...

Hallowe’en. The eve of All Hallows’ or All Saints’ Day celebrated the last night of October. In the Old Celtic calendar the year began on November 1, so that the last evening of October was the night of all the witches, which the Church transformed into the Eve of All Saints. Source: The Oxford English Dictionary.

When I was a young child growing up, we always celebrated Halloween. We didn't worship Satan or conjure up spirits or anything like that, no, we simply dressed up in masks (false faces) and went to our neighbors and families houses to trick-or-treat. Just innocent stuff. We never ever related the holiday to anything Satanic. It was just a fun time for us kids to get a bunch of candy and to scare each other with our costumes. I carried this same tradition to my family. My oldest daughter is 16, almost 17 and we have brought her up celebrating Halloween. We dressed her up in different costumes; princesses, different animals, witches, etc... it was all just in fun. We did the same as I did as a kid, trick-or-treating at our families houses. Just last year our whole family dressed up in scary outfits and had a big time of it.

So, what is different now you ask? Let me explain... I guess it started with observing the teen sensation that is sweeping our land with the Twilight series of books and movies. I have noticed how our teenagers have become obsessed with anything Vampire related and supernatural. These things affect the way they are dressing, wearing their hair, talking, and thinking. What seems like an innocent thing, really isn't very innocent at all. They are glorifying things that God calls an abomination. Don't believe me? Look at Deuteronomy 18:9-13:

9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

Yes, I realize that was written under the Law of Moses for the Jewish people, however, the Bible says that God sees these things as an abomination. That has nothing to do with the law, that is God's thoughts. God's thoughts do not change regardless of the Law or when it was spoken. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If He thinks these kind of things are an abomination then I have to see them that way as well. God hates these things so much that he destroys those that practice them. Look at 2 Kings chapter 21 and Exodus 22:18 for proof!

So, as for myself, a born again child of God, a confessed believer in Christ, a preacher of the Gospel, how can I glorify things that God says is an abomination? I CAN'T!!! Please don't try to tell me about the origins of Halloween and how it used to be a day to reverence the dead, I'm fully aware of it's origins, but that has NOTHING to do with how Halloween is celebrated today. Read more about this HERE.

I know it seems like no big deal to most people. Folks decorate their yards and adorn their homes with signs and symbols of witchcraft, demons, and Satanic symbols. How do you think God feels about this? These same folks that practice this type of behaviour are the same folks that profess to be Christians. Just the other day we drove by a house and my youngest daughter (9-years old) looked out the car window and started crying. On the lawn were life-sized zombies, vampires, witches, and all sorts of creepy things. She had nightmares about those things for days after seeing them. She couldn't understand why anyone would put such things in their yard for little girls to see. It was difficult trying to calm her down and explain to her why people do those things.

I will fully admit that I used to be one of the world's worst. I loved Halloween. I loved scary costumes. I loved horror movies. I had hundreds of dollars worth of the awfullest, bloodiest, goriest horror movies you have ever seen. I had them all; Halloween, Friday 13th, SAW, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Scream, etc... I have since destroyed all of those movies. I did not want them in my home any longer. It was like a scene from Acts 19:18-20 when the folks at Ephesus burned all of their curious arts and books after Paul had preached the Gospel to them!

So, my family and I will not ever be celebrating Halloween anymore. Instead, we are starting a new tradition; a Fall party. We are preparing a bunch of things to eat; chocolate fudge, peanut butter fudge, cheeseball, cheddar and bacon tater skins, chicken-n-biscuit crackers, etc.. just a bunch of junk like that and we are going to spend time together at home as a family. We are going to watch one of my favorite movies, Ben Hur, instead of the usual Horror movie. If you come by our house to trick-or-treat, we will give you something. It may be a can of soup or whatever we have in the house but you will also be presented with a Bible tract.

I'm looking forward to our new tradition!