ANSWERS: 26
  • many church's few this as the "devils holiday" but what you interpret is based on what you want to do, this holiday is meant to be fun. i am in this predicament myself and i see nothing wrong with trick or treating
  • I was brought up in a Christian home as well, and my parents did not allow my sister and I to trick or treat...we were terribly upset about not being able to go like our friends, but our father explained to us that Halloween originated as a day conceived by Satan; that is was a day to be celebrated in darkness for all the evil and wickedness that is encompassed by the devil. We were instead allowed to particpate in "fall festivals" that our wonderful church promoted, in which children may dress up in tasteful costumes, play games, recieve candy, and have a great deal of fun. However, to answer your question...the origns of Halloween is to celebrate the underground world of Satan, hence the ghost, witches, and demons that do not coincide with the Word of God and are in direct opposition of everything that Christ stands for.
  • Frankly these days I'm a little surprised to find the children of atheists being allowed out for Halloween trick or treating. Nowadays its just not safe to let your kids wander around on Halloween night, and thats in spite of the "razor blade in the apple" or the "poisoned candy" being both urban legends. There are way too many REAL "monsters" (the kind who look just like ordinary people, and generally speaking *are* just like ordinary people) out on Halloween night for kids to be safe trick-or-treating. Your husband may not be denying the kids this activity out of religious reasons, he may be denying them this activity out of pure common sense. That being said, neighborhood associations sometimes throw Halloween parties for kids in costumes, and if your husband is only doing it out of common sense, you could throw a block party yourself. Ironically, the name "Halloween" itself is a Christian invention. Originally spelled Hallowe’en, is shortened from All Hallows' Even – e'en is a shortening of even, which is a shortening of evening. As the following day is the Christian Holiday of "All Saints Day", it follows that we would have no "Halloween" were it not for the Christians (which also applies to "Satan", of course, another Christian invention).
  • A lot of Christian churches are setting up alternatives for the kids so they get to dress up in appropriate costumes, saints, famous men, space aliens, etc. just not ghosts, ghouls, and witches. They set up parties and trick or treat parades on church grounds. Makes it safer for the kids, too.
  • Great question! The both of you are having a difficult time with this. I honestly want to treat both sides of your question equally, so I’ll do my best to do so. However, I myself have not enjoyed Halloween sense before I was in Kindergarten. It cannot be denied that people enjoy it; if they didn’t then there would be no Halloween. Granted you have rights do participate, yet on the other hand the husband of any house hold may be viewed as the ruler and head of the house and the wife is to give submission. Not saying the wife is a slave, by NO MEANS. That is another subject for another day. May I submit that the both of you come to an agreement? You may submit to him that your son is too young to remember (also another subject for another day) thus if he allows you to tricker treat with your boy; then when he gets older ( 3.5 years of age at minimum) you will give up tricker treating because you love and respect him… on that note, I think he ought to meet you in the middle because he also loves and respects you.
  • Halloween is a pagan Celebration to the extreme in which the Celts believed that on October 31st, spirits good and bad would come into this world. To counter the bad, the pagans would ware masks and costumes to "not be recognized" by demons, imps, and other kinds of evil spirits. The Catholic Church later on started using the same day as "all souls' day" in hopes to counter the pagan holiday to instead commemorate the lives of all of the Saints in heaven and in Purgatory and to pray that the holy souls in purgatory be loosed of their sins.
  • Well in these situations it's always important to remember that it's better to be in relationship than be right. Practically speaking that usually means that both parties must compromise. I despise Halloween - it's pagan with strong occultic undercurrents. However, I love costuming and having fun with friends. My kids never did Halloween however they did do "Harvest Festivals" and did "Costume Parties" and things like that. Many churches have such things Halloween night so perhaps that's one possibility. My kids are grown now so we're going to go to my fiancee's house and watch Young Frankenstein and Team America while eating tacos and sweets. My fiancee will give candy out to whatever kids show up at her front door - she's much more tolerant of Halloween than I am. And that's the compromise that we've worked out since it's better to be in relationship than be right. ATTACHED: A few Christian views of Halloween.
  • Because it's not a Christian tradition. Therefore it is of "the devil". Which is ironic in no small way. Wedding Rings? Pagan. Bathing? Pagan. Days of the week names? Pagan. Honeymoon? pagan. http://www.northernway.org/pagandna.html Ask your husband, for tips on what to treat your son to. Many churches do their own version to not appear as a meany.
  • There is nothing wrong with trick or treating. It is just good fun. It is dressup for the little ones. And it actually the most giving evening of the year. Probably even surpassing Christmas. God is love and how did God show His love for us. By GIVING His only begotten son.
  • And I suppose the Earth is flat, too, as the Book of Genesis tries to interpret, but other parts of the Bible even say. Halloween has been around long before Christianity was even created! Ever since ancient Egyptian and Celtic times! But, also, maybe he doesn't want your two year old son going Trick-or-Treating because he is only two, and if something happens... well he doesn't want to think about that! Ask him exactly why he doesn't want you and your son to go Trick-or-Treating, and try to get the REAL answer out of him.
  • As a Christian, I do not let my children celebrate Halloween. This has not been a problem until this year when my daughter was invited to a party the local Girl Guides were hosting. Why? Because we live in a spiritual battle. Satan and demons are real. The traditions of Halloween are about tricking the evil spirits. Dressing up in disguise so that the evil spirits will not recognise you, the lantern to keep evil spirits out and so on (there is an alternative history of the pumpkin lantern of someone called Jack being caught between Earth and Heaven but that doesn't explain why others would do it). Therefore to many Christians Halloween is not a harmless festival but is spiritual in nature. Witches (eg Wicca) also have this as a major festival that they celebrate. They see it as about the spiritual realm as well, but welcome it. Witches covens meet on Halloween for their rituals.
  • Your husband is an old fuddy duddy and needs a very good enema for Halloween. I think you should ask him for a good old fashioned Christian divorce.
  • I'm a Catholic and consider myself a Christian. I don't believe Halloween is bad for children if you don't get it get out of control. If I was in your place, I wouldn't think it would be important to take a two year old trick or treating. He is really young and doesn't understand any part of it. You could wait until he is older to go trick or treating. What I have seen Catholics who don't like treat or treating do, is to have a session of a trick or treating game at home, dressed in saints costumes, or you could choose what you like as a costume---historic figures would be good, like George Washington. Talk to your husband now, so that when your child gets older, you will have agreed on some sort of plan. Remember when your child gets older and meets other kids, he will want to join in the fun, so you have to be prepared with an alternative plan.
  • ALRIGHT ALREADY! Halloween is for children. It is just that. A time for children to have fun. Kids do not give a holy poop why it exists...the history or religion...true or made up. They are just trying to have a good time. Lighten up people.
  • Regardless of the tenuous and multiple origins of Halloween it is currently an American custom that involves children getting to dress up as someone they aren't and visit the neighbors for candy. . Depriving children of that is certainly a parent's prerogative but there is nothing in the Bible that supports it. There are no false gods involved, nor witch craft, nor magic.
  • This is a BROAD generalization Most Christians celebrate Halloween Only small groups of the psyco sects have any problem with the Halloween
  • As a Christian, I myself don't understand the harmless fun in it. For little kids its just about scarring other friends and family and getting the most candy possible and also getting up the courage to meet people and creating a little mischief and being fearless. The rest (occult)doesn't even come into play unless your child is unbalanced anyway or his family is extemely corrupt. I grew up in a Christian home and I remember in school (Christian) we had Halloween Parties for the little ones and dances for the teens. Non of us grew up and join the occult. The next day we went to church to celebrate all saints day and to honor the dead and pray for them. Its all about balance. A normal teen thinks more about sex than joining the devil. That would require a commitment and in your teen years you can bearly endore school. I remember the Halloween parties. Most of the girls just wanted to wear something sexy and the guys just wanted to look like a cool charachter. I think some people just make too much of it.
  • i remember having so much fun on halloween! however, it is important to understand that not everything done in the name of fun is harmless. halloween seems innocent and just a time for having a good time, however there are many details that most are not aware of. please consider the following so that you can make an informed and intelligent decision: THE TRUTH ABOUT POPULAR CELEBRATIONS witches and ghosts, pumpkins, and bonfires, trick or treat. the outward trappings of halloween are easy to identify. but what lies behind this and similar celebrations? halloween has also been called "all hollows' eve," the eve of all saints day." this supposedly christian name, however, hides origins that are far from hallowed (saintly). in fact, scholars say that halloween's roots go back to a time long before christianity-the era when the ancient celts inhabited britain amd ireland. using a lunar calendar, the celts divided the year into two seasons-the dark winter months and the light summer months. on the full moon nearest november 1, the celts celebrated the festival of samhain, meaning "summer's end." the festival which marked the beginning of the celtic new year came at the end of summer, when the harvest had been gathered and the flocks and herds had been brought down from pasture into shelter. the celts beleived that as the days shortened, it was necessary to rein vigorate the sun through various rites and sacrifices. in symbolism of the dying old year, all fires were put out. and he new year was inaugurated with sacred bonfires from which all members of the community rekindled their hearths. these bonfires-an echo of which can be found today in britain on guy fawkes night and in brazil in the june festivals-were also brought to frighten away evil spirits. it was believed that on the festival of samhain, the veil between the human and the supernatural worlds was parted and spirits, both good and evil, roamed the earth. the souls of the dead were thought to return to their homes, and families would put out food and drink for their ghostly visitors in hopes of appeasing them and warding off misfortune. thus, today when children dressed as ghosts or witches go from house to house demanding a halloween treat or threatening a mischievous trick, they unwittinly perpetuate the ancient rituals of samhain. jean markale comments in his book halloween, histoire et traditions (halloween-history and traditions): "in receiving something in their hands, they establish,, on a symbolic level that they do not understand, a brotherly exchange between the visible and invisible worlds. that is why the halloween masquerades...are in fact sacred ceremonies." since people believed that the barriers between the physical and supernatural realms were down, they thought that humans were able to cross over into the spirit world with ease. samhain, was therefore a particularly auspicious time to unlock the secrets of the future. apples, or hazelnuts, both viewed as products of sacred trees, were used to divine information concerning marriage, sickness, and death. for example, apples with identifying marks were placed in a tub of water. by seizing an apple using only the mouth, a young man or woman was supposed to be able to identify his or her future spouse. this divination practice survives today in the halloween game of bobbing for apples. samhain, was also characterized by drunken revelry and a casting aside of inhibitions. "traditional values, if not flouted, were reversed," states markale. "what was forbidden was allowed, and what was allowed was forbidden." halloween still reflects this spirit today, which no doubt accounts to a great extent for its increasing popularity. commenting on this, the encyclopedia of religion describes halloween nowadays as a "time when adults can also cross cultural boundaries and shed their identities by indulging in an uninhibited evening of frivolity. thus, the basic celtic quality of the festival as an evening of annual escape from normal realities and expectations has remained into the twentieth century." RELIGIOUS RIVALRY following the potato famine in the 19th century, irish immigrants took halloween and its customs to the united states. from there it has returned to europe in the past few years. the growing popularity of halloween, though, is not viewed favorably by all. as notes the newspaper le monde, "halloween, which coincides with all saints' day all souls' day (november 1 and 2)and could even replace them, is making shopkeepers happy and panicking churchmen." church representatives in france have expressed concern over the decline of these traditional catholic holidays in favor of halloween, seeing it as a sign of the "paganization of society." for stanislas lalanne, spokesman for france's conference of catholic bishops, halloween 'distorts the meaning of life and death.' the bishop of nice, jean bonfils, stated that "this festival and its rituals have nothing to do with our mediterranean and christian culture," and he warned catholics against "the most important festival of satanists the world over." commenting on the french abandonement of catholic traditions for such pagan festivals, hippolyte simon, bishop of clermont-ferrand, notes: "it is as if french society were looking for a kind of civil religion capable of replacing christian symbolism." he writes: "at halloween the dead are imitated and their 'ghosts' come back to frighten us and threaten us with death. on all saints day, in contrast, we affirm that the departed are alive and that we aare promised to rejoin them in the city of God."-vers une france paienne? (toward a pagan ffrance?) in a similar vein, carlo maria martini, cardinal of milan, italy, urged italians not to abandon catholic holidays, declaring that halloween is "alien to our tradition. which has immense value and must be continued. all souls' day is a celebration that belongs to our history. it is the moment in which hope for eternal life unfolds, a moment in which the lord makes us understand that there is more to life than that on earth." many sincere catholics no doubt feel the same way. yet, is the distinction between halloween and all saints' day as clear-cut as these comments would lead us to believe? what does a close examination of the roots of these catholic holidays reveal? A HALLOWED MASQUERADE the catholic encyclopedia defines all saints' day as a feast to "honour all the saints, known and unknown." at the end of the second century, so-called christians began to honor those who had been martyred for their faith and, believing that they were already with christ in heaven, prayed to them to intercede on their behalf. a regular commemoration began when on may 13th, 609 or 610 c.e., pope boniface IV dedicated the pantheon- the roman temple of all the gods-to mary and all the martyrs. markale comments: "the roman gods left their place to the saints of the triumphant religion." the change of date to november came under pope gregory III (731-741 c.e.),who dedicated a chapel in rome to all the saints and ordered that they be honored on november 1. exactly why he did this is unknown. but it may have been because such a holiday was already being celebrated on this date in england. the encyclopedia of religion points out: "samhain remained a popular festival among the celtic people throughout the christianization of great britain. the british church attempted to divert this interest in pagan customs by adding a christian celebration to the calendar on the same date as samhain...the medieval british commemoration of all saints' day may have prompted the universal celebration of this feast throughout the christian church." markale points out the increasing influence of irish monks throughout europe at this time. the new catholic encyclopedia also observes the irish often assigned the first of the month to important feasts,and since november 1 was also the begining of the celtic winter, it would have been a likely date for a feast of all the saints." finally, in 835 c.e., pope gregory IV made this a universal festival. as for all souls day, on which prayers are recited in order to help the souls in purgatory attain heavenly bliss, this holiday was fixed on november 2. during the 11th century by the monks of cluny, france. while all souls' day is ostensibly a catholic holiday, it is clear that confusion existed in the minds of ordinary folk. the new catholic encyclopedia notes that "throughout the middle ages it was popular belief that thesouls in prgatory could appear on this day as will-o'-the-wisps, witches, toads, etc." unable to uproot pagan beliefs from the hearts of its flock, the church simply hid them behind a "christian" mask. highlighting this fact, the encyclopedia of religion says: "the christian festival, the feast of all saints, comemorates the known and unknown saints of the christian religion just as samain had acknowledged and paid tribute to the celtic deities." POPULAR CELEBRATIONS AND YOU just how concerned should be about the dark past of halloween anc similar celebrations? after all, in most people's minds, halloween is little more than a time to dress up and have fun. but would you not agree that it is important for parentsto make sure that whatever recreation their children pursue is wholesome and not harmful? a school inspector from france withmore than 20 years of experience in teaching was asked about the influence of halloween on young children. he commented: i am worried that going from house to house threatening adults in order to obtain sweets can have long-term negative consequences on children. it can foster a selfish and egocentric personality. they learn that by exerting pressure, by demanding with threats, by making others afraid, they can obtain what they want." parents must therefore ask themselves, 'what "lessons" will my children learn celebrating this holiday?' not surprisingly, many families find that giving in to childish demands for treats and costumes can be an expensive undertaking. "halloween...is not a holiday," observes robert rochefort, general director of france's research center for the study and observation of living conditions, it is event marketing." halloween fills a shopping lull prior to christmas. in other words, it is just one more thing pressuring people to spend money-money that in many cases they cannot afford to spend. do you really need to follow the crowd in this regard? of even greater concern to christians, however, is the fact that halloween and cele- brations like it are steeped in paganism. the apostle paul wrote: "i do not want you to be participants with demons. you cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons." (1corinthians 10:20-22, new international version) he also asked: what common interest can there be between goodness and evil? how can light and darkness share life together? how can there be harmony between Christ and the devil? what can a believer have in common with an unbeliever?" (2corinthians 6:14-16, phillips)the bible thus condemns the whole idea of putting a christian mask on a pagan practice! also, the bible warns against the practice of spiritism.(deuteronomy 18:10-12) while it is true that the vast majority of those who celebrate halloween would claim to spurn satanic practices, we should, nevertheless, be aware that historically this holiday has close connections with the occult. thus, it can serve as a door leading to spiritism, especially for impressioanable youths. pagan rites and traditions tainted by spiritism simply have no place in christian worship; they are far from harmless. finally, there is the fact that halloween, all saints' day, and all souls' day are all based on the beliefs that thedead suffer or that they can somehow bring harm to the living. however, the bible clearly shows that such beliefs are not true, saying: "the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all." (eclesiastes 9:5) all that your hand finds to do, do with your very power, for there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in sheol [the common grave of mankind], the place to which you are going." (eclesiastes 9:10)since the dead are unconscious and thus incapable of harming others or suffering themselves, we have nothing to fear from them. at the same time, prayers to help them are of no use whatsoever. does this mean that there is no hope for our dead loved ones? no. the bible assures us that "there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous."-acts 24:15. with knowledge comes the freedom to choose. we cannot be expected to make intelligent if we do not have all the facts. after considering the facts brought up in this article what will you decide? i don't think i have to point out to you how highly intelligent your child must be! you will be surprised how understanding they are of these matters when you explain patiently why you do not observe this day. i was in that situation as a child, and then with my own children. my husband and i would involve them in other activities to the point that they did not realize they were missing out on anything. i think it is way harder on adults than on children. for more information go to www.watchtower.org
  • We celebrate reformation day.But I take my little man trick or treating.
  • Halloween or All Hallows Eve is not anti-Christian. It is merely the evening before the tradition Roman Catholic holiday of All Saints Day. +4
  • It isn't. Halloween is actually like Christmas Eve. The night before a Christian holy day. It is the eve of All Saint's Day or All Hallows Eve or Halloween. Just like "hallowed be Thy name." But just like Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday), Halloween has taken on a life of its own. Christians including Catholics do not fear death, evil, or Satan. In Christ, we can laugh in the face of death. From an email I received: Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside, and scoops out all the yucky stuff--including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see. With love in Christ.
  • Sometimes I think one of the reasons some Christians, particularly the Jack T. Chick type, don't like Halloween is because it shows kids that demons, ghost, evil things in the night aren't so scary and might not be real. And not to be scared and need Jesus is a bad thing in their book.
  • It is a form of Satanism... It promotes the false belief that there is a continuing existence after death... Which the Bible denies... Ecclesiastes 9; 5,6 (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) There should not be found in you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, anyone who employs divination, a practicer of magic or anyone who looks for omens or a sorcerer, 11 or one who binds others with a spell or anyone who consults a spirit medium or a professional foreteller of events or anyone who inquires of the dead. 12 For everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable things Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you.
  • You had better get your husband to quit that religion or else your marriage and your son's childhood are headed for the shitter. This is just a tiny foretaste of the enormous problems that are sure soon to come.
  • You shouldn't let your baby celebrate Christmas. Christmas started as a pagan holiday. . http://www.essortment.com/all/christmaspagan_rece.htm
  • Christians are against fun. Especially for children.

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