I've dumped out all my thoughts on Halloween at Power of Moms today. Check out the link below for thoughts on making Halloween meaningful, costumes, sugar, parties, all that stuff (and lots of great photos):
http://powerofmoms.com/2012/10/a-deliberate-mothers-guide-to-halloween/
Wow, I'm really surprised that you celebrate Halloween since it is so clearly associated with the "dark side" - witchcraft, demons, the occult, etc. all of which the Bible clearly condemns.
ReplyDeleteTo me and every one I know, Halloween is just a fun chance for kids to dress up and the Halloween celebrations of mainstream America have nothing to do with anything condemned by the Bible. Almost everything can have a dark side so it's important to be careful and be deliberate about what you celebrate and how you celebrate it. So many Christian holidays and traditions (including Christmas and Easter) have roots in pagan traditions (the Easter bunny has roots in pagan fertility traditions, the date of Christmas was chosen to coincide with the pagan winter solstace and some of those traditions were tied in...). I think it's important to enjoy the good that comes from all holidays and make thoughtful decisions about what you'll celebrate and how you'll celebrate it. There's no one right answer for everyone!
ReplyDeleteSaren, I guess you're right, it's a personal decision for everyone.
ReplyDeleteIt just floors me that people realize the pagan roots of all the holidays you mentioned, and still have no problem celebrating them.
I can't help thinking that even if the modern celebrations are not in direct conflict with the Bible (which some are...), the fact that they have pagan roots has to make them abhorrent to God.
When the Israelites were liberated from the Eqyptians, they decided to build a golden calf, as was the custom to use in pagan worship at the time, to worship God, and as I recall, even though they were doing it "for God" and with good intentions, God got really upset with them. He doesn't approve of the mixing of false worship with worship of Himself in anyway, even if it is fun for the kids.
"Quit mixing the light with darkness" - to me that means don't get involved with anything pagan, and for goodness sake, don't claim to be using pagan holidays in worship of the true God.
Just my take on what I read in the Bible.