Rey's A Point

Should A Christian Observe Halloween?

Years ago someone from my old church handed me a Chick tract on the “true meaning” of Halloween; it scared me (and it scared Joe Carter

Rey

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12 responses to “Should A Christian Observe Halloween?”

  2. As Christians we’re free to do anything that doesn’t compromise our Christianity. Halloween can be fun and innocent, or it can be a time of depravity and sin. But, then again, so can the average Friday night. Our kids will be trick or treating this year, as every year, and if I didn’t have to work I’d be with them… and I’d wear a costume, too, if I could. Venom would be a cool costume. I don’t buy the whole “Don’t you know what Halloween REALLY IS??!??!“ rap. I know what it really is in this family, and in this family, what it is amounts to innocent fun.

  3. Agreed though I would modify it to say that we’re also free not to celebrate if it can cause our fellow Christian brother/sister to stumble.

  4. For some reason I can\’t click on the venom link. Trying to post this comment to see if it works. A Venom costume has gotta be cool.

  7. Good thoughts here Rey. The only quibble I have is with…

    “If your Christian brothers and sisters near you are upset by you doing that sort of thing then it’s best to just not do it”

    I would say that if it causes them to stumble – by influencing them to violate their conscience – then we should abstain. But I’m unsure about just making someone upset. Sure, I can see doing it to maintain good relations and unity in the body but if I don’t think we can base everything we do on whether someone else likes it or not.

  8. Yeah, I tried to clarify what I was saying by using “near you” or “parade in front of them.”

    The thing I’ve always wondered about causing to stumble is that we’re to act in accordance to prevent the stumbling. Paul would point out that even a person pointing out that the meat has been offered to idols is grounds enough for a guest to avoid eating the meat since it seems to be on the forefront of the hosts thinking.

    Yet that same guest can go home, enjoy his idol-offered meat no problem. It’s not like he has to permanently quit eating the meat–it’s mostly that he doesn’t do it in proximity to the person in respect of their conscience.

    Does that make sense there?

  11. Oh, and excellent post. The subject’s been on my mind of late and I’ve had discussions with my mom, if you can call them discussions. Her mind is made up that the holiday “celebrates death” even though she was perfectly happy once to dress her baby boy up like Morris the Cat, complete with “whiskers” made of coffee stirrers. I think removed from its pagan origins, it can be a fun thing in and of itself.(kind of like Christmas. ;))