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Can Christians Celebrate Halloween? Part IV - Guidelines |
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Part Four -- Guidelines The following statements are meant to be a guideline for a God-pleasing Halloween. Some statements summarize already presented material. Others introduce new considerations. (1) Christians should avoid any custom or practice of Halloween that glorifies that which God calls evil. This means specifically avoiding anything that glorifies the occult (including divination, contacting spirits of the dead, fortune telling, sorcery, witchcraft), the devil or the demonic, death, or violence. This includes costumes, decorations, music, and stories that promote these things as positive and/or fun. (2) In deciding which Halloween events must be avoided, it might be helpful to ask, "Is the event designed to glorify offensive customs of Halloween or not?" In my opinion, a haunted house is an example of an event designed to glorify these things. On the other hand, a school party or an organized party for young children normally is not, even though costumes or decorations may appear which do. Ask questions before attending! (3) Christians should be prepared to share their faith on Halloween. This could include handing out tracts to children that knock on your door to having children give Sunday School tracts to homes that they visit. (4) This article has intended to show that Christians have freedom to either observe Halloween or not do so without fear of sinning. However, no one should be forced to participate who still believes that doing so is wrong - this would be sinning against one's conscience: Romans 14:14 -- "I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." (see Romans 14:22-23; see also Romans 14:3a, 5-6). (5) On the flip side, the Christian who abstains from Halloween for conscience' sake, should not condemn the Christian who chooses to participate. For the Scripture says, "Therefore let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day-- 17 things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ" (see Romans 14:3b, 5-6). (6) If a Christian knows that by participating in certain customs of Halloween that he is offending the weaker brother/sister, he should first try to educate and persuade the other of the truth. But if he is not able to convince the weaker brother/sister of the truth, in love he should put aside his freedom and avoid the custom (see Romans 14:15-16 -- "For if because of food [or Halloween] your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food [or a Halloween observance] him for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;"). May God help each Christian to see Halloween as a grand opportunity for the Gospel, rather than something to be feared. May He also keep Christians from those Halloween customs which clearly go against His Word.
© Dr. Richard P. Bucher 1998, 1999 © Dr. Richard P. Bucher 1998, 1999 |
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