Can Christians accept holiday's pagan origin?
| Friday, Oct 30 2009 04:06 PM
Last Updated Friday, Oct 30 2009 04:06 PM
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There is an old saying, "Ignorance is bliss." Most people have no idea about the origins and true meaning of Halloween. So if you want to remain ignorant, STOP READING NOW!
Children are excited by this night as one of fun, fright and fear filled with candy and gifts they receive from trick-or-treating and not the blood, death, horror and the occult at its roots. Let's look at how it all started.
The group of people known as the Celts first appeared around 2300 B.C. and the Druids around 2000 B.C. Their most hallowed day, Sawhain (pronounced Sah-ween) was a festival of the dead. The Wiccans and the pagans considered this a Sabbat to honor the ancestors who came before -- a good time to contact the spirit world because it's the time the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest.
People continued to celebrate this time of the wandering dead, but the supernatural beings were thought to be evil. They wanted to appease those spirits (and their masked impersonators) by setting out gifts of food and drink. As people began dressing like these dreadful creatures, they performed antics in exchange for treats. This practice is called "mumming," from which the practice of trick-or-treating evolved. To this day, ghosts, witches and skeleton figures of the dead are among the favorite disguises.
Giving food was to gain favor from the dead. Failure to employ treats would result in demonic retaliation.
The seemingly innocent jack-o-lantern was initially practiced by the Celts. They would carve demonic spirit faces on turnips, and now on pumpkins. Having either a lit jack-o-lantern or a skull signified the occupants of the home were sympathetic to Satan and would receive mercy by the trick-or-treaters on their holiday rounds.
Halloween is really a cultic celebration that glorifies the powers of darkness.
What should Christians do? We must not let our freedom in Christ be used to offend. While you may not see this day as evil or problematic, someone who has left the occult would be highly offended that instead of separating ourselves from this evil day of celebration we compromise and participate.
I personally believe we can have these harvest festivals and turn our attention to praise and thanksgiving to our father for his victory over Satan, death, hell and darkness. You see, we are in a spiritual battle for our children and our testimonies.
-- John Sherley is associate pastor at Valley Baptist Church.
