Thunderian
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That doesn't sound like it's pronounced like Easter. Guess you're not worshiping a pagan deity.
If you don't mind telling, what's your native language, and where do you come from?
Paganism and Easter
- Thread starter phipps
- Start date
If you don't mind telling, what's your native language, and where do you come from?
Thunderian
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There's that huffiness.
Allegra
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Hello sir.That doesn't sound like it's pronounced like Easter. Guess you're not worshiping a pagan deity.
If you don't mind telling, what's your native language, and where do you come from?
I came from Indonesia, chinese by ethnicity but can't speak chinese!
My native language is Bahasa. I'm Christian my whole life but only born again last year! I'm living in Australia.
Not huffy, just telling you not to ask the same question I answered three times. I wasn't going to give you a satisfactory answer unless I agreed with you which I can't because that would be against the word of God.There's that huffiness.
Last edited:
JoChris
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Another Aussie! I am in central QLD, finally starting to cool down at night. 21 celsius minimum, or 70 F for Americans.Hello sir.
I came from Indonesia, chinese by ethnicity but can't speak chinese!
My native language is Bahasa. I'm Christian my whole life but only born again last year! I'm living in Australia.
How come you moved here?
Allegra
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It's 20 degrees here! Autumn this year is totally my vibe xD
My family is living here. My mum moved here in 1997 after separated from my dad and me and my siblings ended up living here with her. But I will go back to Indonesia and live in Bali some time next year (that's the plan)... My church here also have a campus in Bali so I think it will be great and I can volunteer there or something and starting a business.
But, I don't know what will happen, it depends on God's will. I'm still searching what should I do with my life esp for God... Praying He will show His plan for me.
Bible questions answered about the importance of sound doctrine
Does it matter what one believes so long as they are sincere?
"But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13.
What advice was given to Timothy while preparing for the gospel ministry?
"Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you." 1 Timothy 4:13-16.
What similar instruction was given to Titus?
"But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility." Titus 2:1, 7.
Warning against false doctrines.
Of what kind of doctrines should we be aware?
"That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting." Ephesians 4:14.
"Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them." Hebrews 13:9.
What is a "wind of doctrine"?
"And the prophets become wind, For the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.”" Jeremiah 5:13.
What danger attends the teaching of false doctrine?
"And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” Matthew 15:9.
By what doctrines are some to be misled in the last days?
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." 1 Timothy 4:1.
"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction." 2 Peter2:1.
To what would men turn their ears?
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
The test of true and false.
How may we determine the truthfulness of any doctrine?
"Test all things; hold fast what is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21.
By what should we test and prove all doctrine?
"To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20.
Note:- The Bible is the test of all doctrine. Whatever does not harmonise and square with this, is not to be received.
For what is all scripture profitable?
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16.
What will sound doctrine enable the faithful teacher to do?
"Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict." Titus 1:9.
Does it matter what one believes so long as they are sincere?
"But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth." 2 Thessalonians 2:13.
What advice was given to Timothy while preparing for the gospel ministry?
"Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you." 1 Timothy 4:13-16.
What similar instruction was given to Titus?
"But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility." Titus 2:1, 7.
Warning against false doctrines.
Of what kind of doctrines should we be aware?
"That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting." Ephesians 4:14.
"Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them." Hebrews 13:9.
What is a "wind of doctrine"?
"And the prophets become wind, For the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them.”" Jeremiah 5:13.
What danger attends the teaching of false doctrine?
"And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ” Matthew 15:9.
By what doctrines are some to be misled in the last days?
"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons." 1 Timothy 4:1.
"But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction." 2 Peter2:1.
To what would men turn their ears?
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
The test of true and false.
How may we determine the truthfulness of any doctrine?
"Test all things; hold fast what is good." 1 Thessalonians 5:21.
By what should we test and prove all doctrine?
"To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20.
Note:- The Bible is the test of all doctrine. Whatever does not harmonise and square with this, is not to be received.
For what is all scripture profitable?
"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." 2 Timothy 3:16.
What will sound doctrine enable the faithful teacher to do?
"Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict." Titus 1:9.
llleopard
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I grew up in the open brethren church. We did not celebrate Easter or Christmas, or any other festivals.
Thunderian
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Other than the name Easter, which is only used in English-speaking countries, what's pagan about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Douglas Summers
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Actually the word Easter is not in the original translation. The RCC added it in place of Passover. But, it is not the word that counts, it is the heart of the believer that God sees. As for me, I celebrate the resurrection of Christ everyday. Because He lives...I live.
Lisa
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I agree with you...the Good News is everyday.
I also agree that we should distance ourselves from error because we are told that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.
Camidria
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Seems like we come from the same continent!
Camidria
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The problem is every year the world always celebrate the Easter feast, if by chance Easter and Passover falls on the same date for example, they will shift Easter a weekend earlier or one later and the world will always celebrate on the Easter date instead of the Passover date. (This year it was different though - no idea why)
I have been praying a lot about this and asked God what I should and should not do to celebrate His resurrection. Thus far He only told me to use communion, we watched the Jesus film too which was amazing, so we really thanked Him and appreciated what He has done for us.
He also said I must ditch the eggs and bunnies and all that goes with that - that I definitely have done, remember they used to sacrifice babies and dip eggs in their blood for the Easter festival...
Thunderian
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I don't consider that a part of celebrating the His resurrection, so that's not a problem.
Daciple
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So I wrote this on my Facebook concerning Christmas, but everything I wrote about Christmas applies to Easter. I know I am late, I have been busy, but I hope those who celebrate Passover have/had a wonderful Passover, those who celebrated Easter had a wonderful Easter and those who dont celebrate the day as such had a wonderful Sunday!!! (You can basically insert Easter where it says Christmas lol )
Merry Christmas to all! I hope everyone had a blessed and wonderful Christmas, I know I sure did! Was able to spend time with my family and was given an opportunity to pray over the dinner tonight.
I have been thinking about what Christmas has meant to me, as a child, when I got older and what it means now. As a child it was that wonderful time of year where I got presents! I loved getting gifts and from a child's perspective I thought that was the greatest part about it.
Now that I am older I can see that getting the gifts wasn't the greatest things about Christmas as a child, what was the greatest thing was the memories that were made. I look back fondly now on the times I shared with my family, the feeling I had being around them, the time setting up the tree, the time I went and cut down a tree with my father. I remember the excitement to watch my parents give each their gifts, Dad always had a big "family" present at the end!
I couldn't tell you at all what those presents were, most if not all of them have been lost or broken, but the memories they are still here some 30+ years later! They are the treasures that aren't going to be lost or broken and I cherish each one!
A few years back I came to understand that the day we Celebrate Christmas isn't really the day Jesus came into the world, I spent ample amount of time researching it and after seeing this reality and what that day had been used for to worship in the past I quit celebrating Christmas. Not only did I stop celebrating I began to condemn others who did so. I took a very hard line and stance around all the Christian Holidays.
When my wife moved in with me and her daughter, I was so rigid I would let them celebrate Christmas either. Instead of Christmas being a time of joy and wonder it became a day of contention and unsatisfaction. I am sure I was no fun to be around and sure others were miserable around me during that time too.
Then my mother got sick with Cancer and I began wrestling with myself over the Holiday. See my mom loved Christmas, it was her favorite time of the year! She loved decorating getting the tree ready setting up the house! But most of all what she loved was knowing that the whole family would come over and she could sit and enjoy all the kids and her mother and everyone she loved gathered around her! She would smile with delight as we all exchanged gifts and talked and carried on with either Christmas music or a Christmas movie playing in the background.
As she got older even before the cancer she became sick, and she got sicker and sicker as the years progressed. Sadly she became so ill that she no longer could host Christmas, and she was heartbroken. Still she would drag up the tree and decorate the house! Eventually tho she became to sick to get the house done and slowly year by year Christmas became a thing of the past in my parents home.
I could tell that it hurt her so incredibly much, she missed the joy and traditions and she missed the family. It was around that time that I was becoming hard headed about Christmas and it only drove the dispair home I'm sure. She would never say anything to me about it, she understood my position but looking back I know it all broke her heart.
So there it was December of 2014, mom was sick with cancer and I was wrestling with Christmas. I began to pray about it one night and the Lord laid on me what was it that Christmas really meant to me. Did Christmas really mean worshiping some pagan God? Or did it mean something else? As I sat there in prayer and meditation the memories began to come back, what was Christmas to me?
Christmas was the time of year to show love to everyone around me, to be joyous, to have peace! That is what Christmas meant to me, and as I dwelt on it God showed me that the Fruits of the Spirit are love joy and peace, He lead me to understand just what Paul wrote concerning celebration Holidays, that we shouldn't judge one another on them. He showed me exactly what I had become which is a Pharisees!
My heart melted and I knew what I had to do, so I went down to my mom and I looked at her and asked, would you like to come over and help us set up a tree and decorate the house? And oh the smile that came on her face, the joy, the happiness that washed over her, the excitement! She couldn't believe I asked her to do it and she just said YES!
We went got a tree set it up decorated the house got presents and on Christmas morning she and my father came over and we celebrated Christmas together as a family! It was a great time, Idk what I got Idk what I gave but I have that memory and it's more cherished to me than any worldly thing anyone could give me!
See that was the last Christmas I was blessed enough to celebrate with my mom, she passed away in July of the next year, but I can't begin to put in words how thankful I am that God showed me what the true meaning of Christmas was, that He melted my heart and I was able to put up the tree decorate the house open the presents, but more importantly I was able to spend time with my loved ones, that I was able to be in joy and find a special peace that is still with me years later! I'm thankful to God for giving me that time with my mom!
And now I am about to have a little one of my own and I want to give her all these things I have, it's not the material gifts, it's not the actual decorating, it's the love, the joy, the peace and the memories that uphold what Christ Himself is! Christ is love, Christ is joy and Christ is peace, I want to pass that on to my family and my friends!
Most people are concerned with the physical gifts that they get at this time of year, but I hope that someone will consider the one gift that really matters in your life, the gift that God is sending to you right now. See God has given all of humanity the Greatest Gift and that is His Son Jesus Christ and the salvation that is found in Him! If you don't know Christ today I pray you call out to Him and receive the Gift God has for you, a gift that will never perish, a gift that will never run out, a gift that will never get old or worn away! A gift that will sustain for all of eternity, the gift of Salvation and Eternal life!
Merry Christmas to all, I love all of you, may God bless each of you and all of your families!
Merry Christmas to all! I hope everyone had a blessed and wonderful Christmas, I know I sure did! Was able to spend time with my family and was given an opportunity to pray over the dinner tonight.
I have been thinking about what Christmas has meant to me, as a child, when I got older and what it means now. As a child it was that wonderful time of year where I got presents! I loved getting gifts and from a child's perspective I thought that was the greatest part about it.
Now that I am older I can see that getting the gifts wasn't the greatest things about Christmas as a child, what was the greatest thing was the memories that were made. I look back fondly now on the times I shared with my family, the feeling I had being around them, the time setting up the tree, the time I went and cut down a tree with my father. I remember the excitement to watch my parents give each their gifts, Dad always had a big "family" present at the end!
I couldn't tell you at all what those presents were, most if not all of them have been lost or broken, but the memories they are still here some 30+ years later! They are the treasures that aren't going to be lost or broken and I cherish each one!
A few years back I came to understand that the day we Celebrate Christmas isn't really the day Jesus came into the world, I spent ample amount of time researching it and after seeing this reality and what that day had been used for to worship in the past I quit celebrating Christmas. Not only did I stop celebrating I began to condemn others who did so. I took a very hard line and stance around all the Christian Holidays.
When my wife moved in with me and her daughter, I was so rigid I would let them celebrate Christmas either. Instead of Christmas being a time of joy and wonder it became a day of contention and unsatisfaction. I am sure I was no fun to be around and sure others were miserable around me during that time too.
Then my mother got sick with Cancer and I began wrestling with myself over the Holiday. See my mom loved Christmas, it was her favorite time of the year! She loved decorating getting the tree ready setting up the house! But most of all what she loved was knowing that the whole family would come over and she could sit and enjoy all the kids and her mother and everyone she loved gathered around her! She would smile with delight as we all exchanged gifts and talked and carried on with either Christmas music or a Christmas movie playing in the background.
As she got older even before the cancer she became sick, and she got sicker and sicker as the years progressed. Sadly she became so ill that she no longer could host Christmas, and she was heartbroken. Still she would drag up the tree and decorate the house! Eventually tho she became to sick to get the house done and slowly year by year Christmas became a thing of the past in my parents home.
I could tell that it hurt her so incredibly much, she missed the joy and traditions and she missed the family. It was around that time that I was becoming hard headed about Christmas and it only drove the dispair home I'm sure. She would never say anything to me about it, she understood my position but looking back I know it all broke her heart.
So there it was December of 2014, mom was sick with cancer and I was wrestling with Christmas. I began to pray about it one night and the Lord laid on me what was it that Christmas really meant to me. Did Christmas really mean worshiping some pagan God? Or did it mean something else? As I sat there in prayer and meditation the memories began to come back, what was Christmas to me?
Christmas was the time of year to show love to everyone around me, to be joyous, to have peace! That is what Christmas meant to me, and as I dwelt on it God showed me that the Fruits of the Spirit are love joy and peace, He lead me to understand just what Paul wrote concerning celebration Holidays, that we shouldn't judge one another on them. He showed me exactly what I had become which is a Pharisees!
My heart melted and I knew what I had to do, so I went down to my mom and I looked at her and asked, would you like to come over and help us set up a tree and decorate the house? And oh the smile that came on her face, the joy, the happiness that washed over her, the excitement! She couldn't believe I asked her to do it and she just said YES!
We went got a tree set it up decorated the house got presents and on Christmas morning she and my father came over and we celebrated Christmas together as a family! It was a great time, Idk what I got Idk what I gave but I have that memory and it's more cherished to me than any worldly thing anyone could give me!
See that was the last Christmas I was blessed enough to celebrate with my mom, she passed away in July of the next year, but I can't begin to put in words how thankful I am that God showed me what the true meaning of Christmas was, that He melted my heart and I was able to put up the tree decorate the house open the presents, but more importantly I was able to spend time with my loved ones, that I was able to be in joy and find a special peace that is still with me years later! I'm thankful to God for giving me that time with my mom!
And now I am about to have a little one of my own and I want to give her all these things I have, it's not the material gifts, it's not the actual decorating, it's the love, the joy, the peace and the memories that uphold what Christ Himself is! Christ is love, Christ is joy and Christ is peace, I want to pass that on to my family and my friends!
Most people are concerned with the physical gifts that they get at this time of year, but I hope that someone will consider the one gift that really matters in your life, the gift that God is sending to you right now. See God has given all of humanity the Greatest Gift and that is His Son Jesus Christ and the salvation that is found in Him! If you don't know Christ today I pray you call out to Him and receive the Gift God has for you, a gift that will never perish, a gift that will never run out, a gift that will never get old or worn away! A gift that will sustain for all of eternity, the gift of Salvation and Eternal life!
Merry Christmas to all, I love all of you, may God bless each of you and all of your families!
Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
Each year on Oct. 31, millions of people celebrate Halloween by dressing up as witches, devils, and demons.
Please check all that apply. This year for Halloween, I'll probably:
1. Dress the little ones up in costumes and escort them around our neighbourhood to collect candy.
2. Check out the local haunted house.
3. Get together with some buddies to watch a scary movie.
4. Dress up in a devil suit and scare the neighbourhood kids that knock on the front door.
5. Turn off the porch light and hope nobody finds me eating the three bags of Snickers bars I bought for trick-or-treaters.
Most people see nothing wrong with the activities listed above. They consider Halloween festivities to be a harmless way for their children to have an evening of "fantasy and fun."
But does this standard hold true for Christians? Is dressing up like ghosts, goblins, and witches really "no big deal"? Or is it glorifying and empowering Satan?
If we have truly committed our hearts and our lives to Christ, we will set ourselves apart as people who seek to reflect God's goodness and love to the world. Because we become like the things we behold, the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8 counsels Christians to think deeply about-and to continually fill our minds with-what is good. A careful, honest look at Halloween reveals little or nothing that is good. Instead, it is a day that points toward Satanism, fear, and gluttony.
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?" (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).
Although the word Halloween means "holy or hallowed evening," history shows that nothing could be further from the truth. Halloween is clearly a relic of pagan times, and it has never reflected true Christian virtues.
The customs connected with Halloween are most commonly traced to a festival celebrated by the Druids-priests of the Celtic tribes that occupied northern and western Europe. This celebration, which dates back several centuries before Christ, began each year on October 31 and was called the festival of Samhain, the lord of death.
As part of their worship of Samhain, the Druid priests built huge bonfires on which both animals and humans were sacrificed. This barbaric practice continued openly for hundreds of years, until Rome conquered Britain and outlawed it.
Years passed, and Rome continued to conquer new territory and increase in power. The people of each conquered nation were forced not only to become Roman citizens, but also to become members of the Roman church. As you can imagine, these new "converts" cared little about Christianity and clung tenaciously to their cherished pagan practices.
So, since the Roman church was unable to get people to abandon their heathen festivals, it decided to "sanctify" some of them. The Druids' celebration in honour of the lord of death thus became All Saints' Day, which was to be observed by all churches. Officially, it was proclaimed a day to honour all the saints who had died, known or unknown. But in practice, it remained what it had always been-a pagan celebration of the "Day of the Dead."
Throughout its history, Halloween has been thought of as the time when supernatural forces prevail. Anton LaVey, author of "The Satanic Bible" and high priest of the Church of Satan, says that Satanists consider Halloween the most important day of the year. He says that on this night, satanic, occult, and witchcraft power are at their highest potency level, and that any witch or occultist who has been having difficulty with a spell or curse can usually achieve success on October 31st because Satan and his powers are at their best that night.
Divination, or fortune telling, is also believed to reach its highest powers on Halloween, as people are eager to learn what might happen to them in the upcoming year. Even today, predictions of leading psychics and astrologers are generally released about the time of Halloween.
Clearly, the rites and symbols of this holiday reveal that it is still a day that glorifies Satan. Look around you. Though October 31 is still a month away, you can probably see evidences that Halloween is approaching. Pictures of ghosts, goblins, witches, skeletons, and devil-faced pumpkins appear on store windows everywhere. Horror movies are promoted on television and in the theatres, and most book stores give prominent attention to books dealing with death and the occult.
As Christians, we are not to associate with the things of Satan. Christ Himself said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24).
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).
Since its beginning, the festival of Halloween has played upon people's fears. The Celtic people believed that on the night of October 31, demons, witches, and the spirits of all those who had died within the past year roamed about freely. Most people were afraid to leave their homes on this night. Those who absolutely had to go out wore grotesque masks and terrifying costumes. They reasoned that if they looked horrible enough, the spirits would think they were one of them and would do them no harm!
Fear is a big part of modern Halloween celebrations, as well. Spooky decorations, horror movies, and haunted houses make a very real impression on little children. Is there any wonder so many youth have nightmares or are afraid to be alone in the dark? Satan delights in filling people's minds with thoughts of fear, death, and destruction. It is a tactic he has used for centuries to keep mankind under his control.
God, on the other hand, longs to give His children peace. He doesn't want us to be paralysed by our fears. In fact, the Bible says that Christ died "that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:15).
"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Several days before their festival began, the Druid priests would go from house to house demanding food or other items they would use in their worship of Samhain, the lord of death. If a villager refused to give them what they wanted, the priest would put a demonic curse on the home. It was no idle threat, either. Someone from that house usually died within the year. It is from this abominable practice that our present-day "trick-or-treat" custom evolved.
While it is true that trick-or-treat is no longer primarily about curses, it is about gluttony. Children go from house to house, filling grocery bags full of candy and then returning home to feast on their great treasure. Often, those who stay at home to hand out the candy consume great amounts of it themselves!
Even this element of Halloween, which in comparison might seem harmless, does nothing to glorify God. The Bible says that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We should not be polluting that temple with food that clouds our perceptions and draws us away from God.
"Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11).
Satan is no doubt jubilant that such a large portion of this "Christian nation" views a holiday in his honour as something that is harmless fun. Could it be that by our carelessness, we are contributing to the extraordinary power Satan seems to have on October 31?
No matter how fun or exciting it may seem, Halloween is no celebration for a Christian. If we truly seek to glorify God, then how can we devote one day of the year to worshipping Satan? We can't.
The Bible says, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
https://www.amazingfacts.org/news-and-features/inside-report/magazine/id/10699/t/should-christians-celebrate-halloween-
Each year on Oct. 31, millions of people celebrate Halloween by dressing up as witches, devils, and demons.
Please check all that apply. This year for Halloween, I'll probably:
1. Dress the little ones up in costumes and escort them around our neighbourhood to collect candy.
2. Check out the local haunted house.
3. Get together with some buddies to watch a scary movie.
4. Dress up in a devil suit and scare the neighbourhood kids that knock on the front door.
5. Turn off the porch light and hope nobody finds me eating the three bags of Snickers bars I bought for trick-or-treaters.
Most people see nothing wrong with the activities listed above. They consider Halloween festivities to be a harmless way for their children to have an evening of "fantasy and fun."
But does this standard hold true for Christians? Is dressing up like ghosts, goblins, and witches really "no big deal"? Or is it glorifying and empowering Satan?
If we have truly committed our hearts and our lives to Christ, we will set ourselves apart as people who seek to reflect God's goodness and love to the world. Because we become like the things we behold, the apostle Paul in Philippians 4:8 counsels Christians to think deeply about-and to continually fill our minds with-what is good. A careful, honest look at Halloween reveals little or nothing that is good. Instead, it is a day that points toward Satanism, fear, and gluttony.
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?" (2 Corinthians 6:14-15).
Although the word Halloween means "holy or hallowed evening," history shows that nothing could be further from the truth. Halloween is clearly a relic of pagan times, and it has never reflected true Christian virtues.
The customs connected with Halloween are most commonly traced to a festival celebrated by the Druids-priests of the Celtic tribes that occupied northern and western Europe. This celebration, which dates back several centuries before Christ, began each year on October 31 and was called the festival of Samhain, the lord of death.
As part of their worship of Samhain, the Druid priests built huge bonfires on which both animals and humans were sacrificed. This barbaric practice continued openly for hundreds of years, until Rome conquered Britain and outlawed it.
Years passed, and Rome continued to conquer new territory and increase in power. The people of each conquered nation were forced not only to become Roman citizens, but also to become members of the Roman church. As you can imagine, these new "converts" cared little about Christianity and clung tenaciously to their cherished pagan practices.
So, since the Roman church was unable to get people to abandon their heathen festivals, it decided to "sanctify" some of them. The Druids' celebration in honour of the lord of death thus became All Saints' Day, which was to be observed by all churches. Officially, it was proclaimed a day to honour all the saints who had died, known or unknown. But in practice, it remained what it had always been-a pagan celebration of the "Day of the Dead."
Throughout its history, Halloween has been thought of as the time when supernatural forces prevail. Anton LaVey, author of "The Satanic Bible" and high priest of the Church of Satan, says that Satanists consider Halloween the most important day of the year. He says that on this night, satanic, occult, and witchcraft power are at their highest potency level, and that any witch or occultist who has been having difficulty with a spell or curse can usually achieve success on October 31st because Satan and his powers are at their best that night.
Divination, or fortune telling, is also believed to reach its highest powers on Halloween, as people are eager to learn what might happen to them in the upcoming year. Even today, predictions of leading psychics and astrologers are generally released about the time of Halloween.
Clearly, the rites and symbols of this holiday reveal that it is still a day that glorifies Satan. Look around you. Though October 31 is still a month away, you can probably see evidences that Halloween is approaching. Pictures of ghosts, goblins, witches, skeletons, and devil-faced pumpkins appear on store windows everywhere. Horror movies are promoted on television and in the theatres, and most book stores give prominent attention to books dealing with death and the occult.
As Christians, we are not to associate with the things of Satan. Christ Himself said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other" (Matthew 6:24).
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7).
Since its beginning, the festival of Halloween has played upon people's fears. The Celtic people believed that on the night of October 31, demons, witches, and the spirits of all those who had died within the past year roamed about freely. Most people were afraid to leave their homes on this night. Those who absolutely had to go out wore grotesque masks and terrifying costumes. They reasoned that if they looked horrible enough, the spirits would think they were one of them and would do them no harm!
Fear is a big part of modern Halloween celebrations, as well. Spooky decorations, horror movies, and haunted houses make a very real impression on little children. Is there any wonder so many youth have nightmares or are afraid to be alone in the dark? Satan delights in filling people's minds with thoughts of fear, death, and destruction. It is a tactic he has used for centuries to keep mankind under his control.
God, on the other hand, longs to give His children peace. He doesn't want us to be paralysed by our fears. In fact, the Bible says that Christ died "that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage" (Hebrews 2:15).
"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Several days before their festival began, the Druid priests would go from house to house demanding food or other items they would use in their worship of Samhain, the lord of death. If a villager refused to give them what they wanted, the priest would put a demonic curse on the home. It was no idle threat, either. Someone from that house usually died within the year. It is from this abominable practice that our present-day "trick-or-treat" custom evolved.
While it is true that trick-or-treat is no longer primarily about curses, it is about gluttony. Children go from house to house, filling grocery bags full of candy and then returning home to feast on their great treasure. Often, those who stay at home to hand out the candy consume great amounts of it themselves!
Even this element of Halloween, which in comparison might seem harmless, does nothing to glorify God. The Bible says that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. We should not be polluting that temple with food that clouds our perceptions and draws us away from God.
"Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11).
Satan is no doubt jubilant that such a large portion of this "Christian nation" views a holiday in his honour as something that is harmless fun. Could it be that by our carelessness, we are contributing to the extraordinary power Satan seems to have on October 31?
No matter how fun or exciting it may seem, Halloween is no celebration for a Christian. If we truly seek to glorify God, then how can we devote one day of the year to worshipping Satan? We can't.
The Bible says, "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).
https://www.amazingfacts.org/news-and-features/inside-report/magazine/id/10699/t/should-christians-celebrate-halloween-
Thunderian
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I celebrate Festoween.
Reformation Day
The hype around Halloween has further clouded people’s eyes from another celebration on this day that is truly honouring to God—Reformation Day. October 31, 1517 is the day Martin Luther, who instigated the Protestant Reformation, nailed his 95 Theses on the door of a Wittenberg church. This momentous day changed the whole of Christendom as Luther advocated for an individual’s relationship with Christ based on faith, grace, and Scripture alone (sola fide, sola gratia, and sola scriptura) and not the authority of the Catholic Church.
Instead of celebrating a pagan festival shrouded in superstitions, darkness, and occult imagery, let’s focus on the light that this day represents—the light of God’s Word revealed to each and every person directly through the Scriptures and not through an institution, and let’s look for opportunities to spread this message to others on October 31 in keeping with the legacy of the Reformers.
amazingdiscoveries
The hype around Halloween has further clouded people’s eyes from another celebration on this day that is truly honouring to God—Reformation Day. October 31, 1517 is the day Martin Luther, who instigated the Protestant Reformation, nailed his 95 Theses on the door of a Wittenberg church. This momentous day changed the whole of Christendom as Luther advocated for an individual’s relationship with Christ based on faith, grace, and Scripture alone (sola fide, sola gratia, and sola scriptura) and not the authority of the Catholic Church.
Instead of celebrating a pagan festival shrouded in superstitions, darkness, and occult imagery, let’s focus on the light that this day represents—the light of God’s Word revealed to each and every person directly through the Scriptures and not through an institution, and let’s look for opportunities to spread this message to others on October 31 in keeping with the legacy of the Reformers.
amazingdiscoveries