Unmasking Halloween and the Church
Introduction: As we have exited the Halloween season, let's ask a question, should we be participating in Halloween as Christians? Are all things pure to those who are pure? Or are there some celebrations that we as Christians shouldn't coopt? Or here's a plot twist many haven't considered: Did Halloween Co-opt a Christian Holiday? Let's explore that as we watch our culture stray Further. Every. Day.
Now, if you are a Christian who believes that anyone who lets their children Trick or Treat is going to Hell, maybe reconsider your soteriology, you clearly don't understand Salvation. With that said, there are many Christians who don't seem to mind appearing worldly with their gory antics on Halloween. We'll get to that momentarily.
Origins:
But first, let's attempt to cover the most common question that arises in Christian circles on this topic: Where did Halloween come from? The sad thing is, we don't really know. Most sources actually cannot pinpoint the origins of the Halloween that we witness every year in America, but instead it appears to have an amorphous origin. Let's look at some of the other holidays that may have had an influence on what we now call Halloween.
Samhain (Sawhen)
All Saints Day
The Day of the Dead
Samhain (Sawhen)
https://blogs.loc.gov/headlinesandheroes/2021/10/the-origins-of-halloween-traditions/
So where might all of these coincided? Was Samhain the origin of Halloween?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu-5BmAzbrU
0:45-7:29
What is the Day of the Dead? La Catrina was the Goddess of the underworld in Aztec Culture.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sSawpU81cI
What will people who celebrate Samhain or the Day of the Dead think of us as Christians when we participate in Halloween?
Chair 1: Theology
What does God say about adopting the celebrations of Pagan Gods?
Deut 12:29-32 :“When the Lord your God cuts off before you the nations whom you go in to dispossess, and you dispossess them and dwell in their land, take care that you be not ensnared to follow them, after they have been destroyed before you, and that you do not inquire about their gods, saying, ‘How did these nations serve their gods?—that I also may do the same.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way, for every abominable thing that the Lord hates they have done for their gods, for they even burn their sons and their daughters in the fire to their gods. “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”
What does He say about marginal practices that are not primary Salvation related traditions?
Romans 14:1-5 : “As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.”
How should we navigate Halloween?
Chair 2: Philosophy
How should we go about the addressing little children playacting as princesses and cowboys? Is this the same as worshiping pagan idols?
How has the Church allowed a celebration of the Saints, devolve into the 2nd largest financially grossing holiday in America?
Chair 3: Culture
As we have watched the Church lose the narrative to the Cultures around her, what has happened to the Culture surrounding Halloween? How has the Church's lack of authority on the matter degraded our Culture?
Should Christians participate in the horror movies and gore of Halloween? How does one navigate the verses above with Halloween and the Culture? What does the Culture see when we as Christians partake in the more paganistic practices of Halloween?
Chair 4: Politics
Multiculturalism has positive and negative effects as any system has, but we see the active support for paganism in the town square, how does this compare to the war on Christmas?
Compare this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pK9YUE1Qtnw
Should this be legal? (I would say yes but it's not my cup of tea: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrkd_aoJNeY )
Chair 5: Economics
You may not have heard this before today but:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jihYSTc5KeI
Where does this fact and the expenditure on Christmas indicate our Culture has placed its value?
Conclusion
Final Thoughts: What is your takeaway from each chair?
Final Question: What is your favorite candy?
Mike Winger has a great piece on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALY9aLKm9YI