I've heard this frequently this time of year, so much that it gets in the news about schools cancelling Halloween, people having Hell Houses instead of Haunted Houses, and churches having religious alternatives to Halloween parties. I've heard lots of devout Christians say they consider Halloween evil, demonic, and "the Devil's holiday", but never any real answer as to why.
I can't see anything satanic about Halloween myself, even went trick-or-treating as a kid back when I was still a Lutheran. Actually, I seem to recall my church having halloween parties for us kids with games and pinatas sort of thing.
Can anyone explain the reasoning behind this without using "it's the Devil's holiday" or that it's a Pagan holiday? Just because it's derived from a non-Christian religion, doesn't mean it's an "evil" holiday, so that's not a good enough answer.
Bible quotations are welcome so I can look them up for cross-referencing. And please be respectful! I look forward to your answers. :)
2006-10-30 01:50:24 · 21 answers · asked by Ophelia 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Thank you for all your answers so far. They've been very informative.
It doesn't really matter to me if people find Halloween satanic or not, it's just been something I've heard that made me wonder why some people thought that. I'm not out to debunk or argue or anything with this question. I'm just curious. Heh. I really don't care what the reasons are.
I suppose it's just my wondering what people's opinions are. Most people I know don't have a problem with the holiday, so I suppose it's also a little odd to me to hear people have a problem with a holiday I grew up with.
2006-10-31 11:05:56 · update #1
It's ignorance. I have yet to find anything remotely close to what they say about Halloween... not in modern or ancient times. They claim this is the time when Pagans sacrificed people, yet nothing in history shows that Except - The Roman Catholic Church... who said these things about ALL Heretics (this includes Everyone who is NOT a Roman Catholic - yep, that means they were saying these things about other Christians as well)
And yet, here they take it and use it against Pagans without realizing exactly where that "devilish" concept even came from and WHO it was towards.
If they give any kind of biblical reference for "not doing what the pagans do"... then all of their holidays are gone, wedding rings (which was a pagan concept - a religious one, brought down thru egypt)... birthday's, especially those b-day candles, where you make a wish... everything in modern life would have to change, days of the week, days of the month, planet names, product names (such as Nike and Midas and Mars bars *gasp* no more candy!).
It's really amazing that they claim the "Know" about this stuff... yet when I did an extensive study on things like this, While I was a Christian, I couldn't find anything of the sort. No proof of such demonic things, except within groups of teenagers who are merely doing the "satanic" thing to be rebelious, for shock value. And those were mainly rumors started by the teenagers themselves.
People LOVE to point out the bad in others... it's their only way of making themselves look good. (See? They are demonic... come to Christianity we aren't demonic). It's annoying to see people do this, because there really isn't anything one can say to them that's going to make them look into it in an honest way, rather than take the bad they can find on everyone else, so they can feel better about their personal religion.
2006-10-30 02:57:29 · answer #1 · answered by riverstorm13 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Some claim it is because All Hallows Eve is the night when the veil between the two worlds, ( the spirit world and this one) is the weakest and people can communicate with the spirits easier. But I think it is a matter of not really understanding.
When the candy companies took over and made it more about the costumes and candy some people became offended by it.
What bothers me about the holiday today is that it is no longer safe for our children to go out and have a good time.
Even with their parents going with them it is not safe. To many people out there are poisoning the candy before giving it out or putting other things in it.
And what makes that worse is the fact that most people that do those things claim to be good Christians trying to purge the evil out of our children.
If they are really good Christians, the last thing they would do is harm our children.
They need to leave it alone and allow it to go back to being a fun day for the kids and adults to dress up and have fun.
Just remember this is only my opinion
Blessed Be and Merry Meet.
2006-10-30 02:36:33 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am sure you will get many respectful answers to this questions because it is asked honestly and you are not "preaching" to make a point at how "bogus Christianity is"
I have no problem with Halloween. In fact I have a skeleton in an electric chair, a gravestone with rats, some boogers and cobwebs around the house. My only problem with it is that some stuff that people use to decorate is too scary. We took our son and daughters out to eat at a Casino close to Halloween a few years ago, and what they had up had my son shaking he was so scared. Anything such as that, IMO is bad because it harms the innocent (my son) He does not want to go to the Casino to eat anymore.
2006-10-30 01:54:56 · answer #3 · answered by newcovenant0 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've seen ridiculously long presentations on the origins of halloween and how people are taking a stance against it. It's just another example of trying to be special and holier than others - 'look at me, I know the real truth and I'm taking a stand on it'. It's so ego-based. They don't realize that it's not the origins but the meaning people give it TODAY. Thursday is just a day of the week to me, despite its origin as the norse god Thor's day. Christmas was integrated with pagan ritual (winter solstice) because the church realized that using existing rituals but interpreted in a new way was a good way to get the message across; rejecting halloween would be similar to rejecting christmas because of its origins. The meaning NOW is the important thing.
2006-10-30 02:06:42 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
Honestly, I really don't know.
Halloween comes from the old pagan sabot of Samhain the night when veil between life and death becomes thin.
Satan is a purely christian concept,, prior to Christianity there was no "devil." He is a character from the bible having nothing to do with Samhain what-so-ever.
So, I really do not understand where the "satanic" spin came from. Maybe people feel threatened by the spooky costumes, kids actually having good clean harmless fun, and entire communities coming together for carnivals and social events.
2006-10-30 02:00:52 · answer #5 · answered by landerscott 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Halloween is known to be a convergence of some old religions' observances (Paganism, Druidism, Catholicism, Anglicanism, Hedonism).
For instance the jack-o-lantern represenhting a marker that a home has paid (treated) the Druids and won't get trashed that night.
It's a spasmodic celebration, getting evil out of the systems of those who observe All Saints Day the very next day. Sort of like a binge the day before going on a diet, except in a spiritual sense.
Since Halloween appeals to a tradition of blackmail, all sorts of evil being portrayed, and self indulgence, it is very much in character with what Christians call the Devil...in the bible Satan (the devil) says "I will" repeatedly, showing his ways to be service of self. Therefore self indulgent holidays are reminiscent of the self indulgent devil. Christ, on the other hand, teaches selflessness and service to others, especially the poor.
2006-10-30 02:00:47 · answer #6 · answered by Just David 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋
It is kind of funny with certain relgions. I saw one that allowed their children to come to a halloween party as long as they were dressed a s bibilcal character. They seem to think that if you dress up as a devil or a witch that this is against GOD. I do not believe that it is a day of fun for the children to trick or treat and for us oldere children to act silly and try to win a costume constest. I see nothing wrong with trick or treating and would let my chilren dress up. The only sad thing is the people Who give out stupid things.
I have found not biblical references other than this one
Man can not serve two masters Luke 16:13
2006-10-30 01:57:59 · answer #7 · answered by thebulktiny 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If christians dont like halloween then why are they making thier own versions of haunted houses? it sounds like Christians are jealous of Pagans to me......Its all about persecution, back in the day we would be burned at the stakes, but since you cant get rid of Pagans that easily they try political maneuvers. Very underhanded.
To a christian even other christian sects are fakes and heretics. Dont take it personally, its just the way christians are.
2006-10-30 01:53:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
all hallows eve the night the dead spirits past walk the earth so i have heard this is not so the story i have heard is on this night you were to put out your offering to these spirits that now is the candy or bad things would happen to you your cows milk will sour or the cow would die your chickens would stop laying eggs your crops wouldn't grow things like this these are the tricks
God said thou shall have no other Gods before me
he also said you are for me or you are against me you can not have two master you will love the one and hate the other you can not serve God and Mammon
There are two powers in the universe some call it the yin and the yang some Karma
they are LOVE & EVOL
2006-10-30 02:04:22 · answer #9 · answered by jamnjims 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't see anything satanic about Halloween?
Halloween culture can be traced back to the Druids, a Celtic culture in Ireland, Britain and Northern Europe. Roots lay in the feast of Samhain, which was annually on October 31st to honor the dead.
Samhain signifies "summers end" or November. Samhain was a harvest festival with huge sacred bonfires, marking the end of the Celtic year and beginning of a new one. Many of the practices involved in this celebration were fed on superstition. Often, sacrifices were made to Samhain, the Lord of the dead in order to satisfy him.
The Celts believed the souls of the dead roamed the streets and villages at night. Since not all spirits were thought to be friendly, gifts and treats were left out to pacify the evil and ensure next years crops would be plentiful. This custom evolved into trick-or-treating.
Such holidays honoring "spirits of the dead" as if they were alive in another realm are contrary to the Bible's description of death as a state of complete unconscienceness. See Ecc. 9:5, 10; Ps. 146:4.
Anyone who doesn't see the satanism in the ghosts, the haunted houses, the superstitions associated with black cats and the gruesome masks connected with Halloween is blinding themselves to the need to stay away from this holiday.
True Christians stay away from Halloween and alll other pagan obsevances.
2006-10-30 01:53:19 · answer #10 · answered by LineDancer 7 · 3⤊ 4⤋