Ep.1252: Is It a Sin if I . . .? (Part IV)
Understanding Halloween’s roots and weighing our participation in it
CHAPTERS
Theme Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8:9
Candy, costumes parties and fun! The Halloween season with all of its excitement and trappings is upon us. On top of the fun and the sugar rush, this is a time of year particularly specializes in seeking to be horrified as another form of entertainment. The party-like atmosphere is generously sprinkled with murder, mayhem, zombies and apocalyptic events - all in the name of thrills. Because of this anything goes approach, Halloween has become an absolute favorite holiday. The question is, should we as Christians celebrate this day? After all, its origin is firmly rooted in Paganism. Its practices are firmly rooted in over-the-top behavior. Is it a sin for Christians to celebrate or have anything to do with Halloween?
Samhain was an ancient Gaelic celebration deeply rooted in Pagan beliefs
It took place at the time of harvest and was one of four seasonal festivals. While Samhain was a celebration of harvest time, it was also believed to be a time when the veil between the spirit world and our physical world was thinnest. Their belief was that spirits - both good and evil - could cross over into our world. While these ancient people anxiously waited for communication from dead relatives, they also feared the wickedness of the vile spirits that could cross over as well. People dressed up as evil spirits and carried carved-out lit turnips as a way to fend off these evil influences.
Fast forward many centuries to today and it is easy to see how the roots of our present-day Halloween celebrations originated with Samhain. Looking back into history through a Bible-based perspective, we see that all of their beliefs regarding the spirit world were untrue. Their beliefs were superstitions that logically developed as the age-old questions about life and death needed some kind of explanation.
Should we participate in the activities of this day?
With this brief view of Halloween’s origins in hand, the question arises as to the propriety of we as Christians celebrating such a holiday. Knowing what we know now, is it wise and spiritually healthy to be engaged in something with such dark origins? As you might imagine, many Christians have many differing perspectives on this question. Some of us say that these origins - and the blatant modern-day satanic aspects - essentially condemn anything connected with Halloween as inherently evil. Others say that their celebrations have absolutely nothing to do with that history or the "evil" side of the day. They say their Halloween is all about kids, having fun by dressing up, family bonding and candy. Which is it?
Check out our October 24, 2022 podcast, “Is It a Sin if I... (Part IV)" where we ask about celebrating Halloween. We dig more deeply into Samhain’s history and look at the present-day perspectives from both sides. Most importantly, we build our discussion upon some very sound New Testament scriptural principles. The Apostle Paul helps us step back, consider and decide how to approach this kind of issue. Join us and then explore the rest of this Sin Series. We share no tricks or treats, but we do share scriptural answers!
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