Redeeming Halloween

I find that whatever we feed- tends to survive. If we want Halloween to flourish, we feed it. If not, we don't. We don't have to become like the world in order to reach it. If Christ is our example, we must glean from Him. He didn't participate in rituals that dishonor God or dive into gluttony. Halloween embraces and glorifies both behaviors. Christ was creative in how he reached people and God was deliberate in how He instructed us to lead our children. I believe we can do both without being lukewarm.

God is a God of life, but Halloween focuses on death. Should I celebrate a holiday where people decorate their front yards with tombstones? The Scriptures tell us to put away deeds of darkness (Rom.13:12) and that light has nothing in common with darkness (2 Cor. 6:14). Is celebrating a dark holiday something a child of the light should be doing? I had been delivered from fear and panic attacks and knew that fear comes from the enemy. Should I participate in a holiday that has fear as its very foundation? Witchcraft is clearly detestable to the Lord (Deut 18:10-13). Shouldn't something that glorifies witchcraft (just take a walk through the Halloween store) be detestable to me as well? Halloween is a sacred, high holiday for Wiccans (the official religion of witchcraft). Is this a holiday Christians should celebrate alongside Wiccans? Is it cute when we dress our kids like the devil (or witches, ghouls, scary characters, etc.)? Isn't it, well, demonic? What if my child dresses in a wholesome fireman costume? Romans 16:19 says that we need to be wise to what is good and innocent of evil. If I let him participate in Halloween, even while dressed as a fireman, aren't I sending him a mixed message by allowing him to participate in a celebration of evil? The Lord said in 2 Cor. 6:17, "Come out from them and be separate ... Touch no unclean thing ..." Doesn't God want His children to be set apart from the world and from sin and evil? Aren't we supposed to be peculiar people? My extended family thinks it's ridiculous that we not allow our son to dress up for Halloween. Should their opinions matter to me more than God's? Shouldn't pleasing God be my utmost concern? If there is even a question in my heart and mind that it might be wrong, shouldn't that be my first clue? Why would I continue to do so with even a lingering thought that it is wrong? Does Halloween bring glory to God? No! It glorifies the devil! Nuff said.