In an anti-Halloween sermon, a pastoress remarked how if those in
Satanic or Wiccan covens are late for a ritual, they are punished by
demonic entities. Instead of celebrating how the Christian possesses a
degree of freedom not found in spiritually counterfeit systems of
belief, the pastoress lamented lack of similar discipline in the ranks
of the true church. If one wants to be such a ramrod stickler to detail
with everything being done by the book to a fanatical degree with
little room for forgiveness, what is a woman doing being a pastor in the
first place?
It was argued in an anti-Halloween sermon that, if you trick or treat,
you are endorsing a particular worldview. As such, if you use a light
bulb, does that constitute an endorsement of Thomas Edison's occultic
proclivities? Likewise, does driving an automobile endorse Henry Ford's
alleged anti-Semitic inclinations?
The latest homiletical trick employed in anti-Halloween sermons seems to
center around a proverbial immigrant (usually from Africa) that is
profoundly disturbed and disappointed that America would have a
celebration characterized by the motifs and symbolism associated with
Halloween.
Interestingly, seldom do these accounts tell of an
individual so persuaded as to the correctness of their convictions that
this immigrant is willing to forsake the delights of steady electricity,
clean water, and a reliable food supply in order to return to their
less-developed but more innocent homeland.
On the Internet, it seems a number of AWANA clubs are just happening to
hold their costume nights in the month of October. A number of them
stipulated that the costumes must be non-violent. So that would mean
there are a significant number of Biblical characters that a child would
be forbidden from dressing as such as King David, Jael's wife, or the
bear that ate the children that ridiculed Eli?
In anti-Halloween sermons as to why Christians should have nothing to do
with Jack-O-Lanterns, the eponymous Jack is often said to have been
eating a turnip when Satan tossed a coal from the fires of Hell to place
in the vegetable to use as a torch throughout eternity. If the
Christian is to be so worked up to avoid even a hint of associating with
these questionable practices, does that mean we Christians should forgo
eating turnips?
In a number of sermons, Pastor Jim Staley of Passion For Truth
Ministries condemned not only Halloween but Christmas and Easter as well
as celebrations unauthorized in Scripture. Therefore, the sincere
Christian ought to avoid them in order to maintain their testimony (the
blanket excuse one invokes when one wants something to be wrong but
can't really articulate a very specific reason as to why). This
pastor's suggestion might carry a bit more weight if he wasn't serving
prison time for defrauding a group of elderly investors of nearly $3
million. For are not the stipulations against theft and mistreating the
elderly more explicit than whether or not a child spends an autumnal
evening ritualistically collecting candy around the neighborhood or an
early winter one putting a popcorn string around a tree?
If a church condemns Halloween but holds Trunk-Or-Treat, isn't that the
equivalent of erecting a pole dancing stage in the church basement to
pat yourself on the back how that keeps men out of strip clubs and nudey
bars?
In a condemnation of Halloween, a Christian podcaster said that he could
not imagine Paul, if the Apostle had children, allowing them to
participate in a Christianized version of a pagan festival so that they
would not feel left out. But in the Book of Acts, did not Paul appear
on the Areopagus where, in his outreach to the Greeks, he appealed to
the assembled by referencing the altar to the unknown god and by quoting
classical Hellenistic literature to them? Therefore, why can't certain
aspects of the Halloween celebration be utilized in a similar manner?
There have probably been more children molested by pastors insisting
upon the threat posed by tampered Halloween candy than children harmed
by tampered Halloween candy.
By Frederick Meekins