CHRISTIANS AND HALLOWEEN
Someone ask that I post Halloween information for tonight. Please feel free to copy/print/share the following paragraphs as needed . . .
The Origin of Halloween
The idea of observing October 31st as a holiday originated with the ancient Celtic priests, called "Druids", around 300 B.C. The Druids lived in the area between Great Britain and Germany. Their new year began on November 1st, so October 31st was set aside to worship the god of the dead at the festival of Samhain. October 31st was the Celtic New Years Eve, the time for their Festival of Death.
The Druids believed that the god of the underworld gathered all the souls of the past year's dead on this night. These souls had been confined to the bodies of various animals to atone for their sins. Animal sacrifices and even human sacrifices were carried out. This practice was observed until around 61 A.D. when it was outlawed by the Romans. However, some animal sacrifices were still practiced as late as 400 A.D.
The Druids taught that the spirit world was closer to the earth on this night than at any other time, and that "the gods" would even appear on this night to play tricks on people.
Pope Bonoface III, in the seventh century, set aside May 13th as "All Saints Day" or "All Hallows Day" as a time for Roman Catholics to honor all known dead saints. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III moved the date to November 1st which conveniently merged "All Hallows Day" and "All Hallows Eve" with the Festival of Samhain.
This custom wasn't much observed in America until the 1840's when large numbers of immigrants came over from Ireland and Scotland.
The Pagan Customs and Characters
Halloween is filled with all sorts of pagan characters and customs that Christians need to avoid.
The black cat, for example, was believed by the Druids to be evil spirit friends of witches, and even witches themselves. These cats were often kept in wicker cages and burned in animal sacrifices.
Witches are worshipers of Satan, and they are an abomination to God (Exo. 22:18; Deu. 18:10-11). Why would a God-fearing Christian want to dress-up their child like something that God hates?
Scary masks were worn by the Celts to scare away evil spirits. The jack-o-lantern was used for the same purpose, although the idea likely originated with the beheadings carried out by the Druid priests. So, the original jack-o-lantern was probably a human head!
What the world thinks of as "ghosts" are not the spirits of dead people, but rather EVIL spirits which we are warned about in the Bible (Lev. 19:31; 20:27; II Kgs. 23:24; Mat. 10:1; Mar. 3:11; Acts 8:7; Rev. 16:13). Why would a Christian want to decorate their home with such wickedness? Does God want you to dress your child up like an evil spirit?
Even the orange and black colors of Halloween have a wicked origin. At the Druid Festival of Death, huge bon fires were used for offering human and animal sacrifices. So the colors of the night were orange flames glowing in the dark.
Trick-or-treating finds its origin in the custom of peasants going house to house begging for money to purchase necessities for a feast for Muck Olla, the Druid sun god. A blessing was promised to generous givers, while threats were often made to those who were stingy.
Apple bobbing probably comes from the Roman festival of Pomona, the goddess of fruit and trees. This festival was merged with the festival of Samhain after Rome conquered Britain. In honor of Satan (the god of the dead), subjects were forced to bob for apples in boiling hot water. Those who lived through this ordeal were set free.
Friend, Halloween is Satanic! You may pretend that it's a harmless game for kids, but in reality it represents paganism, Satanism, human sacrifice, torture, rape, murder, idolatry, witchcraft, and spiritualism! Did you know that October 31st is considered by many Satanists to be one of their most important days of the year? Friend, WAKE UP! Don't honor the Devil! Honor God instead by refusing to observe Halloween this year. The Lord Jesus Christ wouldn't dress innocent children up like the devils of Hell and march them around town, so why should you? Are you a TRUE follower of Jesus Christ? Then SKIP Halloween this year and tell others to do likewise!
"Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;" (I Tim. 4:1)
"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." (Eph. 5:11)
"The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light." (Rom. 13:12)
Have You Been Saved?
Jesus Christ came into this world to lay down His sinless life for YOU--to pay for your sins because you couldn't. Jesus is your only hope for salvation. Only by receiving Him as your Saviour can you enter the gates of Heaven. There is no other way. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." (John 14:6) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The Lord Jesus Christ has come and PAID for your sins by shedding His own Blood on Calvary. By receiving Him as your Saviour, you can be WASHED from all your sins in His precious Blood (Rev. 1:5; Col. 1:14; Acts 20:28; I Pet. 1:18-19). Notice these important words from Romans 5:8-9: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
-James Melton
Jesus PAID your way to Heaven for you! By receiving Him as your Saviour, you will be receiving God's ONLY means of Salvation. Are you willing to forsake YOUR righteousness and receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your ONLY HOPE for Salvation? Romans 10:13 says, "Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:9 says, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."
Are you willing to forsake your own righteousness, and ask Jesus Christ to save you? Why not pray right now and ask the Lord to come into your heart and cleanse you from all sin. He will save you just as He promised.
