Romans 14 And Halloween

[swathdiver]

Can Romans 14 be applied to Halloween?  Is Halloween a Christian liberty?

[John81]

That might depend on just what it is you are doing for Halloween.

 

I don't know any Christians who actually "celebrate" Halloween. I do know some who let their children dress up and get candy, but they aren't celebrating anything, only carrying on a relatively modern tradition. Many of the things we associate with Halloween today, such as door knocking for candy, are rather recent.

 

Some Christians use Halloween as an opportunity to reach out to the lost or to fellowship. They will have some harvest festival at their church, some will hand out candy and a tract at their home, some will go out and hand such out to those who walk by.

 

Many others pay little or no attention to it at all.

 

From what I've found out after much study of Halloween, much of what most of us think we know about Halloween is actually false. Most all who partake of something on Halloween are not celebrating anything at all, just taking the opportunity to do whatever it is they do.

 

Our church and our family don't have anything to do with Halloween.

[ASongOfDegrees]

I Cor. 6:12- All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

 

If it bothers your conscience then don't celebrate it (whatever it is that's being celebrated). It's as simple as that. You can't legislate these kind of things upon others though you can on your own family since you are accountable for what takes place under your roof.

[JerryNumbers]

With it being about witches, ghost, vampires, spirits of the dead, & such, plus scaring young people half to death with unsightly things that eyes should never see how can we really be a part of it?

[swathdiver]

I'm seeing local Southern Baptist and rock-n-roller churches (same thing oftentimes) explain it away, do bonfires and hand out candy during a thing called "trunk or treat".  Some whom I love dearly are using Romans 14 and others to celebrate this beloved enemy.

 

I just don't see how it's a matter of liberty, when we are to avoid all appearance of evil and do all to glorify God.

[John81]

I'm seeing local Southern Baptist and rock-n-roller churches (same thing oftentimes) explain it away, do bonfires and hand out candy during a thing called "trunk or treat".  Some whom I love dearly are using Romans 14 and others to celebrate this beloved enemy.

 

I just don't see how it's a matter of liberty, when we are to avoid all appearance of evil and do all to glorify God.

It depends on just what they are doing and if they are doing it to the glory of God.

 

I've seen churches which hold harvest festivals that are clearly not of a worldly Halloween nature, and I've also seen churches hold events that are very much like worldly Halloween parties.

 

Our church makes a simple statement that we have nothing to do with Halloween. We don't draw any attention to it at all.

[Salyan]

I think when we copy and 'sanitize' Halloween traditions (like trunk and treat - never seen that up here!), it's the same thing as celebrating it. Just like watered-down swear words are as bad as the real thing. There are a lot of holidays that have survived as commercialized events (Easter, Christmas) or are simply unoffensive secular days (Memorial Day, Mother's Day). Halloween, though, is different. Halloween originated as a day to celebrate the occult and the underworld. It has survived bearing the same hallmarks, and even though it may be slightly curtained by the 'candy & costumes', remains as a dark day that is ever getting darker. As a child, I don't remember seeing the brutal, bloody 'decorations' that today are common in stores and front yards. It's getting worse. Why should we want anything to do with a day that traditionally and currently celebrates witchcraft, blood, violence, and death? Have your harvest celebration - but don't have it on Oct. 31. The only 'Halloween alternative' that I've seen that I like is a prayer meeting.

[DaveW]

We often have a fellowship night or a work night on Halloween.
I make sure everyone knows it is NOT for halloween, but to give people a reason not to be home.

[JerryNumbers]

Why copy off of this world & worldly people, their ways & things they do, why not copy Jesus? After all He is the one we are to follow. 

[John81]

From what it says in Romans 14 a Christian can observe, or not observe something unto the Lord on any day of the year.

 

If a church holds a clearly Christian event unto the Lord on October 31, or any other day, that's pleasing to the Lord.

 

If a church holds an event designed to mimic the world, which uplifts the worldly and not the Lord, then it's not pleasing to the Lord whether it's on October 31 or any other day.

 

Romans 14:4-6

 

⁴ Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

⁵ One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

⁶ He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.

[JerryNumbers]

Don't you believe it would be best to copy after Christ, than the world? 

 

After all the Christians is told to follow Christ, deny self, & bear their cross, plus we are to be overcomers of the world & the one who is leading it.

[John81]

Don't you believe it would be best to copy after Christ, than the world? 

 

After all the Christians is told to follow Christ, deny self, & bear their cross, plus we are to be overcomers of the world & the one who is leading it.

If this question is to me, I've already answered in other posts above, that our church and family have a nothing to do with Halloween policy.

 

If other Christians want to worship the Lord on October 31 and gather together to do so, that's not copying the world. They are, in effect, denying themselves of the worldly aspects of Halloween in favor of giving themselves to gathering with other believers for worship and fellowship.

 

As I mentioned above, those churches which simply try to mimic the world are clearly trying to have their cake and eat it too; which isn't honouring to the Lord, but serving their own flesh.

[JerryNumbers]

Where did I say that gathering together worshiping our Lord on October 31 is copying after the world? I would never suggest such a thing, I would never say such a thing, because the world does not gather together to worship the Lord in spirit & truth. 

 

And any church doing that would be copying after the New Testament Churches of the New Testament & they're free to gather together at any time on any day they wish & worshiping our Lord, & the more they do so the better for them. 

 

My question was: "Don't you believe it would be best to copy after Christ, than the world?" 

 

For instants.

 

In years gone by the local United Methodist Church had a pumpkins patch in front of their church on the large parking lot, it would be set up about 2 weeks before Halloween. They would advertise it in both local newspapers, bring your children, get their pictures taken, & buy your pumpkins, other decorations & Halloween costumes for this Halloween.

 

They would have all sorts of Halloween decorations, including jack-a-lanterns, cut outs of scary Hobblin' Goblins, witches & such scattered all over their parking lot.

 

I hope they got wise for the last two Halloweens they have not done this, I hope they stopped copying after the world & will copy after the Lord much more than ever.

[Miss Daisy]

Jerry, my dear friend, it's spelled instance, (as in for instance). Not instants. Not sure how that spelling would ever  be correct but the word instant means, now or immediate.

[John81]

Where did I say that gathering together worshiping our Lord on October 31 is copying after the world? I would never suggest such a thing, I would never say such a thing, because the world does not gather together to worship the Lord in spirit & truth. 

 

And any church doing that would be copying after the New Testament Churches of the New Testament & they're free to gather together at any time on any day they wish & worshiping our Lord, & the more they do so the better for them. 

 

My question was: "Don't you believe it would be best to copy after Christ, than the world?" 

 

For instants.

 

In years gone by the local United Methodist Church had a pumpkins patch in front of their church on the large parking lot, it would be set up about 2 weeks before Halloween. They would advertise it in both local newspapers, bring your children, get their pictures taken, & buy your pumpkins, other decorations & Halloween costumes for this Halloween.

 

They would have all sorts of Halloween decorations, including jack-a-lanterns, cut outs of scary Hobblin' Goblins, witches & such scattered all over their parking lot.

 

I hope they got wise for the last two Halloweens they have not done this, I hope they stopped copying after the world & will copy after the Lord much more than ever.

I answered this in another post.

 

If Christians are clearly gathering on October 31 to worship the Lord, that's great.

 

If Christians are clearly gathering on October 31 to mimic the world, that's wrong.