Your thoughts on Halloween?

For a few years now, my heart has weighed heavily this time of the year.  Halloween.

My thought was always that Halloween seemed harmless enough to allow the children to participate.

But in the last few years, Jesus has changed my heart.  It is actually the words of  a little girl that keep coming back to me.

A 6-year-old girl that I met while working in an insurance office.  This was before I accepted Jesus into my heart.  The wife of my boss was a strong born again Christian as was this little girl's mom who was a friend.

It was Halloween time and I asked her what she was dressing as. She said that mommy says Halloween is evil.  At the time I thought it was ashame for this woman to take it to this level and allow her daughter to be isolated and withdrawn from such a simple event that was meant to be fun.

A few years down the line and I am siding with this little girl. How do you go about changing your family when you are already set in some ways. 

The Bible says not to conform to this world.  It is my responsibility to teach my children right from wrong, good from evil.

All holidays are overrated.  We spend too much time preparing for them and not enough time preparing ourselves for the coming of Jesus.

So this year I finally sat my children  down and told them they would not be participating in Halloween.  They asked why and were disappointed but mostly the dismay I think is from pressure of the outside sources.  It is hurtful when we have to experience ridicule for our faith but we do not want to see our children subjected to it. 

But if we do not change our thoughts we cannot change the world's.

Over the years different denominations and groups have attempted to recreate Halloween into something simple and fun.  But the real fact is that Halloween was originated by the Celts in order to worship many gods that they had, especially the god of darkness (evil.)  Then when the Romans overthrew the Celts they added their own holiday (in which they worshiped their gods) around this one in order to keep the Celts happy and to have something themselves.  (These holidays also ushered in winter.)  Then Ireland decided to do an All Saints Day (commemoration of all the dead saints)....then another group in Europe decided to trick or treat thinking that could summon the spirit of their dead husbands by enticing them with something.  Well this is all evil stuff.   Once one culture has some type of celebration whether evil or not we humans seem to have difficulty in just walking away.  We always need to do one better.

So what is important to you.  Is Halloween harmful to us?  What is the positive side to it?  Would it really matter if we did not celebrate it anymore?  I want to know.

Not a believer or follower.  Read more about Jesus.  Allow His amazing gift to free you in your life today!