The question of halloween

I wanted to share this post from a group that I am part of, where a friend replied to a question about Christians celebrating halloween. This is basically what our family believes and why you will find us staying as far away as we can from anything to do with it. Perhaps others will find it as helpful as I did! :-) -----

"I take it as a category of its own:

(1) Kids saying 'Trick or treat', even dressed up as shepherds and innocent creatures, is a threat and a lie. It means that I will play a trick on you if you do not give me a treat. And how many persons actually do play a trick on the person if they do not give them a treat? I explained this to Evie and asked her if it is good to tell lies. She didn't seem to want to.

(2) Theoretically Halloween might be in the same category as other indifferent holidays, such as July 4th, Labor Day, etc., except that it is popularly (and historically) dominated by evil.

The question is brought up if Christians have the liberty to 'redeem' it. That is, is it so indifferent that we have liberty to use it for good, and be a light in such a dark generation? I think the notion of being a godly light in such a setting is a bit fanciful.

However, since many Christians do believe it is right and good of them to 'redeem' Halloween, I wouldn't make a blanket judgment that all persons ought not to celebrate it at all (and are in sin for doing so). I think this is going a bit far, especially for officers in the Church to tell congregations, especially with issues of conscience (maybe they want to hand out tracts with candy at the door, etc.).

But, as for myself and my family, if there is one holiday in the year that is fundamentally evil and ought to be separated from, it is this one. It is good to make such a demarcation in our lives and society, both for us personally and for kids growing up. Christianity involves self-denial, especially from all the twisted fun that the world does.

And historically in my family, when I have let my kids do things on the ethical fence, at their great lawyering for the profitability of all things indifferent for the glory of God by mature Christians, after an initial stint, it always descends into kids being kids and completely removing any boundaries in the grey area between light and dark.

God had a bit of wisdom in forbidding all kinds of things by separation in the Mosaic economy while the people of God were kids in the faith: kids, generally speaking, don't have the maturity (physical, mental or spiritual) to act responsibly with the nuances of mature, Christian liberty.

Just my 2 cents."
Thanks Travis Fentiman!