Comments on: Trick or Retreat? http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/ A Ministry of Shepherds' Fellowship Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:08:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Hadassah http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-70342 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 02:55:17 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-70342 Travis (and all), I apologize for not being clear. My criticism is not directed at this article, but at the comment made by Colson that celebrating Halloween should be considered a sin. Here's why. God looks at the heart. If you are someone who has had a problem with attraction to the occult or to gore or darkness, than you should avoid Halloween. But I have never had a problem with those things, and can celebrate the cultural holiday of Halloween as a fun traditional holiday. Calling all celebration of Halloween a sin is just Legalism plain and simple. For some it might be a sin, but that does not mean it is sin for all. Consider this. My family enjoys celebrating Christmas. Suppose that I have a problem with excessive debt. Suppose that I charge thousands of dollars on extravagant gifts for myself and my family in order to celebrate Christmas. And then I am unable to tithe because I am burdened with more debt than I can repay. That certainly would be a sin. But my neighbor may have wise control of her finances, and spend money prudently. For her the celebration of Christmas would be devoid of sin, but for me it could be a big problem. Should I tell her that celebrating Christmas is a sin, plain and simple, and any celebration of it is wrong. Certainly not! That would be absurd. Travis (and all),

I apologize for not being clear. My criticism is not directed at this article, but at the comment made by Colson that celebrating Halloween should be considered a sin.

Here’s why. God looks at the heart. If you are someone who has had a problem with attraction to the occult or to gore or darkness, than you should avoid Halloween. But I have never had a problem with those things, and can celebrate the cultural holiday of Halloween as a fun traditional holiday. Calling all celebration of Halloween a sin is just Legalism plain and simple. For some it might be a sin, but that does not mean it is sin for all.

Consider this. My family enjoys celebrating Christmas. Suppose that I have a problem with excessive debt. Suppose that I charge thousands of dollars on extravagant gifts for myself and my family in order to celebrate Christmas. And then I am unable to tithe because I am burdened with more debt than I can repay. That certainly would be a sin. But my neighbor may have wise control of her finances, and spend money prudently. For her the celebration of Christmas would be devoid of sin, but for me it could be a big problem. Should I tell her that celebrating Christmas is a sin, plain and simple, and any celebration of it is wrong. Certainly not! That would be absurd.

]]> by: Travis http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-70183 Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:58:55 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-70183 Hadassah, Perhaps you should reread the article. Friendly costumes and free candy are not the issue. Besides, most costumes are not friendly, and even secular news outlets such as Newsweek have reported on that. Read the 11/5/2007 edition of Newsweek page 18. The article is balanced and fair. I appreciate this type of Biblical discernment. It's why I continually turn to John's writings to supplement my Bible study. Hadassah,
Perhaps you should reread the article. Friendly costumes and free candy are not the issue. Besides, most costumes are not friendly, and even secular news outlets such as Newsweek have reported on that. Read the 11/5/2007 edition of Newsweek page 18.

The article is balanced and fair. I appreciate this type of Biblical discernment. It’s why I continually turn to John’s writings to supplement my Bible study.

]]> by: Hadassah http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-69939 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 01:51:42 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-69939 IF we are going to condemn Halloween and it's celebration as a sin, then we must be consistent and also condemn Christmas and Easter as sinful pagan celebrations. Their roots are also in pagan holidays that the church appropriated for itself and put a Christian spin on. I appreciated this article, but I tremble at what God must think of calling Halloween celebration sin. God is pretty serious about what He deems to be sin. Children wearing friendly costumes and getting candy from neighbors does not seem to qualify in my opinion. IF we are going to condemn Halloween and it’s celebration as a sin, then we must be consistent and also condemn Christmas and Easter as sinful pagan celebrations. Their roots are also in pagan holidays that the church appropriated for itself and put a Christian spin on. I appreciated this article, but I tremble at what God must think of calling Halloween celebration sin. God is pretty serious about what He deems to be sin. Children wearing friendly costumes and getting candy from neighbors does not seem to qualify in my opinion.

]]> by: Becky http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-69131 Sat, 27 Oct 2007 03:21:45 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-69131 This is a fabulous article about the CHRISTIAN history of Halloween, that is often neglected in favor of discussing the PAGAN history. This is a must-read for any Christian parent. This is a fabulous article about the CHRISTIAN history of Halloween, that is often neglected in favor of discussing the PAGAN history. This is a must-read for any Christian parent.

]]> by: Lady Why http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-69019 Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:09:09 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-69019 We have come a long way in this area as a family. As children we celebrated Halloween with gusto! Then as we began to have our children we transitioned to the "Fall Festival" events at church. Now we do not celebrate it at all. I wrote a testimony about how the Lord brought us from one point to the other on my blog. You can read it here, if you like... www.kudzugrows.blogspot.com Great conversation and interesting article! Thank you! We have come a long way in this area as a family. As children we celebrated Halloween with gusto! Then as we began to have our children we transitioned to the “Fall Festival” events at church. Now we do not celebrate it at all. I wrote a testimony about how the Lord brought us from one point to the other on my blog. You can read it here, if you like…

www.kudzugrows.blogspot.com

Great conversation and interesting article! Thank you!

]]> by: Colson http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-68528 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 01:29:01 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-68528 I'm not sure we should be so logical about Halloween. It is a pagan holiday and celebrating it should be considered a sin. I think there are plenty of alternatives to this dangerous holiday (many kids end up with poisoned treats in some areas). Here's my helpful guide to Halloween alternatives: http://darkpartyreview.blogspot.com/ I agree with Don Sands -- it is a goofy holiday -- but let's not make light of it either! Best, Colson I’m not sure we should be so logical about Halloween. It is a pagan holiday and celebrating it should be considered a sin. I think there are plenty of alternatives to this dangerous holiday (many kids end up with poisoned treats in some areas).

Here’s my helpful guide to Halloween alternatives:

http://darkpartyreview.blogspot.com/

I agree with Don Sands — it is a goofy holiday — but let’s not make light of it either!
Best,
Colson

]]> by: donsands http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-68495 Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:32:25 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-68495 "Witches, ghosts, and evil spirits are not terrifying; God's wrath unleashed on the unforgiven sinner--now that is truly terrifying." That's the real truth. God is more scary than all the monsters and evil beings this world can imagine. Very good article. Thanks for posting it. I've done the whole spectrum of dealing with Halloween. I have settled in to simply enjoy my grandsons going around and receiving treats from the neighbors. Actually, it's a goofy holiday, but i love to see the kids having fun, with the understanding that all we do is for the Lord Jesus Christ, even collecting candy door to door, and then enjoying the make believe holiday. It's similiar to going to Waly disney World for me. “Witches, ghosts, and evil spirits are not terrifying; God’s wrath unleashed on the unforgiven sinner–now that is truly terrifying.”

That’s the real truth. God is more scary than all the monsters and evil beings this world can imagine.

Very good article. Thanks for posting it.

I’ve done the whole spectrum of dealing with Halloween. I have settled in to simply enjoy my grandsons going around and receiving treats from the neighbors.
Actually, it’s a goofy holiday, but i love to see the kids having fun, with the understanding that all we do is for the Lord Jesus Christ, even collecting candy door to door, and then enjoying the make believe holiday.
It’s similiar to going to Waly disney World for me.

]]> by: Nate B. http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-68439 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:45:21 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-68439 Richard, You are welcome to make free photocopies of this article available for folks in your church. That also applies to all of the articles we post on Pulpit. Also, for those of you interested in further thoughts on this subject, <a href="http://www.challies.com/archives/articles/halloween-is-fast-approaching-and.php" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow"><strong>Tim Challies</strong></a> discuss this same topic on his blog. Thanks, NB Richard,

You are welcome to make free photocopies of this article available for folks in your church. That also applies to all of the articles we post on Pulpit.

Also, for those of you interested in further thoughts on this subject, Tim Challies discuss this same topic on his blog.

Thanks,
NB

]]> by: Sandy Martin http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-68435 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:35:59 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-68435 I enjoyed the history...thank you. I intend to share it with my children. I enjoyed the history…thank you. I intend to share it with my children.

]]> by: Richard Harris http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-68413 Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:49:30 +0000 http://www.sfpulpit.com/2007/10/24/trick-or-retreat/#comment-68413 Could I print out copies of this article to hand out to my congregation? (about 150 copies) Could I print out copies of this article to hand out to my congregation? (about 150 copies)

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