Trick or Transgression: Should Christians celebrate Halloween?

            Halloween is a very sensitive subject for Christians. Some feel it to be a day celebrating evil and/or satan. Others believe it to be a day of silliness and pretend. Although I happen to be in the latter group I can definitely see the other side's point of view. I want something to be perfectly clear before I go any further. Worship of satan, demons and/or evil is wrong and no Christian should ever partake in such activities.

            Clearly if you research the history of October 31^st you’ll find a history of evil and pagan activity, but what does Halloween mean today? Are there some people who worship satan on this day? Absolutely. Lets not kid ourselves though and believe this to be specific to one day. Satanism and paganism are a part of modern day as they were in Jesus’ day. If you want a crystal clear biblical understanding on this issue I suggest you read 1Corinthians 10:14-31.

            I’ve heard people say Halloween “Is the Devil’s day” or a “Pagan day that belongs to darkness and evil.” Well I couldn’t disagree more with those thoughts. First, I am a little offended for anyone to say that a day my King signs his name to is a day of evil/darkness or the devil’s day. My God is the creator of all things, days and nights. God is always in control and every day is His. Second, have people used October 31^st as a day to worship evil or do horrendous things? Yes. How is that different from any other day?

            I think the problem is that in some Christian’s minds October 31 is a day designated as a day of evil just like December 25 is designated as a day of giving (in remembrance of the precious gift given to man). You might be shocked to know this, but December 25 was once a pagan holiday celebrating the birth of a pagan god. The early church decided they would not let any false god overshadow their God. So, the early church started to celebrate the birth of Jesus on this day as a rival. Almost to say my God is greater AND He is. Maybe it's time we start letting it be known that in the midst of all the costumes, ghouls, and goblins OUR God is greater.

            So is it okay to celebrate Halloween? I’ll answer that question with a question. What Christian do you know that “celebrates” Halloween? Of course we shouldn’t “celebrate” Halloween. That’s just silly. I think one of the problems is that people confuse the words celebrate and participate. We should absolutely participate and expose the grace and love of God to a world that has not heard or is imprudent. As a Christian I participate so that when asked “Aren’t you a Christian? Why do you celebrate Halloween?” I can give an answer for the hope that I have, 1 Peter 3:15. In my opinion Halloween is silly and pretend. My God is very real and can use anyone and anything to reach a people in need of a savior.

            This is a day when people come knocking on your door. We can and should use this as an opportunity to let the light of God shine through us even if it’s for a moment OR we can turn our lights off. What if there is an unbeliever who wants to trust in God but a Christian’s life seems so boring. If they knock on your door and full of joy you give them a kitkat and say “God bless you have a great night,” it might plant the seed God was waiting for. Is that a pretty far fetched scenario? Well, what’s your story? I met someone who was a Christian, the coolest Christian I ever met, and it changed my view of God’s people. Here I am 6 years later loving the Lord and fighting for His cause.

            We have a huge opportunity to take a “holiday” meant for evil and use it for the glory of God. If you believe Halloween is a day full of evil, then make a change. Be the light in a dark night. Instead of being a house whose lights are off, let's be a house whose light truly shines. 

Mormons... what are they?

In the last couple of days there’s been a lot of talk about Mormons. In a recent article in USA Today Cindy Packard, an LDS Church spokeswoman said about the “I am Mormon” campaign “These are real people. There are no scripts, no fake stories, no wardrobes, just real people talking about their lives.” So what do they believe then? Mormons claim to believe Jesus is their Lord and Savior so are they Christians or are they a cult? What do Mormons really believe?

            If you have ever spoken with a Mormon then you know they believe in Jesus. What you may not know is that the Jesus they believe in is not the Jesus of the bible. In fact, Mormons believe Jesus to be the “spirit brother” of Satan. Of course they try to resolve the issue by saying “If we are all God’s children, then we are siblings to every child of God. It no more demeans Jesus to be Satan’s spirit brother than it does for any of us to be related to evil people who have lived here on the earth." a

            In addition to this, Mormons believe Jesus to have been created by God. This is in direct contrast to John’s description of Jesus as the self-existent creator of all things. “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”  John 1:3  So from all this we can gather that the Jesus Mormons put their faith in is far different from the Savior we trust in. “’I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.’” Isaiah 43:11 We do not simply believe in a man named Jesus. We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man.

            Jesus, in the Mormon belief system, is not God but a god. We, according to Mormon teaching, can also become gods. “Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.” Doctrine and Covenants 132:20b This again is in stark contrast to the teaching of the bible. “’You are my witnesses,’ declares the Lord, ‘and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.’” Isaiah 43:10

            So, are Mormons Christians? Well, a Christian is someone who is not just a follower of Jesus Christ, but the real Jesus Christ. It is of immense importance that we believe the true gospel and not “Another Testament of Jesus Christ”. Scripture is crystal clear on that. “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” Galations 1:8

            Are Mormons a cult? Well, I guess that depends on what definition of the word cult you go by. That is definitely something that can be debated. However, the nature and authenticity of God cannot be. “Virtually every heresy begins with the misconception of the nature of God.” ~ Hank Hanegraaff

a: mormonchurch.com b: Doctrine and Covenants is "Revelation" given to Joseph Smith