25 October 2015
I. Introduction
-- please
turn in your Bibles to Romans 14
-- this
week marks the official start of the fall holiday season -- I don't know if
you've ever considered it or not, but Halloween is one of the major holidays
celebrated in our country -- over half of our country celebrates Halloween in
one way or the other -- and Americans spend almost $7 billion dollars each
season on candy, decorations, and costumes -- over the past several weeks, no
matter where you went, Halloween decorations were up, candy was out on the
aisle, and parents and kids were looking at costumes, trying to decide what
they were going to dress up as this year
-- Adam
Carroll's six-year-old son was really excited about this year's Halloween
costume -- I don't know whether it was all the news coverage about Pope
Francis' visit to America, but Adam's son Ian announced that this year for
Halloween, he was going to be the Pope -- His father said, "Ian, you can't
be the Pope -- You're not Catholic -- You're Lutheran" -- Ian hadn't
thought about that -- so he considered his alternatives -- after a few minutes
he asked, "Was Dracula a Lutheran?"1
-- for Ian
and for most people, including many Christians, Halloween is a harmless, fun
holiday where we dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating and watch scary
movies -- but you'll hear a lot of Christians denounce Halloween and
categorically state that Christians should not participate or be involved in
this annual event -- I did a search on the internet on the topic, "Should
Christians participate in Halloween," and I came up with over 250,000
responses, most of them taking the stance that Halloween was evil and
Christians should not participate
-- so this
morning, since we are coming up on a Halloween weekend, I thought I'd take a
few moments to talk about what Halloween is and whether it is okay or not for
Christians to participate
II. Historical Origins
-- let's
start by talking about the historical origins of this holiday -- where did
Halloween come from in the first place? -- we don't find Halloween mentioned in
the Bible at all, and there is no reference to it in the writings from the
early church -- so where did it come from?
--
Halloween finds it origins in the ancient Druid celebration of Samhain, which,
I learned, is actually pronounced "Sow-In" or "Sah-win" and
not "Sam-Hane" -- so, I'll try to say it correctly
-- Samhain
[Sah-win] was a Gaelic celebration at the end of the harvest season, celebrated
from October 31st through November 1st -- it falls right in the middle of fall
-- half-way between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice
-- in Druid
theology, Samhain [Saw-win] was the god of the dead -- and the druids believed
that on October 31st, Samhain [Saw-win] would send the spirits of the wicked
back to earth to torment people as the days began growing shorter and darkness
increased on the earth -- in order to protect themselves from these evil
spirits, the people would light bonfires on the hills -- partly as a means of bringing
light to the darkness -- and they would dress up as evil spirits in order to
disguise themselves -- the thought was that the evil spirits wouldn't recognize
them as humans and would leave them alone if they were disguised
-- as
Christianity spread into Ireland
and Scotland,
the early Christian missionaries -- think St. Patick here -- were confronted
with this pagan holiday, which was basically celebrated by all the people,
including the newly converted Christians -- so what could the church do about
this festival? -- how could the church counter this pagan theology?
-- well,
the answer is they co-opted it -- they took it over and Christianized the date
and the celebration -- in the eighth and ninth centuries, Pope Gregory III and
Pope Gregory IV, issued decrees moving All Saints Day, an established Christian
holiday, from May 13th to November 1st -- and, understanding that it was a
tradition to dress up and disguise oneself on these dates, Pope Gregory III
instructed that Christians dress up as saints and not as evil spirits2, 3
-- so
Samhain [Saw-win] ceased to exist, and Halloween came into existence --
Halloween literally means "All Hallows Eve" or "All Saints
Eve" -- the night before the official church holiday of All Saints Day --
of course, I assume you know that the word Hallow means holy -- as in the
Lord's prayer, "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name..."
-- to make
sure you get the point -- Halloween is a Christian holiday -- it is not the
same thing as Samhain [Sow-win] -- it is a distinct Christian celebration held
the night before All Saints Day, the day we recognize and remember the saints
of the church -- you can think of Halloween as a redeemed pagan holiday
-- which
leads to one of the main objections to Christians celebrating Halloween --
critics point to this holiday and say it was originally a pagan holiday, and
that by continuing to celebrate it, we continue to commemorate the original
pagan holiday
-- so what
about that? -- are they right? -- should we not celebrate Halloween because the
church replaced Samhain [Sow-win] with Halloween?
-- if so,
then we also need to do away with both Christmas and Easter -- why is Christmas
celebrated on December 25th? -- the Bible doesn't tell us when Jesus was born
-- and although there is some scant theological support for backdating his
birth based on the Rabbinic teaching that prophets die on the day they were
conceived, this is a thin theological thread to base an entire Christian
holiday on -- no, the reason we celebrate Christmas on December 25th is because
the church once again co-opted existing pagan celebrations, including the
druidic celebration of the winter solstice, the Nordic holiday of Yule, and the
celebration of the sun god by Romans and other pagan cultures2, 3
-- it's the
same with Easter -- the word Easter is not in the Bible -- while we do know the
day Christ rose from the dead, the name we use for the Christian holiday was
actually co-opted from the Germanic celebration of the goddess Eostre2, 3
-- so if
you're not going to celebrate Halloween because it is a redeemed pagan holiday,
then you really don't need to celebrate Christmas or Easter, either
-- what is
interesting is that this idea of co-opting holidays and symbols continues even
today -- however, in our post-modern, post-Christian society, we are seeing the
reverse, whereby the culture and specific interest groups are co-opting
Christian holidays and symbols
-- two
quick examples -- first, right now we see the country rapidly doing away with
the name Christmas -- the department store Target was recently boycotted by
Christians because they corporately told their employees they couldn't say
"Merry Christmas" to customers but could only say "Happy
Holidays" -- in the same way, we see many government institutions -- from
schools to municipal facilities -- not putting up Christmas trees or Christmas
decorations but putting up "holiday" trees and "holiday"
decorations with no religious symbolism or connotation -- even at Moody AFB,
our annual Christmas celebration has been renamed a "Holiday
Celebration"
-- second,
as an example of a Christian symbol that has been co-opted, think about the
rainbow -- what does the rainbow signify? -- well, going back to Genesis 9:13,
God told Noah He was putting His rainbow in the sky to signify the covenant He
was making between Himself and all creation -- a promise He would never cover
the earth with a flood again and a sign of His grace and mercy to all creation
-- so throughout history, when a Christian saw a rainbow, they immediately
thought of the story of Noah and God's promises from the Book of Genesis
-- but what
about now? -- what do people think of when they see a rainbow? -- homosexuality
-- gay rights -- same-sex marriage -- in our society, the rainbow has become
the dominant symbol for homosexuality -- it has been co-opted from Christianity
by the culture
-- after I
went on the Walk to Emmaus, I put a Decolores Sticker on my car that had a
rainbow on it -- and I had many people give me unfriendly looks when they
pulled up next to me at stoplights -- they assumed, because of the rainbow, I
was promoting homosexuality when I was really trying to glorify God
-- symbols
and holidays are always being co-opted -- the early Christian church did it to
redeem pagan holidays and promote the celebration of God in their culture --
and today, our culture is doing the same thing, but in the opposite way -- it's
time the church thinks seriously about redeeming these symbols and these
holidays back to their original Christian purposes -- whether we're talking
about Halloween or Christmas or the rainbow
III. Is Celebrating Halloween Scriptural?
-- so, with
all that said, let's consider whether participation in Halloween, as it's
currently being celebrated in our country, is scriptural? -- in other words, is
it okay for Christians to participate in the traditions of Halloween this
coming weekend?
-- the
answer is...it depends -- I want to look at two passages very quickly -- I
don't have time to break them down in any depth -- but I want you to consider
these two passages as you decide if you and your family will celebrate
Halloween this year
-- if you
would, turn with me to Romans 14:1-8
Romans 14:1-8 (NIV)
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment
on disputable matters.
2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another
man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who
does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who
does, for God has accepted him.
4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own
master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him
stand.
5 One man considers one day more sacred than another;
another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in
his own mind.
6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He
who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who
abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies
to himself alone.
8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to
the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
-- as Scott
Bayless1 points out, the Apostle Paul is dealing with two issues in
this passage that are applicable to how Christians should approach the issue of
Halloween
-- the
first issue Paul brings up involves division and confusion in regards to eating
meat, specifically, meat that had been sacrificed to idols
-- hold
your place right here and turn over to 1 Corinthians 8:1-8
1 Corinthians 8:1-8
(NIV)
1 Now about food
sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up,
but love builds up.
2 The man who thinks
he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know.
3 But the man who
loves God is known by God.
4 So then, about
eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the
world and that there is no God but one.
5 For even if there
are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many
"gods" and many "lords"),
6 yet for us there is
but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and
there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through
whom we live.
7 But not everyone
knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat
such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since
their conscience is weak, it is defiled.
8 But food does not
bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
-- now go back over
to Romans 14
-- okay,
what Paul is addressing is the difference in the maturity of believers in
regards to eating meat sacrificed to idols -- some Christians who had recently
been converted from paganism were refusing to eat meat that had been sacrificed
to their former gods -- in their mind, to do so was continuing to participate
in the worship of these gods -- and Paul says here in both passages,
"That's okay"
-- Paul
says that he and the other mature Christians know that there is only one God,
and that any idols or gods who were being worshiped by others were not real --
they didn't exist -- and if they don't exist, then it doesn't matter if you eat
the food that was sacrificed to them or not -- Paul says, "If your faith
is strong enough -- if you believe that there is no power or glorification of
an idol or other god through these pagan sacrifices -- go ahead and eat the
meat -- God made the meat, and everything God made was for His glory, so
there's no harm in eating it"
-- however,
if your faith is not strong and you still have doubts, don't participate in
eating meat sacrificed to idols -- as your faith grows, your understanding may
change and you may choose to do otherwise -- but, right now, if you still
harbor doubts or concerns, then avoid eating the meat
-- the
whole point of these passages, though, is to command mature Christians to not
judge or condemn or look down on other, less-mature Christians who are choosing
to abstain from eating meat sacrificed to idols -- and to not do it yourself,
if it caused confusion or doubt to others -- in other words, don't eat meat
sacrificed to idols at the same meal when a brother is abstaining from eating
this meat because of their faith -- it's a matter of respect and unity in the
body
-- along
those same lines, Paul deals here in Romans 14 with the issue of the
celebration of special days -- some Jewish believers still wanted to celebrate
their traditional religious holidays, such as Passover and the Feast of
Trumpets -- others still wanted to participate in the celebrations and feasts
they grew up with
-- the
problem was that the church was divided -- some of the more mature Christians
were pointing out that you don't have to celebrate these holidays any longer
because Christ has redeemed the entire calendar -- every day is to be a
celebration of His death and resurrection -- and they were castigating those
who were participating in these holidays
-- Paul
tells them to stop forcing others to follow their beliefs in regards to special
or sacred days -- if someone regards this day as sacred, he says, then let them
celebrate it to the Lord -- if someone doesn't regard this day as sacred, don't
judge them for not participating -- it is a matter of choice and a matter of
the individual practice of your faith -- so long as you aren't considering that
you have to celebrate on these days for salvation, you can either participate
or not participate as you feel led
-- so, what
does this mean to us in regards to Halloween? -- well, it's simple -- if you
have no problem with celebrating Halloween as a Christian and you aren't
celebrating evil or death, then go for it -- go trick-or-treating -- put up
decorations -- go to Halloween parties -- don't let anyone condemn you for
having a good time
-- however,
if you do have a problem with it, then don't participate in the same way the
culture participates -- think of how you can redeem this holiday in your own
home and in your family
-- in all
cases, I would suggest that Christians not put up symbols or images of evil,
but keep Halloween fun and light-hearted -- pumpkins and cats and ghosts that
look like sheets are great for decorations -- stay away from anything that
symbolizes evil or that promotes demonic influences
--
encourage your kids to dress up as fun characters, like superheroes, rather
than evil or extremely scary characters -- explain to your family and friends
that Halloween is not a celebration of evil -- it is not the same thing as
Samhain [Sow-win] -- it is a Christian celebration marking the night before the
Christian holiday of All Saints Day
IV. Closing
-- to
close, turn with me over to John 1 and we'll end there -- John 1:1
1 John 1:1-9 (NIV)
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have
touched--this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and
we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared
to us.
3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that
you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and
with his Son, Jesus Christ.
4 We write this to make our joy complete.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to
you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.
6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we
have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us
from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and
the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
-- as this
passage points out, there is nothing to fear from the darkness, for Light has
come into the world and the darkness has fled -- Christ came to save the world
of their sins -- to win the battle against sin and death -- and to bring light
into this place
-- although
some may want to use Halloween to promote Satan and evil, as Christians we can
look at this symbols of evil and darkness and praise God that He has overcome
the darkness with the Light -- that Satan and his demons have no power over us
-- that we have been bought through the life-giving blood of the Lamb and are
filled with His light and His love
-- so
remember Jesus this weekend and let His light fill you and your life this
Halloween
-- next
Sunday is All Saints Day, so we will be talking about remembering the saints
and living for God's glory
-- if
nobody has anything else, we'll close in prayer
---------------------------------------------------------------
1 Scott Bayless, Sermon: "Saving Halloween" http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/saving-halloween-updated-for-2014-scott-bayles-sermon-on-halloween-188737.asp?page=0
2 Alan Rudnick, "7 Reasons Why a Christian Should
Celebrate Halloween," http://www.alanrudnick.org/2010/10/28/7-reasons-why-christians-should-celebrate-halloween/
3 Wikipedia articles:
https://en.wikpedia/org/wiki/* -- Samhain; Halloween; Easter; Christmas#Relation_to_concurrent_celebrations
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