Arguments promoting Halloween

Many who were once affiliated with the old Worldwide Church of God, but who fell away, will be observing “Halloween” at the end of this month.

Are they right to do so?

Several hours ago, the improperly labeled publication, Christianity Today, put out the following:

It’s that time of year again. Ghosts and goblins are starting to appear on neighborhood lawns. Soon giggling children will don disguises and go door-to-door searching for candy. For most, Halloween is a fun, light-hearted affair. But sometimes Christians feel conflicted about how to handle this holiday. Does participating in Halloween mean that we are celebrating Halloween?

No matter how we feel about the controversial holiday, it presents a rare opportunity. Halloween is one of the few days on which our neighbors will actually come to us. But what should we do with such a gift?

Wayne Cordova, pastor of ministry at Crosspoint Church, in Spring Hill, Florida, has experimented with the concept of servant evangelism for the past decade. Cordova notes that both Jesus and his earliest followers ministered to people by healing and meeting physical needs first. By doing this, they earned the right to share the gospel message. Cordova states that we too need to earn the right to be heard by serving our community before we expect them to come to us. …

Christians shouldn’t be afraid of using Halloween to engage their community. According to Cordova, “Halloween is a gift. If it is not seized, it is a wasted opportunity to show others God’s love with no string attached.” (http://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2017/october-web-exclusives/5-creative-alternatives-to-trunk-or-treat.html)

To answer the first question, yes, participating in Halloween celebrations is celebrating Halloween. Jesus and His earliest followers did not observe pagan holidays and pass out cancer-encouraging substances (see see Nine Year Study Finally Explains The Relationship Between Sugar And Cancer) to gain people’s trust. As far as the second question, the Bible teaches that we are not to perpetuate gifts of pagan worship.

Notice the following warning from the Apostle Paul:

19 What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? 20 Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? (1 Corinthians 10:19-22)

Christians are supposed to believe “the word of truth” (2 Corinthians 6:7; Ephesians 1:13).

In the world, it has been said if you tell a big enough lie often enough, most people will believe it. Well, those at Christianity Today seem to believe their lie that Halloween celebrations is good.

Places like Christianity Today promote Halloween, as well as other aspects of the false ecumenical agenda (see also Beware: Protestants Going Towards Ecumenical Destruction!).

As far as the old Worldwide Church of God goes, here are some comments that several anti-Church of God websites posted from former WCG-writer Keith Stump:

First, there’s no need to point out that Halloween is not found in Leviticus 23. (Duh.) Leviticus 23 is obsolete and irrelevant anyway…Yet some of Halloween’s customs do have roots in pre-Christian (“pagan”) practices…Some of Halloween’s customs can be traced to practices of the Celtic New Year, particularly among the Druids of ancient Britain.

Of course, since the Bible says that the holy days in Leviticus 23 are “‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts” (vs. 2), obviously those that do not believe that they need to do what the Bible teaches would consider that Halloween was acceptable. It is nice that he admits that current customs often have pagan roots–and followers of the true God are not to adopt pagan-worship practices (Deuteronomy 4:15-16).

Plus, the writings of the Apostle Paul show that Christians are not to adopt pagan worship practices. Paul also wrote:

11 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Paul and Jesus kept the biblical holy days and not demonic ones (see also the free online booklet Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays?).

Keith Stump also wrote:

Others who are reading this have heartwarming memories of Halloween. It’s a slice of genuine Americana…Halloween reaffirmed social bonds with friends and neighbors. These are hardly the “unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11), unless one is a fanatic who interprets that phrase like, well, a fanatic.

Now that is an attempt to try to insult and label people who do not wish to disobey God as “fanatics.” The reality is that pagans had fond memories of their holiday practices as well or they would not have continued to have their holidays. God did not say that exceptions should be made for pagan-practices that families liked (cf. Deuteronomy 4:15-16).

The Apostle Paul was considered to be a fanatic and a member of a cult (Acts 24:14, NLT; see also Is the Genuine Church of God a Cult?).

Keith Stump also wrote:

I have seen no evidence of children being psychologically warped or seduced into a life of witchcraft and perversion as a result of innocent Halloween activities.

I was unaware that Keith Stump is able to look at the heart (cf. 1 Samuel 16:7), though he probably feels that accepting non-biblical Protestant or similar faiths is not a problem. Pagan cultures have many “experts” like Keith Stump who come to similar conclusions about how many practices that are opposed to scripture affect their people. Consider also that there is not evidence that those who embrace Halloween actively promote the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Keith Stump also wrote:

Halloween is also a good time to reconsider our own views about death and the afterlife. The unbiblical doctrine of “soul sleep” would be a good place to start. The Bible clearly teaches (and centuries of experience demonstrate) that death does not interrupt self-awareness; personal identity survives death!

Jesus and others in the Bible come to a different conclusion than Keith Stump here (see Did Early Christians Believe that Humans Possessed Immortality? and What Happens After Death?). Also, most people do not use Halloween as a time to consider views of their death, but instead view it as a time for a holiday of indulgence. The high prevalence of diabetes in the Western world is the direct result of consuming excessive amounts of sugars and other refined carbohydrates, which is something that modern Halloween practices do encourage.

Keith Stump also wrote:

To all COG members out there: Is your children’s Christianity so feeble as to be endangered by a plastic mask and a few candy bars? Are your children so inadequately grounded in their religion as to be tempted into a life of witchcraft by attending a costume party? Are you yourself so poorly rooted in your faith that you fear your children will ask questions to which you have no satisfactory answers?

Now, the Bible says that no unclean person will enter the Kingdom (Ephesians 5:5). I am fairly sure that the Corinthians thought that they had less feeble Christianity when they tolerated a type of fornicator in their midst. But God inspired the Apostle Paul to write:

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles — that a man has his father’s wife! 2 And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. (1 Corinthians 5:1-3)

Christians should not be so “puffed up” that they think they have spiritual strength because they have compromised with pagan-practices.

Furthermore, Jesus warned that looking at a woman to lust after her was wrong (Matthew 5:27-28). And the Apostle Paul wrote to “flee fornication” (1 Corinthians 6:18). The Bible does not say that men should see how long they can look at or be with an immodest woman and not sin as some type of badge of the strength of their faith. The Bible warns that we are not to give place to sin. It is NOT a sign of spiritual strength to compromise and decide to engage in pagan practices that often involve immodest costumes to engage in various lusts of the flesh.

The anti-COG types can amuse themselves with Keith Stump’s pro-Halloween writings (and sadly have done so), but the reality is that those who believe that they need to live by every word of the Bible (Matthew 4:4), would do better by avoiding practices that God clearly does not endorse (and also seems to condemn).

Many improperly consider that Halloween is a holiday appropriate for “Christians.”

But they ignore what the Bible teaches.

Do not be like them.

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Is Halloween Holy Time for Christians? Here are some historical and biblical insight on this question. There are many cultures that have celebrations and observances that are similar to some associated with Halloween. What did the Druids do? Is Halloween one of the most important holidays for Satanists? Do the Japanese, Indians, and Chinese have any practices that are similar to some associated with Halloween? Does the Bible endorse or condemn practices that are associated with Halloween? Here are links to two related sermonette length videos: Halloween: Are there 7 reasons for Christians to celebrate it? and International ‘Halloween’ Should Christians observe Halloween?
All Saints’ Day, the Day of the Dead, and All Souls’ Day When did “All Saints Day” and the “Day of the Dead” begin? “What about All Soul’s Day”?
The Falling Away: The Bible and WCG Teachings Who is 2 Thessalonians 2:3 referring to? Are there multiple falling aways? Here is a related link in Spanish/español: La Apostasía: Enseñanzas de la Biblia y de la WCG. There are also two YouTube videos on the subject that you can watch The Falling Away Part 1: From the Bible and Church History and The Falling Away Part 2: Positions Presented by Others.
Do You Practice Mithraism? Many practices and doctrines that mainstream so-called Christian groups have are the same or similar to those of the sun-god Mithras. December 25th was celebrated as his birthday. Do you follow Mithraism combined with the Bible or original Christianity? A sermon video from Vatican City is titled Church of Rome, Mithras, and Isis?
Should You Observe God’s Holy Days or Demonic Holidays? This is a free pdf booklet explaining what the Bible and history shows about God’s Holy Days and popular holidays.
Is There “An Annual Worship Calendar” In the Bible? This paper provides a biblical and historical critique of several articles, including one by the Tkach WCG which states that this should be a local decision. What do the Holy Days mean?
Holy Day Calendar This is a listing of the biblical holy days through 2024, with their Roman calendar dates. They are really hard to observe if you do not know when they occur 🙂 In the Spanish/Español/Castellano language: Calendario de los Días Santos. In Mandarin Chinese: 何日是神的圣日？这里是一份神的圣日日历从2013年至2024年。.