Automatic Transcript Generated
Speaker 1
They’re having the National Morning this week and there is a controversy in the Korean Christian society on how to view the Halloween culture as American Christians. How do you view Halloween?
Speaker 2
And Sean, I think that’s a very interesting question and honestly it’s not like one specific thing because I think every multiple categories that certain Christians view Halloween and some I know there’s Christians that some they just think it’s an innocent holiday where kids can just dress up and get candy, and it’s just kind of a fun thing, and it’s very innocent to them. Some other people are more like no, this is a pagan holiday and it is the devil’s holiday basically. And it’s something that should be shunned and you should have no part of it whatsoever, shape or form. You should be just at home praying that God protects you and keeps the devil away. There’s definitely different camps that this falls into and biblically speaking it’s kind of hard. I think everybody, like I said, this is something you have to pray for, the consider for yourself. But when I grew up, we celebrated Halloween because I didn’t know any better. That just kind of was my upbringing. As I got older though, and I started reading the Bible, I was like I don’t know if it’s something I want to participate in anymore.
Speaker 2
And so, again, this is a personal decision, but I do believe it is based on a few verses which I’ll share with you and let you come to your decision as far as what you think is the right decision for you. In the book of Matthew, chapter twelve, jesus said something very interesting and he’s talking about basically who is with him and against him. And he says in verse 30 so Matthew, chapter twelve, verse 30, it says he who is not with me is against me and he who does not gather with me scatters abroad. And so for those who think Halloween is just kind of this innocent holiday, that it’s just kids wearing costumes and getting candy and a lot of people, they like spooky things and it’s just kind of fun in that sense. When I was a kid, I dressed up like as pocahontas or whatever. It was kind of an innocent thing. But did it do anything for the ministry of the gospel? No, it did it if anything it scattered because it just was a distraction for us kids to just focus on dressing up and scaring each other and getting candy.
Speaker 2
So Jesus was definitely not the focus of Halloween and how we celebrate it. And a lot of things related to Halloween though are, you know, related to darkness and death and evil things. And you know, Jesus or the Bible talks about in the book of Ezekiel, specifically in chapter 44, verse 23, he’s talking to his prophet, he’s saying and they shall teach my people the difference between holy and unholy and to discern between clean and unclean. So, you know, we’re supposed to be that holy nation like we’re kind of talking about, and holy needs to be set apart for a special purpose. How can we kind of participate in something that doesn’t really bring us closer to God if we didn’t know any better? Like Acts chapter 17, verse 30 says, at times of ignorance, God is winked. But now he calls everybody to repentance and to basically walk in the right way. So I would say for most people, a lot of people think it’s just kind of an innocent thing. I would say it’s not all things that are not expedient. It’s not something that’s helpful in your walk with Christ. But does that mean you just shut your door and close your lights out and don’t have anything to do with your neighbors?
Speaker 2
Honestly, I think it’s a good opportunity that people are actually knocking on your door to throw some candy and throw some literature, throw a pamphlet at them. I do see it also as an opportunity to use it for good too. So I think that’s also a third camp. I guess I would say that maybe I’m more in now where it’s like, okay, I see my neighbors being more open and friendly and open to receiving things, and I’m like, okay, well, take this handful of candy and there’s a little track in there. It talks about Jesus. So again, you can use all things for good if we have our spiritual eyes open. And I think people are kind of looking and wondering, like at any holiday, I think any holiday, any time where it’s kind of that sort of part time to use it for evangelism, if you at all possibly can. So I hope that answers your question. But yeah, there’s definitely not one specific camp. There’s definitely different philosophies and beliefs out there. Jay or Wendy, any thoughts on that one?
Speaker 3
Yeah, a verse that I use for helping me at times is Philippians four eight. And it says, finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report if there is any virtue, and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. I think you could say not just meditate, but maybe those are the types of activities you engage in, the types of people you want to be around. This is generally state that God wants us to be in. So how does God feel about bones and things like that? Well, we just look at Numbers 19, verse 16. It says, Whoever in the open field touches one who is slain by a sword, or one who has died, or a bone of a man, or a grave shall be unclean for seven days. So God is saying like, stuff associated with death is unclean. God doesn’t want us to be dealing and messing around and touching with that stuff. And yet Halloween, at least in America, and I know some other places like Mexico, I can’t speak for all countries, but glorify the death and get into the bones and the skulls, and we’ll carry around and parade these things.
Speaker 3
And it’s also troubling where there’s some churches that build themselves right on cemeteries and right in the middle, right under the altar, things like that, than our bones. That should be a dead giveaway. That that’s an unclean place, potentially, at least according to my Bible. So God wants us to be able to exercise discernment. It’s a spiritual art that takes time and practice and a lot of Bible study and just grows with life. But I think it’s important, and I would like to end with Paul’s prayer in Philippians one nine. And he says, and this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for that day of Christ. That’s also my prayer for you and for our whole church. We all need so much more discernment in this day and age when we’re just surrounded by temptation, surrounded by so many deceptions, and it’s very tough.
Speaker 4
I also want to add to that when you think about the spirit of Halloween, of trying to scare people, when you look at how the mind works and when something happens that truly scares somebody, that creates an impression and a memory in them, it actually has a significant change in the brain that sticks with them very long term. And it’s very hard to kind of eradicate those scary things. It instills fears in people. Is that really something that God wants us to be experiencing? Does he want us in a state of fear? Does he want us putting other people in a state of fear? So while it may seem kind of innocent to be spooky and scary in these kinds of things, I question if that’s in any way truly beneficial to life and abundance, to the abundant life that God wants us to have. And is that giving an abundant life to somebody else?
Speaker 1
My personal view is it does not. It’s contradictory to that. So I think that’s another element to consider when we think about Halloween and what we do with it.
Speaker 2
Yeah, and the thing is, too, what came to my mind, too, as you’re saying, that we’re talking about things that are pure and holy, and so many things associated with Halloween are also evil spirits and conjuring spirits and witchcraft in the occult. And those things are even if it’s like, made a light of it’s, still associating with those things. And God says, don’t touch that sort of stuff. Don’t touch witchcraft, don’t have anything to do with it. And so we’re promoting dressing up children as witches and things like that. This is probably not the best thing for our spiritual walk. So, again, I totally agree with you guys. Let’s focus on the right thing, not the counterfeits and distractions. Thank you.
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In His Service
BibleAsk Team
