The Issues Behind Halloween
An Interview With Joseph Thomopson  Article Extras
 

 
by Joseph Thompson  Issue #38 September/October 2003 

 
The topic of Halloween is controversial among Christians. In fact, the Pray!' editorial staff does not even see eye to eye on it! Some Christian families among us see the holiday as harmless fun; others observe it as a time of outreach to and sharing the gospel with neighbors; still others avoid traditional observances of the day, preferring to spend it in spiritual warfare prayer.

Since many of us are not aware of the issues behind the controversy, Pray! contacted an expert to provide background so Christian families can make more informed decisions regarding this day.

The following is Pray!'s interview with Pastor Joseph Thompson, president of Yeshua Ministries. Pastor Thompson is a native Nigerian who ministers in deliverance and spiritual warfare, with a focus on city transformation. As a college student, prior to receiving Christ in 1986, he was heavily involved in the occult.

Q: Will you briefly tell Pray! about the origin of Halloween?

A: The celebration of Halloween dates back 2,000 years to the ancient Celtic people, from what today is the United Kingdom and France. The Celtic druids celebrated the feast of Samhain, whom they believed to be "Lord of the Dead." The Celts believed that on the night before November 1, which was their new year, the boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead became blurred. On October 31, the eve of the feast, they believed that Samhain assembled the spirits of all who had died during the previous year. During the celebration, crops and animals were burned on a huge bonfire as sacrifices to appease the appetite of Samhain.

In the seventh century Pope Boniface IV designated November 1 as All Saints Day to honor saints and martyrs. This celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas. The night before it, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and eventually Halloween. It was simply an attempt to dress up a pagan holiday in Christian clothing.

Q: Do the enemies of God observe this holiday today?

A: They absolutely do. What is the first thing you think of when you NGhink of Salem, Massachusetts? Witches, right? On every Halloween in Salem there is still a meeting of witches, warlocks, wizards, and even Satanists. A Christian friend of mine secretly attended it one year and videotaped it.

Even in the secular newspapers you'll find interviews with pagans—which is what witches often call themselves—who say that Halloween is an important celebration. But the ceremonies (the rituals themselves) are carefully hidden. Their rituals involve sacrifices to Samhain (who is ultimately Satan, because if you are not worshiping the one true God, you are worshiping Satan) of animals or even humans.

Q: What does the Bible have to say about these types of activities?

A: Isaiah 8:19 says, "When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?"

In Deut. 18:9�?2, where God is speaking to His chosen people Israel about the Promised Land they are about to enter, He specifically tells them to avoid the practices of the nations who had gone in before them: "Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you."

Another Scripture is 1 Samuel 28, where King Saul consults the witch of Endor in order to call Samuel back from the dead. This was Saul's demise, because such behavior is detestable to the Lord.

The same theme carries through to the New Testament as well. In Acts, the Ephesian believers who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly (Acts 19:19). Twice in Revelation it says that those who practice magic arts will have their place in the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Rev. 21:8, 22:15).

Q: What are the potential dangers Halloween presents to our children, our churches, our communities, and us?

A: There are Christians who dress their kids up in costumes and send them next door to beg for candy. They claim, "We're not celebrating the dark side of the holiday." But I don't think you can divorce one side from the other. You cannot celebrate the physical aspects of the day without involving spiritual implications and demonic attachments. Halloween is much more than candy and costumes, and its celebration, regardless of your motives, promotes and celebrates the spirit behind it.

If congress were to outlaw gravity, how much comfort would that be to a man falling out of a 10-story window? It's the same thing with Halloween. We are in a spiritual battle whether we acknowledge it or not. Halloween presents a real and present danger. Involvement with it opens us up to spiritual attack. By participating in Halloween we are unwittingly inviting a spiritual force into our families and communities that takes root and creates a stronghold.

The church is in mortal danger from the onslaught of this spirit. In the United States we act as if we need to accommodate the lifestyle of the world in order to be seen as caring—which is absurdity of the highest order. The more we look like the world, the less likely we are to have any serious influence on the world. As soon as we borrow from the world we taint what is real.

Q: Realizing that some parents may not be willing to have their children give up Halloween activities altogether, what should parents with young children tell their kids about Halloween?

A: My heart goes out to children of such parents. I believe these parents are opening their children to the tremendous spiritual influence that is the reality behind the scenes. They will have to deal with the consequences of that involvement sooner or later.

If they want an alternative, however, there are less threatening options. Some churches have "Hallelujah" nights, where kids dress as biblical characters and have a party in the safe environment of the church. Or, you could get together with family and friends and celebrate something significant in the church calendar. October 31, 1517, for example, is when Martin Luther posted his 95 theses (Reformation Day). You could celebrate that.

Whether it's with your church or with your families at home—bring out the candy if you must—but do something that stands in opposition to the spiritual darkness that's saturating the atmosphere in this season.

 

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About the author:
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Joseph Thompson has ministered internationally over the past 16 years. His passion is to see the body of Christ united, and develop a global perspective so that the gospel is effectively communicated to every people group. (www.yeshuaministries.org).