b***@allvantage.com
2006-10-18 01:16:46 UTC
Re: Halloween
There's been a lot of discussion about Halloween. For some reason no
one seems to have noticed that Paul deals with a very similar issue in
the NT. The issue with Halloween is whether pagan associations mean
that we can't celebrate the holiday. The issue for Paul was whether
pagan associations meant that they couldn't eat meat. The people Paul
was talking about actually had a better case: the meat clearly had
been sacrificed, where the pagan associations with Halloween are
conjectural, and few of those who currently celebrate it would think
of those pagan associations.
* The idols don't exist; the meat is God's; we are free to eat it.
* Not everyone understands this; we shouldn't tempt our weaker brethren
to violate their conscience.
I would say that the same is true of Halloween. As long as there is no
association with pagan worship in the minds of those doing it, there
is no problem with the holiday. All days are God's and so are all
costumes. Many Christians celebrate it in ways that commemorate
faithful Christians before us. There is no problem in this.
However I certainly wouldn't want to tempt those who associate
Halloween with paganism to celebrate it, and if I lived in close
contact with someone who had this problem I would probably abstain
myself.
Christians have often had to make judgements like this in the mission
field. At times cultural associations may make it unsafe to do things
that new Christians might associate with their pagan past. However in
other contexts there may be no such problem.
But behind Paul's details is the ideal of mutual love and support.
Rom. 14:1 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose
of quarreling over opinions. 2 Some believe in eating anything, while
the weak eat only vegetables. 3 Those who eat must not despise those
who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who
eat; for God has welcomed them. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on
servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or
fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them
stand.
Rom. 14:5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others
judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own
minds. 6 Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord.
Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks
to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give
thanks to God.
One reason that the postings about Halloween tend to produce little
sympathy is the often shrill tone. I have no problem at all with those
who associate it with paganism abstaining. However as Paul advises,
they should not use this as a motivation for condemning others, or
self-righteousness. Nor should we consider ourselves superior because
we understand the fulness of our freedom in Christ.
Hello,There's been a lot of discussion about Halloween. For some reason no
one seems to have noticed that Paul deals with a very similar issue in
the NT. The issue with Halloween is whether pagan associations mean
that we can't celebrate the holiday. The issue for Paul was whether
pagan associations meant that they couldn't eat meat. The people Paul
was talking about actually had a better case: the meat clearly had
been sacrificed, where the pagan associations with Halloween are
conjectural, and few of those who currently celebrate it would think
of those pagan associations.
* The idols don't exist; the meat is God's; we are free to eat it.
* Not everyone understands this; we shouldn't tempt our weaker brethren
to violate their conscience.
I would say that the same is true of Halloween. As long as there is no
association with pagan worship in the minds of those doing it, there
is no problem with the holiday. All days are God's and so are all
costumes. Many Christians celebrate it in ways that commemorate
faithful Christians before us. There is no problem in this.
However I certainly wouldn't want to tempt those who associate
Halloween with paganism to celebrate it, and if I lived in close
contact with someone who had this problem I would probably abstain
myself.
Christians have often had to make judgements like this in the mission
field. At times cultural associations may make it unsafe to do things
that new Christians might associate with their pagan past. However in
other contexts there may be no such problem.
But behind Paul's details is the ideal of mutual love and support.
Rom. 14:1 Welcome those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose
of quarreling over opinions. 2 Some believe in eating anything, while
the weak eat only vegetables. 3 Those who eat must not despise those
who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who
eat; for God has welcomed them. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on
servants of another? It is before their own lord that they stand or
fall. And they will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make them
stand.
Rom. 14:5 Some judge one day to be better than another, while others
judge all days to be alike. Let all be fully convinced in their own
minds. 6 Those who observe the day, observe it in honor of the Lord.
Also those who eat, eat in honor of the Lord, since they give thanks
to God; while those who abstain, abstain in honor of the Lord and give
thanks to God.
One reason that the postings about Halloween tend to produce little
sympathy is the often shrill tone. I have no problem at all with those
who associate it with paganism abstaining. However as Paul advises,
they should not use this as a motivation for condemning others, or
self-righteousness. Nor should we consider ourselves superior because
we understand the fulness of our freedom in Christ.
Paul was dealing with the specific instance of eating meat that was
sacrificed to pagan idols. Paul was not saying it was thus alright to
mix all the pagan things you want with true worship. As a matter of
fact, Paul was adamant about this.
Paul states that the things pagans sacrificed to their gods, was really
being sacrificed to the demons. So he said a 1 Co 10:21,
"You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you
cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons."
And you can clearly see the demonic connection of Halloween with its
many costumes of witches, ghosts, goblins and devils, etc.
True, Paul said at 1 Co 10:23, "Everything is permissible"--but not
everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not
everything is constructive." (NIV)
He obviously didn't mean "Everything is permissible" in the absolute
sense. Even Paul listed things that were not permissible to God.
(notice some examples listed at 1 Co 6:9,10)
Paul is showing that, unlike those ancient Israelites under the many
written Mosaic laws, most things are permissible to Christians. It is
up to a Christian's Bible-trained conscience to determine whether or
not something is approved by God or not.
If you want a test as to whether something is really acceptable to God
or not, try picturing Jesus doing it. So in this case, picture if Jesus
would wear a costume of the devil, and go to the door and say "TRICK or
treat"?
Sincerely, James
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