The Christian Response To Halloween

"When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations." Deuteronomy 18:9 I was listening to a Christian program in which the speaker was offering Halloween alternatives for children of Christian families. He spoke at length suggesting to parents different ways Christians can make it a fun night without the elements of witches, ghosts, and occult themes associated with Halloween. Just provide a good alternative for them, so they won't feel "different" from other kids, he said. I disagree. Please hear me out. We live in a "feel good" society, an instant-coffee society, a society in which we intend that our children lack for nothing and they usually don't have to wait for anything either. There's something wrong with this picture. If you asked a Christian child what it means to be a Christian, he'd probably say it's believing that Jesus died for our sins and that you need to ask him into your heart. That is the "correct" answer. But if that's what you think it means to be a Christian, you have a very naive view of what following Christ is all about. Most of the first century Christians were martyred. Had you asked any of the parents in the first century, they would have described Christianity far differently from anything you've heard in our "modern" day. Christianity then was picking up your cross and following Jesus. Unto death if need be. It's the Jesus who said, "in the world you will have tribulation." We often hear people talking about "the promises of God." Well that's one of his promises. You'll have tribulation. In fact, most of what Jesus had to say to believers was about reckoning yourself NOT of this world. "Come out from among them," the Scriptures say. Come out from among them? What does that mean? "When you come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations." You shall not, as in THOU SHALT NOT ....follow the abominations of the world around you. In the New Testament, it says something similar: "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the Temple of God with idols? For you are the Temple of the living God. ...Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.'' 2nd Corinthians 6:14-18 Come out from among them and be SEPARATE, says the Lord. Do not touch the unclean thing. Be separate? That's hardly what we tell our young people! Rather, we foster the attitude that they are to be "like the other kids." "I don't want to be different from the other kids." Then ...you cannot follow Jesus Christ. You can't have it both ways. You can't stroke them and help them to wear "the right thing" and do as the others do so that they'll be popular, and then tell them to pick up their cross and follow Jesus. The two are mutually antagonistic. Christian father, Christian mother, are you teaching your young person to "come out from among them and be separate," or are you teaching them to CONFORM to the world? Are you buying them all the things that "everybody else" has? Taking them to places "everybody else" goes? Competing to do whatever it takes to be popular? Have you taught your child to bow down before America's god of "popularity?" Has it never occurred to you that being popular is the very OPPOSITE of what Christ taught? How will they ever embrace the concept of coming out from among them and being separate, if you're coaching them in their efforts to be popular? If they have the notion that being popular is a "good" thing, how will they ever be able to accept, yes, ACCEPT it when they are hated by "the world" as Jesus said they would be? "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you OUT of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, `A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you..." John 15:19-20 A lost generation. They are taught "tolerance." They are taught to conform in order to spare their feelings should they be singled out as separate. "Let's do something else that's fun on that night so you won't miss out on anything.” You're failing your child, mom and dad. You're teaching them the world, how will they ever be able to pick up their cross and follow Christ? How will the kids of this generation ever be able to accept being persecuted if all they've learned from parents and teachers is what they must do to be accepted? How has Satan been able to so confuse the minds of Christians to think it's right and good to foster in their children the attitudes which are the very opposite of what Jesus taught, without batting an eye and then patting themselves on the back for being "good" parents? The time is coming when America will go through real judgment. Some see it coming and are prepared. Most are oblivious. If your child ever has to accept something other than popularity, if your child has to confess Jesus before the "popular" kids and be shunned and laughed at (persecuted) for it, how can you think your spoiled (but popular) child will ever make it? Those who do are those who have been taught to dare to be different. To not only hear the word of God, but do it.