Halloween - Right of Wrong?
There are many debates regarding what is considered right and wrong. I grew up in a more conservative environment where it was considered wrong to attend school dances, drink alcohol, or watch rated R movies.
In fact, here’s something to chuckle about… My dad, a conservative Baptist minister, once found a deck of playing cards in the house. Playing cards was a huge no-no in the Johnson home, because it was associated with gambling. So my dad put his leather gardening gloves on (he didn’t want to defile his hands by touching the cards), put the cards in a plastic bag, and then took the cards out to the trash container outside!
Yeah, a little extreme!
I’m so thankful that I’ve broken free from legalism and can make decisions based on my personal convictions, rather than a list of other people’s do’s and don’ts.
One such area of dispute is coming up at the end of the month, Halloween. Some do not allow their children to participate, since the holiday can be traced to pagan origins. Others object to Halloween because they don’t want their children to stumble into anything that evening which might be associated with Wicca and the occult.
I was not allowed to trick or treat growing up, and I couldn’t understand why. Sure, I was told about how witches and warlocks and anything relating to Halloween were of the devil, but I wasn’t dressing up or soliciting candy to worship Satan. I wanted sweets! What was also confusing to me was the fact that Christians viewed trick or treating as “wrong,” yet they would hold “harvest celebrations” on Halloween at local churches so kids could dress up and get candy. If dressing up and observing Halloween was wrong, then why do anything on that day?
My personal conviction? I let my kids dress in costumes and trick or treat. They are not “celebrating” Halloween but merely having fun with their parents. I don’t allow my children to dress in costumes that are gruesome or focus on the macabre or occult, because of our family values. Instead, they enjoy dressing as their favorite superheroes or favorite Disney characters.
I believe that Dr. James Dobson, president and founder of Focus on the Family, provides some helpful insights regarding whether or not to observe Halloween:
“Whereas it can be argued that Christmas is a Christian holiday with Christian origins that has suffered the effects of growing secularism, Halloween can be traced to distinctly pagan sources. It is reasonable, then, that many believers would find some aspects of its celebration disturbing. I agree with them in that regard. The traditional emphasis upon the occult, witches, devils, death, and evil sends messages to our kids that godly parents can only regard with alarm. There is clearly no place in the Christian community for this ‘darker side’ of Halloween.
“Even here, however, there is a place for some harmless fun. Kids love to dress up and pretend. If the Halloween experience is focused on fantasy rather than the occult, I see no harm in it. Make costumes for your children that represent fun characters, such as Mickey Mouse or an elderly grandmother, and then let them go door-to-door asking for treats. This side of Halloween can be thoroughly enjoyable for the little ones.”
Observing Halloween may be a controversial subject in our society, and I want to encourage you to stay true to your own personal convictions. As for me, I believe that this occasion can be a time for “some harmless fun,” as Dobson says.
In Good News Tucson
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Next month we will be talking about debt and how to conquer it. We will
also share ways that we can give back to our community as we enter a season
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