NOTE: The "frowney" and "smiley" icons (and the other icons) on these comments serve as an indicator
of the tenor of the comments only, and may or may not reflect or serve as an indicator of the personal opinions of this website's author.
| COMMENTS PAGE ONE | COMMENTS PAGE TWO | COMMENTS PAGE THREE | COMMENTS PAGE FOUR | COMMENTS PAGE FIVE |
I was very impressed with this writing on the subject of Halloween. I am the pastor for Church of Life; Texas. I have met many people that are firmly against Halloween practices and degrade other fellow christians as satan worshippers for having anything to do with the holiday. I especially like your highlight on Christmas having a pagan origin as well. That was one of my first questions to a Baptist friend that stated she didn't celebrate halloween, "Well, do you celebrate Christmas?"
I believe that Christ Jesus has the grace and power to change intent from evil to righteousness, with his grace we will compromise all of His lost children back into His house. I really would like to use some of your paper in our November newsletter ( next year the October ) if I can recieve permission to duplicate it I would really appreciate it.
Sincerely,
B. Tully
(The Rev.) Richard M. Flynn
www.cp-tel.net/trinity
In a recent quote from an criminal investigator in the occult, concerning satanic rituals and human sacrifices on Oct 31, "where do you think all the missing children go"
My prayers go with you
Wm H Morgan
The Peace of Christ be with you and your family!
I am a United Methodist pastor near Punxsutawney, PA, USA. Due to my Scottish heritage, I have always taken pride in celebrating Halloween and INSIST on it for my children, as well. I have often proclaimed Halloween a WONDERFUL opportunity to declare Jesus Christ's overwhelming victory over evil, sin, and death. For Christians to fear Halloween approaches blasphemy and distrust in the saving power of Jesus Christ.
Again, thank you for the insightful page and the host of useful information.
Rev. Keith H. McIlwain
Eight years ago, I published a tract regarding Halloween which was distributed at churches in my area. Next year I plan to revise and republish it and am now collecting articles for new sources. With your permission, I would like to cite information from your page. I plan to begin work on the revision next May. Will your page still be in operation at that time?
You reference several of the same sources I used when I did my research, but you have found a great deal of information I could not find at that time. The internet is truly a great resource for research!
Are you really in Ireland? If so, this might explain the availability of some of your information, being there in the heart of the Celtic regions. If you are in the U.S., I would refer you to an article in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune about local wiccans and how they are observing Halloween this year.
I can't begin to tell you how impressed I am with the wealth of sources you have presented. I wish I had time to look them all up now, but I will only hope that your page might still be available next year.
May God bless you in your remarkable work for the Kingdom.
(Name Withheld)
Incidently, what is your own back ground with regard to religion? I am a convert to Christian Orthodoxy from Lutheranism, and find your position to be very "Orthodox."
Thank you, again.
Gretchen
At the present time I am living with my husband and three children in Okinawa, Japan. I grew up in central Florida. When I was a child I enjoyed Halloween, as a time for getting together with friends and getting treats.
I have many Japanese friends here on Okinawa, and I like sharing my culture with them as they like to share their culture with me, but this Halloween, some friends have asked me questions, like, "Why do you give candy", my only answer was "I don't know, we just always do."
I decided to find some answers for them and myself. I am a Christian, I have also asked my Pastor (via the net) some questions and he was a big help.
As I was looking for more info on the net I ran across your "Halloween:myths monsters & devils", and I wanted to say "Thanks."
I found a lot of useful information. I printed it, I want to read it again. I am examining my feeling about Halloween. I am in a quandary as to having a party or not with my children and Japanese friends.
Anyway, thanks for the informative page.
(Name Withheld)
Christopher Elliott
Reference Librarian
McAlester Public Library
McAlester, OK
I love Halloween, and the entire Harvest season. I hope you don't mind if I link your page to mine, so that others who may have questions about this season, can go here and read this as well.
Thanks again
Sincerely,
Mars Harper
I believe Jesus Christ died to defeat Satan, and that for a Christian to fear the influence of the old liar shows a distinct lack of faith in the power of God. Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world...
Feel free to quote me anonymously (I don't want to get hate mail from my brothers and sisters in Christ!!)
I would like to suggest to you to pick up any encyclopedia and read about Halloween. You will quickly learn that it is not a bunch of christian theorys that these people are batting around. It is just truth. These rituals came from Ireland -yes. And it was a negative tradition - not one for christians. It is all about death - it is not about life. God is life. Yes I am a christian. But I did my own research and was stupdified to find that the common man could fall for such a nasty ritual. I see every reason why it should not be practiced. If for just the reason I do not want to teach my children about death and dying. I will contend for the positive and for the living. As the bible says - why look ye for the dead- let the dead bury the dead. We are to look for the living and life. We can not change the past - no matter how recent the death it -is still dead. And whether you accept the blood aspect of all ritualistic things. It is done only to mock what Jesus did for all mankind. Any thing but the bible is deception. You are very quick to quote the word to work for you - yet you do not want to live by its words...all the words. Like have no other god before me. Like shun evil in all its forms. Like touch not the unclean thing. If you want to manipulate the word - you should at least know all of it..or be attempting to know it -as a true christian tries to do.
I find it distasteful when people only take the parts of the bible that suit their needs. And I think you should do more common reseach. You would find out about what the bible means when it says - You have great knowledge- but you have no wisdom. It says that having ears to hear - they hear not, eyes to see- they see not. Maybe you are to educated to see the truth about what our greatest enemy - Satan- wants to do. He loves it when people try to convince others that there is no harm.. I will pray for you tonight.
I do not care if you use my quote. I would like to explain that I am a fundamental christian. I believe in the word. I do not shove stuff down peoples throats, nor do I say it is okay to worship the devil. I only think to play around with anything evil is dangerous. I agree with you that some of the stuff that those particular tracts was garbage. But I do not agree with you about allowing children to partake of something that they really don't understand is crazy. I too was raise with the tradition of trick or treating and can find no real good reason to partake. We have Jesus festivals, or fall festivals. There are good alternatives that are just as fun. Maybe it is time that really good christians change the concept that just because our parents did it doesn't make it ok. I am pentecostal by faith, christian by choice, but sister to anyone that aknowledges Jesus as lord. You cannot convince me that Mother Teresa went to hell because she was Catholic. She went to heaven because she loved Jesus. I just wanted you to understand I do not judge you. I only say that to play with anything that looks evil - is dangerous. And it is very important to live the life in front of sinners - talk is cheap. Doing what is right speaks louder than telling someone that you do it. It takes longer to prove it - but they respect you more and know you are serious.I believe christians in general have discussed things to death. We should live it more and talk less. Maybe more would be led to Jesus. I would like to say - if you use my letter or response - include it all so that others don't think that I am trying to judge. I based my decision to refrain from Halloween because it looks more like Satan than it looks like God. I try to live my faith. I have aquaintances that are bi-sexual. They know I am going to remind them that if God has given his approval who am I to judge. But I then take them to the word to see what it has to say. I do not shun them - I regularly hug them. I do love every friend God has given me in the Lord. I would never turn anyone away. But I try to keep their eyes on the word and what it says. The same goes for evil - in any form. God told us to shun "the appearance" of evil. That isn't even evil - that is anything that looks like it. It doesn't say to hate the sinner - it says to love them - but as you said, we do not have to be part of the world. Only in it.
God bless you brother.. I hope you understand my point.
Robert Kilgore
I am the one that posted the first comment on your page that you placed an unhappy smile on. I find it amazing that you make sure that you put an unhappy face on those that don't agree with you. I thought it was a comment page...not a page to discriminate about agreeing or disagreeing with you.
Please do NOT put my email address on this if you mount it on your comment page. I received an email from a male witch that you had given ammunition too... and he put a visus with it and cost me my entire system. So much for the freedom of speech. I guess because I happened to disagree with you - and you put that little symbol there - he figured you were targeting me. But for as many evil emails I have received because I tried to voice an opinion - I have received twice as many good reports.
I would think that you would look at the responses of the people and realize that you are given fuel to the enemy and those christians who don' t need help erring from the truth. You say that you are just trying to right a wrong teaching...well so was Saul/Paul when he was killing the christians. Did you happen to read what happened to him?
Here's another unhappy face for ya.
Patty Kilgore
The "frowney" and "smiley" icons (and the other icons) on these comments serve as an indicator of the tenor of the comments only, and may or may not reflect my personal opinions.
The Rev'd Mr. and Mrs. I.W. Nicholson
Vinson Memorial Church
Huntington, WV
The Rev'd John Allen T. Bankson
God Bless you,
Jill Schmidt
Denton, TX
I found the URL to it by doing an Internet search for Halloween.
My children's school has banned Halloween parties, costume parades, bobbing for apples and the like, because a small group of uninformed religious zealots objected saying Halloween was "devil worshipping"!
Because of this, I am doing research to find out what I could of the history of Halloween, and hopefully educate the school administrators who so quickly bowed to this group's pressure. Your work is proving to be invaluable. Thanks again.
Best regards
(Name Withheld)
Columbus, Ohio
United States of America
I am a Christian, with a British background but not very orthodox by the standards of the Southern Baptists who I now live amongst. My views have given rise to comments tantamount to being a pagan. I am pretty bad though, I like to bring up things of contention that have been brushed under the carpet. Pointing out that the pentagram was used to signify the five wounds of Christ by Early Christians did not go down too well though! I love researching and trying to find the roots behind modern festivals and celebrations and then trying to pass the information on. I am limited in time and resources and the work you have done is invaluable to opening people's eyes!
Thanks again for your page.
Wendy Warwick White
I am a pagan living in Texas. I am so grateful for your wonderful page that shows the facts and not hysterical fear and terror.
I am so tired of the lies about paganism.
I have often wondered why the message of love that Jesus brought has been transmuted into a message of terror by so many people. I never feared my father and mother, why should I fear my Father and Mother?
B*B!
(Name Withheld)
But like many others, I too found it hard to believe that something I enjoyed so much as a child could be so bad. It broke my heart when my own Baptist church boycotted Halloween and began having "Noah's Ark Parties" instead. (Which, I might add is also a lot of fun, but just not quite the same.)
My husband and I read your paper over several times. And if it helps anybody, we have decided the following:
My family still celebrates Halloween. We see it as a "end of summer, beginning of fall" kind of holiday. My child loves to pick a costume every year, and I am very involed in this decision. I do not allow witches or vampire's or anything that we feel is scary or would not be pleasing to God. We don't decorate our house or yard with dead people, we opt instead for smiley pumpkins! We still enjoy wonderful practical jokes played on each other and our friends and neighbors. We still enjoy bobbing for apples and hot apple cider. We also engage on occasional hay rides after "trick or treating". Yes, we still go "trick or treating", only to homes of friends and relatives and mainly so my child can show off his costume (usually a superhero of some sort).
Just like I believe in God and his son, I believe that every person has their own relationship with God. And what might be right for me, may not be right for you. I have prayed about this for many years now, and this decision has rested very peaceful in my heart. It has allowed me to steer away from what I thought was evil and unpleasing to God, and still keep what I knew was harmless fun in my family.
Thank you again for all your hard work. It has really helped me and my family make an informed decision.
(Name Withheld)
Florida, USA
Sincerely, Scott Morgan
I presently choose to worship with a denomination self-described as "fundamentalist". I have not always done so, and therefore find myself among attitudes which I must often question. I have read the prescribed books, but my "peculiar" fascination with historical accuracy and documentation did not always leave me comfortable with what I had learned. But, I have continued to be very interested in apprehending this subject. The bulk of what is offered is simply heresay disguised by a half hour's research. Your article, however, does not fit this mold. While I cannot devote the time you obviously have to verify your facts, I feel more at ease with your approach than with any other.
I also find I must strive towards consistency, if I would be true to myself. I have always wondered, for example, why those who denounce Halloween so unquestioningly celebrate Christmas. All this being said, I will probably choose not to participate in Halloween. This is for the same reason I do not drink. Not because the Bible says it's wrong, since Holy Writ makes no such claim, but I feel this is my proper response to Romans 14. I rest assured many of you will have a contrary response - and I delight in this.
Clifford Godsoe
Scarborough, ON Canada
Based on my own childhood memories :
Halloween was certainly celebrated in a similar manner to the U.S. in England since the late 1960s at least - with one exception. "Trick or Treat" was absent - the phrase was not used (although it seems to be now), nor was it accepted that failure to offer a "treat" was grounds for trickery or vandalism. It is possible that going around the neighbours houses was more of a Scottish custom, but I am far from certain. Certainly the association with ghosts and witches was present thoughout the country.
This is not to say that Halloween is not an American import, only that it must be less recent than you suggest.
The local Scots seemed to celebrate in much the same way as everyone else. The main difference that I remember is a little rhyme used in place of "Trick or treat"
My recollection is probably less than entirely accurate but it was something like :
"The sky is blue
The grass is green
I've just come down from Aberdeen
Have you anything for me"
(The last line is little more than a guess, I'm afraid.)
Hope this is of interest.
When I started getting rid of everything that wasn't linked to Christianity is when I realized something was wrong. I wasn't happy, and my life was in a shambles. How could I live if everything I enjoyed was wrong. How could I be both a Christian and happy? So I re-evaluated my situation.
1) God and Christ Love me for who I AM.
2) Christ died, RELEASING US FROM THE LAW, if you have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, the LAW DOES NOT APPLY.
3) Unfortunately, not everyone is as open minded as us. People believe what they want to believe regardless of the proof or evidence. That's why I never argue about politics or religion.
Anyway it's all about LOVE. Love means accepting someone for who they ARE! How can I say to my wife I love you but you have to clean the house, wash the dishes, and cook dinner every night to receive it. That's not love at all, but I love her despite her imperfections just like God loves me.
Also I would like to say something about those who would like to supposedly 'Chrisitianize' Halloween, by inventing similar holidays, didn't the Pope all ready do that? And about not celebrating holidays that celebrate the dead, don't we celebrate the DEATH, and ressurection of Christ? (well, everyone but Jehovah's Witnesses)
Sorry for writing so much but you've hit a sensitive subject and I'm thankful that you've not only educated me but have given me so much knowledge.
Keary J. McCutchen
I note from your web page that you do not mind this as long as you are contacted first and referenced.
I would like to do this with your permission please.
Many thanks,
Margaret.
I thank you for presenting the truth in such an unbiased manner! For what it is worth, I commend you for your courage!
In Christ
MM
Praying for your joy in the Lord,
I am a Wiccan myself, and I appreciate your unbiased view. It is very rare to find a non-Pagan speaking out against the misinformation (and when a Pagan does it, the work gets dismissed as "propaganda").
May your God bless and protect you.
-E. D.
I will continue to teach against anything that is evil, and if you do not believe it is evil you need to read the word of God again
God Bless You
Pastor Scott Simms
Cumberland Church of God
ssimms@prodigy.net
Sincerely,
Gilbert Emmons (Gil)
God Bless
This page hosted by Illusions.com
© copyright 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998 All Rights Reserved, but you can link to this page without my permission, and reprint rights are liberally granted to religious and non-profit publications if you contact me first. God bless you all!
