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In my teachings on Christmas and Easter, we learned about paganism and witchcraft being the foundation of those celebrations, and likewise, in this teaching, we will learn about the same pagan and witchcraft foundations of Halloween. All of the traditions of Halloween, from bobbing for apples, to costumes, to jack-o'-lanterns, is a worship of death, and though some readers might find it hard to believe, I would challenge you to read this in its entirety, and double check all the references I have provided so you can see the truth of the matter for yourself.
For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:
-Proverbs 8:35-36
He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.
-Proverbs 18:13
(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Idolatry" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
worship (v): to adore; to respect; to honor
celebrate (v): to honor or distinguish by ceremonies and marks of joy and respect
(See 'worship' & 'celebrate', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 25, 2018, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
Whether the average churchgoer chooses to acknowledge the truth or not, the fact is that Halloween is a holiday that has firm roots in paganism and witchcraft. Just like Christmas and Easter, it was made by witches for witches and has NOTHING to do with the Lord Jesus Christ and His church. I made this teaching primarily for Christians, that they would sanctify (i.e. set apart) themselves from the wicked traditions of men, and stop profaning His holy name by falsely claiming that Halloween is a "Christian" celebration. |
I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
-John 17:15-19
And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
-Ezekial 44:23
But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
-Hebrews 5:14
"Some of you may not know the history behind this fall holiday and may be opposed tohow our society has turned it into something ugly, mean, and scary. I think we should reclaim it for God. "
-Steven L. Wilson, Lewis Creek Baptist Church, Shelbyville, Indiana, retrieved October, 2011, [lewiscreekbaptist.org]; This man calls himself "Reverend" Wilson, which is a title that is only reserved for God in Scripture—Read "Titles Are Unbiblical in the Church" here at creationliberty.com for more details.
There are two major assumptions Wilson made in his opening statement; the first being that he claims that "society," or more specifically, modern American society, is to blame for turning Halloween into something that is unpleasant. In this article, I will demonstrate this man's willful ignorance on the matter because our society is only reflecting the true origins and nature of the Halloween celebration.
The second assumption was made by Wilson saying he would "
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy [way of thinking] and vain deceit [lies], after the tradition of men, after the rudiments [first teachings] of the world, and not after Christ.
-Colossians 2:8
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
-2 Corinthians 11:13-15
(Read "False Converts vs Eternal Security" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
-2 Thessalonians 2:10
" -The Tract League, "Make This A Real Halloween," retrieved Oct 13, 2011, [https://bit.ly/2PK2f8S]; This tract was eventually removed from their store, although they have added a variety of new tracts just as terrible. I thought it was interesting to note that the tracts from The Tract League were, at the time, $7 each; meaning that if you wanted 100 of them, you would be paying $700. I checked their website when I updated this in 2018, and they were $9 apiece—you do the math. (See The Tract League, "Halloween Tracts," retrieved Sept 19, 2018, [tractleague.com/browse/halloween]) |
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
-1 Timothy 6:10
If any readers don't understand that the Catholic Church is not Christian, I would urge you to read our book (which is free to read on our website), called Corruptions of Christianity: Catholicism which will demonstrate the pagan history of the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church's origin and goal has always been the same as Rome itself, to merge all pagan religions under Rome's leadership, and thus, Halloween had nothing to do with "All Saints' Day," but rather, the Catholic Church was merging paganism with their false, so-called "Christian" doctrine.
The tract continues to say:
"It [All Saints Day] was a special day to help those who love Jesus remember the saints (people who love Jesus so much, they gave their lives to help others.) "
-The Tract League, "Make This A Real Halloween," retrieved Oct 13, 2011, [https://bit.ly/2PK2f8S]
There are a number of things wrong with this statement; the first being that the author of this tract doesn't know what a 'martyr' is:
martyr (n): one who, by his death, bears witness to the truth of the gospel; one who suffers death in defense of a cause
(See 'martyr', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 19, 2018, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
In that context, what this author is referring to are the "Catholic saints" which is someone who is declared by the Pope of Rome to be a "saint" after they die. The Roman Catholic Church declares a Catholic "saint" based on how much work he/she did for the Catholic Church, not for the Lord Jesus Christ. A martyr is someone who is executed because they teach the true doctrine of Jesus Christ, not someone who gets a fancy title after they do enough work to appease the wicked Pope.
The Catholic so-called "saints" are only a small handful of people that have been personally selected by the Catholic Papacy to hold that title. This DOES NOT include the true saints/martyrs who died at the hands of the Catholic Church during the 600 years of the Inquisition, and more over the past 1700 years; those Christians who gave their lives to preserve the true Word of God, especially during the Dark Ages (i.e. the suppression of knowledge in Europe by the Catholic church). According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, martyrs are defined only as those who submit themselves to the false authority of the Roman Pope. This corrupt Catholic "All Saints' Day" was not in honor of "
(See 'martyr', Catholic Encyclopedia, New Advent, retrieved Sept 19, 2018, [www.newadvent.org/cathen/09736b.htm]; Read "The Pope: The Throne of an Antichrist" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Thus, "All Saints' Day" or "All Souls' Day" is not a Christian holiday any more than Halloween is, and in case you are not familiar with this celebration, let's read some general details:
"All Saints' and All Souls' Days are celebrated throughout the Roman Catholic world , including Mexico. These religious holy dayshave their roots in Catholic masses that originated as early as the 11th centuryto honor all of the saints and all of the souls in purgatory . By the early 16th century, Roman Catholics in Spain and other parts of Europe had established a tradition of observing All Saints' and All Souls' Days byvisiting cemeteries, presenting offerings of flowers, candles, and food to deceased relatives; and soliciting or begging in ritualized form ."
-Clifton D. Bryant, Handbook of Death and Dying, SAGE, 2003, p. 78, ISBN: 9780761925149
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
-Matthew 8:22
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
-Luke 9:60
(Read "Purgatory: The Imaginary Safety Net" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Every time I do research into this topic, I see new articles, webpages, and tracts made trying to justify that this Halloween celebration is a "Christian" tradition, but that is a lie coming from ignorant and/or false teachers. The Catholic Church made up All Saints' Day to coincide with the Halloween celebration of pagans/witches, and nowhere in the Bible will Christians find any such commandment, or even hint, at a Halloween celebration.
Since Halloween/All Saints' Day didn't come from the Bible, then where did it come from? The following author is a long-standing elder in witchcraft, and sadly, she gives us a more accurate historical picture than most pastors:
"The original celebration of All Saints' Day is attributed to Pope Boniface IV, who dedicated the Roman temple, the Pantheon, consecrated as the Church of the Blessed Virgin [the false goddess they call "Mary"] and all Martyrs [deceased pagans of the Catholic Church]... This day was to honor those Christians [i.e. Catholics] who had been murdered for their beliefs without official recognition for their dedication to the faith."
-Silver RavenWolf, Halloween: Customs, Recipes, Spells, Vol. 1, Llewellyn Worldwide, 1999, ISBN: 9781567187199; RavenWolf (fake name) is an elder of Wicca and has been published in many major news publications as an expert in witchcraft.
(Read "Catholic History: A Pagan Foundation here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
"The Roman Pantheon is the most preserved and influential building of ancient Rome. It is -Rome.info [Italian Travel Guide], "Roman Pantheon," retrieved Sept 12, 2015, [rome.info/pantheon] |
Again, the Catholic Church's goal is to bring all pagan religions under its own leadership, and in defiance against God, restored pagan traditions, and attempted to "Christianize" them. This is why All Saints' Day (Nov 1st) was declared to be the day after Halloween (Oct 31st), so it would coincide with the celebration of witches, without overlapping the traditions.
"November 1st was originally the Celtic pagan Festival of the Harvest. In order to extinguish the lingering pagan influence in Europe,Pope Boniface IV instigated All Saints Day or All Hallows Day , the day to honor the saints. Hence, the day before All Saints Day became Halloween (the eve before All Hallows Day). November 2nd was the Samhain, the end of summer, to the pagan Celts. Once again, in order to wipe out pagan practices, St. Odilo of Cluny (d. 1048) re-classified Samhain to All Souls Day, whenChristians [i.e. Catholics] were encouraged to pray for their dead ancestors still in purgatory. It was originally the day pagans believed their ancestors returned once a year ."
-Imma Penn, Dogma Evolution & Papal Fallacies, AuthorHouse, 2007, p. 242, ISBN: 9781452059945
The author I just quoted claims the Catholic church "extinguished pagan influence," but in reality, they only replaced the many forms of paganism with a singular form (kind of like a giant blob, sucking in all idolatry in its path). That's why there are so many traditions of idolatry in the Catholic Church today, and why their altered "ten commandments" removes the commandment against idols. (Read "Idolatry: The Goddess Called 'Mary'" here at creationliberty.com for more details.) |
I've listened to and read from so many churchgoers trying to justify the idolatry and witchcraft of Halloween, it's as if they think that God's hatred of paganism was only in the Old Testament. That is not true. The New Testament Scripture still condemns those sins because God hates them:
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
-Galatians 5:19-21
"The Feast of All Souls originated in the 7th century from monks who decided to offer the Mass on the day after Pentecost for their deceased community members. Later, in the late 10th century, the monks of Cluny, France decided to move their Mass for the dead to November 2. The practice spread and in 13th century Rome declared November 2 as the Feast of Souls that all in the Communion of the Saints might be celebrated. We Filipinos call this feast Undas to remember andpray for the souls of our dead family members suffering in purgatory .
For prayers for the dead we may offer six Our Fathers, Hail Mary's and Glory Be's for the intentions of the Pope in a church, and thereby,receive a plenary indulgence for a soul in purgatory ."
-Bernardo N. Sepeda & Felinore A. Hornilla-Valera, People's Journey with God, Rex Bookstore Inc, 2007, p. 231, ISBN: 9789712347931
And again, as the authors stated, the Catholic Pope initiated All Saints Day, not for honoring martyrs, but for practicing the useless and unbiblical praying-for-the-dead ritual Catholics still perform today. The prayers for the dead of All Saints Day was to do works to get these dead saints' souls out of "purgatory," the imaginary safety net, which Catholics pay out a lot of money in their hope it will keep them and their deceased loved ones out of suffering. (Read "The Biblical Understanding of Prayer" here at creationliberty.com for more details.) |
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
-Matthew 6:7
"The evening before this very important day was called hallowed or holy evening.People were asked to use this time to get ready to remember the saints who loved Jesus.
During this hallowed evening (Hallowe'en),the poor could go to the homes of the Christians and ask for food , who would bake some special cakes and put a candle in the window to welcome the poor. Children could watch by the window - waiting for a poor family to come.
Butsome people didn't like the Christians. They began dressing up like witches, devils, and ghosts and knocking on the doors of those who followed Jesus and frightening the children. It was a cruel thing to do - taking a holy evening and turning it into something evil. "
-The Tract League, "Make This A Real Halloween," retrieved Oct 13, 2011, [https://bit.ly/2PK2f8S]
It should be noted that The Tract League does NOT provide any references or documentation to back up their claims, which means they are either completely ignorant about the origins of Halloween, which means they shouldn't be writing anything about it in the first place, or they are just flat-out lying to their customers. As we'll see later, people did NOT "
"By 350 B.C.E., the Celts, an ancient people of western and central Europe, had developed a priestly class—the Druids. Like the shamans, Druids knew about the nonphysical world. But the Druids had refined their knowledge. They were Druid healers and midwives, and specialists in ritual, weather, law, and astrology. Druids were even said to be able to see into the future.Many people trace the origins of Wicca back to the Druids and their magickal knowledge. Unfortunately, as the Roman Empire grew, the number of Druids dwindled. "
-D. Zimmermann & K.A. Gleason, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft, Penguin, 2006, p. 17, ISBN: 9781592575336; Zimmerman owns a Wiccan store in Maryland and has been featured as a Wiccan author in newspapers and magazines.
The reason the druids dwindled (reduced in number) is because the Roman Empire outlawed the human sacrifices they were performing. Though the murder was outlawed, the rituals remained, and thus, what we know as "Halloween" today are the traditions of witches (i.e. druids) who were killing men, women, and children to cast magic spells.
(Read "Abortion: Paganism, Satanism, Sacrifices, and Witchcraft" here at creationliberty.com for more details; Such rituals are still performed to this day in America, but few people are willing to investigate the matter.)
Witches call their celebrations "sabbats," and the dates in which they celebrate their sabbats are based on the position of the sun and moon in the sky. This is one of the reasons why astrology, like horoscopes for example, are so commonly practiced by pagans.
sabbat (n): a midnight meeting of witches to practice witchcraft and sorcery; in the Middle Ages it was supposed to be a demonic orgy
(See 'sabbat', Princeton University, WordNet Lexical Database for English, retrieved Sept 4, 2013, [http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=sabbat])
Halloween, which is called Samhain (pronounced saow-win) by witches, is considered to be a night of great activity by their pagan spirits (which are actually devils by Biblical interpretation). The pagans honor the dead because of the death of their sun god, because the winter has shorter days, and then they wait for him to resurrect from the dead during the feast of Yule (which we more commonly know to be Christmas).
"Halloween/Samhain: This is a celebration to honour the dead. As the dying sun passes into the nether world, Samhain is said to be the time of the year when the thin veil between the everyday world and the afterlife is most transparent, allowing Wiccans to communicate more readily with the spirits of the departed. In mythic terms,Samhain is the season during which the dying God sleeps in the underworld awaiting rebirth . At the same time the seed of new life gestates within the womb of the Great Mother, who in this cycle is regarded as the Queen of Darkness. The Farrars write thatSamhain 'was on the one hand a time of propitiation, divination and communion with the dead , and on the other, anuninhibited feast of eating, drinking and the defiant affirmation of life and fertility in the very face of the closing dark'."
-Murphy Pizza & James R. Lewis, Handbook of Contemporary Paganism, Vol. 2, BRILL, 2009, p. 65, ISBN: 9789004163737; Pizza is a Comparative Religions Professor at the University of Wisconsin, and Lewis is a Religious Studies Professor at the same university.
As they stated, divination is a common practice among witches, which is defined as the foretelling of future events, discovery of secret things, or aid of superior beings, through any other method besides that which comes from the Lord God. Any other entity that would provide secret knowledge or aid would come from a devil, and they will only deceive; communion with these devils is a sin against God.
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,
-Deuteronomy 18:10
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
-2 Kings 17:17
The Wiccan website, Temple of the Goddess, says:
"Hallows Eve (October 31) - This is the new year, the time when the veil between this world and the spirit world is at its thinnest. It marks the onset of a darker, more introspective time of year.The theme of Hallows Eve is honoring darkness, memory of the dead, communication with the spirit world , and purification for the future."
-Temple of the Goddess, "Sabbats: The Holy Days of the Wheel of the Year," 2005, retrieved Sept 4, 2013, [http://www.templeofthegoddess.org/Events/sabbat.htm]
As the witches will teach, Halloween is a celebration of darkness, not light, so why would any Christian take part in such darkness?
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
-1 Thessalonians 5:5
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
-Ephesians 5:8-11
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
-2 Timothy 2:15
"Contrary to popular belief, 'Ouija' is not a combination of the French for 'yes,' oui, and the German ja. Murch says, based on his research, it was Bond's sister-in-law,Helen Peters (who was, Bond said, a 'strong medium'), who supplied the now instantly recognizable handle. Sitting around the table, they asked the board what they should call it; the name 'Ouija' came through and, when they asked what that meant, the board replied, 'Good luck.' "
-Linda R. McRobbie, "The Strange and Mysterious History of the Ouija Board," Smithsonian, Oct 27, 2013, retrieved Sept 20, 2018, [https://bit.ly/2fPpWwL]
Though the Smithsonian is a strictly atheistic institution, even the story of how Bond was able to get a patent for the Ouija Board was a bit perplexing. After all, in order for something to be legally patented, it has to be proven to work as advertised:
"According to Murch's interviews with the descendants of the Ouija founders and the original Ouija patent file itself, which he's seen, the story of the board's patent request was true: Knowing thatif they couldn't prove that the board worked, they wouldn't get their patent , Bond brought the indispensable Peters to the patent office in Washington with him when he filed his application. There, the chief patent officer demanded a demonstration—if the board could accurately spell out his name, which was supposed to be unknown to Bond and Peters , he'd allow the patent application to proceed. They all sat down, communed with the spirits, and the planchette [device that moves on the board] faithfullyspelled out the patent officer's name . Whether or not it was mystical spirits or the fact that Bond, as a patent attorney, may have just known the man's name, well, that's unclear, Murch says. But on February 10, 1891,a white-faced and visibly shaken patent officer awarded Bond a patent for his new 'toy or game.' "
-Linda R. McRobbie, "The Strange and Mysterious History of the Ouija Board," Smithsonian, Oct 27, 2013, retrieved Sept 20, 2018, [https://bit.ly/2fPpWwL]
It should be noted that most churchgoers I have met and known throughout my life write off such things as "silly," but the fact is that the Bible teaches us there are dark and evil spirits of the Devil, who commune with mankind through such methods. This is evil and wicked in the sight of God; an abomination in His sight, and by calling it "silly," we deny His Word, and the seriousness of the situation, namely that demons are leading people to hell through such inventions.
Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them.
-Psalm 106:29
However, this is not a game, nor should it be treated as one because many terrible and demonic things have happened to those who play around too much with these boards. Even infamous Satanist Aleister Crowley and his students took it very seriously:
"Grady Louis McMurty (1918-1985) was theprevious world leader of Aleister Crowley's infamous fraternity known as Ordo Templi Orientis . He had been one of Crowley's students since the early '40s and had met the Great Beast [Crowley's nickname] numerous times while serving as a young Army officer during World War II. I met Grady in 1977, and he spent time at my house in Connecticut on several occasions. During one of our many talks on magick, the conversation drifted into spiritism and ghost-hunting... however,one topic made Grady extremely serious. When I mentioned the Ouija board to ask his opinion on its use, without hesitation he stressed strongly that it was his and Crowley's belief that it was not a toy to be played with lightly, and that the average person walks on dangerous ground when using the board. "
-J. Edward Cornelius, Aleister Crowley and the Ouija Board, Feral House, 2005, p. 3, ISBN: 9781932595109
Since the technology for digital video uploads has become so commonplace in our society, many videos have been posted of frightening demonic activity (that is a video link; use discretion if you choose to watch it) and strange events taking place with those who use Ouija boards. Everything from household objects moving on their own, to objects shattering, to demonic possession and injury, and yet, companies will advertise the Ouija Board like it's just some cutesy thing to do for fun during a Halloween party.
This Wiccan high priestess said the following:
"This is not to say that the Ouija board cannotcreate an open door to the spirit world through which a malevolent earthbound spirit or other uninvited entity can come. It very well can ,"
-Gerina Dunwich, A Witch's Guide to Ghosts and the Supernatural, Career Press, 2002, p.109, ISBN: 9781564146168; Dunwich is a Wiccan high priestess, authored many books on witchcraft, and is highly revered by the pagan community.
Though the atheistic world desires to believe that there are no spirits in this world, good or evil, the author who interviewed Crowley's student went on to say:
"Even non-believers who have attempted experimentshave had strange if not dangerous things happen to them . Like the Ouija board,it doesn't matter whether you believe in the system or not; it simply works ."
-J. Edward Cornelius, Aleister Crowley and the Ouija Board, Feral House, 2005, p. 3-4, ISBN: 9781932595109
Thus, I would also warn Christians that the traditions of witches, whether you believe in them or not, are dangerous because those traditions are born out of rituals that are designed for communing with devils. It does not matter if a churchgoer thinks he/she is doing nothing wrong, we ought not to do that which we think is right in our own eyes, but we should consider the Living God and fear Him.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
-Proverbs 1:7
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
-Proverbs 12:15
When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
-Deuteronomy 18:9-12
"[Celtics] believed that all manner of nonhuman beings could slip through the boundary into this world on the evening. The spirits of one's own departed ancestors... or just perhapshellish beings (none of whose intentions toward the living could be trusted) might appear on Samhain. All the customs of this night were directed toward understanding and propitiating these spirits by divining their wills , by giving them what they wanted,"
-James R. Lewis, Witchcraft Today: An Encyclopedia of Wiccan and Neopagan Traditions, ABC-CLIO, 1999, p. 255, ISBN: 9781576071342
Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.
-Leviticus 19:31
regard (v): to look towards; to observe; to attend to as a thing that affects our interest or happiness; to fix the mind on as a matter of importance
(See 'regard', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 20, 2018, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
The commonplace practices of the Halloween celebration are founded in the witchcraft and wizardry of Samhain, and is one of the highest pagan holidays in existence. What churchgoers typically don't consider is that druids and witches gain greater power in divination and necromancy at this particular time of the season because they receive demonic blessings from devils; so why would anyone, especially those who claim to be Christians, want to be associated in any form with this celebration?
I would say the most popular symbol of Halloween is the jack-o'-lantern, which churchgoers believe is some harmless tradition of carving pumpkins, and most church buildings participate in it every year. However, the jack-o'-lantern is a pagan superstitious symbol of warding off evil spirits who were more active during the rituals of witches, or in other words, it is witchcraft designed to ward off other forms of witchcraft, and is also associated with protecting the holder from the demonic concept of the "will-o-the-wisp," also known as a "corpse light" in England and a "fox fire" in Ireland. |
In simple terms, pagans believe the souls of deceased people come to earth for one night on October 31st, and they believe that there are good and bad souls, so they used jack-o'-lanterns to ward off the evil ghosts who try to devour people:
"The carving of Halloween pumpkins, also known as jack-o'-lanterns, is a very old Pagan custom which dates back to the days of the ancient Druids. They believed that onSamhain Eve (October 31) the spirits of the dead returned to the world of the living for one night . Many of these disembodied spirits were the ghosts of deceased family members, friends, and ancestors who were allowed to leave the world of the dead to rejoice with their living loved ones. However,some of the ghosts who walked among the living on this dark and magickal night were believed to be of an evil nature and were greatly feared. Some were the vengeful ghosts of sorcerers, and some were evil specters who took delight in devouring the souls of humans.For protection, jack-o'-lanterns with hideous candlelit faces were carved out of pumpkins and carried as lanterns from house to house to scare away the malevolent spirits. In modern times, the jack-o'-lantern is an important symbol of the Samhain Eve Witches' Sabbat (which is also known as Halloween)... The jack-o'-lantern also serves as a tool of divination and a symbolic fire to light the way for the Witches' New Year. "
-Gerina Dunwich, The Wicca Garden: A Modern Witch's Book of Magickal and Enchanted Herbs and Plants, Citadel Press, 1996, p. 13-14, ISBN: 9780806517773; Dunwich is a Wiccan high priestess, authored many books on witchcraft, and is highly revered by the pagan community.
As we can clearly see, the jack-o'-lantern is "tool of divination," and is symbolic of witchcraft. Without first judging themselves and fearing God, most churchgoers immediately defend themselves by saying, "We just do it for fun, we don't do it to ward off spirits." The real question for churchgoers is this: Since the tradition is a symbol of witchcraft that is not of God, then why are you unwilling to love the Lord Jesus Christ more than your traditions, and depart from them?
Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
-1 Corinthians 10:14
(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Idolatry" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?
-Jeremiah 7:9-10
Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
-Ezekiel 14:4-5
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
-Jeremiah 17:9-10
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
-1 Thessalonians 5:22
"Prior to the acquisition of the pumpkin from the Americas, rutabagas were hollowed out and carved with faces to make lanterns for Halloween. Often called ' -M. M. Drymon, Scotch Irish Foodways in America: Recipes from History, Wyth Avenue Press, 2009, p. 57, ISBN: 9781449588427 |
Since this practice of carving pumpkins for Halloween is a symbol of witchcraft, a damned soul, and pagan superstitions based on demonic concepts, why would anyone who claims to be of Christ be involved in this tradition? Not only do they get involved in it, encouraging other people to do these same wicked traditions, but some of them turn a profit from it!
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
-1 John 5:21
Where are the elders to put a stop to this pagan practice, and to rebuke the offense that the church would be making money off witchcraft rituals? The problem is that the elders have initiated and endorsed these things in their willful ignorance (i.e. the corruption starts at the top), loving pleasures more than loving God.
Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
-2 Timothy 3:4-5
(Read "False Converts vs Eternal Security" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles [basic understanding] of the oracles [prophets] of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
-Hebrews 5:12-14
And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
-Luke 6:39
If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
-John 14:15-17
"A festival for the dead was celebrated on Samhain Eve, when the souls of the departed were thought to walk among the living, perhaps even possessing the body of an animal (particularly a black cat, which remains an enduring symbol).Burial mounds were opened to release the deceased ancestors, and roaring bonfires were ignited on the hillsides to guide the wondering souls toward home for the winter. People dressed in scary costumes to keep evil spirits from recognizing them and trying to possess their bodies. "
-Jennifer T. Thompson, The Joy of Family Traditions, Random House LLC, 2008, p. 146-147, ISBN: 9781587611148
Also don't misunderstand this: You don't go to hell because you dressed up for Halloween at any point in your life. I understand that some Christians just didn't know these facts, and as my wife and I learned the truth about this matter, we sanctified ourselves (i.e. set ourselves apart) from it. Previously, we did celebrate things on Halloween in our ignorance, and we thank God that the Holy Spirit taught us the truth and convicted us to righteousness.
Pagans started the tradition of dressing up in costumes for the wicked religious purpose of protecting themselves from being possessed by demons while they dug up the graves of their dead ancestors and created large bonfires (which is where the tradition of Halloween bonfires came from) to release their spirits from bondage. (Mankind has no power do such things according to Biblical doctrine, but that's what pagans believe.) If any man professes that tradition is something "good" that is "of Christ," then I will faithfully declare that man is wicked in his heart, leavened, has no discernment, and does not follow Christ.
(Read "False Converts vs Eternal Security" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
-Jeremiah 10:2
"Once the last spark of the ritual bonfire became extinguished, people would run about shouting, 'The cropped black sow, seize the hindmost.' What seems to be an incomprehensible statement in modern English makes some sense when one understands both the older forms of the language as well as the fact that the sow is the totem animal of Cerridwen,a Celtic crone-goddess who presides over the rites of Samhain . Essentially, the statement was one of warning,telling the folk to run and hide before the crone, the death figure, finds them ."
-Timothy Roderick, Wicca: A Year and a Day - 366 Days of Spiritual Practice in the Craft of the Wise, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005, p. 53-54, ISBN: 9780738706214; Roderick is a psychotherapist in southern California and an initiate in Traditional Wicca.
The costumes were a ploy (i.e. plan) to disguise themselves as creatures separate from mankind (real or imagined), so the evil spirits would not recognize them, and pass them by without terrorizing them. Of course, that makes no sense for numerous reasons, which is why Paul, when he preached to the pagans in Athens, he said:
Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.
-Acts 17:22
superstitious (adj): full of idle [useless] fancies [imaginations] and scruples [doubts] in regard to religion
(See 'superstitious', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 20, 2018, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy [a way of thinking] and vain deceit [lies], after the tradition of men, after the rudiments [first teachings] of the world, and not after Christ.
-Colossians 2:8
"Although some superstitions are rooted in truth, many are simply misrepresentations of witches and what they do. Halloween is a good example. Pointy hats, costumes, and black cats—the symbols of this holiday—are misinterpreted by holiday revelers. Pointed hats, for instance, actually represent a cone of power and wisdom flowing from a higher source into the mind of the witch or wizard. Black cats aren't harbingers of bad luck; they have long been the faithful companions and familiars of witches.Donning a costume on Halloween (or Samhain, in witch-speak) serves as a visual affirmation to show what you hope to become in the next year —sort of a New Year's resolution, for Halloween is the witch's New Year's Eve."
-Skye Alexander, The Everything Wicca and Witchcraft Book: Rituals, Spells, and Sacred Objects for Everyday Magick, Adams Media, 2008, p. 15, ISBN: 9781440524202
As a side note, the black cats so often associated with Halloween are the faithful companions of witches. Don't misunderstand; there is nothing wrong with a cat that has a black coat of fur any more than there is a problem with an orange pumpkin, but the problem is that when these things are symbolized with Halloween, it takes on a pagan religious meaning, and again, we Christians need to sanctify ourselves completely from these pagan traditions. |
Next, the witch author goes on to point out the costumes being a "visual affirmation" for what someone wishes to become. Of course, churchgoers commonly make an excuse, saying that they don't dress up as ghouls, zombies, vampires, witches, etc, (even though there are many church buildings that still do) and they think they've justified themselves with that excuse, but I ask: What Biblical justification would there be for a Christian to wear such an elaborate disguise at all?
It is the wolves that must disguise themselves; we Christians have no need to do so:
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
-Matthew 7:15
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
-John 8:12
When I looked into their photographs for their church building, there was a picture showing a female church member dressed up as Wonder Woman, and I pointed out to him that the Wonder Woman comic book character was created to be a dominatrix sex icon, and there is no justification for that from a Biblical standpoint. His response was nothing, and we haven't seen or heard from him again. (i.e. He chose the world over the Bible.) The point I would make here is that I've never once seen a churchgoer dress up in sackcloth and ashes for a Halloween celebration, calling people to repentance, rather, they dress up as something that is of this world, and that shows they are liars, claiming they are of Christ, but showing with their actions how little they think of Christ, His prophets, and His apostles during the holiday because none of the churchgoers want to be like those men. (Even if they did attempt to do that, it's still in honor of the Halloween traditions, which would not be right in the sight of God.)
I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
-1 Timothy 2:8-10
"A ritual is more than words on paper, and it incorporates more than the basic Wiccan tool set... makeup, costume, props, lighting... The use of these elements in a ritual can equally amplify certain moods, energies, and qualities, even when you are the only one present... Costume is a visual element, but it also possesses certain associations for the person wearing it... Our outward appearance can reflect our inner mood, and it can influence our emotional and mental state as well... Costume appeals to the inner child in all of us who loved to play dress-up. And wearing appropriatecostumes allows us to communicate through the use of color, symbol, and archetype. Costume can also reinforce the theme of a ritual, or support the cultural connections a ritual might have ."
-Arin Murphy-Hiscock, Solitary Wicca for Life: Complete Guide to Mastering the Craft on Your Own, Adams Media, 2005, p. 84, ISBN: 9781440518584; Murphy-Hiscock is a veteran witch, and she has authored many books on witchcraft and spellcasting.
It doesn't matter if a churchgoer thinks it's just a harmless pastime or not. Again, it matters what the Lord God thinks about it, and He says these things are an abomination of the heathen. The pagans connect these traditions with their witchcraft, and therefore, we cannot preach the Gospel of Christ unto them when we do the same wicked traditions they do, but because false converts in church buildings are of the world, they are not willing to give up their feel-good rituals for the sake of Christ and His Kingdom.
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
-Luke 12:34
"The word ritual describes the order or form of a religious ceremony or any detailed procedure regularly followed. A ritual is a ceremonial set of actions usually repeated in the same way over time to produce a desired effect—union with the divine or the state of consciousness necessary to perform magick. "
-D. Zimmermann & K.A. Gleason, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft, Penguin, 2006, p. 17, ISBN: 9781592575336; Zimmerman owns a Wiccan store in Maryland and has been featured as a Wiccan author in newspapers and magazines.
The costume traditions are part of the tradition witches follow in order to cast spells. Why would anyone claim this is a "Christian" thing to do, except in ignorance or deception? Again, there is no Biblical justification for this, and it may seem like a good and right thing to do unto men, but the end of those pagan ways is death.
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
-Proverbs 14:12
"Nearly all Halloween-related activities (such as trick-or-treating and bobbing for apples) are Pagan in origin. "
-Gerina Dunwich, Wicca A to Z: A Complete Guide to the Magickal World, Citidel Press, 1997, p. 112, ISBN: 9780806519302; Dunwich is a high priestess of witchcraft and considered a professional astrologer.
One of the most common traditions of Halloween is the "trick-or-treating" tradition, which are children going door-to-door in their costumes on Halloween night and knocking on doors. They yell "trick-or-treat" to the resident, and receive candy or other sweet treats. Most parents don't stop and consider that this is a pagan ritual of witchcraft; it is not just a pastime for fun, as witches will also tell you:" |
However, the one thing I did find lacking in most books on paganism and witchcraft is that the "trick" part of "trick-or-treat" was not very well explained, if at all. As with most false religious institutions around the world, they want to build you up with a feel-good message, instead of break you down in the humility of repentance like the Christian God of the Bible. Thus, they were happy to talk about the peace offering of a "treat," but they were reserved to talk about the "trick," which originally involved sacrifices of animals and people:
"At Samhain... the world of the gods was believed to be made visible to mankind, andthe gods played many tricks on their mortal worshipers ; it was a time fraught with danger, charged with fear, and full of supernatural episodes.Sacrifices and propitiations of every kind were thought to be vital , for without them the Celts believed they could not prevail over the perils of the season or counteract the activities of the deities."
-The New Encyclopedia Britannica, Vol. 10, 1998, p. 376
"On the evening of the festival, the Druids, who were the priests and teachers of the Celts, ordered the people to put out their hearth fires. The Druids built a huge new year's bonfire of oak branches, which they considered sacred.They burned animals, crops, and possibly even human beings as sacrifices. Then each family relit its hearth fire from the new year's fire. During the celebration, people sometimes wore costumes made of animal heads and skins.They told fortunes about the coming year by examining the remains of the animals that had been sacrificed ."
-The World Book Encyclopedia, Vol. 9, 1992, p. 25, ISBN: 9780716600923
In the past, I have received letters from some pagans who were extremely upset that I pointed out druids made sacrifices of men, women, and children. I am not concerned with how upset someone is with the truth; I am concerned about the truth itself, and ultimately, pagans don't like how it looks on them because the sacrifices of people not only make them look really bad, but they also hate the fact that the truth glorifies God, or more specifically, when the Bible describes the wicked deeds of the pagans, and we see the truth exposed, it provides evidence that His Word is truth.
And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.
-1 Chronicles 16:35
heathen (n): a pagan; a Gentile; one who worships idols, or is unacquainted with the true God
(See 'heathen', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 28, 2018, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
"The following is the account given by Dr. Borlase of these horrid rites of theDruids : 'mistletoe, two white bulls; but especially beasts taken from their enemies in war; however,their more solemn sacrifices consisted of human victims, and it cannot be dissembled, that the Druids were extremely lavish of human blood . Not only criminals, captives, and strangers, were slain at their sacrifices, but their very disciples were put to death without mercy,'"
-The Celtic Druids, Complutense University of Madrid, 1829, p. 295
Druidic sacrifice was common knowledge in more ancient times. For example, the Lindow Man is a corpse that was discovered in Northwest England and was estimated to have died about 2,000 years ago, during the time when druids were still actively practicing their sacrifices, and the archeological evidence supports the truth of their demonic practices:
"'You've gota rope tightened round his neck , and at the moment where the neck was constricted,the throat was cut, which would cause an enormous fountain of blood to rise up ,' said archaeologist Miranda Aldhouse-Green, an archaeologist at Cardiff University in Wales and an expert on the Druids.Another clue lay inside the body's well-preserved gut: pollen grains from mistletoe, a plant that was sacred to the Druids. Lindow Man's death dated to around A.D. 60, when the Romans launched a new offensive in the island of Great Britain, currently part of the United Kingdom. He may have been sacrificed to persuade the Celtic gods to halt the Roman advance, Aldhouse-Green said. 'Something had to be done to stop them in their tracks,' she said in the documentary. 'Andwhat better way than sacrificing a high-status nobleman? '"
-National Geographic, The Celtic Realm, "Druids Committed Human Sacrifice, Cannibalism?" Oct 28, 2010, retrieved Sept 14, 2013, [http://news.nationalgeographic.com]
It's common for Wiccans to take caution not to talk about the sacrifices of men, and they know they can typically get away with the deception because the Celtic druids didn't write much down in their culture, but the sacrifices of people still take place in secret in higher levels of such demonic religions. I would not be surprised that a low-level pagan/witch may not know about it, but high-level witches certainly know, and I cover that subject in more detail in our article: "Abortion: Paganism, Satanism, Sacrifices, and Witchcraft"
Julius Caesar wrote about this druidic tradition of sacrifices when it was discovered by the invading Roman armies:
" |
and they have sacrifices of that kind ordained for national purposes."
-Julius Caesar, First Six Books of Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War, Farquhar & Albrecht, 1896, p. 202-203
Pagans make some attempt to convince people that druidic sacrifice was false by claiming there was a propaganda conspiracy in Rome against the Celts. That is absurd because not only was Rome adopting pagan religions of all kinds to put under its corporate umbrella, but also because the documented evidence of druidic sacrifice predates the alleged propagandists:
"[S]ome would convince us that the testimonies of Druidic sacrifice were but part of a Roman propaganda campaign in the period after the conquest of Gaul, a campaign aimed at reducing the Druids' role as a center of resistance to Roman rule.Neither the one nor the other of these attempts can be sustained in the face of the evidence. For although the Roman propagandists certainly exploited the Druids' connection to sacrifice,they relied on Greek sources such as Posidonius's ethnography of the Celts and Sopater's account of them, both of which long predate any propagandistic motive, and unflinchingly recount rather grisly Druidic rituals ."
-Bruce Lincoln, Death, War, and Sacrifice: Studies in Ideology & Practice, University of Chicago Press, 1991, p. 176, ISBN: 9780226482002; Lincoln is a professor of religious studies at University of Minnesota.
If that seems too complicated for you, don't worry about it; I'm simply adding this information in so that, if any pagan reads this, they will have evidence to demonstrate their excuses to be invalid. The main point is that the cultic sacrifice of men, women, and children by the Celtic druids are where the Halloween traditions originated; Halloween was formed out of their beliefs, based on the witchcraft they performed in their rituals, so again, why would any Christian want to claim this is a "celebration for Jesus?"
The following is a quote from a practicing druid who tries to soften the sacrificial part of his religion, but admits to it nonetheless. He adds this section about sacrifices when trying to summon up and commune with the dead in divination:
"Sacrifice —in modern terms it is not necessary to make a sacrificial killing, however that does not mean that it might not be appropriate to slaughter a chicken (humanely I might add) as a blood sacrifice if this is in keeping with your moral values and social circle. For most people it is sufficient to make a symbolic sacrifice, perhaps by casting objects or foodstuffs into the fire — the most important thing is the making of an offering that is meaningful, sincere and encapsulates our intentions."
-Luke Eastwood, The Druid's Primer, John Hunt Publishing, 2012, p. 141-142, ISBN: 9781846947643; Eastwood is a high-level druid that runs his own grove in Ireland and has authored several publications for pagan magazines.
Stonehenge, the well-known Celtic site that was designed for monitoring the position of the sun for their rituals, has been excavated and found to contain more than 50,000 burned bone fragments. Though modern archaeologists are claiming it was just a burial ground, most are unwilling to make the connection that this is a key location where druidic sacrifices were made, human bodies being set on the fire and their bones being used in divination. |
In 1973, a movie was developed called The Wicker Man (which also has a 2006 remake), based on real wicker man cages built by druids to sacrifice people to cast their spells. The cages were built large enough to put people inside so they could not escape, and then burn them alive. The sacrifice of men, women, and children has long been known to be an ancient tradition of druids and witches, although many people try to hide that fact today, fearing the public might look unfavorably upon the practice in modern society. |
"Sacrifice: An offering of a gift, especially to a deity or being, in petition, thanksgiving or appeasement. The most common offerings are food, drink, the fruits of harvest and theBLOOD sacrifice is that of human life, a practice now rare ...Ritual blood sacrifice is an ancient custom of propitiation to the gods. Animals, fowl and humans have long been sacrificed in various religious ritesto secure bountiful harvests and secure blessings and protection from deities. Blood consumed in ritual sacrifice is believed to give the drinker the soul and attributes of the blood of the deceased , whether it be human or animal.The Celts and Druids reportedly drank the blood of their sacrificed human victims ...The sacrifice of first-born children was once a common custom in various cultures, particularly in times of trouble. During the Punic Wars, the nobility of Carthage sacrificed hundreds of children to Baal by rolling them into pits of fire. "
-Rosemary Guiley, The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca, Infobase Publishing, 2010, p. 294, ISBN: 9781438126845
There were times in Israel where the kings adopted the traditions of the pagans and witches, sacrificing children to heathen gods. This is what the Bible means when it says that they made their children to "pass through fire."
Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
-2 Kings 16:2-4
(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Sanctification" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
-Proverbs 8:36
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
-Mark 7:13
"Apple-bobbing is a favourite game at Hallowe'en parties. Although ruled by Venus, |
The pagan tradition is meant for a person to lose themselves in an "animal instinct," and relies on the apple as a symbol of the five-pointed star, or pentagram, which is a symbol of witchcraft. The following pagan author agrees with the former, that bobbing for apples is associated with the gods of the "Underworld," or death and hell, that those who put their heads in the water may travel to there and back:
"The old tradition ofbobbing for apples at Halloween is rooted in the mysteries of this ancient seasonal celebration . The apple has long been associated with the faery realm, and in ancient legend it served as food for those who journeyed into the Otherworld. Since legend held that eating any food in the faery realm prohibited anyone from leaving, the taking of apples into the faery realm allowed one to eat and still return.Water was intimately connected to the Otherworld/Underworld, and sacred lakes and wells were often considered to be entrances into the hidden realms. In this view, bobbing for apples symbolizes the initiatory journey into the Otherworld/Underworld and the ability to return again through eating the sacred fruit ."
-Raven Grimassi, Crafting Wiccan Traditions: Creating a Foundation for Your Spiritual Beliefs & Practices, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2012, p. 95, ISBN: 9780738717869; Grimassi is a Neo-Pagan, award-winning author and a founder of Crossroads Fellowship, which is a training school for occult mysticism.
When presented with these facts, the common response of churchgoers who call themselves "Christians" is not to study the matter and learn the truth, but rather, they make an excuse: "We shouldn't judge people who don't have any convictions about Halloween." It's paganism and witchcraft, which is SIN, so that's like saying, "We shouldn't judge people who don't have any convictions about stealing or murder." Based on my experiences with churchgoers, the typical argument they make is not to judge anything or anyone, but the Bible teaches us the opposite, that we ought to judge, but not as hypocrites.
(Read "Unbiblical Cop-Outs: Don't Judge Me!" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
-John 7:24
judge (v): to compare facts or ideas, and perceive their agreement or disagreement, and thus to distinguish truth from falsehood
(See 'judge', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 25, 2018, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
-Matthew 23:26
For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
-1 Corinthians 11:31
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
-1 Corinthians 2:14-15
Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
-1 Timothy 4:2
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision [i.e. those who thought they were righteous of God]: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's [money's] sake. One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians [heathen from the Island of Crete] are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies [fattened themselves with the money they received from their lies; thus they were constipated through their over-indulgence in food and drink]. This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate [given over to sin].
-Titus 1:10-16
The following Wiccan author talks about the "Lord of Death," the head deity over Samhain/Halloween:
"Witches traditionally associate the feast of Samhain with two specific aspects of deity: the crone (or the hag) andthe Lord of Death, who is also the Lord of the Underworld . The crone and the Lord of Death represent the wisdom that comes with age and the mysteries of passage through to the Summerland, the Witches' mythic place of rest and regeneration after death."
-Timothy Roderick, Wicca: A Year and a Day - 366 Days of Spiritual Practice in the Craft of the Wise, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005, p. 54, ISBN: 9780738706214; Roderick is a psychotherapist in southern California and an initiate in Traditional Wicca.
The pagan gods of the witches are false, and knowing this, who is the "Lord of Death" according to the Word of God?
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he [Christ] might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
-Hebrews 2:14-15
(See Elizabeth A. Mcalister, The American Book of Wicca, Xilbris Corporation, 2012, p. 231, ISBN: 9781469134376)
"Samhain is the Irish Gaelic name for the month of November... It is sacred to the Goddess in Her crone aspect, and to theHorned God as Lord of Death ... This is a propitious time to communicate with anyone who has passed on, andto perform divination through scrying, tarot, I Ching, pryomancy, and the like ."
-Amber K., Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More, Llewellyn Worldwide, 1998, p. 166, ISBN: 9781567180183; Amber K is a third-degree priestess of Wicca and teacher of witchcraft, and has headed up multiple Wiccan/Pagan organizations in the U.S.
Again, this divination is evil, and an abomination in the sight of God. He is angry with the wicked who do such things:
And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
-2 Kings 17:17
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
-1 Thessalonians 5:21
"Practice: Exploring Samhain — Take out some paper and journal about your past memories of Halloween.How does it feel to celebrate death? Is death something to celebrate? Why or why not? How does death touch your life in this moment? How did it feel to think about death today? From where do your reactions about death come?"
-Timothy Roderick, Wicca: A Year and a Day - 366 Days of Spiritual Practice in the Craft of the Wise, Llewellyn Worldwide, 2005, p. 54, ISBN: 9780738706214
Lovers of Halloween are lovers of death. |
The Catholic church has absorbed this death-obsessed religion into their cult, but hide it under the deceitful name of "All Saints' Day." To this day, Catholics still go out to their graveyards to light candles and pray over the dead. Nothing about this is Biblical. I cannot see how the Apostles in Acts would ever spend days in a cemetery praying over graves when Jesus Christ told them that those who waste all their time over the dead, are dead in spirit themselves. |
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
-Matthew 8:22
Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.
-Luke 9:60
"The Roman Church attempted to change the meaning of the event by renaming it 'All Saints Day', to recognize otherwise unknown Christian martyrs and heroes.The connection with death and rebirth lingers on, however, in the children's activities of Halloween. Among Hispanic Catholics, Dia de los Muertos (the 'Day of the Dead') on November 2 continues to be very popular."
-Amber K., Coven Craft: Witchcraft for Three or More, Llewellyn Worldwide, 1998, p. 166, ISBN: 9781567180183; Amber K is a third-degree priestess of Wicca and teacher of witchcraft, and has headed up multiple Wiccan/Pagan organizations in the U.S.
The following image is of people celebrating the dead on "All Souls' Day," which they call the "Day of the Dead." Keep in mind, many Catholics attend these events.
(See DDG World, ddgworld.com, retrieved Oct 15, 2011, [https://bit.ly/2OcLsyf])
Again, to most people, this demonic witchcraft is all just "fun and games" until their children grow up learning the traditions of heathen all their lives and start to adhere to it. Eventually, they begin to immerse themselves in witchcraft and the occult because celebrations like Halloween condition them to accept those beliefs, and I document that more thoroughly in our articles on fantasy novels and video games; specifically witches who testify that their journey to pagan belief started with simple fun and games.
(Read "Fantasy Novels: Invitations to Hell" & "Video Games: Causing Witchcraft to Prosper" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
In addition to all this, criminal activity spikes during Halloween, some of those crimes being Halloween-inspired:
"Meredith Kercher was killed when the three suspects plotted a drug-fuelled orgy - inspired by Halloween, Marilyn Manson and Japanese comics, a prosecutor claimed...There was a sect-like aspect with cultural connections to Halloween and All Saints Day playing a part. The killing actually happened the next day. Japanese comics found in Raffaele Sollecito's possession had pictures of murdered female vampires which were eerily similar to the scene of the crime."
-Mirror News, "Meredith Kercher's Halloween Orgy Death," Oct 26, 2008, retrieved Sept 7, 2013, [mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/meredith-kerchers-halloween-orgy-death-351940]
For someone to say that Halloween traditions had no influence on the killers is called willful blindness. Are we honestly expected to believe that he just woke up one morning and decided to do these things without any outside influence from Halloween traditions of death, which are also replicated by wicked occultists like Marilyn Manson and Japanese anime? These traditions of death, over time, conditioned this young man to do what he did.
In other instances, whatever demonic spirit hangs out with families on Halloween night seemed to influence Andrew Balcer, a 17-year-old from Maine, who, on Halloween of 2016, reacted in a way that no one has been able to explain. Balcer was sitting on his bed in his bedroom with his mother who sat beside him as she tried to comfort him over something he was struggling with, and suddenly, Balcer snapped, killing his mother by stabbing her nine times, after his father awoke to his wife's screams, Balcer killed his father by stabbing him thirteen times, and then killed their dog because it wouldn't stop barking.
(See Betty Adams, "Winthrop teenager to plead guilty to killing his parents on Halloween 2016," Portland Press Herald, Sept 6, 2018, retrieved Sept 25, 2018, [https://bit.ly/2Dwlrpl])
These kinds of strange occurrances are not uncommon Halloween night, as we can see from the report of Amber James, who decided to strangle her 9-year-old son to death on Halloween of 2017. James strangled her son in his bed while her husband was in the shower, and her husband came out to find claw marks all over her neck before discovering his son was dead. James claimed she prayed to God to save her son, then killed him to protect him from people that were after him, after she had alleged that cars and airplanes were following her.
(See Jackie Salo, "Mom admits to slaying son on Halloween to 'save' him," New York Post, Nov 2, 2017, retrieved Sept 25, 2018, [https://nyp.st/2OcV4sP])
Countless other reports have come in about human sacrifices being performed by cultists on and around Halloween night, as well as documented cases where children are drugged and/or killed via candy. It is common for children and teenagers to go missing on Halloween night, and though I have been unable to get exact percentages for it because it varies depending on the location, some authors and reports have estimated that about 10% of all missing persons reports during the year happen on (or after) Halloween night, which explains why organizations like the Army National Guard have spent resources setting up booths the weekend before Halloween, offering free fingerprinting for children.
(See Jack Santino, Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life, University of Tennessee Press, 1994, p. 28-32, ISBN: 9780870498138)
The Army National Guard says:
"Halloween is adangerous time of year for children . According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young pedestrian deaths were four times higher Halloween evening than any other night of the year...Halloween consistently ranks as one of the most deadly days of the year for pedestrians... Every year, kidnappers take advantage of Halloween to do the unthinkable. "
-Major Sean Kelleher, "Fright Night," Knowledge: Official Safety Magazine of the U.S. Army, retrieved Sept 12, 2015, [jbmhh.army.mil/inc/Fright_Night.pdf]
Knowing this, it should be no surprise that, according to FBI reports, missing persons cases show an increase in May (the witchcraft celebration of Beltaine) and October (Sahmain/Halloween). These just happen to correlate to two of the highest pagan celebrations, in which child sacrifice is most revered.
(See National Crime Information Center, "NCIC Missing Person and Unidentified Person Statistics for 2014," Federal Bureau of Investigation, retrieved Sept 25, 2018, [https://bit.ly/2mO5Usj])
News outlets have reported similar statistics:
"The chart below displays the 4-year aggregate number of serious violent offenses that occurred in Boston between the hours of 6:00 pm and midnight. As shown,Halloween night , with its make-believe ghosts but very real assailants,is the worst evening of the year for violent crime victimization ."
-James A. Fox, "Halloween Crime Spike," boston.com, Oct 29, 2011, retrieved Oct 4, 2014, [boston.com/community/blogs/crime_punishment/2011/10/the_halloween_crime_spike.html]
For example, police in Tampa, Florida prepared themselves to face increased criminal threat on Halloween night:
"Interim Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan and Mayor Bob Buckhorn have responded to residents' heightened fears, sayingpolice will have a significantly increased presence throughout the area on Halloween night and that both of them will join trick-or-treaters in the community."
-Kelly McCarthy, "Tampa police brace for Halloween night amid the dread of 3 mysterious killings," ABC News, Oct 31, 2017, retrieved Sept 25, 2018, [https://abcn.ws/2N1z6Eo]
This is just one example to demonstrate the point. Police agencies all over the country are trained to be on heightened alert and response to the increased emergency calls they receive every year on October 31st, and the day after.
Don't misunderstand, I'm not saying that bad things like this will happen to everyone on Halloween night, but just because we don't always see everything that goes on during this pagan celebration, doesn't give us an excuse to ignore the problem. Halloween, even from when I was a child, has always been known to be a night that many rapes, murders, and abductions occur, and when I was little, I remember seeing the TV news reports warning parents to take safety precautions.
In addition to this, behind the scenes in many Halloween parties, people get drunk, do drugs (i.e. sorcery), commit fornication and adultery (including group orgies); all of which are quite common on Halloween night. Yet, we have churchgoers that yoke themselves together with the same holiday, working with the community during the celebration, and offering "alternatives," which is a fluffy way of saying that it is the exact same traditions in a different setting.
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
-2 Corinthians 6:14-17
But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak... And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
-1 Corinthians 8:9-12
Now let's go back to the so-called "Christian" tract we quoted at the beginning and read how it ends:" -The Tract League, "Make This A Real Halloween," retrieved Oct 13, 2011, [https://bit.ly/2PK2f8S] |
What's really sickening about this tract is that this author is teaching children that if they just think about God while defiling themselves in the traditions of witches, they will please the Lord Jesus Christ. This false doctrine is coming from those who love pleasures more than God, and teach others to take pleasure in whatever wicked thing they want, so long as they "think about Jesus" while they do it.
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
-2 Timothy 3:1-5
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
-Jude 1:3-4
lasciviousness (n): looseness; irregular indulgence of animal desires; lustfulness, tendency to excite lust and promote irregular indulgences
(See 'lasciviousness', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 25, 2018, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
-Matthew 15:8
Choosing rather to suffer affliction [grief, hurt, pain] with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
-Hebrews 11:25
"The above tract was written for children and may seem simplistic, but I shared it because I want you to realize thatnot everyone has given up on celebrating events just because Hollywood and pop culture decides to ruin them ."
-Steven L. Wilson, Lewis Creek Baptist Church, Shelbyville, Indiana, retrieved October, 2011, [www.lewiscreekbaptist.org]
The willful ignorance of such a statement is staggering, especially coming from someone who claims (with his mouth only) to be of Christ. Hollywood (i.e. Hell-ywood) doesn't ruin pagan holidays; that's absurd! Hollywood advertises and expands on witchcraft and paganism, and furthermore, those who are involved in high levels of witchcraft will tell you that the Hollywood movies pale in comparison to the real thing:
"We hosted a Samhain rite at the covenstead for a few years, and then we started celebrating at camp... There are lots of great ritual sites in Southwestern Arizona, but we have settled upon one for Samhain, and we've been going there for almost two decades now...there's nothing like a dark, chilly, and nonordinary environment to give you a head start on understanding what Samhain is all about. The scariest movies and commercial haunted houses pale by comparison. "
-Ashleen O'Gaea, Family Wicca: Practical Pagainism for Parents and Children, Career Press, 2006, p. 160, ISBN: 9781564148865
The dark, scary, and horrifying setting of Halloween is not a production of Hollywood, but rather, Hollywood only copied a portion of what they learned from witchcraft. In short, Wilson's plea to "not give up" on Halloween, is his effort to appease his audience, that they would continually come to his leavened sermons, hear lies taught, and then keep giving him money, while he tries to burn incense on a corpse to make it smell better.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
-Matthew 23:27
(Read "False Converts vs Eternal Security" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
I use this church building just as an example, meaning that I don't want Christians writing me and asking me to expose every local church building they've seen. The purpose of this example is to help build up discernment in church as a whole, so we all will have a better understanding to take caution against false doctrines.
Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees... Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
-Matthew 16:6-12
He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
-Mark 7:6
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
-Matthew 13:13
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
-Matthew 7:18-19
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles [basics] of the oracles [prophets] of God; and are become such as have need of milk [basic understanding of doctrine], and not of strong meat [advanced and mature understanding of the Word of God]. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
-Hebrews 5:12-14
And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
-Ezekiel 44:23
Is all that I say and do pleasing to the Lord Jesus Christ? |
Ask yourself: Why do churchgoers feel it is necessary to participate in pagan traditions to enjoy time with one another and their families? Why is it so difficult for churchgoers to put away the traditions of witches? Why do they care little for the sanctification that Christ taught us?
(Read "The Biblical Understanding of Sanctification" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy [a way of thinking] and vain deceit [lies], after the tradition of men, after the rudiments [first teachings] of the world, and not after Christ.
-Colossians 2:6-8
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
-James 4:6
Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
-Proverbs 16:18
And that repentance [grief and sorrow] and remission [forgiveness/pardon] of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
-Luke 24:47
(Read "Is Repentance Part of Salvation?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
-2 Peter 3:9
And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
-John 10:4-5
And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
-2 Peter 2:3
KEN HAM - Answer in Genesis |
"Halloween is coming up---why notobtain bulk copies of these booklets and hand them around to people at your church, your family and friends? This is at the top of our bestseller list on the AiG website right now."
-Ken Ham, posted to his personal Facebook Profile, Oct 5, 2013, retrieved Sept 25, 2015, [facebook.com/aigkenham/posts/636157859747907]
The booklets he's referring to are those authored by Bodie Hodge. Therefore, Hodge is giving AiG's official position on Halloween.
First, I would like readers to note how Ham uses the word "obtain" instead of "purchase," because it gives people the impression he's not trying to turn a profit from these booklets/tracts. Don't be deceived to think that Ham did not think of this when he wrote it; he's a master salesman, and he knows what to say to convince his audience. Of course, Ham may want to argue that you can read it for free, but actually, you can only read half of it, and if you want to read the other half, you have to pay about a $1.00 plus shipping. (i.e. Until you pay AiG a fee, you can't even decide if it's something you want to hand out to anyone.)
(See Bodie Hodge, "A Biblical & Historical Look at Halloween," Answers in Genesis, August, 2013, retrieved Sept 26, 2018, [answersingenesis.org/store/product/biblical-and-historical-look-halloween/?sku=00-1-079])
So I looked into the half that was free, and in the tract, Bodie Hodge teaches that paganism and witchcraft in Halloween is justified because he claims it was originally honoring those who died in the Flood in the days of Noah. This is not a joke or satire; this is exactly what he teaches:
" -Bodie Hodge, "A Biblical & Historical Look at Halloween," Answers in Genesis, August, 2013, retrieved Sept 26, 2018, [answersingenesis.org/store/product/biblical-and-historical-look-halloween/?sku=00-1-079] |
Of course, if you read Hodge's tract, he doesn't actually provide any of that evidence he's referring to, and that is becoming more typical with fans of AiG; the organization makes a blanket statement, and it's accepted as true because it has the name "Answers in Genesis" behind it. As Ham stated, back in 2013 when Ham first advertised this, the booklet ended up on their "bestseller" list, which was very convenient for them. In the tract, Hodge only references to a theology professor who said it was based on a tradition Noah started, and then tells everyone that his conclusion is based on evidence. (i.e. That's called opinion, not evidence, and they ought to be ashamed of themselves because that's exactly what they criticize evolutionists for doing.)
In pure AiG-style, Hodge also ignores the Catholic Church's involvement in the pagan traditions of Halloween and how they ended up in church buildings around the world. He often refers to Catholicism as "the Roman Church," as if they are Christians, when they are not. AiG knows very well that they cannot speak out directly against Catholicism, or it will heavily damage their profit margin.
In a separate article published by AiG, Ken Ham admits the evil of Halloween, but then claims it is "God's day:"
"It should be obvious from a Christian perspective that many modern practices ofHalloween and days of the dead have evil intent . There has beenconsiderable paganism that has been associated with Halloween over the years... So, a word of caution must be given to Evangelicals who promote the questionable modern practices of Halloween. If anything,an alternative in opposition to Halloweenshould be offered by Christians . Psalm 24:1 points out thateverything belongs to the Lord . Therefore, there is no reason to let Satan have Halloween. It is not his day in the first place. When Satan tried tempting Jesus, he offered Jesus something that was not his to offer (Matthew 4:8—all the kingdoms of the world). Jesus obviously didn't succumb because it wasn't Satan's to give, nor did Satan exercise any authority over Him.Many today believe that Halloween is Satan's day and recommend staying away from it. But recognizing such a thing would be to disregard that Satan owns nothing and that all days belong to God. "
-Bodie Hodge, "Halloween History and the Bible" retrieved Sept 27, 2018, [oneplace.com/ministries/answers-in-genesis/read/articles/what-about-halloween-13488.html]
Notice first that when Ham claims that "
Ham then goes on to teach false doctrine, taking Psalm 24:1 out of its context, and claiming that the pagan traditions of witchcraft belong to God. That's called heresy, and Ham says these things because he is a heretic. Psalm 24:1 clearly defines what it means:
The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
-Psalm 24:1
Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
-Psalm 24:3-4
When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
-Deuteronomy 12:29-31
Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
-Jeremiah 10:2
And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
-Psalm 106:38-40
And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.
-Acts 19:17-20
Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
-2 Timothy 4:2-4
Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found. Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
-Ecclesiastes 7:28-29
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
-Mark 7:13
I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
-John 17:14-19
And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.
-Luke 16:15
Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
-Isaiah 5:20
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
-1 Timothy 6:10
KIRK CAMERON - Way of the Master/Living Waters |
"[Cameron said] ' |
'Halloween gives you a great opportunity to show how Christians celebrate the day that death was defeated, and you can give them Gospel tracts and tell the story of how every ghost, goblin, witch and demon was trounced the day Jesus rose from the grave. Clearly no Christians ought to be glorifying death,because death was defeated , and that was the point of All Hallows Eve.'"
-Ed Mazza, "Kirk Cameron Urges Christians To Celebrate Halloween By Sharing The Gospel," The Huffington Post, Oct 22, 2014, retrieved Sept 25, 2015, [huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/22/kirk-cameron-halloween_n_6026056.html]
First of all, if you read the rest of this article, have you noticed that the teaching on the so-called "history" of a "Christian" Halloween changes from preacher to preacher? There is little-to-no consistency among these men, namely because they have no idea what they're talking about.
So if death was defeated, as Cameron teaches, why are men still dying? Cameron doesn't understand Scripture:
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.
-1 Corinthians 5:24-26
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
-Revelation 20:14
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness,
-Galatians 5:19-21
revel (v): to feast with loose and clamorous [loud, noisy] merriment
(See 'revel', American Dictionary of the English Language, Noah Webster, 1828, retrieved Sept 26, 2018, [webstersdictionary1828.com])
PAT ROBERTSON - Christian Broadcasting Network |
"All this business about goblins and jack-o'-lanterns all comes out ofdemonic rituals of the Druids and the people who lived in England at that particular time,"
-Pat Robertson, quoted by Avery Stone, "Halloween Is A 'Demonic' Holiday, According To Pat Robertson," The Huffington Post, Oct 9, 2014, retrieved Sept 27, 2018, [huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/09/pat-robertson-calls-halloween-demonic-holiday_n_5959922.html]
However, he still tells his followers to slap a "jesus" label on it by creating "alternatives," just like Ham, Hodge, and Cameron:"'I think churches can have Halloween parties,' Robertson said. ' -Pat Robertson, quoted by Avery Stone, "Halloween Is A 'Demonic' Holiday, According To Pat Robertson," The Huffington Post, Oct 9, 2014, retrieved Sept 27, 2018, [huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/09/pat-robertson-calls-halloween-demonic-holiday_n_5959922.html] |
Again, where is the Biblical reasoning for that? In the Bible, where did anyone, either God, angel of heaven, or true prophet, take the wicked ways of the heathen, and create an alternative celebration for them? Based on what I've read in the Bible, God did the exact opposite: He destroyed the pagan rituals, punished those who celebrated them, and blessed those who departed from them.
When David's son Solomon turned away from the traditions of God and turned to the traditions of men, did God say that he was blessed for it? Was God pleased to see Solomon "redeeming" pagan rituals for Him?
And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.
-1 Kings 11:6
"But what about today? Perhaps we can still learn from history. |
After covering for the wickedness of Roman Catholicism fusing with pagan tradition, CBN acts like wicked works of the Devil have been done away with by the "saints" of God, but those are the pseudo-saints of the Catholic Church, or rather, saints who are falsely so called. In some instances, they claim men like Peter and John in the Bible were also saints, and though they are saints of God, they have nothing to do with Catholicism.
(Read "Corruptions of Christainity: Catholicism" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
"To counter the evil influence of Halloween,we need to join together and celebrate the reality of the heroic efforts of Christian saints over the evil in their day . Many leaders in the past — and present — have fulfilled the mandate ofdestroying the works of the devil through their sacrificial commitment to Christ and His Kingdom."
-Elliott Watson, "Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?" CBN.com, retrieved Sept 27, 2018, [cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_watt05.aspx]
I could hardly believe it when I read it, but knowing Pat Robertson, he's king when it comes to hypocrisy and contradiction. He stated on the one hand that Christians ought to destroy the works of the devil and stay committed to Christ, but then on the other hand, he stated that Christians should join together with pagan rituals.
"[R]ather than 'hide' in the face of evil,we should unabashedly and boldly create an alternative that is positive and uplifting;"
-Elliott Watson, "Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?" CBN.com, retrieved Sept 27, 2018, [cbn.com/spirituallife/onlinediscipleship/halloween/halloween_watt05.aspx]
Of course, Robertson does not encourage unabashed and bold SANCTIFICATION, but rather, he encourages them to put on some "Jesus flippers" and jump into the pool of paganism head first. Then Robertson has the nerve to label sanctified Christians as cowards who "hide" from evil.
However, the Bible tells us that we are not to have fellowship (i.e. association, companionship, familiarity, society) with the unfruitful works of darkness:
And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
-Ephesians 5:11
KENNETH COPELAND - Kenneth Copeland Ministries |
"In the end, the -Kenneth Copeland, "Halloween, is it Just Harmless fun?" Kenneth Copeland Ministries, retrieved Oct 1, 2015, [kennethcopelandministries.org/2013/10/whats-wrong-with-halloween-3/#.Vg1kLflVhBc] |
Copeland's answer is to depart from the spiritual things of God, and refuse to judge righteous judgement on the sin of idolatry and paganism.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
-1 Corinthians 2:14-15
(Read "Unbiblical Cop-Outs: Don't Judge Me!" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
-John 7:24
(Read "Speaking in Tongues vs Charismatic Gibberish" & "Pope Francis' Deceptive John 17 Movement" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
CREFLO DOLLAR - Creflo Dollar Ministries |
Creflo Dollar contradicts himself quickly, both condemning and promoting Halloween in the same paragraph:"While some consider this a spiritual day, -Creflo Dollar, "Halloween: Harmless or Harmful?" Creflo Dollar Ministries, retrieved Oct 1, 2015, [creflodollarministries.org/biblestudy/articles.aspx?id=386] |
In case you may have missed it, Creflo Dollar, the man who has publically taught that churchgoers in his congregation ought to be shot for not paying him tithe, clearly said that Halloween is not a "Christian" celebration, but then turned around and gave his congregation a list of alternative activities to celebrate it. This is what the Bible calls a double-minded man, and God tells us that such men are unstable in every way.
(Read "Is Tithe a Christian Requirement?" here at creationliberty.com for more details.)
A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
-James 1:8
HANK HANNEGRAAFF - Christian Research Institute |
Hannegraaff believes that the Catholic Church is "Christian" as well, and so he encourages church-goers to celebrate "All Saints Day:""In direct response to this pagan tradition [i.e. Samhain], the early Christian church [i.e. Pope Boniface IV] moved a festive celebration called All Saints' Day from May to November 1st and renamed October 31st All Hallows' Eve, from which we get the word Halloween. This was an overt attempt on |
As you can see, Hannegraaff is part of the ecumenical movement because he also claims that Catholicism is "Christian," and ignores the fact that "All Saints' Day" is actually a worship of the dead. If he made those statements, he would also lose money and popularity. He also ignores the history of witchcraft, and accepts "All Hallows' Eve" as a fancy-sounding title to witchcraft, since the phrase literally means "all holy evening," even though nothing about Halloween is holy.
In most so-called "Christian" ministries, either you get pathetic, lukewarm answers like Hannegraaff's, or you get no answer at all. In fact, most of the church/ministry websites I visited had no answer at all on the subject of Halloween, and the very few who did condemn it turned around and justified Christmas and Easter, along with many other heresies. In short, there are very few people out there willing to look for and tell the truth about paganism and witchcraft in peoples' beloved traditions, and fewer still who will sanctify themselves from them.