Big Bubba - The Holidays Threads Merged

[Mitsy]

Please don't remind me. It has started to take off here in Australia in some City suburbs. I've had a few now over these last few years. I just tell them I'm a Christian and it is against my beliefs, they go away annoyed but no problems.

Why would parents let their kids get sweets from 'who know's who' anyway? You don't know if some creep has laced his/her treats with something. Don't kids have too much sugar anyway? Can't they just stay at home and watch TV and have popcorn it would be healthier and safer.

That's my rant on the subject. Can't wait for the end of the month to be over and done with.

Here is something interesting to note. Bersheba Day is on the same day as halloween this year. The Jews celebrate the anniversary of when the Autralian Soldiers freed Bersheba during WWI. By freeing Bersheba the Australian forces opened up the way for the Allies to free Jerusalem. I'll be celebrating Bersheba Day.

[amy_elisabeth]

2 more days.... bumping this up!

[PrairieGal]

A local church is holding a sort of "alternative event" on Oct. 31 ... I guess that's only a couple of days away now. They're calling it "Hallowed Fun Night," and are having various games for kids, that are each based on some kind of Biblical character or story. Prizes and candy will be given out. That all sounds good, but I feel troubled about it. Here's what the newsletter said:

"Our 1st Annual Hallowed Fun Night is fastly approaching. This is a night for everyone of all ages. There will be games for kids of all ages and we will have Hot Dogs, Chips, and a drink for only $1. .... We also are in need of an insane amount of candy to give away. There will be a pumpkin in the church lobby to fill. It will be a frightfully fun nite!"

:groan

I know there are different views on how believers should handle this general "holiday" time. I'm the sort that my conscience won't let me have anything to do with it if possible, due to the un-Godly influences. It's the thing about "... touch not the unclean thing ..." and about not having to do with demonic/occultic things, or mixing un-Godly and Godly things. Personally, I have trouble with an event like this, because it looks like a mixing of worldly (satanic-rooted) things and a Christian environment. To me, it's confusion, and falling in with the world's ways. I know others may feel differently about it, and actually I can see where they're coming from, trying to have an alternative without the "bad" stuff. I just wish we could leave the whole thing alone, and not even give the devil any attention on this day at all. That seems unlikely to happen.

I remember one time where we came from, a lady in the church would always decorate the entrance-way of the church building with seasonal things. One "halloween" season she had included a huge ceramic jack-o-lantern. Not just a plain pumpkin, but a jack-o-lantern. Knowing the background of those things, it gave me the "heebie-jeebies" to see it there. :gaah

:thinking :idunno

[scrappergirl]

PrarieGal,
I could have written that post. I totally agree with your pov and would have a problem with the church using 'halloween fun night' as the title of this event. and the 'frightfully fun night' part does not endear me to it, either.

i'd also take exception to the jackolantern as decoration in the front of the church. pumpkins, scare crows, hay bales, sure, they are fine.

i would mention it to the organizing person and/or pastor, though i am sure its too late to do anything about it. but it is troubling to me that churches are trying so hard to fit in with the world....

[PrairieGal]

Yeah, I kind of wondered why they had to include the word "frightfully," if they're trying to be an ALTERNATIVE to the "scary stuff?" Good point!

I've ran into some of the folks that go there - they're wanting us to bring our younger son, of course. It's difficult to say anything when they're SO EXCITED about doing this thing, and have stars in their eyes about it. I wonder if we may "say" a lot when we don't take our son to it after all. (It's the same church where we let him go to a youth program for grade school-aged kids on Wed. nights.) Usually, when asked about doing something on this "holiday," I just say, "We don't do the halloween thing." That in itself sticks out like a sore thumb! At least then they know where we stand. But often I get the feeling I'm looked on as a wet blanket or a mean mom for not letting my kid(s) do this stuff. I used to, when I was a kid, but when I got my eyes opened to a lot of stuff several years back, my outlook changed. I really don't miss it myself, but it's aggravating to still have to deal with it in the world. :hairout

I know I may seem like a *misfit" concerning things like this, but I just have to stand on God's truth, and not give place to un-Godly things. I just can't seem to do any differently.

:soapbox <--- How I feel sometimes, though I really do try to be "nice" about my views! LOL

[Janh7]

Catholocism got its start by assimilating ancient idol worship and pagan rituals and watering them down into a more "religiously tolerable" form. It's still idol worship and pagan rituals at its core.

This is the true, historical account of why the Catholics do what they do.:rolleyes

[PrairieGal]

Actually, they're calling it "hallowed" fun night, as if they're trying to make it Christian, or sanctified, or "O.K.," or something. I still have trouble with that.

:ohno

[watching4Him]

The #1 worldly thing the Lord Jesus Christ saved me of is Halloween. I used to really be into it. For at least the last twelve years I have hated it. I have a stash of Jack Chick "Halloween" tracts (Boo!, Little Princess, etc.) and I leave a pile of 'em on the stoop of my apartment building. I don't answer the door. I don't go to Halloween parties any more and I refer to 31 Oct as "Satan Day" whenever anyone brings up the subject. I actually hope I offend my neighbors with the tracts, but it hasn't happened yet...

You need to be careful, when you call Halloween Satan day . My DH & his nephew have Halloween birthdays. When his nephew was a child another student (who claimed to be a Christan) in his class called him a child of Satan. Because of this my DH's nephew wants nothing to do with church, this is a child who's grandfather is a semi-retired minister. Sometimes our words & actions can hinder people to come into fellowship with Christ. It's fine not to celebrate Halloween, but we also need to be careful of our words. I know that Halloween is a day that celebrates things that are not Christ like, but we need to bring people to the saving knowledge of Christ & not hinder them. When our church had their fall festive last night I, not only passed out treats but also tracts to the children. We can take something negative & try to turn into something positive for the kingdom.

[tygerkittn]

You need to be careful, when you call Halloween Satan day . My DH & his nephew have Halloween birthdays. When his nephew was a child another student (who claimed to be a Christan) in his class called him a child of Satan. Because of this my DH's nephew wants nothing to do with church, this is a child who's grandfather is a semi-retired minister. Sometimes our words & actions can hinder people to come into fellowship with Christ. It's fine not to celebrate Halloween, but we also need to be careful of our words. I know that Halloween is a day that celebrates things that are not Christ like, but we need to bring people to the saving knowledge of Christ & not hinder them. When our church had their fall festive last night I, not only passed out treats but also tracts to the children. We can take something negative & try to turn into something positive for the kingdom.

Amen! That's what we try to do! I call it witnessing day. I wouldn't knock a day that brings 100 kids to my front door to receive a Bible, and candy. It may have been made for the devil but we're using it for God. What could be better than that?

[SilentShout]

I learned about, "El dia de los muertos" when I was in spanish class.

The people of a town would go to a cemetary and "scare" of the bad ghosts for the next coming year. They would wear masks and elaborate costumes to scare the demons away.

it's odd. :tsk