Monday, October 31, 2011

Thoughts on Halloween

Halloween seems to be an incredibly divisive issue among Christians. And it seems no matter what side of the issue people fall on, they can be outspokenly judgmental toward those on the other side.

Personally, we're not fans of Halloween. We don't carve pumpkins, we don't go to haunted houses, we don't do witches, ghosts, skeletons, zombies, etc. We do allow Dayna to have a costume; she hits a couple of houses for some free candy; and we allow her to participate in her class party.

But we also have lengthy discussions about things God specifically addresses (the evils of witchcraft, sorcery and the like) and those that God doesn't mention (is it okay to have a costume? What about trick-or-treating?)

Some Christians celebrate Halloween and use it as an outreach opportunity. What a wonderful conviction that God has given them. Other Christians avoid the holiday altogether. Again, if that is how they are convicted, that's the path they should follow.

I guess I think to the passage that everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. And do the actions I choose cause another Christian to stumble? I think if you are firm in your convictions, whatever they are, then I shouldn't be a stumbling block to you. But...if your convictions aren't solid, or you've never thought about them...what do my actions say?

This forces some amount of intentionality as we share with Dayna what exactly we believe God wants us to do about Halloween. It was interesting tonight, as we didn't really offer her a choice. Bible Study is on Monday night, so that's where we were going. Only 2 children showed up tonight for her class. I asked her if she was glad she went.

Her answer was overwhelmingly in support of Bible Study (despite the low turnout) because, after all, "I got to learn more about Jesus."

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