struggling with guilt about halloween

DeaconJimsDaughter · Oct 19, 2017

I'm feeling a massive amount of guilt as a believer about halloween. It's/used to be my favorite holiday. I used to make costumes of horror and worked in one of the top haunted houses, Cayo Industrial in Utica NY.(look it up) I loved to scare people. I looked back on photos of myself and was ashamed. I deleted them. I want that part of me to die. I don't want that to be me anymore.

When I was growing up as a Jehovah's Witness I was so jealous of the "worldly" kids and how they got to have fun and dress up and get candy. I wanted to do that so bad! So when I left that cult, I started celebrating it. It was what I looked forward to all year because I'm a very crafty person and I love special effects makeup and costumes. I felt like it was the best time of year to show what I could do. To be unrecognizable. To go from this small girl no one paid any mind to, to making grown men scream and run away in the haunted house.

I have been feeling this guilt build up recently as halloween gets closer. I have been reading my bible daily, which I have never done before. Been doing that for a few weeks now. And I'm seeing myself in this new light. I'm really seeing how far I was from Jesus! I really was a Lukewarm Christian. I can't believe how blind I was to that part of myself. But now, my daughter loves halloween. She's excited to dress up. My family I live with are not christians. My daughter's biological father's family aren't either. They love halloween. I know I can stop celebrating, but to get the kids away from it will be difficult with the whole rest of the family celebrating and me being the only Christian.

Depleted · Oct 19, 2017

DeaconJimsDaughter said:

Stop letting the chains of Christianese bind you yet again! Those chains aren't Christian chains. They're Pharisees' chains.

Where does the Bible say don't enjoy Halloween?

I'm really not into Halloween, but I hate the church rather condemn people for stuff that isn't sin than to deal with that which really is sin.

So, in that vein, let me show you a close up of my avatar for this month.

Halloween is for children. Let the children play! And if you want to play like a child, have some fun. Obviously, I haven't given up playing yet!

IamWhoIam · Oct 19, 2017

Turn a negative into a postive, you don't have to have the horror costume and themes. be crafty and make non horror costumes bible themes.

IamWhoIam · Oct 19, 2017

IamWhoIam · Oct 19, 2017

Angela53510 · Oct 19, 2017

We've been through a lot of phases with Halloween. Early on, we did it because that is how we grew up. I am NOT into horror, so maybe a pumpkin costume, or a soldier or pirate for a boy, an angel costume for a girl (besides, it will double for the Christmas play!)

Then, we got hit by legalism, in certain churches, and hubby decided NO Hallowe'en! So I made pumpkins cookies to decorate, and then we hid in the back of the house, with all the lights off. Talk about being the "light" of the world! NOT!

Then my husband decided it wasn't a good witness, and the church went with a harvest festival, so at least they got costumes, candy and games. And hubby stayed home and handed out candy and tracts! I know! But better than trying to out JW the JW's!

Then, after many years, and only our daughter at home, she wanted to go out with her friends, trick or treating. She was figure skating to a Spanish number, with a Spanish dress! Instant costume! Yes! Then, we pretty much handed out candy, and she went out in nice costumes, nothing evil. And it was so much fun to have the little kids come to the door.

However, as our neighbourhood aged, the children grew up. Including ours! We got less and less kids, and the few remaining ones were a lot older. Then one day, none! Our daughter was grown up, too!

We moved, and we are in the same situation here. No kids! The houses are too far apart. But 7 blocks from here, the houses are close together and they really do scary house things. My DIL made the most awesome costumes, so I went along. I was glad I did. Was it evil? All those loving parents and little kids? I don't think so!

But I did wonder as usual about the ones with their lights out, and why they made the choices they did. But that is between them and God.

So, no, do not celebrate horror and evil. But find a way to communicate God's love. I love IamWhoIam's ideas. Bring Christ into the celebration, but not in a self righteous way.

And do keep on reading that Bible! The best thing you could posssible do!

BillG · Oct 19, 2017

I would say in today’s society it’s kids having fun.
Hoping the get some treats, a fancy costume as well.

My wife wouldn’t entertain Halloween.
although I think Halloween has something to do with All Hallows day that was nicked as such.

Anyway what we do now is open the door, act surprised and play along with it (the kids are just having fun as such)
Then we give them their treats and we also give them a flyer for our church.

Its an opportunity to reach out.

maxwel · Oct 19, 2017

When I was a child, I remember going trick-or-treating in a sprawling neighborhood overflowing with children, and that was just about the best time I ever had.

It was silly, and pointless, and immeasurable fun.
And at no point do I recall us worshipping Satan, or conjuring any demons.
We had no idea where halloween came from, or that it had any kind of history at all... we were just dressing up silly and knocking on doors for candy.
It was all pretty innocent and harmless.

If however, as an adult, you know so much about the history of halloween that it offends your convictions... then you should keep away from it.

We shouldn't do anything we feel is displeasing to God.

The New Testament DOES talk about things which actually have little significance, but which we MAY nonetheless feel very convicted about. This is alright. If you feel convicted about something, then you should follow those convictions.

If however, you want to tell me I'm evil for dressing a 7-year-old up like a puppy, and visiting neighbor's houses for candy... ummm... that's a bit much.

blue_ladybug · Oct 19, 2017

I play Halloween mahjong and eat peanut butter pumpkins.. lol

Tinuviel · Oct 19, 2017

Halloween these days is an excuse for all kinds of evil. I personally do not celebrate Halloween. But, there's no reason why you CAN'T that I know of!

Like others have said, cut the horror and do cute costumes. Me? Costumes are the only thing I like about Halloween, and I decided long ago that I didn't need Halloween to dress up in costume, since my costumes are more like period-dresses and such. Sure, it looks a little strange walking down the street, but people just assume you're part of some reenactment and they don't bother you too much.

maxwel · Oct 19, 2017

At the end of the day, some goofy holiday just isn't that important, and we could just as well do without it.

I would NOT avoid Halloween, the way we celebrate it in the U.S., because it is offending any spiritual convictions I have.
The way we celebrate it in the U.S., it is just silly, and pretty thoroughly devoid of any meaning.

However, I MIGHT avoid Halloween altogether if I thought it was harming the brethren in some way.

Dude653 · Oct 19, 2017

I know Halloween has pagan origins but I don't think a kid is going to go to hell because you gave him a Snickers.

notuptome · Oct 19, 2017

Celebrate a harvest festival not Halloween. Lots of Snickers but no witches, spirits or undead creatures.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Nehemiah6 · Oct 20, 2017

DeaconJimsDaughter said:

There is no question that Halloween is the Devil's Day, when human beings cater to evil spirits rather than turn away from them and rebuke them. Since you have repented of your sins and turned to Christ but still feel guilt over this involvement with evil things, just bring this privately to the Lord and tell Him now that you are truly sorry for what you did in the past, and that you have resolved to oppose Halloween.

What you will need to do (if you have not already) is firstly talk to your daughter about her relationship with God and with Christ. If she is old enough, share the Gospel with her and encourage her to receive the Lord Jesus Christ into her heart. After that you can talk to her about the origin of Halloween (Samhain), and that even to this day it is a day dedicated to evil spirits (although the myth was that these were the spirits of the departed dead). That God does not want His children to have any association or fellowship with the works of darkness. And that the dressing up and the candies are just a veneer to prevent people from seeing what is really behind this *celebration*.

Nehemiah6 · Oct 20, 2017

Dude653 said:

That's hardly the point. Christian parents -- at the very least -- must teach their children the truth about evil spirits and that evil exists in this world and must be opposed on a spiritual level. The candy and the costumes are what you could call a diabolical cover up. The bottom line is whether God is behind Halloween or whether Satan is the mastermind.

Nehemiah6 · Oct 20, 2017

Depleted said:

Where does the Bible says you are free to commune with evil spirits, and that God is well pleased with that? Do you really think that the evil spirits that surround us have nothing to do with this matter?

IamWhoIam · Oct 20, 2017

Nehemiah6 said:

Hmm, I had no idea holloween is a event that actual evil spirits commune interesting, I wonder were that Theory came about.

Hizikyah · Oct 20, 2017

DeaconJimsDaughter said:

I personally think it is a right thing to not celebrate halloween, it is of pagan origin. I beleive it is the Spirit of Yah working on your heart.Alsi, and it's JMO, but it's like giving our children candy for dinner every night, they might want it and like it but it is not good for them, and they are too young to fully understand why.

You most likely already know most of this but still, I made a thread on Halloween; http://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/143847-true-origins-haloween.html

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Colossians 2:20, "If, then, you died with Messiah from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to it’s ordinances.”[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one makes a prey of you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary matters of the world, and not according to Messiah.”[/FONT]

IamWhoIam · Oct 20, 2017

Hizikyah said:

I personally think it is a right thing to not celebrate halloween, it is of pagan origin. I beleive it is the Spirit of Yah working on your heart.Alsi, and it's JMO, but it's like giving our children candy for dinner every night, they might want it and like it but it is not good for them, and they are too young to fully understand why.

You most likely already know most of this but still, I made a thread on Halloween; http://christianchat.com/bible-discussion-forum/143847-true-origins-haloween.html

Colossians 2:20, "If, then, you died with Messiah from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to it’s ordinances.”

Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one makes a prey of you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary matters of the world, and not according to Messiah.”

Well time to hit the caves and hide with in them cause believe it or not there's a whole lot of things of pagan stuff.

IamWhoIam · Oct 20, 2017

People may deny it, but yea the word bible is from a pagan source, byble the daughter of Apollo.

struggling with guilt about halloween

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