Witches, ghouls and ghosts? Or an opportunity to open your door to your neighbor? The holiday with a bad rep is almost here. Eleven pastors answer the question: Should Christians Celebrate Halloween? Can there be such a thing as a Christian Halloween?
1. Craig Groeschel on Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
2. Matt Chandler on Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
“Jesus created joy. Jesus created celebratory events. Jesus created laughter. Those things should be redeemed and used for Jesus. Now, there are obvious things you don’t want to take part in or that are sinfully beyond redemption. Dressing up inappropriately, taking part in anything demonic (Ouija boards, séances, etc.) and sexual, drunken debauchery would all be wrong.
But to simply laugh with friends, dress up and eat candy is not wrong. However, don’t violate your conscience. If you are uncomfortable with taking part in Halloween, then feel free to abstain. God doesn’t want you to do something you cannot do in faith (Rom. 14:23), but don’t judge those who do participate out of a good conscience. Although you “can” celebrate Halloween, it doesn’t mean that you necessarily ‘should’ or ‘have to.’ Allow the Lord to lead Christians in their own consciences regarding this holiday.”
Read more about “Redeeming Halloween” here.
3. Jamie Morgan on Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
“Setting aside a day to celebrate evil, darkness, witchcraft, fear, death and the demonic brings disdain to God. Period. A Christian celebrating Halloween would be like a Satan worshiper putting up a nativity scene at Christmas while singing, “Happy Birthday, Jesus!” The two just don’t go together. Jesus has nothing in common with Satan (2 Cor. 6:14), and neither should we.
So, what did we do instead? Hide in the basement with the lights off? Hustle the family out of the house? No, darkened homes are the enemy’s victory! Where does your light shine the brightest … in the darkness!”
4. Bianca Juarez Olthoff on Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
5. Albert Mohler on Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?
“Christian parents should make careful decisions based on a biblically-informed Christian conscience. Some Halloween practices are clearly out of bounds, others may be strategically transformed, but this takes hard work and may meet with mixed success.
The coming of Halloween is a good time for Christians to remember that evil spirits are real and that the Devil will seize every opportunity to trumpet his own celebrity. Perhaps the best response to the Devil at Halloween is that offered by Martin Luther, the great Reformer: “The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him for he cannot bear scorn.”
On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther began the Reformation with a declaration that the church must be recalled to the authority of God’s Word and the purity of biblical doctrine. With this in mind, the best Christian response to Halloween might be to scorn the Devil and then pray for the Reformation of Christ’s church on earth. Let’s put the dark side on the defensive.”
