Some people have asked me whether Christians
should have Christmas trees and Easter baskets. It is true
that these customs do have pagan origins. However, that was
many hundreds of years ago. Most people associate these things
with family traditions and fond memories from the past, not
with paganism.
Personally, I see no harm in these traditions. At least,
not for most people. However, if someone has personally
engaged in NeoPagan practices which are related to these
things, then they need to pray for wisdom. For example,
someone who venerated "sacred" trees might be
wise to avoid Christmas trees. Someone who practiced candle
magic might be wise to avoid using Christmas candles or
other special candles.
If you don't feel right about Christmas trees and Easter
baskets, then don't use them. And don't let social pressure
push you into using them. We need to follow our conscience. "Whatsoever
is not of faith is sin." (Romans 14:23)
If you believe that it is alright to have Christmas trees
and Easter baskets, then enjoy them. But if you have friends
or family members who don't feel right about it, then don't
put pressure on them to participate. They need to follow
their conscience. The Bible tells us not to do things which
might cause our brothers or sisters to fall. (See Romans
14:13)
There is another important principle. Jesus said that
the devil is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44)
Christians are supposed to tell the truth.
If you give your children an Easter basket, make sure
that they know that it comes from you, and not from the
Easter Bunny. You can tell them that the Easter Bunny is
an old folk custom, but there really is no such thing.
Above all, make sure that your children know that Santa
Claus is a folk tradition, and not a real person. This
is important. You tell your children that God is real.
If you tell your children that Santa Claus is real, then
what will happen when they find out that he isn't? Why
should they believe what you told them about God?
I live in America . Thirty years ago, America had a Christian
culture which generally supported and reinforced the Christian
faith of our children. So finding out that Santa isn't
real might not have challenged a child's faith in God.
But today our culture is no longer Christian. The Christian
faith of American children is challenged by a public school
system which promotes secular humanism. It is challenged
by the entertainment industry. There are TV shows, movies,
song lyrics, comic books, magazines, and books which promote
philosophies and moral values that are opposed to Christianity.
If children go to college, their faith will be challenged
by professors, textbooks, and classmates.
What can you do if your children already believe in Santa
Claus? Ask God to give you wisdom. Ask Him to show you
how to tell them the truth in a way that shows your love
for them and your desire to give them good things and nice
surprises. And pray for God to strengthen the faith of
your children.
What can you do if your children believed in Santa Claus
and have since learned that he doesn't exist? You can ask
them to forgive you for having deceived them. That will
demonstrate your love for them, and how much you value
the truth. They may act as if it doesn't matter, but things
often impact people more than they say. If any damage was
done to their faith, God can fix it. Ask Him to strengthen
their faith. Remember that God promised to make everything
work for the good of people who love Him. (Romans 8:28)
That includes our mistakes. If your children love God,
then even your mistakes will work for their good.
Halloween is in a category of its own. In the seventh
century, Pope Boniface IV wanted to replace the pagan festival
of the dead, so he introduced "All Saints' Day," which
was observed on May 13. The date was changed to November
1 by Pope Gregory III. The night before (October 31) was
known as All Hallows Eve, which became known as Halloween.
It was observed with traditions which come from pagan customs.
[Note 1 gives addresses of on-line articles.]
Halloween is a time when there is vandalism and arson.
Halloween glorifies death. Decorations and costumes feature
skeletons and ghosts and monsters. It is traditional to
watch movies which feature violence, monsters, or the occult.
Some people visit "haunted houses" where costumed
actors try to frighten people.
Halloween glorifies the occult. You see children dressed
as witches, the devil, and ghosts. Decorations feature
witches and ghosts. It is also a time when real witches
and real Satanists do occult things. October 31st is an
important day for them.
In case you don't think that there are people who have
occult power, the Bible says that there are. In Exodus
7:10-12, Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh. Aaron throws
down his staff and it turns into a snake. Pharaoh calls
for his sorcerers and magicians, who use "enchantments" to
do the very same thing. But Aaron's snake eats up all of
the other snakes.
The bad news is that occult power does exist. The good
news is that God's power is infinitely greater. Aaron didn't
need to use enchantments. And his snake ate up all the
others. Also, those snakes did not harm Moses or Aaron.
The Bible says that the enemy of our souls does have
power, but he cannot harm people who believe in Jesus Christ,
obey Him, and have committed their lives to Him. Jesus
said,
"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew
28:18)
"Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents
and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and
nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)
"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be
of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)
Jesus has all power and authority, and He protects the
people who belong to Him. He has overcome every kind of
evil that exists in this world. If Jesus Christ is our
Lord and Savior, then His power will protect us from occult
power. God has promised that He will make all things work
out for our good if we love Him. (Romans 8:28)
We need to balance this with Jesus'statement, "It
is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." (Luke
4:12) It is one thing to have trouble come upon us through
no fault of our own. It is quite another thing to go looking
for trouble. God says that occult practices are an "abomination" and
He forbids His people to participate in them.
"There shall not be found among you any one that
maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire
[child sacrifice], or that useth divination [fortune telling],
or an observer of times [astrology], or an enchanter [working
spells], or a witch [practicing witchcraft or consulting
a witch], or a charmer [using charms and other objects
for protection or "good luck"], or a consulter
with familiar spirits [channelling], or a wizard [doing
magic], or a necromancer [spiritism, contacting the dead].
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the
Lord." (Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
Some of these practices have become quite common in our
society, especially during Halloween. Christians need to
avoid these things, and to repent if they have done them.
Sin has built-in consequences. Drunkenness causes hangovers.
Sex outside of marriage can result in heartbreak, sexually
transmitted diseases, and unwanted pregnancies. Occult
practices can lead to fear, depression, nightmares, and
tormenting thoughts. If people repent, then God can heal
them and set them free. But it would be better to avoid
the problem in the first place. When God tells us not to
do things, He is not being a killjoy. He is trying to protect
us.
Parties and candy and costumes are fun. We can find creative
ways to allow kids to enjoy themselves without participating
in Halloween. For example, we can have a Harvest Party,
with a harvest theme. If people want to wear costumes,
they can come as nice things, such as Bible characters,
or historical figures, or animals. One church had a Harvest
Party which was advertised by a large sign. They used it
as an evangelistic outreach.
Some people use Halloween to evangelize. When kids come
to their door, they give them an appropriate tract along
with their treats. Some friends of mine dressed up in nice
costumes (one was a ballerina). They went door to door,
telling people about Jesus. On Halloween, people expect
strangers to come to their door. It worked well for evangelizing.
I read about a man who had two carved pumpkins. One had
a sad face and no candle. One had a happy smile and was
lit up by a candle. He used them to illustrate the difference
between having God's life inside of you, and not having
it.
Some people have prayer meetings on Halloween. It is
a good time to pray for God's protection, especially for
children. It is a time when there is increased vandalism
and arson. And it is a time of occult activity. It is an
important night for witches and Satanists.
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