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Real Answers™
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Copyright: © ©2006 James J. Jackson
600 words

HALLOWEEN CAN BE FUN WITHOUT EVIL CONCEPTS

By: James J. Jackson

As the ‘Green Goblin’ burst onto the screen in the movie, ‘Spiderman’, my little granddaughter, Charlotte whispered, “Umpa (my grandkids‘ name for me), I’m scared!”  I told her to lean over closer to me and placed my arm around her.  Then, she smiled and whispered, “I like to be scared!”

Most of us like the rush and titillation that comes with being frightened.  That is probably why horror films and books do so well in our society, and why Halloween is so popular.  Ghosts, goblins and goons provide a departure from the daily grind and allow our imaginations to run. The movie, Halloween must have had four or five sequels, each one more bloody and gory than the previous one.

But, just as it is with many aspects of life, fright can be out of whack and taken to the extreme if not held in check.  Children love to dress up as other people or characters for a night of fun and treats.  In and of itself, this activity is fairly harmless.  However, many people take this to the extreme.  People who worship Wicca, Goth and other practices take Halloween night as an opportunity to heighten their worship and practice of the occult.   

We often read in the news about animal sacrifices, and even human sacrifices.  Groups of people gather to summon the long-dead magician, Harry Houdini back from the dead on this night.  In many cities, Devils’ Night is celebrated the night before Halloween, and arson and mischief runs amok.

When taken to the extreme, such activities can cross the line from innocent fun to honoring and worshipping Satan. Just as Christians pray to the Holy Spirit to come into our lives and dwell in us and lead us, it stands to reason that one could invite evil influences and spirits in, as well.  Ignoring the danger of delving into such evil and dark places may well be Satan’s best deception.

When we minimize the danger of opening young hearts and minds to evil and dangerous spirits, we run the risk of losing them into the dark and deadly kingdom that the Lord so often warns us about in His word. God tells us that even Christians are susceptible to being taken over by evil.  In Timothy 4, we are warned, “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.”  

Often, when someone puts forth such a warning about Halloween and other things of the occult, they are accused of throwing a wet blanket on an innocent activity.  Of course, that is not the intent of such warnings.   Hopefully, parents will choose costumes that are fun and expressive, but do not depict ghosts and goblins, serial killers or evil concepts, because such things are not to be taken lightly.

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms…”  Reject the deception that such things are innocent.

Like Charlotte, I enjoy being scared at times, but I also know that there are evil things and places that are scary beyond belief, and that we have a Savior who will deal with such evil when the time comes. When parents dress kids for Halloween, instead of dwelling on the occult, they may want to follow Philippians 4 and think of things that are true, noble, pure, admirable and praiseworthy.  Kids can still have fun without honoring evil concepts.

"Real Answers™" furnished courtesy of The Amy Foundation Internet Syndicate. To contact the author or The Amy Foundation, write or E-mail to: P. O. Box 16091, Lansing, MI 48901-6091; amyfoundtn@aol.com

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