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Dr. Bob is all in a snit today about Halloween. Christianity Today has some articles up about Halloween. He is not a fan of Christianity Today magazine because they ridiculed him a while back, so he gets in a little jab right off the bat:
The improperly named Christianity Today (CT) continues to try to get its share of the Halloween spending by selling items such as Jack-o-Lantern car magnets, as I noticed again today.
CT itself seems to try to pretend that it is “balanced” on the subject by having some articles that question whether or not Christians should celebrate the pagan holiday as well as having others that clearly promote it.
He was particularly upset of this little snippet from CT, Trick-or-Treat and some of the comments:
Notice a CT article titled Trick-or-Treat? which contains various admissions and Halloween promotions as follows:
On the calendar of events for the Christian college where I teach, October 31 sits in a dark square with no acknowledgment that there is anything special about the date.
“It’s Satan’s Holiday, Dr. Rearick,” affirmed one of my students. “Didn’t you know?”Well, no, I didn’t know…I have always considered Halloween a day to celebrate the imagination, to become for a short time something wonderful and strange, smelling of grease paint, to taste sweets that are permissible only once a year…”But look at the roots of Halloween,” some may say. “Don’t you see how evil it once was?” I do, but the operative word in that sentence is was. Samhain was once a time of fear and dread, but at one time so was Yule or Midvinterblot, as it was called in Sweden…Christians should instead celebrate Halloween with gusto. If we follow the traditional formula of having a good time at his expense, Satan flees.
Armstrongism has always given "satan" more power than he has. They fear "him" with a passion and thinks he rules everything in the world around them. If the LCGers actually ever cracked open their Bible and read any of the New Covenant they would see that "satan" has been vanquished and has no power over Christians. Why be afraid of something that either isn't there or is impotent?
Any hoo, on with the show:
The Dr. writes:
Satan does not flee because people celebrate pagan holidays and God is not pleased with His people observing them either.
Let’s again let’s look at the Bible and not the opinions of men in the context of adopting pagan practices:
2 Thus says the LORD: “Do not learn the way of the Gentiles; Do not be dismayed at the signs of heaven,At the absolute best, Halloween customs are futile and detract from the emphasis to worship the true God.
3 For the Gentiles are dismayed at them. For the customs of the peoples are futile (Jeremiah 10:2-3).
24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars (Exodus 23:24).
Since LCG does not worship, honor, listen to or even read what Jesus said and did, I think they need to take a quick look at their own futile beliefs.
Thiel ends by getting another dig in at Christianity Today. Perhaps Thiel need to reexamine the false titles of LCG publicans also since there is nothing Christan about what they produce. Just saying.......
No true Christian would want to encourage their children to participate in pagan customs associated with Halloween.
Halloween is clearly pagan. Thus, it is not “balanced” to have articles that promote it nor is it balanced to sell pro-Halloween-related items. Both of which CT does–that is part of why I wish it did not have the word “Christianity” in its title. A better title would be Protestantism Today (though sometimes CT also endorses aspects of Catholicism, but in general it has a Protestant focus).
Thank goodness I don't need to believe this drivel any more!
As a kid, before WCG there was nothing more pleasing to the senses as cool rainy Halloween night with fallen orange and red leaves stuck to the feet and piled waist high in the street gutters.
ReplyDeleteI do remember on dryer Halloween Eve's going down one street lighting the huge leaf piles on fire while the fire truck was on the next street over just behind us putting them out. We'd be maced, tazed and gunned down today for that.
M.T.Pumpkins
Halloween as been discredited by many parents regardless of their religious affiliation.
ReplyDeleteIt is a nasty little holiday with some very bad lessons in it.
As a Catholic I dislike the holiday very much.
I loved it as a kid. It brings back fond memories. Nothing but good times for me. Happy Halloween to all you "pagans" out there!
ReplyDeleteSo why doesn't Dr. Thiel also refer to "the improperly named United Church of God"?
ReplyDelete"So why doesn't Dr. Thiel also refer to "the improperly named United Church of God"?
ReplyDeleteBecause it might bring up the equally problem of the improperly named "Living" Church of God?d
Mary: You might want to check out what your own church says about Halloween.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1099.asp
I like Halloween.
ReplyDeleteAlso, me and my wife enjoyed the TV show The Middle a couple of days ago that was about Halloween.
Norm
I know what the church teaches. There is a split opinion in the churches and increasingly more and more parents are opting to teach their children it is wrong.
ReplyDeleteThe lessons of it, the ugly mythical creatures, ghosts vampire, the glorification of death and violent death in many cases is repugnant.
In my own parish Halloween parties were dumped years ago after a homily by our pastor on "whatever things are good, pleasant, think on that" rather than the occult and its accompanying junk.
There is a difference between prayers for souls in purgatory, etc and holding up witches, goblins, etc as "cute" characters for children to emulate.
We have opted out. So it is not your former religion alone who find it troubling.