thoughts on Halloween

Halloween is an awkward time of year for me; I am always uncomfortable with the demonic symbolism and occultish connotations of the ever grotesque costumes and the scrupulous ploys by retailers to make more money from the occassion. In many respects it has just become another pathetic 'festive' cashcow for shops, symptomatic of an amoral capitalist enterprising society. However there is a darker side to the occassion, one which seems to be increasingly brought to the fore (seen in the customes) but at the same time ignored or overlooked. It seems very much that society's conscience or spiritual eyes have been shut.

Many churches around the country will hold 'light' parties or some other Christian 'alternative' to Halloween to try and prevent the impressionable young minds of children from becoming absorbed in this dark event. Whilst this is commendable I think that Halloween itself is just one manifestation of the insiduous encroachment of paganism upon the Western world. Films and television have become more 'graphic' sexually and violently as peoples' minds, imaginations and values have become desensitised; violence is more gratuitous and sex more explicit. How does this relate to Halloween? Because with the sacriligious attitude toward godliness has also come an acceptance of the demonic. The two are intrinsically linked, like the two faces of a coin.

Through the philosophy of liberalism and post-modernism people may no longer think in terms of idolatry and paganism but human nature has not changed. We may not sacrifice children to pagan gods or perform perverted sexual rituals to them, conversely abortion has become a viable and acceptable course of action towards an unwanted pregnancy and pornography is rampant and ubiquitous through television, magazines and the internet. The Bible warns:

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness..." Isaiah 5:20

Encouraging people (of whatever age) to revel in the dark and ghoulish nature of Halloween is to distort spiritual principles of good and evil, right and wrong, light and darkness. This distortion will inevitably lead to the infringement of the demonic upon society's values, philosophies and way of life. Jesus taught that no good tree bears bad fruit. To put it another way we reap what we sow. If we sow seeds of darkness, ungodliness and evil then we will reap that within society. It is already so evident in so many ways from the break down of the family, to crime rates, raping, murder etc

The answer is repentence. We need to turn back to God and restore the right order and way back to the world: God's way. We have lost our holy and reverent 'fear' of the Almighty God. We need to regain that perspective once again for the sake of society and humanity.