A ministry of Darrell C. Porter Evangelistic Association  *  P.O. Box 750663  *  Las Vegas, NV 89136

Home | Inspiration | Invitation | Information | Contact Us

Halloween

KKVV 1060 AM Live Radio Broadcasts

Aired Sunday, October 22, 2006 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Special Guest Darrell C. Porter, (left) with radio host "Papa Jack" (right)

KKVV Radio  - HELL-O-WEEN

HELL-O-WEEN!
Radio Station

Is Halloween something Christians should celebrate? Is this the kind of festival Jesus Christ wants us to observe? 

First of all, we have to understand that even though Halloween claims to be a Christian holiday, it is anything, and I might even say, everything but Christian. This custom was celebrated by the pagan world centuries before the New Testament Church was ever founded and it was not introduced into the professing Christian world until centuries after the deaths of the apostles. In fact, if you search the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, you will not find a single line advocating the observance of this holiday or anything like it. On the contrary, God condemns such practices throughout the scriptures.

Why Do People Love Halloween?

Here are two related questions to this:

People around the world are obsessed with death because they cannot understand it, yet it hangs over everything we do. It is one of the most frightening mysteries they face in life. One way to feel more comfortable with the idea of death is to make light of it with a festival. Those who’ve looked into this very question tend to think that this brings all of the scary ideas from within a person out in the open, where they can face them more comfortably, enjoying themselves with other people instead of contemplating their own mortality.

In addition to trying to work through their uneasiness about death and supernatural mysteries, people like to feel frightened for purely biological reasons. When you watch a scary movie or take a ride on a roller coaster, your brain triggers a fear response. Your body releases adrenaline and other hormones that give you more energy do deal with the situation. When you are in real danger, of course, you don't enjoy the feeling of these hormones. You simply use them to fight, escape or take some other action. When the danger is simulated (made up), your mind knows you're actually safe and you enjoy the energy that the hormones give you. Intentional, contained fear is fun because of the hormone rush and also because it helps you work through your general fears in a safe environment.   I think this is one of the reasons people enjoy horror movies.

Anyway, some people say that by dressing up as the thing they fear, they embrace it even more closely, so as to take control of it to some degree. This can be especially effective with children. They usually don't fear death as much as they do sinister figures like monsters and ghosts. Once they've dressed themselves up as a monster and played that character, they cut through some of the monster's mystery, making it less ominous and scary.

Isn't it strange, still, that people would send their children out dressed up like witches and ghouls and monsters?

When you understand what’s going on – you’re right – it is strange that anyone would dress their children up like that.  But I have to say - trick-or-treating is not all about dressing up as frightening creatures.  A lot of children will dress up as a favorite cartoon character or an adult figure such as a fireman or astronaut. The idea is that they enjoy play-acting.  My girls like to put on mommy’s clothes and high heels.  They like to dress up to look like what they admire and want to become.  Little boys will put on daddy’s watch and tie and hat – things like that.   The problem is putting on garments associated with death, destruction and evil.  We know that when a child puts on the suit of a fireman he’s pretending he’s a fireman.  He actually feels like a fireman by putting on those clothes.  He takes on the mindset of a fireman and begins to think like a fireman might think.  He’s ready to put out fires.  In the same way, when a child puts on the garment of a vampire or a witch or any others sinister or evil character, they also take to themselves the mindset of that thing.  For that moment they are living inside of that thing, and inviting it to live inside of them.   

Now, it doesn’t mean that every child will be effected.  It does mean that the invitation is going out.  Let me give you an example.  If a woman walks into a crowd of people, and she's half dressed… whose attention is she going to strike the most?  Men.  Everybody knows that.  Do we go around as a society pretending that we don’t know that?  In the same way that that type of display will attract men, people dressed in death will attract spirits of death.  They will turn their heads and look; and some will even approach; and some will stick close by – for years even, till they get what they want.  

What's the Bible’s position on this?  

Gen 28:20-21  And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,  So that I come again to my father's house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:

Deu 22:5  The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

1Sa 28:8  And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.

Job 29:14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

Isa 52:1  Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Rom 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

Gal 3:27  For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

Why describe this night as HELL-O-WEEN?

That expression actually came from another Christian ministry.  It’s not mine; but I think it’s quite fitting.  Clearly the grossest things about Halloween have a connection with hell, originated from hell, glorifies hell and sends its participants in the direction of hell.  I’m here doing this program because this topic is extremely serious.  People do not know what they are getting into when they support and promote Halloween. 

 So Halloween actually sends its participants in the direction of hell?

In what other direction is Halloween going to send you?  Look at the key figures.  Witches, vampires, ghosts, ghouls.  Where are these witches gonna send you?  They aren’t going to send you to God.  They don’t even believe in God.  Where are vampires going to send you?  They’re dead without hope.  They live off other people’s blood.  Have to walk around at night. They sleep in coffins in the day time. They have no God.  Where are the ghosts and other dark and evil entities going to send you?  They all came from the same place.  They can only take you to where they’re going.  They cannot take you where they’re not going.  That’s why I say Halloween sends its participants in the direction of hell.  It really is HELL-O-WEEN night.

 What do you say to people who don't believe in hell?

Plenty.  Jesus spoke more about hell than He did about heaven.  Let's look at some of the Scriptures.

SCRIPTURES ON HELL

Mt 5:29 - And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Same thing.  Mt 5:30 - And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell

Mt 10:28 - And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Mt 22:13 - Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mt 24:51 - And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mt 25:30 - And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Lu 13:28 - There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

Mt
16:18 - And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Mt 23:15 - Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Even whole cities and their populations will be cast into hell.  Lu 10:15 - And thou,
Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shalt be thrust down to hell.

Lu 12:5 - But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.

Lu
16:23-24 - And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

2Pe 2:4 - For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Re 1:18 - I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death

Christ will reign upon the earth & eventually cast both death & hell into the lake of fire.  Re 20:14 - And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

Closing Remark  - It’s important to understand the truth about Halloween: it’s a spiritual counterfeit! It’s a pagan holiday. It’s based entirely on the worship of the dead.   Halloween is the trick, not the treat. It is the trick that has been played on innocent children and an unsuspecting world.   God’s word says that the time will come when Jesus Christ will rule the entire earth and the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9). In that day, people will honor God’s Sabbaths and His holy days.

 For more information on how to obtain Darrell C. Porter as a speaker or seminar leader at your church or ministry on this or other Bible-based topic  Click Here.

"And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one." Zech.14:9

Back to Top

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

KKVV 1060 AM Live Radio Broadcasts

Aired Sunday, October 15, 2006 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Special Guest: Darrell C. Porter

KKVV Radio  - Halloween And the Culture of Death – Part 2

How long ago did the Celts get started?

The Celtic people came together as a society around 800 B.C.   The Druids and Celts inhabited not only Ireland and Scotland, but all of EuropeBy A.D. 43, Rome had conquered the majority of Celtic territory.

How did Christianity come into all this?

During the Roman rule over the Celtic lands, Roman festivals were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.  As the influence of Christianity spread into Celtic lands, in the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints' Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs, to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was observed on May 13. In 834, Gregory III moved All Saint's Day from May 13 to Nov. 1 and for Christians, this became an opportunity for remembering before God all the saints who had died and all the dead in the Christian community. Oct. 31 thus became All Hallows' Eve ('hallow' means 'saint'). 

Unfortunately, many of the pagan customs survived and were blended in with Christianity.  Today Halloween has disassociated itself from All Saints Day and is now completely secular - 100% pagan.

A pagan custom became blended with Christianity.  It was actually a pagan religious system

What we know as Halloween started out a pagan religious system.  Correct.  "[The pagan Druid priests] . . . taught that the soul of a person would pass from one body to another at death . . . They believed that on the last night of the old year that the lord of death would gather together the souls of all those who had died in the passed 12 months, and had been condemned to live in the bodies of animals, that he would decree what forms they should inhabit for the next twelve months.  Now the lord of death could be coaxed to give a lighter sentence if your offered gifts and prayers." (The Book of Halloween, p.10)

I’ll just throw this in -  many Druids believed that black cats were in fact reincarnated human beings, and that the Priest had the ability to divine the future through them.   Now if a black cat crossed your path it would mean they might posses you - a very bad omen.
 

Getting back to where we were -   The only chance these disembodied souls had for a decent afterlife was to return on this day of Samhain, (the same day we call Halloween) and find a human body to possess.

As Christians can we borrow pagan customs and superstitions of ancient peoples and "Christianize" them?

Short answer – No!  Go to any shopping mall… store… neighborhood or business & you’ll see that virtually all of the symbols of Halloween are evil? Witches, monsters, ogres, vampires, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, devils and demons  - all portray evil. Christians are to "... have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." [Ephesians 5:11]

The sort of practices celebrated on Halloween are what defiled the ancient nations [see Leviticus 18:24-30].

The Israelites were warned against these type of practices when they entered the Promised Land, "When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations." [Deuteronomy 18:9]

 2Co 6:14  “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?”

Today, young people who dress up in weird costumes and demand "trick or treat" are not serving God, they are actually serving the god of this world who has blinded them (2 Cor. 4:4).

1Co 10:20  “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”

So when people celebrate the Festival of Samhain and the powers of darkness by masquerading as evil creatures or decorating their homes, schools, businesses and churches with occult symbols, Satanic power is glorified. To glorify means to talk about, lift up and put on display.  God’s power is not being talked about lifted up and put on display.  It’s Satan’s.

1Jo 1:6  “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.”   

What do you say to a child who wants to go out and celebrate Halloween?

Tell them the truth.  The Bible says the truth will set you free.  Ask that child, Do you want to serve the lord of the dead? Halloween is a holiday dedicated to worshiping the lord of the dead.  Now the true God is the God of the living.

You’d be amazed at how much children understand if you just take the time to tell them the truth.  I have to say this, because a lot of people have no idea -  Halloween is serious business for Satanists and witches. These groups who deeply reject Jesus Christ are known to organize on Halloween to observe satanic rituals, to cast spells, to oppose churches and families, to perform sacrilegious acts, and even offer blood sacrifices to Satan.
 
Halloween is the main holiday for Satanists.  When Christians participate in halloween it’s like telling your child that witchcraft, demonism, Satanism, and the occult are fun.  It’s innocent and it’s OK. 
 
Are we actually telling our children that it’s OK? 
 
Overall, I don’t think most of us intend to put our children in harm’s way.  We just do it because everybody else is doing it.  It’s like what Jesus said, “the blind leading the blind”.  The blind don’t actually believe that the real devil is actually real. 
 
That actually makes him more powerful, doesn’t it?
 
Oh yes!  He can manipulate you without you even thinking he’s around.  In fact, many years ago, C.S. Lewis wrote that one of Satan's most deceptive tactics is to convince people that he doesn't exist. 
 
Many people think of him as just a symbol of evil.  Like Santa Claus, he’s just a fictional symbol.   They also don’t think of witches as real people who actually practice witchcraft.  So to actually go out and recognize this pagan holiday gives the false impression that what is actually lethal is harmless.  In fact, some children develop a fascination with the supernatural that leads them later on into more sinister occult practices.  Papa, Halloween is the spiritual equivalent of taking a loaded gun, painting it to look like a toy, and giving it to child to play with.  
 
Satan hates God.  He hates God’s laws.  He hates God’s people.  Now to you and me children are innocent… precious; but not to the devil. He is a dragon; and they are his food.  He will swallow them up.  He will abort them.  He will sweeten them up with candy and then dress them up to look like evil spirits.  He will drug them.  He will sexually abuse them.  He will instruct them and raise them up to become children of hell.
 
The Bible commands the Christian to “Train up a child in the way he should go:”  which is in the Ways of God.  The spirit of rebellion which fills the world’s thinking is not concerned about raising up your child in the Ways of God.  It would have them believe that there is no God, you can do whatever you want; and in fact, you can be your own god.

Papa, right now there are curriculums in many public schools that are open doors to the occult.  There’s a public school curriculum called IMPRESSIONS.  It’s used in many school districts.  It instructs teachers and students in how to cast spells. One teacher's manual reads, "Tell the children that a magician has cast a spell on some children. Have them work in pairs to write the magic spell the magician used. Have each pair write another spell to reverse the first spell. Have them chant their spells."  This curriculum has 59 books and about 10,000 literary selections and activities.  In a 1994 lawsuit against the National Education Association, parents said the challenged selections "engage children in witchcraft rituals and cause them to pretend that they are witchcraft practitioners," They said the curriculum endorses and promotes Wicca. The parents also argued that exposing their children to "witchcraft rituals" could lead to their involvement in demonic activity later in life.  So what happened after that?  The Ninth Circuit Court ruled in favor of the school district's to continue to use the Impressions series.  The court emphasized that the objectionable passages "reflect a broad range of North American cultures and traditions." and the fact that students "discuss witches" or even "create poetic chants" doesn't mean they're practicing witchcraft or engaging in "religious rituals." 

In a later case the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, in Illinois case said, The Impressions series serves the legitimate governmental functions of "providing quality public school education" and teaching "the value of tolerance of divergent political and religious views."  And it doesn't matter that the fundamentalist parents might be offended by some of the objectionable passages.

Now Papa Jack, this was back in 1994 – that’s 12 years ago.  And that’s not the only public school curriculum.  About 16,000 school districts use the PUMSEY THE DRAGON curriculum, by Jill Anderson. It uses relaxation techniques – many of them are identical to those used in hypnosis. Another curriculum called DUSO THE DOPHIN uses relaxation techniques and sends hypnotized youngsters off on guided fantasies to a place called Aquatron.  The devil is out for your children’s minds and souls; and he’s not playing.

Now, you’re saying there are actual witches here in the United States and our children are learning at tax payer expense – not how to pray, but how to cast spells.
 
There are at least 6000 witches, and approximately 10 million people involved in the occult here in the U.S. Their activities range from simply casting spells to human sacrifice. 
 
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." [1 Peter 5:8]
 
In addition to witches there are also Satanists.  Many young satanists believe that the strong will rule with Satan. Once they get involved, they often make a pact with Satan. They commit to a future date when they will take their own lives by suicide. They believe if they submit themselves to Satan in death, they will come back in another life as a stronger being and rule with him forever.  Recent statistics say fourteen young people a day take their own lives.   Joh 10:10  says “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. “  The world is not giving your children life.  It’s turning them over to the thief, to rob them of their innocence, to steal their virtue and to destroy their very lives.

And Halloween is a friend to all this, isn’t it?  But so many people think Halloween is innocent and fun and… how can we take all that away from the children?

Telling a child not to dress up as a vampire or a ghost or ghoul or a witch is hurting that child?  Can I share something with you, Papa? 

This is from a former witch, who became Christian.  His name is Tom Sanguinet.  He was actually a high priest in the Celtic tradition of Wicca.  He said "The modern holiday we call Halloween has its origins in the full moon closest to November 1, the witches’ New Year. It was a time when the "spirits" (demons) were supposed to be at their peak power and revisiting the earth planet." He said, "Halloween is purely and absolutely evil, and there is nothing we ever have or will do that would make it acceptable to the Lord Jesus." [The Dark Side Of Halloween]

What is Wicca?
 

Wicca is a modern Pagan religion that worships the Earth and nature.  It was established in the 1940s and '50s by Gerald Gardner. Gardner said witchcraft was a positive and life-affirming religion.

 Now Wicca does not believe in a Devil or the Christian idea of Hell.  Modern witches do not worship the devil directly.  Satanists do that.   (I’ve got more on this on my website)

1Co 10:20  “But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.”

Gal 4:8  “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.”

What exactly is a modern day witch?

I’m going to give you their own definition right from one of their websites.  (home page of the Covenant of the Goddess,) Today, a Witch is a woman or man who practices a life-affirming, Earth- and nature-oriented religion, honoring Divinity in female as well as (or instead of) male aspects, and practicing Magic (which some Witches spell "magick," to distinguish it from stage illusions). There are many different traditions of Witches, encompassing many beliefs in addition to these. Some traditions are practiced by women only, and recognize only the Divine Feminine, the Goddess. Others include men and recognize a male god in addition to the Goddess. Some traditions may date back to before the Spanish Inquisition, others have been in existence for only a few years. The strength of the Witches' religion (also called "the Craft" or "Wicca") lies in its diversity; it is a living, growing religious tradition. 

In our anti-God, politically correct culture, diversity usually means to water it down… neutralize it… to do away with anything that is biblical & Godly.

They go on to say, Every Witch is her or his own priest/ess.  We need no intermediaries between us and Divinity; each of us can have our own personal "revelation." We all partake of Divinity, and no one person has exclusive knowledge of the Divine or sole power to decide the directions of our lives. We have no infallible leader, no Grand High Exalted Poobah, no dogma. Nobody can have all the answers. So many of us have our own ideas about what the Craft should be and how it works, the idea of all of us agreeing to follow one person is manifestly absurd. 
 

That person being Jesus Christ.

They absolutely reject the authority of Jesus Christ.

What do modern day witches think about death or heaven and hell?

Of course they reject the Bible, which speaks extensively about heaven and hell.  On one of their sites they write:  As it has been said, Witches don't believe in life after death, we believe in life after birth.  We do not believe in a hell, sin, or redemption. We have no concept of original sin for which we must be redeemed.  That concept has been the source of oppression and even killing of women for centuries. Witches are reclaiming Eve as the one who gave us self-knowledge through her courage and curiosity. Nor, for that matter, do we believe in a heavenly reward for good behavior.  The results of good or evil acts are felt in this lifetime. No celestial carrot or infernal stick. 
 

Closing Remark  - It’s important to understand the truth about Halloween: it’s a spiritual counterfeit! It’s a pagan holiday. It’s based entirely on the worship of the dead.   Halloween is the trick, not the treat. It is the trick that has been played on innocent children and an unsuspecting world.

God’s word says that the time will come when Jesus Christ will rule the entire earth and the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9). In that day, people will honor God’s Sabbaths and His holy days.

For more information on how to obtain Darrell C. Porter as a speaker or seminar leader at your church or ministry on this or other Bible-based topic  Click Here.

"And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one." Zech.14:9

Back to Top

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Aired Sunday, October 8, 2006 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Special Guest: Darrell C. Porter

Radio Station 2
KKVV Radio  - "Halloween And the Culture of Death"

What's wrong with Halloween?

The truth of the matter is, Halloween doesn’t have a single redeeming virtue.  1. It is a custom born out of pagan superstition.  2. It is a demon-inspired, devil-glorifying, occult festival.  3. It is an evening holy unto evil, death, and divination.

Last week we spoke about how the ancient Druids of Ireland celebrated Samhain.  Samhain was the supreme night of demonic jubilation.  It’s now become Halloween.  The Druids believed that the spirits of their dead ancestors would rise from the grave and wander around looking for another body to live in.  The villagers, who were afraid, tried to appease these wandering spirits by offering them gifts of fruit and nuts. This is the origin of our present day "trick-or-treat."

Another twist to this ancient superstition was that good souls would go to paradise.  The evil souls would reincarnate and come back in the form of an animal for a year.

The elements of Halloween are also found in Cambodia and other places around the world.  According to E. Aymonier in the work Notice sur le Cambodge, people would chant,   "O all your ancestors, who are departed, deign to come and eat what we have prepared for you, and to bless your posterity and to make it happy." (p. 59)

This was a call to the dead to come eat of their treat and then bless the house.

Now Jesus cast out spirits.  But here they’re saying, come in.

It’s very clear that Halloween has nothing in it or about it that is Christian.  Jesus said, "God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." The Sadducees – the people Jesus was speaking to – did not believe in a resurrection.  And they accepted only the Torah as holy scripture. With this in mind, Jesus quoted the Torah (Ex. 3:6) to prove that a resurrection would one day occur. He did this by pointing out that long after the death of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God continued to refer to Himself as their God: "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob," not "I was the God..."

The point Jesus was making was that  even though these patriarchs were dead (Heb. 11:13), they will live again in the resurrection, as will all of God’s people (Dan. 12:2; Lk 14:14; Jn 5:28; Rev. 20:4-6).  So even though these men were dead, they were as good as alive at that moment because God’s promise of a resurrection is unchangeable (Rom. 4:17).

In Halloween the spirits of the dead wander the earth.  In Christianity, the Bible teaches that for Christians, “to be absent from the body…” is “to be present with the Lord.” (2Cor.5:8) 

Halloween is just the opposite of Christianity

There is nothing about Halloween that is Christian.   The Scriptures say that Almighty God is the GOD OF THE LIVING, not the God of the dead!   In Luk 9:60 – 62  “Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.   And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.   And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

No Christian, whose hope is in Christ and His promise for eternal life, should ever celebrate festivities dedicated to the dead.

Where are we as a society?

They say there are many cultures in America – black culture, white… Asian, Hispanic…But there’s a single culture that moves freely throughout all these cultures – in our politics, in our entertainment, even in our religion, and that’s the culture of death.

This is not a term I made up. Pope John Paul II actually coined this termed.  He was referring to the United States and Poland, and their positions on things like abortion, euthanasia, cloning and so forth.  But long before the Pope the term – culture of death - was used in Colonial Europe to describe those barbaric cultures that glorified or worshipped death.

Is Halloween a part of this culture of death?

Let's take a look at a few statistics.  A report from The National Retail Federation said that Americans spent $6.9 billion in Halloween costumes and candy and decorations in 2002.  The National Confectioners Association says Halloween is the number-one holiday for candy sales, beating out Christmas, Easter and Valentine's Day.  The celebration grows more & more every year.  And what is it? A celebration of death.  In America we have murdered approximately 50 million innocent unborn babies.  We are killing and fighting for more power to kill at will those with certain illnesses.  We are fixated on violence, murder and horror on our TV sets.  The Bible and prayer has been taken out of our schools; but gangs and sex and violence have all poured in almost non-stop.  Halloween fits right in the mix.  It thrives & grows in a culture fixed on death, fear and destruction.

85 to 90 percent of children in the U.S. go trick-or-treating or participate in some form of Halloween activity every year, and many adults join in with them.  In the year 2000 the National Retail Federation did a poll.  They found that 65 percent of U.S. adults between 18 and 34 attended some form of Halloween costume party or celebration.

Let’s talk about greeting cards.  More than 24 million Halloween cards are sent out every year.  Halloween is now the eighth most popular card-sending occasion in the United States, according to Hallmark Cards.

Right now in the U.S. Halloween lags just behind New Year's Eve and the Super Bowl in total number of parties.  And it's second only to Christmas in total consumer dollars spent.  Also, the National Retail Federation reported that American consumers spent an average of $44 per household in 2002 on Halloween candy, costumes and decorations.  Now families with young children spent an average of $62.   Trick-or-treaters rake in a lot of candy every October 31.  Typically, more than 85 percent of U.S. households hand out candy on Halloween night.

CULTURE OF DEATH

We live in a society where: 1) The federal government refuses any restrictions on abortion, even at the moment of birth; 2) Regular news accounts tell us where mothers abandon or even kill their own newborns; 3) On the other side of the spectrum, a certain doctor cannot be convicted of murder in any degree as he proudly ends the life of his patients.

Patrick J. Buchanan, World Net Daily article, March 30, 2005 – “From abortion on demand in 1973, to a right to die in Oregon, to a right to suicide in Holland, to involuntary euthanasia in the old folks homes on the old and dying continent of Europe, to America's death sentence for Terri Schiavo, the West advances steadily toward its own death.   As we find more and more justifications for ending life, we also find that not one Western nation has a native-born population that is growing. All are dying. Before century's end, the West ends, as T.S. Eliot wrote, "Not with a bang, but a whimper."

---------------

Wesley J. Smith, an expert on the growing culture of death that is being proposed and implemented by hospitals and bioethicists, wrote: "Now, a new medical hegemony is arising, one that proclaims the right to declare which of us have lives worth living and are therefore worth treating medically, and which of us do not.

"Unless people object strongly . . . to this duty to die . . . and legislatures take active steps to intervene, this new and deadly game of 'Doctor Knows Best' will be coming soon to a hospital near you."

---------------------

A medical ethics writer, Nancy Valko, wrote: "This theory [that some lives are no longer worth living] has now evolved into 'futile care' policies at hospitals in Houston, Des Moines, California and many other areas. Even Catholic hospitals are now becoming involved. . . . Thus, the 'right to die' becomes the 'duty to die,' with futile care policies offering death as the only 'choice.' . . . A poor prognosis, which can be erroneous and is seldom precise, will become a death sentence."

How do we get out of this?

First of all, “Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” (Rom.5:20)

Act 19:11-20  And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:   So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.  Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth.  And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests, which did so.   And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?   And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.   And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.   And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.   Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.   So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

-         We must Repent from the evil we have done

-         Turn your life over to Jesus Christ.  Follow His teachings and obey His commandments.

-         Find a Spirit-led, Bible believing church in which to become a part

Again, it’s important to understand the truth about Halloween: it’s a spiritual counterfeit! It’s a pagan holiday. It’s based entirely on the worship of the dead.   Halloween is the trick, not the treat. It is the trick that has been played on innocent children and an unsuspecting world.

God’s word says that the time will come when Jesus Christ will rule the entire earth and the knowledge of God will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9). In that day, people will honor God’s Sabbaths and His holy days.

For more information on how to obtain Darrell C. Porter as a speaker or seminar leader at your church or ministry on this or other Bible-based topic  Click Here.

"And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one." Zech.14:9

Back to Top

 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aired Sunday, October 1, 2006 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA

Special Guest: Darrell C. Porter

KKVV Radio  - History of Halloween –

Halloween wasn't much observed in America until the 1840's when large numbers of immigrants came over from Ireland and Scotland.

During the 1800s when Irish and Scottish immigrants came to North America they also brought their Halloween festivities with them.  Over the years the celebrations have changed considerably.  In Europe the celebration had been connected with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day.  But that’s pretty much fallen by the wayside and  replaced with new secular traditions.

It’s important to understand that the celebration of Halloween is a relic of pagan times and superstitious tradition.

All Hallows' Eve or All Hallow E'en, is marked with tradition of witches, ghosts, hobgoblins and spirits.  Its games and incantations is a time for pranks and parties in a lot of North country homes. 

Halloween was also a Roman festival.  The Druids of Ireland (The Druids were the priests and the law in pre-Roman Europe.)  blended some of the characteristics of the Roman festival in honor of Pomona which was held about November 1, in which nuts and apples, representing the winter store of fruits, played an important part.   Halloween can be seen in different forms all around the world. It’s found in both Christian and non-Christian countries. Halloween began way before Christianity. Marie Trevelyan, in her book Folk Stories of Wales, writes the following.

"In Wales it was firmly believed that on All Hallows' Eve the spirit of a departed person was to be seen at midnight on every crossroad and every stile."

    The practices involved in Halloween are also found in Mexico. In the book Adonis by James Frazer, the practice of Halloween is clearly identified, not only by its date, but also by its symbolism and rituals.

"The Miztecs of Mexico believed that the dead came back in the twelfth month of the year, which corresponded to our November. On this day of All Souls the houses were decked out to welcome the spirits. Jars of food and drink were set on a table in the principal room, and the family went out with the torches to meet the ghosts and invite them to enter. Then, returning to the house they knelt around the table, and with their eyes bent on the ground, prayed the souls to accept the offerings." (p. 244)                  

a.    Origin - Celtic Religion – History traces Halloween back to the ancient religion of the Celtics. The Celtics were very conscious of the spiritual world and had their own ideas of how they could gain access to it - such as by helping their over 300 gods to defeat their enemies in battle, or by imitating the gods in showing cleverness and cunning. Their two main feasts were Beltane at the beginning of summer (May 1), and Samhain at the end of summer (Nov. 1). They believed Samhain was a time when hostile supernatural forces were active and ghosts and spirits were free to wander as they wished.

Samhain was the supreme night of demonic jubilation. Spirits of the dead would rise out of their graves and wander the countryside, trying to return to the homes where they formerly lived. The frightened villagers would try to appease these wandering spirits by offering them gifts of fruit and nuts. This is the origin of our present day "trick-or-treat." These villagers started the tradition of placing plates of the best food and bits of treats the household had to offer on their doorsteps, as gifts, to appease the hunger of the ghostly wanderers. If they didn’t do this the villagers were afraid the spirits would kill their flocks or destroy their property.  
 
The problem was... if the souls of dead loved ones could return that night, so could anything else, human or not, nice or not-so-nice. The only thing the superstitious people knew to do to protect themselves on such an occasion was to masquerade as one of the demonic hoard, and hopefully blend in unnoticed among them. Wearing masks and other disguises and blackening their faces with soot were originally ways of hiding oneself from the spirits of the dead who might be roaming around. This is the origin of Halloween masquerading as devils, imps, ogres, and other demonic creatures.

b.    How Did Halloween become a Christian celebrationNot until the fourth century did the pagan vigil for the god of light give way to All Hallows, the mass for Christian saints; and not until the tenth century, did the Druids' death feast become All Souls' the day of prayer for souls that had entered rest. Cakes for the dead were substituted for human sacrifice, fortune-telling for heathen augury (foretelling, divination), lighted candles for the old Baal fires.

 The book, The Mysteries of All Nations by James Grant (archeologist), records the story of how the pagan celebration we call Halloween became a Christian practice. Grant explains that the Emperor Hadrian rebuilt the Pantheon about 100 A.D. and dedicated it to the goddess Cybele and other Roman gods.
   
The Pantheon became the central place for worship. However, before the sixth century,
Rome was invaded and was controlled by barbaric tribes. After the defeat of the Barbarians by Emperor Phocas, the Pantheon was retaken and given to Pope Boniface IV as a gift. As a result, this great temple now became "holy" and was dedicated to the Virgin Mary and all the saints. It became a shrine where Christians could pay homage to Mary and others who had died in the faith.
   
An annual holiday was commemorated to this end. May 13 was first chosen and this day became known as "All Saints Day." Later, the date was changed to November first and the name changed to "All Hallows," and ultimately to "Halloween."
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]>
An interesting fact is that Protestants have continued the celebration of Halloween in part because "it was on this day in 1517, that Martin Luther posted his ninety-five theses on the door of the castle church at Wittenberg" which started the Protestant Reformation. "He chose Halloween night because he knew that the townsfolk would be coming to the church that night." (Halloween Through Twenty Centuries, Ralph Linton, pp 9-10).


Because the leaders of the Reformation did not believe in Saints, there could be no "All Saints Day." No "All Saints Day" meant no "Halloween." So, to please those who still wanted to celebrate these festivities, the Halloween revelries were moved to November fifth and renamed "Guy Fawkes Day."   Guy Fawkes was one of a group who plotted to blow up the Protestant English Parliament. Guy Fawkes Day celebrated the failure of this plot. But it was still Halloween in spirit; bon fires were lit, lanterns were carved in turnips, and children went begging for money. Halloween survived the Protestant reformation to live on with all its ancient and pagan traditions.

Witches and witchcraft are dominant themes of the holiday. Witches generally believe themselves to be followers of an ancient religion, called ‘wicca’ that goes back far beyond Christianity.  Now, witches are just one aspect of the modern revival of paganism. The apostle Paul said in Gal 5:19-21  “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

 "Deu 18:10-12 “There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.  For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."  

Origin of Trick or Treat At this special time of the year, it was believed that there was a very thin line between the living and the dead. During the time of Samhain, people believed ghosts of the dead were able to mingle with the living. It was feared that the dead would come back in search of bodies to possess the next year. This was the only means for these spirits to have an after-life. Fearing possession, the townsfolk did many things to trick the spirits or scare them away. 

At this time, Druid priests wore masks so they would not be recognized and attacked by evil spirits. Some believed that the spirits would leave you alone if you tricked them by dressing up to look like them. Others thought the wearing of frightening costumes would scare the evil spirits away. Many people even carved demonic faces in turnips or potatoes and put candles inside them, an early Jack-o-lantern, to frighten the spirits.
   

The "treat" part of this holiday came from attempts by some to "buy off" these evil spirits by giving them gifts. Some believed these spirits imprisoned the bodies of animals and could be released by giving gifts or tribute to the lord of the dead. James Napier, in his book Folklore, wrote about this practice.

     "There was a prevailing belief among all nations that at death the souls of good men were taken possession of by good spirits and carried to paradise, but the souls of the wicked men were left to wander in the space between the earth and moon, or consigned to the unseen world. These wandering spirits were in the habit of haunting the living... But there were means by which these ghosts might be exorcized."

    The idea that spirits possessed animals was just one belief. Others believed that the souls of the dead returned to their original homes and were to be entertained there with food and drink. If they were not given the things they desired, these spirits would cast spells and cause absolute havoc to the inhabitants of the home. Alexander MacGregor, in his book Highland Superstitions, writes, "It was the night for the universal walking about of all sorts of spirits, fairies, and ghosts, all of whom had liberty on that night."

    In an effort to exorcize these ghosts, people were encouraged to set out food as a form of treat. If the demons were satisfied, they would leave the individual in peace. If not, they would leave an evil spell.
 

c.   "There was a prevailing belief among all nations that at death the souls of good men were taken possession of by good spirits and carried to paradise, but the souls of the wicked men were left to wander in the space between the earth and moon, or consigned to the unseen world. These wandering spirits were in the habit of haunting the living... But there were means by which these ghosts might be exorcized."

d.   Jack O Lantern  -   As part of the Samhain celebration, Celts would bring home an ember from the communal bonfire at the end of the night. They carried these embers in hollowed-out turnips, creating a lantern resembling the modern day jack-o'-lantern.  

But the direct predecessor of jack-o'-lanterns dates from 18th century Ireland, where ancient Celtic traditions remained a significant part of the national culture. A very popular character in Irish folk tales was Stingy Jack, a disreputable miser who, on several occasions, avoided damnation by tricking the devil (often on All Hallows' Eve). In one story, he convinced Satan to climb up a tree for some apples, and then cut crosses all around the trunk so the devil couldn't climb down. The devil promised to leave Jack alone forever, if he would only let him out of the tree.

When Jack eventually died, he was turned away from Heaven, due to his life of sin. But, in keeping with their agreement, the Devil wouldn't take Jack either. He was cursed to travel forever as a spirit in limbo. As Jack left the gates of Hell, the Devil threw him a hot ember to light the way in the dark. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed-out turnip, & wandered off into the world. According to the Irish legend, you might see Jack's spirit on All Hallows' Eve, still carrying his turnip lantern through the darkness.

Traditional jack-o'-lanterns, hollowed-out turnips with embers or candles inside, became a very popular Halloween decoration in Ireland and Scotland a few hundred years ago. Folk tradition held that they would ward off Stingy Jack and other spirits on Halloween, and they also served as representations of the souls of the dead. Irish families who emigrated to America brought the tradition with them, but they replaced the turnips with the more plentiful pumpkins. As it turns out, pumpkins were easier to carve than turnips. People began to cut frightening faces and other elaborate designs into their jack-o'-lanterns.

 

For more information on how to obtain Darrell C. Porter as a speaker or seminar leader at your church or ministry on this or other
Bible-based topic  Click Here.

"And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one." Zech.14:9

Back to Top

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

THE POWER BLOG

Christian based News & World Events, Faith, Finances, Health & much more. Online Now at www.oneaglewings.com/power

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Halloween FAQ's

Q. What night is Halloween night?

A: The night of October 31. (e.g. the evening beginning October 31 through midnight November 1)

Q: Some answers to questions about definitions for various Halloween related words:
• Allhallows/Allhallow is All Saints' Day, November 1st.
• All Hallows Eve = Halloween, Oct. 31st The evening before Allhallows.
• Allhallowmas is the feast of All Saints.
• Allhallown means of or pertaining to the time of Allhallows. "Allhallown summer." i. e., late summer; "Indian Summer".
• Allhallowtide: The time at or near All Saints, or November 1st. The evening preceding Allhallows or All Saints' Day.
• Hallowmas [See Mass, the eucharist.]: The feast of All Saints, or Allhallows.

Home | Inspiration | Invitation | Information | Contact Us