Family 2015

Family 2015

Monday, October 17, 2011

Halloyuck.

I really don't like Halloween.  There have been groups of Christians that have been down on this particular holiday for years, but that's not why I don't like it.  I mean, I don't buy into the whole idea that if I let my kids dress up and collect candy that I somehow pay homage to the devil.  But...

I really don't like going into grocery stores and being accosted by headless, bloody mannequins.  I don't like driving past "Lucifer's Lair" everyday on my way to drop my kids off at school.  I don't like seeing rows and rows of size 2T  "Jason" and "evil witch" costumes.

We do participate in Halloween.  Truth be known, 4 out of my 5 kids would probably tell you that next to Christmas, it is their favorite holiday.  I mean, from a kid's perspective, it is pretty cool to get to play dress-up and have all your neighbors give you free candy for your efforts. It is pretty awesome to be able to go to school in your costume and have a parade.  So, I play along. 

I tell you what, though.  November 1st is one of my favorite days of the year.  I am so glad that we get Thanksgiving and Christmas to help scrub away all the Halloween yuck.

4 comments:

  1. Forgive me but this is one issue I find difficult to remain silent about. I agree with you, Yvonne. I don’t like Halloween either. BUT, I’m one of those in that group that says you shouldn’t participate. OUCH! Sorry. It’s not that I think I’d be paying homage to the devil. No offense intended but,what is the point of Halloween? Every Holiday has a point, Christmas, Easter, Valentines Day, Columbus Day, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day...they all have a point. What is the point of Halloween? Honestly, I’m not sure that Halloween isn’t his version of Christmas (in that the world hypes it up and aims it at the innocent…..children). Satan likes to take good things and pervert them.
    I got born again in 1976 and a couple of years after that I had the opportunity to hear Mike Warnke speak when I went to one of his comedic concerts. About half way through He gave his testimony. He had been a satanist high priest and I have never forgotten the things he told us about what goes on every year on that night. I wish I could. The things he told were horrific…things they did, not only to animals but to children, runaways. He was quite blunt. My heart hurt for all the children that had fallen prey to the satanists. It forever changed my attitude about satanism, and Halloween. Witchcraft is real and there are real covens today. It is nothing to ignore as not true.
    A while back there were accusations made against M.W. that he was a fraud and all the satanic things he spoke about were lies. While he did admit to embellishment and exaggeration in his book “The Satan Seller”, he was exonerated in that the facts of his occult practices were true. I would recommend reading ‘Satan Seller’ by Mike Warnke. Although there may be theatrical exaggeration, truth of the occult is still there. I am not sure if he still helps the police but he used to be the foremost expert the police would bring in on cases involving satanic worship. I guess I’m sayin all this because I do believe satanic rituals go on and that their highest day of worship is Halloween.
    Does everyone worship satan when they participate in Halloween? No. But what are they doing? That is up to each person to decide for themselves.
    As a mother I have had to deal with how I was going to handle that issue of "everyone else is doing it", & "all the kids are getting candy" I decided to head it off before they could ask those questions. They grew up knowing the truth and having other fun...candy producing festivities. My kids have never been trick or treating. We have found many alternatives that worked for us. My children have dressed up in character costumes and been to Hallelujah parties and fall festivals. Two weeks before Halloween and two weeks after we celebrate Kristi and Dena’s birthdays. Sometimes we just had a combined birthday party for them on that day. One year I bought candy and hid it in our basement that night and we turned the lights off and they hunted for it with flashlights. Ever since that year, my children have begged me to do that again and again. So, that’s what we’ve done for years now. Through the years as my girls got older friends of theirs were shocked to hear they’d never gone trick or treating. Has it embarrassed them, caused them emotional or mental problems? No. They just tell them what they have done. We’ve never made a big deal of it. They knew what other kids were doing and they knew what we were going to do. Plain and simple.

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  2. Mary, I actually have read Mike Warnke's stuff. To my understanding he not only admitted to exaggeration, but also admitted he had never been a drug dealer or a Satanic high priest. It doesn't mean that I don't believe those things happen, but it does kind of ruin his credibility in my eyes.

    I attended a church that believed trick or treating was bad. We had "Hallelujah" parties and the like and it was fun and harmless. But, before we started attending that church, I did get to trick or treat a few times. Here's the rub: it was also fun and harmless.

    I think, that like Christmas, Halloween has become an Americanized holiday. Just as there are many people who celebrate Christmas with no understanding of Jesus, there are many people (like me)who take their kids trick or treating without giving the devil a second thought.

    I can promise you that the hoards of kids who tromp merrily through my neighborhood dressed as ladybugs, princesses, army men, ghosts and goblins are just out there having fun.

    To me, it's about the issue of one's heart. It may be true that some people use Oct. 31st to get their evil on, but I'm not one of them.

    I do not, however, believe that your kids have suffered because they haven't been trick or treating. And, I certainly respect your right to disagree with me. :)

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  3. Yvonne…I hope you know I didn’t mean my comments as an attack. Personal attack was WAY NOT my intention. This is just one subject I am very passionate about and sometimes I get excited and it sounds like I’m jumping on someone. I wasn’t, or didn’t mean to. I apologize if I did or if it came across like that to you or anyone. I would never accuse you of doing anything evil and I certainly know you in no way worship satan. You are a strong Christian woman of God and I admire you in many ways.

    I agree with you in part that it is an issue of the heart and I reiterate from my first comment, “does everyone worship satan when they participate in Halloween? No.”

    Yes, I know there are plenty of people who do Halloween without thought and just for fun…as a matter of fact 99% probably do. You and I are not going to agree on whether we should or not but that’s ok, friends don’t agree on everything all the time….that would just be boring anyway!

    I’m thankful for the forum to feel free to state my opinion.

    I had read all the info on the "scandal" involving MW too because I was shocked to hear about it. I felt duped…but, I have recently researched it again and found his new ministry..Celebration of Hope. You can check it out at MikeWarnke.org On that website there is a 38 page document (which I researched on http://www.harvestnet.org/basics/money.htm as well) that describes how Mike asked for and submitted himself to elders, a Tribunal Board that did an investigation. He admitted to financial mishandling and his personal life being all off.. marriages and divorces, etc...but he never denied his occult involvement, nor his testimony. The Board oversaw his life/ministry for 13 years, cleared him of the accusation of lying about his testimony and aided him in being restored.

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  4. No, I didn't feel attacked at all. I was just clarifying my reasoning. I am glad to hear that he was cleared of the lying accusation, although wikipedia hasn't heard of that decision. (I double-checked what I had heard about him on there before I responded yesterday).

    I concur, constant agreement is very boring. :)
    Yvonne

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