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To the Editor:
Many Christian pastors see Halloween as an opportunity to reach out, says Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research. McConnell says, “This is a time when your neighbors literally come to your doorstep and pastors don’t want their church members to waste that chance to make a connection or invite someone to church.” A survey by LifeWay found that two-thirds (67 percent) of Protestant pastors say they encourage church members to ask their neighbors to a church-related event like a fall fair, trunk-or-treat or judgment house. About 25 percent of pastors encourage church members to hand out Christian gospel tracts at Halloween with their candy. Only 8 percent of pastors (mostly old pastors) want church members to skip Halloween completely. Tract and treat is far better than “trick or treat!”
Christian parents should make careful decisions based on a Bible informed Christian conscience.
The Bible says do everything for the glory of God. The Bible in Philippians 4 says …”whatsoever things are true…honest..just…lovely…of a good report; if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.” Some Halloween practices are clearly out of bounds. Such things as watching violent bloody “slasher” films starring Michael Myers and Freddy Kruger are things the Bible says not to think on. Don’t watch or allow your children to watch any violent, creepy, gory horrible movies or shows. Beware of desensitization to evil and violence by what you see and hear. Beware of becoming addicted to video games and virtual reality games as millions are.
While “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” is suitable and safe for children. Also, corn mazes and pumpkin patches are popular. Fender’s Farm and Cornfield Maze, Beck Mountain Corn Maze and Doe River Gorge have Halloween activities for the family. Even with Tennessee sex offenders required to be in their homes with porch lights off on Halloween it’s not safe to allow children to go to homes without adult supervision. It’s great that the annual Elizabethton downtown trick-or-treating will take place on Friday, Oct. 29, from 3-4:30 p.m.
Halloween is a good time for Christians to remember that evil spirits (demons) are real and that the Devil will use every opportunity to get attention and promote his agenda. The evil agenda is to kill, steal, destroy and enslave. The devil uses addictions and fear of death to enslave according to Hebrews 2:14-15 and other verses. There are 1.5 million real witches in America. The world is getting darker and more violent and evil. However, God has the ultimate power over all evil forces!
Quarterback Tom Brady says his wife is a witch and her rituals helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl. Some witches are even claiming they are Christians. There are no “good witches” or “Christian witches.” Witchcraft means to communicate with the devil or the use of sorcery or magic. All witches have rejected Almighty God in a quest for unlimited power and control to direct life circumstances. The Bible rejects witchcraft more than a dozen times in both the Old and New Testaments. 1 Chronicles 10 states that King Saul died because he consulted a medium or witch. God commands in Leviticus 19:31, “Do not seek those with a familiar spirits, neither seek wizards (witches) for you will be defiled by them.” Revelation 21:8 states,”…sorcerers (those who practice magic arts such as witches)…shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone.” Galatians 5 lists both the fruit of the Spirit and the works or acts of the flesh. Witchcraft is listed among the evil works of the flesh. Isaiah 8 notes there’s an emptiness in witchcraft practices, stating, “they have no light in them.”
As Christians, we possess the wonderful knowledge that Jesus is the Light who has overcome the darkness (John 8:12) which people at Halloween tend to glorify. Rarely are we Christians provided with such a perfect opportunity on which to shine as lights in the dark world as on Halloween. Modern-day Halloween depictions of graveyards, ghosts, witches and gruesome horrors provide a perfect contrast to the light, life and goodness to be found only in Jesus. Angie Mosteller said, “Rather than abandoning Halloween to the lost, let us reclaim it for God’s glory. May God help us to be light in the darkness and find ways to creatively bring the ‘hallowed’ back into Halloween.” Rather than spending time wondering what God thinks about Halloween, whether you participate in Halloween festivities or not, commit October 31 to praying and thanking Jesus for being the light of the world and overcoming darkness and death, and share that good news with others.
Albert Mohler said, On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther began the Reformation with a declaration that the church must be recalled to the authority of God’s Word and the purity of biblical doctrine. With this in mind, the best Christian response to Halloween might be to ask the Lord God to rebuke the devil and then pray for the Reformation and revival of Jesus Christ’s church on earth. Let’s put the dark evil side on the defensive.

D.D. Nave
Elizabethton