Frank, you said:

"Celebrating Halloween is not an inadvertent thing
Trying to downplay it by comparing it to the tragedy of abortion doesn't work
Halloween is demonic and sacrifices do happen there
 
Harvest party is a good alternative
giving kids scripture is good also
 
Having your kids dress and participating in something that God forbids is not inadvertent
Big problems stem from little compromises"

How am I trying to 'downplay it'? My comparison to abortion is a valid point. In ancient times, people sacrificed animals and crops on Samhain (Summer's End), to appease the gods of nature (not knowing the Truth, since Jesus had not yet come). These people were ignorant to the Truth yet knew that sacrifices needed to be made. They also knew that they must protect and 'cover' themselves, which is what Jesus came to do for us. He protects us from Evil and covers us in His Blood to atone and remove all need for any other kind of sacrifices.

The 'holiday' of modern Halloween has nothing to do with those old ways. It's a familial and ethnic tradition brought to the US by the Irish in the 1800s. For those of pagan/wiccan beliefs, it is a New Years and Memorial day. My whole point of even talking about this is the fact that people get so caught up in the fear of 'inadvertantly' "celebrating" a 'pagan/satanic' day that they forget that EVERY day belongs to God. You can give a day to Satan if you want, but that's YOU giving it to him...

The comparison w/ abortion is this: EVERYDAY children are 'sacrificed' on the 'altar' of 'greed', 'expediency', 'lust', 'sloth', 'fear', and all manner of sin. These things are much more dangerous than letting a child 'trick or treat' one day of the year. No 'sacrifices' are being made when a kid puts on a 'Superman' costume or a little girl dresses up like a Princess and gets some candy. Those actions have NOTHING to do with Satanism, unless you put them there. Intent is more important that actions.

You totally contradicted yourself in your reply to me. You said that a 'harvest party' is a good alternative...then said that "Having your kids dress and participating in something that God forbids is not inadvertent
Big problems stem from little compromises"

Which is it?

I am trying to get the point across that you can redeem anything that Satan has tried to claim. One day out of the year, a very 'lessor' 'witches high day', does not have to invoke fear in us, we are blessed beyond the curse! Wouldn't your notion of allowing kids to go to a harvest party be a 'compromise'?

Do you realize there is a 'high day' every month of the year? There are some days that are much more 'witchy' than Halloween. I don't think you fully understand, since you don't get my point that as Christians, we should be putting a stop to the DAILY sacrifice/killing of the unborn in a more heated and active manner than worrying about letting our kids dress in costume and go to a party on or around Oct. 31st!. I think that that date, the anniversary of when Martin Luther posted his 'protests' onto the door of the church is a day to rejoice. It was the beginning of the Church getting back to the Truth of the Bible!

If you want to live in fear of a day that Satan has obviously fooled you into thinking belongs to him, that's your choice. I just think it's a waste of energy when there is TRUE evil in the world everyday. Fight that. Carving a pumpkin is not going to affect your salvation...it's a vegetable that was used often in the past as a holder for a candle...a LIGHT to keep a way the darkness...used by an uninformed people who KNEW they 'needed the Light', but had not yet been told the Gospel.

Instead of being fearful, why not educate?

I've been coming to Five Doves for a few years now, and every 'holiday' that comes around, the same time letters pop up. It's really sad that so many people want to snatch back from the Lord what He DIED to abolish. NONE of the days, nothing on the calendar belongs to Satan!! YOU are the ones making any day evil if you so choose to. Living in fear is what Satan wants. We are not called to live in fear, we are free from that, thanks to the Blood of the Lamb.

This is all I want to say about this...it's a shame that I fall into this trap every year...I always feel bad for people who are worried about 'celebrating a pagan holiday'...How can one do that if they are Born Again? Only a pagan can 'celebrate' in a pagan manner.

Break the shackles that keep you bound...we are FREE in the Lord.

That's all. I'm done.

Blessings to all...I'm sorry for my rant, I just can not wrap my head around the mindset here.

Suzi