Should Christians Participate in Halloween?

In the middle of the global warming question and televisions across America buzzing with messages of our planet in peril, fires burning out of control in California with thousands losing their homes, Islamists learning to drive American school buses in a plot to kidnap American schoolchildren, and a leader in Iran who is hoping to speed up the return of the 12^th Imam by creating international chaos, another important issue has just been brought to America's attention by ChristiaNet.com-the danger of Halloween to America's children.

Recently, ChristiaNet.com asked its readers, "Should Christians participate in Halloween?"

Two-thousand Christians participated in the survey on the issue of Halloween, and over 66% believed that "all Christians should avoid the celebration of Halloween all together". ChristiaNet President Bill Cooper seemed to set the tone by stating in a media advisory that "It is the responsibility of the parents to explain the origins of traditions to their children." And many of the survey respondents were clear that they believe the origins of the Halloween holiday are devilish, to say the least.

Some respondents pointed to the origins of the holiday as being overwhelmingly pagan. One respondent said, "Halloween was a pagan festival and still is. If we participate in it, what are we teaching our children". One Christian respondent stated: "Halloween is evil. It glorifies the Devil!" Some wanted to keep the "holy" in "holiday", and advocated celebrating holiness instead of the "devilry" of Halloween. One respondent was quite clear on this point--"Celebrations should always be about honoring Christ and those that behave in a Christ like fashion. I don't see where Halloween falls into that because there is nothing Christian about Devil's Day".