violet

smellycat

violet you know the ending,it is written in black and white.the more we go away from truth we go to lies.at the end the people believe the lies.so it may be harmless fun now,but in 6 generations time they might be saying,why didn,t you stop it,why lead us to death.we have to be responsible for our youth.

Boanerges

Warning this is not ontended to offend but to express a PERSONAL VIEW
Some view it in this context:

2Co 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2Co 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

smellycat

exactly,correct brother the diffrence is all through ot,a women said to myself that the ot is only for jewish.

Boanerges

The old testament is indeed written for you and I to learn from.

seekinghokmah

All excellent points, perhaps the holiday itself is indeed irredeemable, but I am currently unconvinced. I still tend to think that avoiding the day entirely because of what some or even most people do may not be the best reaction. The historical aspects of Halloween are not all negative nor are all aspects of the modern American phenomenon.

By participating in a positive way we stand to demonstrate we are open minded AND uncompromising regarding our Christian values…I believe it is possible to be both. (I’m not insinuating you are closed minded by the way)

If we honor God every day, it no longer becomes an issue whether we succeed in honoring Him on Oct. 31st. We already participate in other secular activities, to refrain is one option, and positive participation is another. If we cannot participate consistently as a corporate Christian body I do not see this as problematic…few households or even churches celebrate Christmas in precisely the same way. It is understood that we celebrate Jesus birth at Christmas; all we need do is demonstrate that at Halloween we celebrate Jesus victory over death rather than fearing it or glorifying the macabre. How we do this can be unique to each individual but no less effective, though gearing our participation toward overt evangelism would be going too far in my opinion. Christmas and Easter aren’t really about evangelism either, evangelism is only a small part of the Christian lifestyle…one body, many functions.

I can see your point about offering “alternatives�, many people see Christian rock music as just that; a poor alternative to a secular entity. But it is the secular designation that is key; Halloween is secular for all but a fringe selection of our society. If it is secular then it is not, by nature, diametrically opposed to Christianity.

Your career choice is a prime example…I’m sure you are able to find many creative ways to express your values from within your position, in spite of the fact that much of the subject manner could appear offensive or macabre on the surface. If you can get beyond the surface in the field of SFX, why not with Halloween?

My primary observation is that positive participation is a productive action, and avoiding the day is a negative reaction. I believe the former will have a greater impact and will provide a more effective witness. Failing to respect each other’s approach, however, would be most destructive…that must certainly be avoided.

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Good questions, when answered, innevitably lead to better ones. The light is in the search, and the search itself is the destination.

KitsapGirl

Boy I wish it was my career! I do the makeup for the hospital triage drills, and for our Resurrection Sunday productions. The makeup is just that makeup. I do use it to glorify God. When I do the makeup on "Jesus" I want people to see what he endured for us. If it looks real, I've done my job. My avatar is an example of my handiwork. When I do it for the hospital, I want it to look real so that the nurses react closer to how they would if it were not a drill.

It's kinda funny to me...people are offended by, and even afraid of death, decay and lifeless bodies...but not afraid of what is really a threat to their souls...disbelief.

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KitsapGirl

Thank you1 I couldn't remember where to find these verses. This is how I view Christians participating in halloween.

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smellycat

but in a gory way you worry myself with your picture,jesus is salvation not gore.

KitsapGirl

You are correct...but it's the shedding of His Blood that covers our sins, and saves us. I worry more about people who are offended by the Blood of Jesus.

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