8 reasons why I believe Halloween is not harmless fun
Halloween is one of the biggest events in the British calendar, ranking third in income generated for retailers behind Easter and Christmas.
It is seen as a time to have fun without considering its background and implications. Some even defend it saying that it is ‘harmless nonsense’.
Is it harmless? And is it nonsense? Let me give you eight reasons why Halloween is not harmless and not nonsense.
For the first six reasons I have drawn on the excellent piece in today’s Daily Mirror by the Reverend J. John. I have written them in précis form but if you wish to read the full article click here.
1. HALLOWEEN CELEBRATES EVIL
Halloween remains, at its core, an event that glorifies the dark, creepy and scary side of life. The costumes people wear focus on evil, violence and fear. Regardless of our view of life we should be encouraging children to care for others and know the difference between right and wrong. On Halloween we are sending mixed messages to our children
2. HALLOWEEN IS UNHELPFUL
More mixed messages. We warn children about the danger of talking to and taking sweets from strangers who may pose a threat and that they need to take precautions. At Halloween we put aside this rule and encourage knocking on the doors of strangers and accepting sweets from them
Do we want to send mixed messages to our children?
3. HALLOWEEN TRIVIALISES BAD THINGS
On Halloween we pretend that death, deformity and evil are just kids’ play. Yet we live in a world that is horrified by the acts of violence, beheadings and disfigurement that are being use by fighters in Syria and Northern Iraq as instruments of terror.
4. HALLOWEEN IS OFFENSIVE
Halloween has become a time when disfigurement and ugliness is glorified. Consider though how those severely disfigured or with terrible scarring feel. Do we want to spread the message that ugliness and disfigurement equate to evil?
5. HALLOWEEN IS GETTING WORSE
Increasingly, people are expressing concern, about the way that Halloween seems to be getting darker and nastier every year.
6. HALLOWEEN ALLOWS EVIL A VICTORY
There is no message that good triumphs over evil. At Halloween evil is unchallenged and just slips away into the darkness, to return at some other time. Our world needs a message of hope that good does eventually triumph over evil. I would point out here, that evil cost Jesus His life when He died on the cross to overcome evil with good. Good did triumph which is why we celebrate Easter
7. HALLOWEEN ENCOURAGES BULLYING AND ACTS OF ANTI SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
At no other time of year would parents or any responsible citizen condone bullying. Yet is that not what we are doing when we encourage people to hand over goodies for fear of getting a “trick”?
8. GOD WARNS US AGAINST IT
My final reason is that God warns about the dangers of meddling with the powers of evil. Read it for yourself in Isaiah chapter 8 verse 19. There is also more than one account in the Bible about how meddling in the dark side of spiritual powers ends in trouble for the individual. You can read how a king tries it out and what happens in the Bible in the first book of Samuel chapter 28.
