Abstain from all appearance of evil -- 1Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV)
We have written extensively over the years about Halloween. I have heard the tired excuses that pass for arguments. At the end of the day, Christians who want to celebrate are going to celebrate Halloween and you know what? It is not the unpardonable sin but remember that while all might be permissible, all is not beneficial. The fact that we can do something does not mean we should. My writing has largely been to stop Christian Halloween advocates from mangling the bible and our faith to defend their indefensible position. It also has been to warn from a spiritual warfare perspective because while you might think it is adorable to dress your eight year old up as a princess you are planting seeds. You are always teaching your children and you have lost the moral high ground when you allow Halloween while they are growing up. This devotional is in response to a recent article linked above. The title alone made me laugh in heretical irony, "Hillsong Pastor Explains Why You Should Let Your Child Trick-or-Treat, Despite Warning: 'Spiritual Darkness Is Surrounding Everything." Ironically, I guess there is no better advocate for spiritual darkness than a Hillsong Pastor. Buckle up beloved, there's a train wreck up ahead.
"Nathan Finochio, author and pastor at Hillsong Church, is tackling the topic this year, arguing that the word of God allows Christians to redefine everything. In a story shared to Instagram, Finochio listed out 10 reasons parents should let their children trick or treat:
1.Don't instill fear of the world.
2.Don't teach them that the world has more fun.
3.Don't teach them superstition.
4.Don't teach them isolationism.
5.Don't teach them a lack of faith.
6.Teach them common grace -- candy is from God and that to the pure all things are pure.
7.Teach them the redemptive motif -- that we reinterpret culture and give it a new meaning.
