Musings About Halloween

I have to admit, I’m probably like most other American Christians. I recognize Halloween is the celebration of death, fear and the occult, but  we still give out candy to the kids who come by. We don’t hand out Bible verses or preach to them. We just play along and are glad when it’s over.

But I got to thinking. I wonder if witches and others who are into the occult (notice I didn’t say “who dabble in the occult”–I don’t know what it is about the occult that prompts dabbling, and I’m not even sure what dabbling is) are upset that Halloween has become so commercialized.

As I mentioned in the post yesterday, Halloween is the second biggest holiday in the United States in terms of money spent.  Just two years ago, Americans spent $5.1 billion on Halloween, more than Easter, Mother’s Day and Thanksgiving.

So, I wonder, do the witches and occultists long for the days when people celebrated Halloween for what it really is: the glorification of death, fear and the occult?

Do they complain that pumpkin farmers and companies like Hallmark have taken the true spirit out of the holiday? I wonder if they talk about the good old days when people didn’t even bother with giving homeowners the option of “trick or treat” but went straight to the vandalism and property damage.

Or maybe they boycott Halloween completely and instead hold all night vigils with their covens where they break out their Ouiji boards and Dungeons and Dragons, while listening to the backmasking on Stairway to Heaven.

I don’t know, I’m just guessing, but it seems plausible. GS

The History of Halloween

I like history, and since tomorrow is Halloween, I thought you might be interested in how Halloween came to be.

A long, long time ago, in a land far, far away there lived a people named the Celts. The Celts originated in what is now Europe but later migrated to what is today Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and parts of England. They later migrated from Ireland to Boston, Massachussetts where they founded an NBA franchise that would go on to win 17 championships under such greats as Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Larry Bird.

The Celts believed in a spirit called Samhain, meaning “Lord of Death.” At the end of their year (October 31), they believed Samhain came to the earth to collect the spirits of all the people who died during the year and lead them to the afterlife. They also believed demonic spirits roamed the earth.

To appease the evil spirits, or trick them, the Celts would dress up in costumes and masks to look like demons, hoping the real demons would mistake them for one of their own and not destroy their crops or act in other uncivil ways toward them. Apparently the Celts didn’t believe these evil spirits had good eyesight, or maybe they are a lot like people today and didn’t believe what they were celebrating at all.

In the eighth century Pope Gregory III, in an effort to snuff out the pagan celebration, moved All Saints Day from May 13 to November 1, making October 31, “All Hallows Eve.” Unfortunately this was about as effective as the Inquisition.

Later the Irish version of English, as it is, resulted in “All Hallows Eve” being shortened to “Halloween.”  In the 1840’s, the Irish brought Halloween with them as they immigrated to the United States.

Today, Halloween is the second biggest holiday in the United States in terms of money spent.  Just two years ago, Americans spent $5.1 billion on Halloween, more than Easter, Mother’s Day and Thanksgiving.

So, there you have it. The history of Halloween. If you have any other questions, please direct them to the Celts’s front office in Boston. GS

Ten People I’d Most Like To Meet

(c)iStockphoto.com/Dizeloid

I’ve met some interesting people.  Some are well-known: Sean Connery, Bobby Knight, and Arnold Palmer come to mind.

The ones who’ve had the most influence on me (besides family) are Dennis Peacocke and George Grant, whom I both count as friends, and two pastors I’ve had.  But there are some people I’ve never met with whom I would love to meet and talk.  Here they are:

1. The Apostle Paul. Bold, evangelistic, and heuvos the size of Texas.  Confronted Peter and preached the gospel to Nero, the Athenian Supreme Court, Sergius Paulus, Agrippa, Felix, Festus.  Need I continue?

2. Charlemagne. Changed his world and brought about a cultural renaissance by the propogation of Christianity throughout what is now Europe.

3. Moses. A liberator.  Freed people from oppression and gave them a vision for the future.

4. Constantine. (a/ka Caesar Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus Augustus, Constantine the Great, Constantine I).  The first Christian emperor of the Roman Empire.  Was the first to attempt to model a Christian nation and did a pretty good job of it considering.

5. Herman Melville. A Christian and perhaps the greatest writer who ever lived.  Not appreciated in his time, but a true genuis.

6. Saint Louis. (Louis IX of France).  A brave, virtuous man who insisted on going before his men into battle.  Loved the Lord and ruled righteously.  A model for any Christian leader.

7. C.S. Lewis. A honest, clear thinker and great writer who left us all the wiser for having given us a candid glimpse into his mind and life.

8. Polycarp. A Christian martyr who went out in a cool, Dirty Harry style. I blogged on him here under the title, The Kingdom’s Dirty Harry.

9. Godfrey de Bouillon. The recognized leader of the first crusade who, upon entering Jerusalem victoriously refused the peoples’ request to be called king of Jerusalem, stating, “How can I wear a crown of gold in a place where my King wore a crown of thorns?”

10. John Calvin.  More responsible for Western thought than you probably realize.  A brilliant guy who wrote his masterpiece, The Institutes of Christian Religion when he was just twenty-six years old.  He also had a law degree.

You may have noticed that all these men are dead, but they are all Christians.  So, perhaps I’ll meet them in heaven.  Who would be on your list?

Why Being A Swell Guy Won’t Cut It

It’s what everybody thinks until they read the Bible:  “If I’m good enough the Lord will let me into heaven.”

It’s what I thought before I became a Christian, and it is the default philosophy for just about everyone who thinks they are a Christian but have never read what the Bible says about the subject.  On the scale of accurateness though this philosophy is right there with the flat earth society.

There are some good reasons the Lord didn’t set up a goodness standard as the test for eternal life.

First, how would anyone this side of heaven ever know how good was good enough?  One could never know whether one had done enough good to have their ticket punched.

Second, it would make us the means to our own salvation.  We would, in effect, become our own saviors.  While that might seem attractive at first blush, it would actually foster pride, which makes us more self-centered and less good.  The means to our salvation would become the means to our own destruction. Our quest for salvation would ensure its failure.

Third, it would create an uneven playing field because people who come from broken homes, are victims of physical or sexual abuse or other dysfunctional conduct, would always start off at a severe disadvantage as a result of something over which they had no control.  That would hardly be fair.

It makes sense then that the Bible says to the Christian, “…by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.”  (Eph. 2:8-9).

Salvation occurs by believing on Jesus who paid the price for our sin.  It is Jesus who saves, not us.  And it happens by grace, i.e., as a gift that is offered to us by God.  If it was a result of our good works, we would be able to brag and be full of pride.  And, salvation happens on the even playing field of the heart, about as fair a playing field as you can find in a fallen world.

Seems like the Lord knew what He was doing. GS

History v. Fantasy

In response to Christianity’s claims regarding Jesus’ resurrection many critics argue first century people were just naive and prone to believe fantasy and myth. Not hardly.  Consider the following.

This from Peter:  “For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.” (2 Peter 1:16).

From the blind man whom Jesus healed, responding to a disbelieving crowd: “Since the beginning of time it has never been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind.” (John 9:32).

Thomas, after hearing initial reports of the resurrection: “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25).

Jesus’ miracles validated his authority and His resurrection validated His identity, and He hid neither in clever theological arguments but instead planted them firmly in history, in space and time, where they could be observed by all who would attempt to answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?” GS