I think your ministry is far out. The programs you did on Halloween were positively paranoid. How could there be anything wrong with “trick or treat”? Don’t you think you have a tendency to make mountains out of molehills?
Ephesians 5:11 states: “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” We take that verse seriously.
Jesus Christ came to bring life, but Halloween—both in the past and present—is associated with mayhem and death. Do Hindus celebrate Passover? Do Jews celebrate Ramadan? Of course not. It would be inappropriate for them to do so. Then why do Christians persist in celebrating a pagan festival that has occultic ties?
We don’t believe that putting on a sheet will turn you into a ghost any more than putting on a mask will turn you into a pumpkin. It’s not a matter of “magic.” But here is something that parents often ignore to their children’s peril: When children engage in such practices, they often lose a healthy respect for that which is evil.
We have always received varied responses to programs of this sort. Some, like you, are critical. Others, however, thank us for dealing with this issue in a forthright manner. We certainly don’t want to be a judge of your conscience.
That is between you and the Lord, but we do believe that this is an important matter and that our listeners ought to be familiar with the issues.
I was saved about a year ago and have two little children. I was really helped by your programs dealing with Halloween and have gotten the materials that you offered. My husband, however, is not a Christian. He thinks I am becoming fanatical and was really upset when I told him that I didn’t want the kids to go out on “trick or treat.” How can I handle this situation in my home?
Put yourself in your husband’s shoes. Since he is not a Christian, he looks at your devotion to Christ as “fanaticism.” This is not a surprising reaction. As a matter of fact, it is entirely predictable. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that it is impossible for a lost person to have spiritual discernment. Trying to “preach” to your husband and persuade him will most likely be counterproductive. Besides, to do so would be to go contrary to the Word of God. You need to follow the admonition of 1 Peter 3:1–2 where wives are told to win their husbands by their godly lifestyle, not by nagging.
An important question remains, however: What about your children? You are right to not want them to go out on “trick or treat.” Perhaps the best approach with your husband is to gently remind him about what often happens on Halloween. People put glass and nails in candy. Stress the danger that children face on Halloween and how Halloween has become a time when people play pranks on one another that sometimes are dangerous.
Police departments all over the country are reporting that there are a number of crimes that sharply rise on Halloween. The burning of vacant buildings, grass fires, the breaking of windows, and the torture of cats, dogs, and rabbits are becoming all too commonplace. Suggest to your husband that it is better to keep the kids home on Halloween then to expose them to what could possibly happen.
It is not easy to be in your position, and there will be struggles. But the Lord Jesus Christ will never put anything on His children without also providing the strength and grace that they need to be able to be faithful.