Question: “Should Christians celebrate Halloween?”

Answer: Whether or not Christians should celebrate Halloween can be a very controversial topic. Some Christians celebrate Halloween simply by dressing up in a costume and having fun, seeing it as innocent and harmless. Other Christians are equally convinced that Halloween is a satanic holiday established to worship evil spirits and promote darkness and wickedness. So, who is right? Is it possible for Christians to celebrate Halloween without compromising their faith?

Halloween, no matter how commercialized, has almost completely pagan origins. As innocent as it may seem to some, it is not something to be taken lightly. Christians tend to have various ways to celebrate or not to celebrate Halloween. For some, it means having an “alternative” Harvest Party. For others, it is staying away from the ghosts, witches, goblins, etc., and wearing innocuous costumes, e.g., little princesses, clowns, cowboys, super-heroes, etc. Some choose not to do anything, electing to lock themselves in the house with the lights off. With our freedom as Christians, we are at liberty to decide how to act.

Scripture does not speak at all about Halloween, but it does give us some principles on which we can make a decision. In Old Testament Israel, witchcraft was a crime punishable by death (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27). The New Testament teaching about the occult is clear.Acts 8:9-24, the story of Simon, shows that occultism and Christianity don’t mix. The account of Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13:6-11 reveals that sorcery is violently opposed to Christianity. Paul called Elymas a child of the devil, an enemy of righteousness and a perverter of the ways of God. In Acts 16, at Philippi, a fortune-telling girl lost her demon powers when the evil spirit was cast out by Paul. The interesting matter here is that Paul refused to allow even good statements to come from a demon-influenced person. Acts 19 shows new converts who have abruptly broken with their former occultism by confessing, showing their evil deeds, bringing their magic paraphernalia, and burning it before everyone (Acts 19:19).

So, should a Christian celebrate Halloween? Is there anything evil about a Christian dressing up as a princess or cowboy and going around the block asking for candy? No, there is not. Are there things about Halloween that are anti-Christian and should be avoided? Absolutely! If parents are going to allow their children to participate in Halloween, they should make sure to keep them from getting involved in the darker aspects of the day. If Christians are going to take part in Halloween, their attitude, dress, and most importantly, their behavior should still reflect a redeemed life (Philippians 1:27). There are many churches that hold “harvest festivals” and incorporate costumes, but in a godly environment. There are many Christians who hand out tracts that share the Gospel along with the Halloween candy. The decision is ultimately ours to make. But as with all things, we are to incorporate the principles of Romans 14. We can’t allow our own convictions about a holiday to cause division in the body of Christ, nor can we use our freedom to cause others to stumble in their faith. We are to do all things as to the Lord.

Recommended Resource:  Halloween: What’s a Christian to Do?

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Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in a letter addressed to Michael Donley, secretary of the Air Force, asked why the course, “Christian Just War Theory,” was suspended on Aug. 3 from the curriculum at a course at Vandenberg Air Force Base.

The mandatory training module had been taught for 20 years by chaplains and focused on St. Augustine’s “Just War Theory”. The ethics course is taught to Air Force officers before they are given authorization to launch nuclear weapons.

The course also included references to both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and explained how in some situations, going to war can be a moral decision.

Cornyn, in his letter which was published by Fox News, said, “Suspending a course like this because of references to religious texts misrepresents the First Amendment.”

The Texas Senator’s letter stated, “Although our Founding Fathers rightly included language in the Constitution that precludes the Federal government from establishing an official religion, this language does not, as some have argued, protect them from exposure to religious references.”

Freedom of conscience

“The First Amendment is intended to guarantee an individual’s right to the free exercise of religion according to his or her conscience,” Cornyn wrote in his letter. “The Air Force personnel who have taken this course for the past 20 years have been free to determine, according to their own consciences, whether they accept or reject the premises of just war theory.”

The course was suspended after the Military Religious Freedom Foundation issued a complaint, saying that it violates the Constitutional clause on the separation of church and state.

The MRFF complaint was filed last month under the names of 31 officers, among them Catholic and Protestant students and instructors. It stressed that if the course was not suspended, a class-action lawsuit would be filed.

David Smith, of the Air Education Training Command of the Air Force told Fox News, “In an effort to serve all faiths we try to introduce none in our briefings and our lectures. Once we heard there were concerns we looked at the course and said we could do better. The use of Bible passage and other elements was just inappropriate.”

However, Cornyn disagreed with Smith saying in his letter, “Our military services, like our nation, are comprised of people representing all faiths. However, that fact does not preclude military chaplains from teaching a course on just war theory – a theory that has been part of moral philosophy and the law of war for centuries – merely because it has historically been predicated on religious texts.”

Satisfied with military decision

MRFF president Mikey Weinstein told The Christian Post that he is satisfied with what the military did. “We’re very pleased that the Air Force did it. Had they not done that, we would have filed an immediate class action lawsuit in federal court to force their hand.”

The MRFF particularly was upset by a Bible verse in the course from the New Testament book of Revelations, chapter 19, verse 11 which says, “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.”

David French, of  The American Center for Law and Justice told The Christian Post the course did not violate the Constitution, and the MRFF complaint is “another attempt to cleanse American history of its religious realities.”

French told The Christian Post, “It’s about cleansing religion from the public square and building a completely secular society and military.”

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A federal appeals court in San Francisco dismissed recently a lawsuit filed by a student who claimed that his high school history teacher made statements in class that ridiculed religion and promoted hostility towards Christians.

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed last Friday a lawsuit filed by student Chad Farnan against his former instructor, James Corbett, saying that teachers should be able to discuss controversial subjects freely.

In its decision, the court said there is no need to determine whether Corbett’s remarks violate the constitutional requirement for government neutrality, and said there is no clear indication that anyone’s constitutional rights were violated.

The court decision stated, “We must be careful not to curb intellectual freedom by imposing dogmatic restrictions that chill teachers from adopting the [instructive] methods they believe are most effective.”

Farnan filed the lawsuit in 2007 when he was a  sophomore at Capistrano Valley High School. The 15-year-old student taped several statements that Corbett made in class that Farnan felt were offensive.

In his lawsuit, Farnan charged Corbett of “repeatedly promoting hostility toward Christians in class and advocating ‘irreligion over religion’ in violation of the First Amendment’s establishment clause.”

Some 22 statements that Corbett made were presented as evidence by Farnan to the lower court. However, the court ruled that only one statement could be considered, where Corbett referred to a former teacher’s belief in creationism as “religious, superstitious nonsense.”

When the lower court ruled on behalf of Corbett, Farnan appealed the case and requested that all 22 statements that he had recorded be given consideration.

However, the Appeals Court dismissed the case in a 3-0 decision and upheld the decision of the lower court.

Farnan is presently a college student at Pepperdine University. His attorney, Robert Tyler, told The San Francisco Chronicle, “This case is about establishing legal precedent concerning the rights of children to be able to sit in a public school classroom without having their religion attacked.”

Tyler added, “This ruling was a disservice to millions of public school children, parents and teachers,” The Orange County Register reported. “It’s quite ironic that while the Ninth Circuit complains in the decision that the law is unclear as to whether a public school teacher showed hostility in the classroom, it failed to bring clarity when it had the opportunity to do so. Instead of addressing the constitutionality of the case, the court abandoned it.”

Corbett, 38, is still teaching at Capistrano Valley. He told the Orange County Register that he was pleased with the ruling, saying, “The court’s opinion was more than gratifying, it was a victory for free thought and academic freedom. The Ninth Circuit affirmed that in America, no religion has a right to demand that teachers defer to their beliefs. If that were true, teaching would become a constitutional minefield.”

Among the statements Corbett made in the course of teaching lessons in his class was, “When you put on your Jesus glasses, you can’t see the truth.” Corbett also said in another instance, (referring to the 16^th century conflict between religion and science), that evidence of creationism is as plentiful as proof that “there is a giant spaghetti monster living behind the moon who did it.”

In its decision, the Appeals Court said, “In broaching controversial issues like religion, teachers must be sensitive to students’ personal beliefs and take care not to abuse their positions of authority. … But teachers must also be given leeway to challenge students to foster critical thinking skills and develop their analytical abilities.”

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A split looms in The Church of England amid recent developments that may lead to adopting a more liberal stance with regard to same-sex relationships in the clergy.

The House of Bishops in a statement said that it will review existing teachings on homosexuality to see whether or not gay clergy who are engaged in civil partnerships will be eligible to become bishops. The review will be completed and a decision rendered by next year, according to The Telegraph.

The statement has led to warnings from conservative leaders in the church that a policy shift could cause a split. On the other hand, church liberals said they are disappointed that any policy changes will only be announced in 2013, The Telegraph said.With the announcement of the review, openly gay priests with civil partnerships will be barred from promotion within its duration. Presently, gay male priests are only eligible to become bishops if they are celibate. To date, no openly gay priest has been made a bishop. One former candidate, Rev. Jeffrey John, dean of St. Albans, was twice rejected; first, in 2003 as a candidate for Bishop of Reading (he was forced to withdraw when his long-term gay relationship was revealed); and secondly, last year as a candidate for Bishop of Southwark.

Schism

Rod Thomas, who is chairman of the conservative evangelical group, Reform, told The Telegraph that while he supports the ban, “The bishops know that if they veer in a liberal direction on sexuality they risk splitting the church.”

Thomas pointed out that conservatives may opt to join the Anglican Mission in England, a newly-formed group that poses a threat to the Archbishop of Canterbury, as it supports conservative evangelicals, The Telegraph said.

“We’re not actively preparing to join it, but we need to work out what is in place if the church ends up going down a more liberal line that sits light on the constraints of scripture,” Thomas told The Telegraph.

2005 statement

The Rt. Rev. Graham James, bishop of Norwich, said (on behalf of the House of Bishops) that the last time the church issued a statement about gay clergy was in 2005, and according to the Associated Press, the bishops failed to sufficiently address the matter.

The 2005 statement said, “sexual intercourse, as an expression of faithful intimacy, properly belongs within marriage exclusively.” It also said marriage is by definition, “a faithful, committed, permanent and legally sanctioned relationship between a man and a woman, central to the stability and health of human society.”

Under the statement, clerical candidates should expect to be asked if they have a civil same-sex partnerships, and if they do, must clarify if the relationship is celibate and in agreement with the teachings of the church.

The 2005 statement was made in the same year that a law was passed allowing same-sex civil partnerships, entitling them to the same rights and obligations that are legally required of married couples.

Legal opinion

Last month the church issued a legal opinion that clergy could not be rejected as potential bishops on the grounds of homosexual orientation. It also opened the doors to the possibility that clergy who are openly gay and have civil relationships may become bishops—provided they are celibate, The Telegraph said.

James told the AP that under the pending review, “The bishops will produce a consultation document in 2013. The House’s decision is motivated by a desire to help shape the continuing debate constructively and not by any view about what the outcome should be.”

James said to the Telegraph, “The (House of Bishops) has committed itself to a wider look at the Church of England’s approach to same-sex relationships,” The Telegraph reported.

The Anglican Church is also still debating on whether or not women clergy, whether they are gay or not, can become candidates for bishops.

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The valedictorian of a school in Vermont was not allowed to talk about Jesus in his graduation speech.

Kyle Gearwar, 18, the high school valedictorian of Fair Haven Union High School, wanted to share his personal testimony of how Jesus changed him and made him the man he is now, but school authorities said it might infringe on the First Amendment.

“I was just sharing a story about my life and how it was changed. And as an American and as a valedictorian I felt that I should have been able to do that,” Gearwar told Fox News.

When Gearwar delivered his truncated speech during the graduation rites, many of the students present felt outrage at the decision of the school officials, and a number of them yelled that Kyle should read it in full, anyway.

Gearwar declined, however, saying that he promised the principal, Brett Blanchard, that he wouldn’t and he would stand by his promise.

“You’re supposed to respect your authority. Even in the Bible it says you should respect the authorities of the land. I wasn’t going to disappoint these men,” Gearwar told Fox News.

While Gearwar complied with the school’s decision, he still honored God.

He said in his speech, “Today my valedictorian speech remains unfinished. I am submitting to those who have authority over me by not reading the half of my speech that has caused issues.”

Gearwar continued, “I respect the administration for the decisions they have made and thank them anyways for the opportunity to speak. I have always dreamed of speaking about God in front of my school as the valedictorian. This was the message God gave to me, and I am not allowed to share it with you even though it is my testimony, the most important change my life has ever experienced, and the one thing that I stand for no matter what.”

Summoned by principal

The situation arose when Gearwar submitted his speech to the principal.

The next day, he was called to the office.

“They told me my speech was going to be a problem – that the school wouldn’t allow me to deliver the speech and they would prevent me from giving the speech if it came down to it,” Gearwar said to Fox News.

Gearwar noted, “You can burn a flag but we’re not able to speak about God. I just don’t agree with that,” according to Fox News.

Federal law

“We are absolutely strong supporters of free speech,” Blanchard told Fox News. “The federal law limits the kind of religious speech that’s permitted at a commencement at a public high school.”

One of the statements that was removed was the following: “I have peace and can finally enjoy every moment God has given me, good or bad. I wouldn’t be standing before you without the blessings God has given me through my tough situations. He is the reason I am the man I am today, made new through Jesus’ death on the cross,” Fox News reported.

Nothing but respect

Blanchard spoke highly of Gearwar and told Fox News he was glad that the student kept his word. “He stuck to his word and his agreement. I think it speaks highly.”

Gearwar, who will be going to the University of Connecticut said in turn that he has “nothing but respect for Blanchard and the school’s assistant principal,” Fox News reported.

“They were very nice and they are awesome people and they were just doing what they were told to do,” he told Fox News. He expressed surprise that the speech, which he wrote “for God’s glory,” has attracted so much attention.

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An elderly Christian couple in the U.K. may close their small hotel in Cornwall if a judge rules against them for not allowing a gay couple to stay overnight.

Peter and Hazelmary Bull, owners of Chymorvah Hotel in Marazion, U.K. said they turned down Martyn Hall and Steven Preddy in Sept. 2008 because their faith does not permit unmarried couples to share a room together, the Guardian reported.

The Way reported that Hall and Preddy, who are civil partners, sued the Bulls for £5,000 under Equality Act Regulations 2007. The Bristol Crown Court deferred judgment on the case until after Christmas.

Peter, 70, and Hazelmary, 66, said they have a policy not to allow unmarried couples, whether heterosexual or gay, to share a bed in their hotel, which they have adhered to since they purchased it in 1986, The Telegraph said.

Hazelmary said in court, “We accept that the Bible is the holy living word of God and we endeavor to follow that.” Their faith does not believe in sex before marriage, according to The Telegraph.

Of the judge’s decision to defer his ruling, Hazelmary said, “The judge has reserved his judgment and obviously we hope for a decision that lets us live and work in line with our faith as we approach retirement,” The Way reported.

Hall and Preddy are represented by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, while the Bulls are supported by a charity called the Christian Institute, according to the Guardian.

Did not know of policy

The Telegraph said that Preddy told the court that he found the hotel online and booked a room by telephone. He did not see the hotel’s room policy, which is displayed on its booking form.

The Telegraph quoted Preddy saying in court, “When we arrived we spoke to a lady and she got Mr [Bernie] Quinn [a staff member of the hotel] to come and talk to us and explain the hotel’s policy.”

Preddy said “The body language wasn’t great and it was clear we were not welcome in the hotel. It’s fair to say he didn’t raise his voice,” the Telegraph reported. Afterwards, Preddy and Hall reported the Bulls to the police.

Possible setup

Quinn told the court the hotel may have been a setup, the Telegraph reported, as a month earlier Stonewall, a gay rights group, wrote to the Bulls informing them of new equality legislation.

Quinn said hours before Preddy made the booking by phone in a “Mrs. Preddy” called and spoke to him to ask questions about a double room. Later, Preddy spoke to Hazelmary, who took the booking,” The Telegraph said.

Hazelmary said she was ill at the time, and she failed to explain the hotel’s policy. When she brought the matter up to Quinn afterwards, he reassured her there was nothing to worry about, The Telegraph reported.

The Telegraph said Bulls’ lawyer, James Dingemans said, “It is not part of the defendants’ case to undermine the rights of same-sex partners. The defendants do submit their policy is directed to sex and not sexual orientation and is lawful.”

Dingemans said, “Without the protection of the law, they will simply not be able to operate their business. As they limp towards retirement they have the right to live and work within their religious beliefs,” the Guardian reported.

Preddy told the court that while he and Hall are members of Stonewall, they didn’t know that the organization sent a letter to the hotel before they booked the hotel room, The Telegraph reported.

Significance of case decision

The court ruling will set a precedent that will determine whether or not Christians who operate their own hotels can determine whether or not to restrict room accommodation to unmarried couples, the Guardian said.

Last November, another court case related to religion was filed because the petitioner felt a Christian couple was not fit to adopt children because of their beliefs, The Way reported.

The case caused some bishops of the Church of England to decry the suppression of religious beliefs by gay rights advocates, The Way said.

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Veterans are standing guard in King, N.C. to make sure that a Christian flag that they put up in their public memorial stays there.

The flag, which is at Central Park in Stokes County is being guarded by the war veterans 24/7 to make sure that it is not removed despite a decision by the city council to let a Christian flag on the memorial go, WFMY News 2 said.

The city council reversed an original decision to keep the flag flying after they were threatened with a lawsuit by the ACLU and the Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

The flag has been removed, but now the war veterans have set up a Christian flag at a temporary stand. War veteran Moses Callahan told WFMY News 2, “We’re not going to allow nobody to take something that is precious as that memorial,” WFMY News 2 reported.

The war veterans plan to guard the flag until October 23, culminating in a rally. Police say the city manager gave permission for the flag to remain in a temporary stand, WFMY News 2 said.

The new Christian flag was provided by the Calvary Baptist Church, the AP reported. War veteran Ron Tuttle told News 14 Carolina, “I just don’t want to have nothing taken away from them. They would have a fit knowing that this was happening.”

Navy veteran Ralph Peterson told News 14 Carolina, “The Red White and Blue, that’s our flag, but the other ones are just another part of who we are.” Peterson drove from Lexington to North Carolina to lend his support.

Former Veterans Memorial Committee Chairman Crow McGee told News 14 Carolina, “The city of King didn’t put those flags up. The Veterans Memorial Committee made that decision, and we thought since there is no tax money involved in this, all private funds and donations, we shouldn’t have a problem.”

Aside from the war veterans, community members, business owners and people from out of town are taking shifts standing beside the Christian flag as well, News 14 Carolina reported.

With regard to the dissenter who is being defended by the ACLU and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, Callahan told News 14 Carolina, “We’re not trying to take away his right. We just don’t want him to take away from ours. We have the right to believe in God if we want to and he has the right not to believe in God or believe in Christianity.”

Organizers say that if the Christian flag is not returned within 30 days, they may extend their stay to guard the temporary flag. Callahan told News 14 Carolina, “We are Veterans of Foreign Wars, and we are veterans to stand on our grounds and fight for it. So it don’t matter how long it takes. We’ll be here.”

In another development, someone has requested the removal of a cross on a small sculpture showing a soldier kneeling at a fallen comrade’s gravesite. The sculpture is still intact and has so far been untouched at the Memorial site, News 14 Carolina said.

For more background on the story, go to http://theundergroundsite.com/index.php/2010/09/christian-flag-taken-down-from-veteran%E2%80%99s-memorial-13748

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The leader of a Christian organization said recently that pulling American combat troops out of Iraq will worsen the situation for Christians in that country.

Dr. Carl Moeller, CEO of Open Doors USA said that he believed President Barack Obama’s decision to pull out U.S. soldiers from Iraq is premature and will accelerate the persecution of Christians in that country.

Moeller said, “I believe that we’re turning this country over to a government that is in chaos — it is in transition at best. It hasn’t yet settled on a firm form of government. We have just basically said, ‘Please don’t disturb us as you collapse.’”

Moeller said the Christian community is a definite underdog in the largely Muslim country adding, “We have very clear indicators from the ground that the Christian community in Iraq is suffering greatly by increased violence between factions of Islam. I’ve spoken at length with refugees all around the region [who are] saying it’s an unreported disaster — the extinction of the Christian community in Iraq,” according to a OneNewsNow report

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Atheist lawyer Michael Newdow said recently that he will appeal a court decision that called his bid to halt prayers and the words “so help me God” in presidential inaugurations “moot,” according to the Huffington Post.

“We will be petitioning for a rehearing,” said Newdow, who represented himself and other atheists in the case.

The May 7 ruling, issued by Judge Janice Rogers Brown of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the issues are “Not a live controversy that can avail itself of the judicial powers of the federal courts,” the Huffington Post reported.

The appeals court said the plaintiffs lack standing to pursue an injunction against individuals who are invited to deliver the presidential oath, and those who lead a prayer.

However, the appeals court said relief could be sought in legislation, as they have the power to do so, according to Law.Com.

In a concurring opinion Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh said neither “so help me God” in a presidential oath nor the inaugural prayers could be considered proselytizing or exploitative.

He said they were deeply rooted in the nation’s history and tradition, according to Law.com.

The decision also said the plaintiffs do not have standing to challenge the 2013 and 2017 inaugurations.

In her decision Brown wrote, “The named defendants are powerless to direct, say no to, or otherwise stop the future president if he wishes to have his ceremony contain the offending elements,” according to Law.com.

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Charisa Coulter, left, and Laura Silsby are two of 10 missionaries accused of trying to take children after the Haiti earthquake. Photo Source: Getty Images

On Monday, the Haitian judge involved in the case of the 10 American Baptist missionaries who attempted to transport orphaned children out of the country declared that all charges still stand, according to several international news reports.

Although rumors had been circulating that the volunteers would soon be exonerated, Judge Bernard Saint-Vil denied ever suggesting he would drop charges against the group.

Last Friday, Haiti’s top prosecutor in the case, Attorney General Joseph Manes, said that any information suggesting dropped charges was “absolutely incorrect,” according to a report from CNN.

Under Haitian law, the charges are required to stand until Judge Saint-Vil “renders his decision.”

Missionary group leader Laura Silsby is still being held in Port-au-Prince, nearly two months after eight of her fellow volunteers were released on the condition that they would return if there was a need for future questioning.

The ninth missionary was released in March.

Interestingly, Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho said via a spokesperson last week that the State Department had informed him that all charges had been dropped against nine of the 10 missionaries (excluding Silsby). Saint-Vil’s statement to the media, however, suggested the opposite.

Reverend Clint Henry of Central Valley Baptist Church in Idaho, where the missionaries hail from, said he received an e-mail from the State Department informing him that all the charges had indeed been dropped.

Manes, however, said on Friday that, based on the confidential documents his office received from Saint-Vil’s investigation, it remains to be seen whether the case will be dismissed or move to trial.

Right now, Saint-Vil has until May to decide if he will release Silsby or arrange a trial.

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