Halloween!!

A couple of days ago, my company had a Halloween costume contest. The day before the contest, I had this conversation in the breakroom:

Me: So are you ladies dressing up?
Chick 1: Nah. It's too much work.
Chick 2: OH NO! I'm a Christian, it is Satanic...I mean, just the origins of it. I can't dress up.

And then she walked away. My first thought: "Hey! I'm a Christian too!" was overshadowed by the thought: "a simple 'no' would have sufficed."

All the following is "in my opinion" (imo). But this is my take on Halloween:

1. Witchcraft...seriously?- Some people say if you're going to do Halloween, avoid dressing yourself and your kids up as goblins, zombies, devils, witches, etc. because scripture speaks out against those (I've yet to find a goblin/zombie scripture, please let me know if you do). I don't have any kids, but if/when I do I'm going to dress them up as doctors year after year. I will dress them in flashy little suits with a white lab coat and stethoscope.  But why? Well, clearly, there is a relationship between what you dress your kids as for Halloween and what they will become when they grow up. Dress them like Hermione Granger and they will become a cute, loveable, but ultimately hellbound witch with crazy hair. Dress them up like Sanjay Gupta...and hey you get a kid who will take excellent care of you in your old age. It's a no-brainer.
2. There are other Activities - You can have a "manly" Halloween by flinging pumpkins from a giant slingshot for the church harvest festival, you can have a huge bonfire at your church, you can attend a church "hell house" (which doesn't make Christians look crazy at all). You don't have to dress up, trick-or-treat, or attend a haunted house (like I did). Have fun as you wish...no one should care. IMO, you can do whatever you want because ultimately it's all about:
   
   
3. Different Strokes for Different Folks - this is my overarching view, because we have to admit that there isn't a scripture that says: "And ye shalt not go from house to house, begging for candy, dressed as a zombie"... however, I think there are some things we can infer based on the following scripts:
• Colossians 2:16 - this was most likely in regard to Jewish holy days (whether they continued to celebrate them or not), but I'll take it. IMO, we shouldn't judge or be judged in regard to Halloween.
• 1 Corinthians 8:4-8 - this is my favorite. I feel like this has wide application. In this scripture there are people who can't eat the food sacrificed to idols b/c they think of it as being offered to a false God...and for them it is defiled. If you feel that way about Halloween DO NOT celebrate. However, if you know that Halloween is nothing (the same way the idol was nothing, and that meat was just food) then I think you are "free" to celebrate as you see fit, because nothing is defiled to you. 

But this is the part that is not my opinion: it is NOT "the devil's day." People who hide out, and claim that this day is Satanic, and that its origins are evil give honor where it is certainly not due. The true origin of every day is God. We don't have to "take back the night" or anything like that. God never relinquished the day. So for me, as a Christian, it's just an opportunity to have fun in a way I normally wouldn't (i.e. dressing up, making stuffed pumpkin for dinner, eating pumpkin cupcakes, watching scary movies just for the hilarity of hearing myself scream...all that). Psalms 118:24 says "This is the day the Lord has made" so every day belongs to Him...even October 31st. Just sayin...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!