Holidays?

[theleastofthese]

I have a sis that makes a point of getting every Free offer she can on her birthday, from frozen yogurt to a steak dinner....a free doughnut or sub sandwich?

I guess she feels accomplished?

I have never gotten anything that way.

We do celebrate birthdays. Angels sang when Yeshua was born. I don't have any problem celebrating those natal anniversaries. A child being born healthy is a precious gift. Each year we live is also something to be thankful for. I never heard anything bad about candles.. or thought about the why. In our family when I was young mom would let us choose our favorite cake....we had ice cream. Presents were always minimal.
It's the same for our children.

My mom gets every free thing she can on her birthday, I get a kick out of driving her around to these places.

I agree, I love getting people gifts for their birthday, cooking them a nice dinner and cake. I never liked celebrating my own birthday but as i've gotten older I really love the time with family and enjoy giving and receiving sentimental gifts.

A family tradition we started a while back is we "wish" good things for each family member on our birthday instead of wishing things for ourselves.

 

[theleastofthese]

Jehovah's Witnesses?

Definitely not lol

 

[MemeFan]

What is problem with birthday celebration? It has no religious significance and we celebrate similiar things like graduation and getting job.

 

[theleastofthese]

I'm not talking about the origins, I'm talking about what it is today.

Dressing up as witches, ghosts and other evil beings is what I call "overtly evil" - it's overt because you can see it. Yes, I know that people also use other costumes, but honestly those are used as alternatives, we all know that the standard concept is dressing up as something evil. I'm not going to get into a debate about the origins of it, and honestly if someone is genuinely celebrating All Saints Day in a Christian fashion as per the traditions of their church denomination good on them. But Halloween in its classic, traditional / pop-culture form is "overtly" evil.

Personally, I wouldn't use the term evil for those costumes. Yes, it's common to dress up as something unusual but in my opinion, throwing a white sheet over a child and letting them run around yelling boo isn't overtly evil. Witches, ghosts and goblins don't exist, this is what makes dressing up in such costumes fun, it's the mystery and the allure of something that we never get to see for ourselves. It's all fictional with made-up characters and everyone participating in it knows this, i'd reserve the term evil for far more realistic things that are going on in our world at the moment.

What is the meaning of the phrase “Trick or Treat”?

It literally comes from “Give us a treat, or we will play a trick on you”.
Extortion, and the tricks weren’t just fun games.
People disguised themselves and went around threatening people. Just innocent fun.

That’s just part of it.
Ghosts, goblins, witches and etc.
it’s the only time of year that these are celebrated.

Well considering the fact it's all treat these days and no trick I wouldn't exactly sound the alarm on Halloween just yet.

 

[theleastofthese]

Just do a search on Youtube for 'former witch (or satanist) tells truth about halloween'. They'll tell you what it's really about.

I'd be a little concerned about getting my information from a witch or a satanist, I'd prefer not to feed into hysterics which is something I keep running into while i'm looking into this. I'm not sure what to believe or if the origins are even important considering how much they have changed. I also find it interesting how many of us are seemingly ok with doing other activities that originate from pagan origins.

I'm beginning to think that just celebrating/decorating for the changing of seasons instead of specific holidays is possibly a happy medium?

 

[NVIII]

You do you. That's what we're all doing. I tend to agree that fear generated from this topic (or any other topic... looking at you, GMOs and aliens ) is the real evil. You asked for info, and you were given plenty of springboards to dive deeper from if you wish. Sometimes it's better not to know.

But anyway, I just wanted to drop this here for consideration:

Witches, ghosts and goblins don't exist

I'd be a little concerned about getting my information from a witch

Sometimes our denial is selective.

If you want my advice (and I know everyone does): Just be sure of what you believe. Don't tolerate any lie or fear or idol within yourself. As you said, the real evil isn't always going to be overt.

 

[FollowingHim2]

I'd be a little concerned about getting my information from a witch or a satanist, I'd prefer not to feed into hysterics which is something I keep running into while i'm looking into this.

Former witch or satanist. They're now Christians, but they will tell you the truth of what they have done in the past, and the point of halloween. It's not hysterics, it's just facts.

 

[FollowingHim]

Witches, ghosts and goblins don't exist

Witches at least certainly do exist, as you said yourself in your very next post. @NVIII is correct - when justifying dressing up as one you temporarily imagine they don't exist, in order to maintain the belief that pretending to be one is just a bit of fun. While when discussing what is evil you consider witches to be not only real but so evil you wouldn't even want to listen to an ex-witch to learn about what they did back when they were a witch! This is cognitive dissonance, or what Orwell called "doublethink" - holding two contradictory ideas to be simultaneously true. Whatever you believe, at least be logically consistent about it.

 

[theleastofthese]

You do you. That's what we're all doing. I tend to agree that fear generated from this topic (or any other topic... looking at you, GMOs and aliens ) is the real evil. You asked for info, and you were given plenty of springboards to dive deeper from if you wish. Sometimes it's better not to know.

But anyway, I just wanted to drop this here for consideration:


Sometimes our denial is selective.

If you want my advice (and I know everyone does): Just be sure of what you believe. Don't tolerate any lie or fear or idol within yourself. As you said, the real evil isn't always going to be overt.

I appreciate the info, I hope i'm not coming across as argumentative or inconsiderate. I'm just thinking out loud because the statement that no Christian should celebrate Halloween is a very bold statement that deserves some extra thought in my opinion.

Former witch or satanist. They're now Christians, but they will tell you the truth of what they have done in the past, and the point of halloween. It's not hysterics, it's just facts.

Yes the former part is what concerns me. How do we know they are what they claim, they could very well be set on creating mass hysteria among Christians, people like that tend to gravitate towards that sort of behavior for a reason. I'd be skeptical of referring to anything they say as facts.

Witches at least certainly do exist, as you said yourself in your very next post. @NVIII is correct - when justifying dressing up as one you temporarily imagine they don't exist, in order to maintain the belief that pretending to be one is just a bit of fun. While when discussing what is evil you consider witches to be not only real but so evil you wouldn't even want to listen to an ex-witch to learn about what they did back when they were a witch! This is cognitive dissonance, or what Orwell called "doublethink" - holding two contradictory ideas to be simultaneously true. Whatever you believe, at least be logically consistent about it.

I believe people think they are witches, I don't believe they have any actual power therefore they cannot exist and if they do they're surely not parading in pointy hats, riding their plastic brooms around to get candy once a year. I'm sorry but I fail to see the comparison just yet.

 

[FollowingHim]

I believe people think they are witches, I don't believe they have any actual power therefore they cannot exist and if they do they're surely not wearing pointy hats and riding their plastic brooms around to get candy once a year.

I believe people think they are cowboys. I don't believe they exist, because I've never seen one riding fast through a rural town firing his six-shooters in the air and shouting "Yee-haw" like in the movies, or having a duel in a dusty street. So since the caricature that people dress up like doesn't exist, the real ones can't either.

 

[BiblicalLiteralist]

I believe people think they are witches, I don't believe they have any actual power therefore they cannot exist and if they do they're surely not wearing pointy hats and riding their plastic brooms around to get candy once a year.

I have always understood it as the individual themselves do not have any power, they summon and appease the spirits (think rites, rituals, sacrifices, and spell casting), who share their power with them. To the blind and unknowing this attributes the results of that power to the witch/warlock, however it is not themselves who have power, but the spirits that share it with them.

 

[steve]

I tend to agree that fear generated from this topic (or any other topic... looking at you, GMOs and aliens ) is the real evil.

You might try that standard on the Cvax.
A healthy fear saved a whole bunch of folks.

 

[theleastofthese]

I believe people think they are cowboys. I don't believe they exist, because I've never seen one riding fast through a rural town firing his six-shooters in the air and shouting "Yee-haw" like in the movies, or having a duel in a dusty street. So since the caricature that people dress up like doesn't exist, the real ones can't either.

I could very well be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time. I appreciate all of you taking the time to explain your views to me, it gives me something to think about and it's certainly an interesting topic.

 

[steve]

I have always understood it as the individual themselves do not have any power, they summon and appease the spirits (think rites, rituals, sacrifices, and spell casting), who share their power with them. To the blind and unknowing this attributes the results of that power to the witch/warlock, however it is not themselves who have power, but the spirits that share it with them.

If the disciples could heal and cast out demons with the power of Yah, couldn’t it be the same on the other side?
Where the power comes from is just semantics, the representatives of the source of the power wield it.

 

[MarkH]

Over my seventeen years in the penitentiary working with all the world religions, I've known more Wiccans/witches than I can easily count. They are sad, powerless people fantasizing about grandeur. The evil one don't even care about them. They dress like you and me and for the most part, talk just like everyone else. The cowboy illustration is interesting because a "real" cowboy looks and sounds like most people they live around. The Halloween cowboys are fantasy just for fun. I don't stress over the grandkids putting on fairy costumes and doing trunk or treat. I look real evil in the eye on a weekly basis and the kids parties ain't it.
btw: the Holy Spirit in you, if you stay attuned, will let you know about the kind of spirit within others.

 

[theleastofthese]

Over my seventeen years in the penitentiary working with all the world religions, I've known more Wiccans/witches than I can easily count. They are sad, powerless people fantasizing about grandeur. The evil one don't even care about them. They dress like you and me and for the most part, talk just like everyone else. The cowboy illustration is interesting because a "real" cowboy looks and sounds like most people they live around. The Halloween cowboys are fantasy just for fun. I don't stress over the grandkids putting on fairy costumes and doing trunk or treat. I look real evil in the eye on a weekly basis and the kids parties ain't it.
btw: the Holy Spirit in you, if you stay attuned, will let you know about the kind of spirit within others.

This has been my experience as well, that could be why i'm being so dismissive. The Wiccans and Satanists I've encountered are just very self-centered, the witches believe they have powers that they do not have and both get off on anything that causes a shock factor.

 

[steve]

If you haven’t seen enough of the power of the enemy to have a deep respect for what he can do, you’ve only experienced the lightweight wannabes.

 

[Michael Moon]

This has been my experience as well, that could be why i'm being so dismissive. The Wiccans and Satanists I've encountered are just very self-centered, the witches believe they have powers that they do not have and both get off on anything that causes a shock factor.

I have witnessed hexbags, dead animals, and body parts (fingers and toes) being left by witches around a campground that my church organization utilizes. They may not have any real power (I'm not arguing about that) but they are certainly evil.

 

[MemeFan]

I have witnessed hexbags, dead animals, and body parts (fingers and toes) being left by witches around a campground that my church organization utilizes. They may not have any real power (I'm not arguing about that) but they are certainly evil.

Do they dislike us enough to sacrifice their own body part? WTF?

 

[FollowingHim]

This has been my experience as well, that could be why i'm being so dismissive. The Wiccans and Satanists I've encountered are just very self-centered, the witches believe they have powers that they do not have and both get off on anything that causes a shock factor.

I should point out that it is the attempt to acquire such powers that is evil, on the part of the person. Whether a demonic entity obliges and helps them out, or cannot, or just laughs at them as amusing fools, is irrelevant. The attempt to be evil is evil.