Hallowe'en

So this blog post is actually a very big deal for me & writing it is a big step.

If you know me you know I avoid conflict, always.  The thought of conflict makes me ill, literally physically ill.

So, whenever someone asked what Elli was going to be for Hallowe'en, I tried to sidestep & evade.  It was easier for me than saying the truth.  My husband & I have decided not to celebrate Hallowe'en & Elli won't be either.

This is usually met by disbelieving stares or eye rolls.  The stares from non-Christians who see us as depriving our child of a fun childhood rite.  The eye rolls from Christians who see us as "one of those" Christians.  The ones who are "old school" & over react to every little thing.  Seeing evil behind every bush.  The sad part is that the non-Christians usually settle down the moment I explain that Hallowe'en isn't compatible with our beliefs.  "Oh, okay," is the typical response.  They don't want to offend or belittle my beliefs.  I appreciate that, a lot.

The Christians are the ones I usually get the argument from.  This is why I avoid the conversation.  But with the Hallowe'en season just passed I have been feeling convicted for being afraid to confess my faith in this way.  So here it goes.

*Disclaimer: If you are a Christian who celebrates Hallowe'en I am not condemning or judging you in any way!  This is one of those gray areas in the faith that each person must think & pray about themselves.  Until a few years ago I celebrated Hallowe'en too cuz it's fun & I like fun.*

To me celebrating Hallowe'en is like that story in the Old Testament about Daniel & the king's food.  Daniel felt convicted & refused to eat the king's food because it had been sacrificed to idols.  That's the only reason he didn't eat it.  It wasn't that the food itself was bad, it wasn't that eating was bad.  There was nothing wrong with the food, eating is good & healthy & enjoyable.  There is nothing wrong with any of those things.  His problem was with the spiritual context of the food.  That food had been spiritually bound to idols & that carries with it spiritual baggage & consequences.  So he abstained from it.

We abstain from Hallowe'en for the same reasons.  It's not that dressing up is bad.  Collecting candy & having fun is not bad either.  It's the spiritual context of the holiday.  This particular holiday is spiritually bound to darkness & always has been, so the celebration of it comes with spiritual baggage & consequences.  Therefore, we choose to abstain.

That is our reasons.  We do not look down on anyone who chooses to celebrate Hallowe'en.  We do not condemn anyone for celebrating it.  We have simply made a decision based on our beliefs and convictions & we ask others to respect it.  

And Elli will have a whole trunk full of dress-up clothes by the way.  I LOVE to dress up!  :)