16 min
Is it a Sin to Celebrate Halloween? That's in the Bible
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- Religion
Brother Bob Pellien: Hello, and welcome, everyone!
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Brother Bob Pellien | Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: I'm Brother Bob Pellien and thanks for joining us today in this episode of That's in the Bible. Today we're going to be addressing what you may have seen on social media recently. There's quite a debate brewing. A lot of elementary schools are removing Halloween, and the parents are in quite an uproar about it saying things like, “Well, schools are just taking away the fun for the children. It's a nice candy day for the kids.” Dear friends, there would not be such a debate if in fact everyone really understood the symbolism of Halloween, the origin, the history, and what it is all about. That's precisely what was written into our program by Dianey. She wrote and she asked us this question, “Why shouldn't we celebrate Halloween, and how did it start?”
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Question: Why shouldn’t we celebrate Halloween, and how did it start?
Dianey
Why shouldn’t we celebrate Halloween, and how did it start?
Brother Bob: Well, Dianey, we're not going to turn to the Holy Scriptures to find the origins of Halloween.
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We're NOT going to turn to the HOLY SCRIPTURES to find the ORIGINS of HALLOWEEN
Brother Bob: Why, you may ask? This is the program That's in the Bible. Well it's because that's actually not in the Bible.
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HALLOWEEN’S NOT in the BIBLE
Brother Bob: In fact, it has its origins in ancient pagan cultures, otherwise known as non Christians who are worshipping multiple gods.
[On-screen text graphics]
Brother Bob Pellien | Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: So dear friends, before you place any of ourselves on either side of that ongoing debate, we need to educate ourselves. So together, let's take a look into Halloween’s history. Where did Halloween come from?
[On-screen text graphics]
Where did Halloween come from?
Brother Bob: In a book entitled Catholic Customs & Traditions, which is a popular guide written by Greg Dues. Here on page 196 this is what's written:
There are several possibilities for the origin of the tradition of giving treats
as part of trick or treating...The more probable origin lies in the pagan New
Year celebration among the Celts. It was thought that the ghosts who
roamed freely that night would be satisfied with a banquet table laid out in
homes. For a while after Christianity arrived in Celtic lands, there was an
attempt to transfer this custom to the eve of All Souls Day (November 2).
Masked children would go from door to door to pray for the departed loved
ones in return for a treat.
[Catholic Customs & Traditions: A Popular Guide, pg.
Brother Bob Pellien: Hello, and welcome, everyone!
[On-screen text graphics]
Brother Bob Pellien | Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: I'm Brother Bob Pellien and thanks for joining us today in this episode of That's in the Bible. Today we're going to be addressing what you may have seen on social media recently. There's quite a debate brewing. A lot of elementary schools are removing Halloween, and the parents are in quite an uproar about it saying things like, “Well, schools are just taking away the fun for the children. It's a nice candy day for the kids.” Dear friends, there would not be such a debate if in fact everyone really understood the symbolism of Halloween, the origin, the history, and what it is all about. That's precisely what was written into our program by Dianey. She wrote and she asked us this question, “Why shouldn't we celebrate Halloween, and how did it start?”
[On-screen text graphics]
Question: Why shouldn’t we celebrate Halloween, and how did it start?
Dianey
Why shouldn’t we celebrate Halloween, and how did it start?
Brother Bob: Well, Dianey, we're not going to turn to the Holy Scriptures to find the origins of Halloween.
[On-screen text graphics]
We're NOT going to turn to the HOLY SCRIPTURES to find the ORIGINS of HALLOWEEN
Brother Bob: Why, you may ask? This is the program That's in the Bible. Well it's because that's actually not in the Bible.
[On-screen text graphics]
HALLOWEEN’S NOT in the BIBLE
Brother Bob: In fact, it has its origins in ancient pagan cultures, otherwise known as non Christians who are worshipping multiple gods.
[On-screen text graphics]
Brother Bob Pellien | Minister of the Gospel
Brother Bob: So dear friends, before you place any of ourselves on either side of that ongoing debate, we need to educate ourselves. So together, let's take a look into Halloween’s history. Where did Halloween come from?
[On-screen text graphics]
Where did Halloween come from?
Brother Bob: In a book entitled Catholic Customs & Traditions, which is a popular guide written by Greg Dues. Here on page 196 this is what's written:
There are several possibilities for the origin of the tradition of giving treats
as part of trick or treating...The more probable origin lies in the pagan New
Year celebration among the Celts. It was thought that the ghosts who
roamed freely that night would be satisfied with a banquet table laid out in
homes. For a while after Christianity arrived in Celtic lands, there was an
attempt to transfer this custom to the eve of All Souls Day (November 2).
Masked children would go from door to door to pray for the departed loved
ones in return for a treat.
[Catholic Customs & Traditions: A Popular Guide, pg.
16 min