By Scott Tibbs, October 25, 2005
Halloween is next Monday, and there will be plenty of kids walking around collecting candy from neighbors. But what should Christians think about Halloween? There is an interesting local controversy about a tract from the Ellettsville House of Prayer regarding Christians and Halloween.
I think that Dalene Gully was extremely childish to call the police on the Ellettsville House of Prayer for putting a tract on her door. To screech about installing an alarm system is ridiculous. If you think the tract is so off-base, why would you be so offended by it? Why get the police involved in something that is clearly protected free speech under the U.S. Constitution? I think this reaction is evidence of a society that has lost the ability to think and reason, and therefore reacts emotionally.
Here is my opinion on Halloween: I understand there are many Christians (including the folks at EHOP) who sincerely believe that Halloween is a Satanic holiday. They do have a point. On his blog, Tim Bayly made the point that Christians must be very careful in dealing with the occult, such as demons, witches and so forth.
I do not, however, think that participating in Halloween is a bad thing in and of itself. As someone pointed out at the Bayly blog, Halloween could be an opportunity for evangelism. I think the key here is to understand how some people view the holiday and the holiday's history, and to proceed with wisdom. Believers on both sides of the controversy should respect the convictions of their brothers and sisters in Christ.
I am concerned with some of the costumes I have seen this year. Following is a letter I sent regarding a disturbing costume I saw advertised in the newspaper.
Factory Card & Party Outlet
2727 W. Diehl Road
Naperville, IL 60563
Greetings:
A few weeks ago, I went into the Factory Card Outlet on East Third Street in Bloomington, Indiana. I had a pleasant conversation with the manager, and I informed her that while I have purchased cards there in the past, I would no longer be patronizing the business. The reason for this is an advertisement that appeared in the Herald-Times featuring a costume called "mega star", for young girls. This is an overly revealing costume modeled after the attire pop singers such as Britney Spears wear on stage. The child wearing the costume did not look to be more than 8 or 10 years of age.
I do not think your company should be selling such costumes, which promote the sexualization of children. I told the manager that the store should remove that product from your store shelves. If you want to sell such costumes to grown women (and you do) that is your business. That costume is not, however, age-appropriate for small children. In addition to losing my business, you have lost the business of friends that I have alerted to your products.
I understand that there are irresponsible "parents" who think such things are "cute", and that there is a market demand for such products. However, just because there are "parents" who will buy this trash does not mean you should be selling it. Next year, I hope you will refrain from stocking this costume. Thank you for your time.
Scott Tibbs
