The National Retail Federation expects Americans to spend $9 billion on Halloween this year. According to the survey, consumers plan to spend $3.2 billion on costumes, $2.7 billion on decorations, $2.6 billion on candy and $400 million on greeting cards. But is this holiday simply a fun celebration, or is there a darker side that Christians need to avoid?
Tackling this question on the Halloween edition of Core Christianity, Dr. Michael Horton and Pastor Adriel Sanchez added insight – and even some humor – to what has become a divisive issue among Christians.
When asked by a listener, “What do you think about Halloween? Do you think there are real dangers?” Mike responded,
“I think there are real dangers about celebrating any event. There is a danger in celebrating Christmas if you are not celebrating it as the nativity of our Lord but as a cultural holiday. [Halloween is a time] to reckon with the fact that above, behind, and around are unseen forces seeking to devour and destroy – not to glorify it but to acknowledge it.”
Adriel added,
“That’s where the tension comes in. I think there are a lot of Christians who feel like [Halloween] is the glamorization of, or glorifying of, something that is evil and bad. So I think there is a way of approaching it where it is light-hearted, and you’re able to poke fun at it but also have these important discussions about the reality of evil in the world and the spiritual world that is all around us.”
In the Halloween broadcast, Mike and Adriel also touched on other important biblical concerns, such as sorcery and whether demon possession still occurs today.
When there are biblical questions, Core Christianity is there with practical answers. If you haven’t yet added Core Christianity to your lineup, we’d love to have you join us!
