(Photo: AP Images / Amy Sancetta)Readying for Halloween, a woman holds a tiny carved gourd outside her home on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009.
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While many Christians choose to boycott Halloween or go to an alternative church party, some believers contend that the best approach is to join in the trick-or-treat festivities.
Halloween is not an “evil” holiday, insists Dave Trout, host of the nationally syndicated Christian music program “Under the Radar,” on the blog “Think Christian.”
Trout cites a 1999 CCM magazine article by John Fischer, a senior writer with PurposeDrivenLife.com, in which the writer highlights the fact that every day is a spiritual battle.
“Not to diminish the reality of spiritual warfare – something to be taken seriously by all believers – but the last day of October is not a spiritual battle any more than any other day,” Fischer wrote. “If Satan comes out on Halloween, he doesn’t go back into hiding the next morning.”
Not only is Halloween no more “evil” than other days, but it also offers an opportunity for Christians to get to know their neighbors and possibly share their faith with them, Trout argues.
For his part, Trout and his wife annually host a “Halloween Haven” on their block and set up a tent on their driveway where neighborhood kids can play games and win prizes. The Trouts serve hot dogs, hot cider, and coffee inside their garage where they hope to strike up conversations with neighbors, including ones regarding their Christian faith.
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“Many Christians feel the best approach is to attend a Halloween alternative party at church,” writes Trout. “I believe this only adds to the problem.”
So on Halloween day, Trout is calling on Christians to carry “Jesus’ light” into their neighborhood.
“October 31 will be one of the biggest community hand-outs of the year, but where will the Christians be?” he poses.
