OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, THE GREAT DUTCH THEOLOGIAN HERMANN BAVINCK PREDICTED THAT THE 20TH CENTURY WOULD "WITNESS A GIGANTIC CONFLICT OF SPIRITS." HIS PREDICTION TURNED OUT TO BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT, AND THIS GREAT CONFLICT CONTINUES INTO THE 21ST CENTURY.
THE ISSUE OF HALLOWEEN PRESSES ITSELF ANNUALLY UPON THE CHRISTIAN CONSCIENCE. ACUTELY AWARE OF DANGERS NEW AND OLD, MANY CHRISTIAN PARENTS CHOOSE TO WITHDRAW THEIR CHILDREN FROM THE HOLIDAY ALTOGETHER. OTHERS CHOOSE TO FOLLOW A STRATEGIC BATTLE PLAN FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HOLIDAY. STILL OTHERS HAVE GONE FURTHER, SEEKING TO CONVERT HALLOWEEN INTO AN EVANGELISTIC OPPORTUNITY. IS HALLOWEEN REALLY THAT SIGNIFICANT?
WELL, HALLOWEEN IS A BIG DEAL IN THE MARKETPLACE. HALLOWEEN IS SURPASSED ONLY BY CHRISTMAS IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITY. ACCORDING TO DAVID J. SKAL, "PRECISE FIGURES ARE DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE, BUT THE ANNUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HALLOWEEN IS NOW SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 4 BILLION AND 6 BILLION DOLLARS DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER AND KINDS OF INDUSTRIES ONE INCLUDES IN THE CALCULATIONS."... THE REST IMAGE
THE COMPLICATIONS OF HALLOWEEN GO FAR BEYOND ITS PAGAN ROOTS, HOWEVER. IN MODERN CULTURE, HALLOWEEN HAS BECOME NOT ONLY A COMMERCIAL HOLIDAY, BUT A SEASON OF CULTURAL FASCINATION WITH EVIL AND THE DEMONIC. EVEN AS THE SOCIETY HAS PRESSED THE LIMITS ON ISSUES SUCH AS SEXUALITY, THE CULTURE'S CONFRONTATION WITH THE "DARK SIDE" HAS ALSO PUSHED FAR BEYOND BOUNDARIES HONORED IN THE PAST.
TRICK OR TREAT JESUS
Credit: animals-and-shamanism.blogspot.com
