> > Why, because it's tradition that we don't want to give up?
> >
> > Nyperold
>
> I meant the Illuminati stuff - but while we're on the Halloween subject, yes, I "celebrate" Halloween, and I don't plan to stop, and it hasn't separated me from God in the least.
>
> -Lynette

I'm going to go out on a limb here and stick my neck out by throwing in my two cents. (Wow, what a cliché-laden sentence that was!)

There are countless gray areas in our lives that we each must make decisions about. The Bible doesn't say one way or another whether we should celebrate Halloween or not. The Bible doesn't say whether we should listen to rock n' roll music or not. The Bible doesn't specifically address a lot of modern "issues", because they simply didn't exist when it was written. There are guiding principles in Scripture that can help us make these decisions wisely, but varied and sundry interpretations abound, and sometimes we just have study a matter on our own and make a prayerful decision based on our own understanding of God's Word.

That's why personal convictions can't be applied equilaterally. There are some things that people just have to make a decision about and stick to it, but you can't shove your ideas about what is right down a brother's throat. Romans 14 warns against that.

When I was growing up, we celebrated Halloween. Even in my teen years, although I didn't go trick-or-treating any more, I enjoyed Halloween night at home, getting costumed up and handing out candy. I have since come to a decision that Halloween isn't something I want to support any longer, but I don't feel terrible about participating in it in my younger years, nor do I look down at all on those who still enjoy it.

My point is that we shouldn't sweat the small stuff. Why do such small issues become so divisive?

Grishny