Music, Yoga, Etc.....

violet

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Music, Yoga, Etc.....

I want to make this a separate thread because I think it applies to many aspects of our life.

Banarenth said. "I have always been a firm believer that it isn't the origin but the usage that makes something good/bad".

Last night I saw a graduate in Theology, online, who said the same thing and it really opened my eyes.

He said we cannot determine something is evil because of it's roots.
It is how it is used here and now.
His example was was a bit grotesque but it certainly made the point.
He said if we are going to do this then we better give up just about everything.
Soccer was an evil sport. it's roots go back to when they played with a human head. I believe he mentioned prayer to pagan gods too.

It really made me think.

As an example, some Christians won't celebrate Halloween and some Christian churches have Halloween parties.

I do believe it is what we use and how we use it that really matters.

(Dusty, if you are reading this, I agree if something does not feel right or you are personally convicted that is another matter.)

But to be afraid to stand up for what we like or enjoy because we fear judgement from others is back to trying to please man, and pleasing God is all we should really worry about!
 
I want to make this a separate thread because I think it applies to many aspects of our life.

Banarenth said. "I have always been a firm believer that it isn't the origin but the usage that makes something good/bad".

Last night I saw a graduate in Theology, online, who said the same thing and it really opened my eyes.

He said we cannot determine something is evil because of it's roots.
It is how it is used here and now.
His example was was a bit grotesque but it certainly made the point.
He said if we are going to do this then we better give up just about everything.
Soccer was an evil sport. it's roots go back to when they played with a human head. I believe he mentioned prayer to pagan gods too.

It really made me think.

As an example, some Christians won't celebrate Halloween and some Christian churches have Halloween parties.

I do believe it is what we use and how we use it that really matters.

(Dusty, if you are reading this, I agree if something does not feel right or you are personally convicted that is another matter.)

But to be afraid to stand up for what we like or enjoy because we fear judgement from others is back to trying to please man, and pleasing God is all we should really worry about!

Good morning Violet

There are so many good points in this! The bible talks about not doing something that is not necessarily sin if you feel convicted not to do it because if you do it anyway, you will have a heavy conscience and it will be sin to you. But if you do not feel convicted then you don't have to restrict yourself just to please man, except of course, if it will cause one "little one" to stumble, then don't do "it" in front of them. I really think that in this case the bible refers to a person new to Christianity when it says "little one". I was thinking about Halloween though. I really never thought it was wrong to dress up and have a party if you want to on Halloween or go trick-or-treat'ing, until a few years back when I read about the origins of Halloween. What I read made my skin crawl and it actually made me think about "celebrating" a day which was started as an actual "day of worship" of satan by witches and warlocks. It was truly mind boggling what I read and I am still debating the idea in my heart about weather or not is appropriate to celebrate Halloween. Does your family do anything for Halloween? Just curious...

Laura:)
 
Laura, I have struggled with Halloween too and now it is more that I am against it for safety reasons because I am not as trusting with strangers anymore.

It IS something fun for the kids though.

Christmas was a pagan holiday and we chose to turn it into a Christian holiday.
Some are still uncomfortable with Christmas.

I know Jesus was not born on Dec. 25, but it has become the day when the whole world celebrates His birth, in unison.

You, know, I think if you teach your children all about God in the first place, Halloween is not going to make or break them.
My opinion......:)
 
The history of Halloween is varried. But Samhain originated because that was (sort of) New Years for the Celts (November 1). It was chosen to mark the end of the harvest. So to go back to the strictest origins, that's all it was.

During this time of harvest, the livestock was inventoried, and the animal bones were often thrown into the traditional bonfires. At the time this was considered a bit of a "good luck" ritual, but has more modern roots in the divinity practice of bone-burning to determine the future. In the Celtic lore, this separated the two halfs of the year (light/dark) and was a time when the boundaries between our world and the next became weakened and blurred. In that night, your ancestors were able to communicate with you through various rituals. The lives of the people DEPENDED heavily on livestock and predictions to get them through the "dark half" of the year, when food and supplies were less plentiful.

In the Wiccan religion, it is one of eight Sabbats, and is a day to celebrate those who have passed on in the past years. The day is to balance another Sabbat that celebrates life and rebirth.

The current Halloween was originated in the Catholic church, and celebrated on October 31st to offset the "pagan" version. Satan was characterized to appear in a similar form to Pan, to bolster support against those that worshiped the pagan god Pan.

From my own perspective, I've participated in a number of various Halloween, Samhain, and fall festivals. The Fall Festivals that I often see at schools and churches most resemble the original idea for the holiday, while the Sabbat is vastly different. Of course there are costumes and rituals, but there are costumes and rituals for ALL of the Sabbats. Samhain is just one of the bigger ones. The spooky scary part seems to be uniquely modern, at least from my experience.

Fact is, while I would attend a fall festival at my church, I would be cautious about calling it halloween. And for me, dressing up in costumes is ALWAYS fun, so I make no real distinction for this one day. Last halloween found me caroling just for a change of pace.
 
I agree that Christ looks at our motives, not necessarily the rituals they are based upon. On the flipside of NOT doing something God finds displeasing, we should also consider DOING something that God finds displeasing. For example, certainly God wants us to pray. But, we are instructed to do so in private and with a sincere heart, not boastful so others can hear. So, prayer is essential, but it can be viewed as hollow by God, too. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bad...it all depends on our motives.

To me, events like Halloween and Harry Potter are the same way. I have absolutely zero conviction about them and look forward to my 2.5 year old trick or treating this year. My intention is to have a great evening and enjoy a fun day of dressing up, not honoring witches or anything like that. It's about the candy.

When we bog ourselves down with this stuff, we become borderline legalistic and begin to lose sight of things that really matter. Christ does not want us burdened by rules and regulations, but let the Holy Spirit be our guide about what is and what is not appropriate. Many feel convicted and do not want any part of Halloween, and that's fine, but I get irritated when those same folks give me a hard time about it. Many things I choose not to take part in out of conviction are fine for others, and that's OK, too.

These sorts of disagreements (not here, but I mean in many churches) can rip apart congregations for absolutely idiotic reasons. Legalism crushes and God-seeking Christian.
 
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