HALLOWEEN
Repackaging of Old Paganism
in America
By Dr. Herbert Eze
Assist News Service
CBN.com
– PASADENA, CA (ANS) -- In America, commercial trends in Halloween
show a new repackaging of old paganism. The huge display of Halloween paraphernalia
in malls, offices, parks, and public schools in America and the extensive Internet
activities on paganism testify to a great revival of pagan tradition in the
U.S. The Halloween celebration has tremendous influence upon the socio-economic
and political life in America.
Modernization has spawned new forms of paganism. There are presently about
970,000 Internet sites on paganism and 50,000 on Halloween. It has been observed
that the next generation of children in America will be inclined to the occult
due to the current proselytizing of children into occultism through the Internet
and the Harry Potter series on witchcraft in American schools. These are major
doorways for trapping children into Satanism. The trend towards globalization,
where commercial activities lead the way with speed through the Internet,
indicates that the repackaged paganism has been globalized.
Understanding Halloween
Halloween is the modern name for Samhain or Sauin, an ancient Celtic holy
day. The feast is seasonal and marks the end of summer and the beginning of
winter. It is considered "a very magical time, when the dead walk among
the living and the veils between the past, present, and future may be lifted
in prophecy and divination." (Isaac Bonewits 1997, 2002:3).
The feast of Halloween is celebrated by many Neo-pagans, especially the Wiccans,
Druids, and Celtic Reconstructionists. Isaac Bonewits, a leading Neo-pagan
explained that "Halloween is a time to deepen connection with the cycles
of the seasons, to the generation that have come before us, and those that
will follow, and to the gods and goddesses we worship (www.neopagan.net1997,
2002:12).
The evening of October 31st marks the beginning of the Halloween event as
the veil between the material and the spiritual world becomes lifted for mutual
traffic between the living and the dead. Activities during the occasion include
divination to gain spiritual insight about the past and the future. Bonewits
regrets that bored kids in a violent saturated culture like America have caused
Halloween activities to degenerate from "harmless 'decoration' of houses
with shaving creams and toilet paper to serious vandalism and assaults"
(2002:8).
Sacred Festival Among Cultures
The "hallowed evening," as it is called, is characterized by devotion
to nature, to humanity, (past, present and future), and to the "gods."
It has some similarities with the ancestor veneration and devotion to deities
that were common practice in African traditional religion of the past before
the coming of Christianity and Islam. This is still in practice in some places
in Africa. Pagan festivities are seasonal, whether in Europe, America, or
Africa. The occasions are sacred and always connected with the veneration
of ancestors or spirits and worship of divinities. There are special days
to celebrate each festival.
Chinua Achebe writes about the sacred week observed before the planting of
crops in pre-colonial /early colonial times, among the Igbos in Africa. It
was observed as a week of peace ordained by the Igbo forefathers in Umuofia.
By rule, no one would say a harsh word to their neighbor during the occasion
in order to honor the great goddess of the earth, without whose blessing their
crops would not grow. No one was allowed to work during the “Week of
Peace.” People visited their neighbors to feast and to drink palm wine.
Violation of the “Week of Peace” would lead to a heavy fine (Chinua
Achebe 1958:26).
Spirits and Mortals in Mutual Traffic
The new yam festival in Igbo land is a seasonal feast which begins the harvest
of yams, a major food crop in Africa. Just as the festivity before the planting
of crops is devoted to the earth goddess, the harvest festival also honors
the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the clan (Achebe 1958:31).
The occasion is characterized by great merriment of eating and drinking in
which only the newly harvested yam is the major food for the day.
Masquerades, that symbolize the spirit of the ancestors, appear to grace
the occasion and are treated with great respect and awe. Women and children
are forbidden from watching them and would not dare to do so with the severe
consequence of whipping. Sacrifices of animal blood are made to the gods on
sacred altars in families, clans, and villages. Food and oil are offered to
ancestors, including kola nuts. Wine is poured out to them on the ground with
reverence, and prayers are offered in thanksgiving and for more blessings
and protection.
In some places in Igboland, appearances of masquerades during a sacred festival
may include the testing of spiritual power. Knowledge of such activities and
their consequences are restricted to male adults who are initiated in the
masquerade cult as part of growing up as males. This may be similar to such
aspects of the Halloween celebration that look violent and deplorable, especially
to the outsider.
The Samhain (Halloween) festival in Euro-America and the New Yam Harvest
Festival among the Igbos in Nigeria are both seasonal feasts. The dead walk
among the living and such times are magical. Masquerades in the Igbo festival
may go to people's homes where the adult initiated males are the only ones
qualified to come out and meet them with greetings and gifts of money in reverence.
Usually they are covered with masks, and mythologically they are treated as
spirits and never related to as humans -- for that would be very offensive
and lead to a serious fine.
The presence of ancestral spirits in form of masquerades during an Igbo sacred
festival can lead to absence of order. Disorder caused by their activities
are not questioned, except perhaps within the circle of the initiated if a
case is very serious and violates the rule of ancestral spirits. The no order
period also characterize the Samhain festivity among the Paleopagan and Mesopagan
Druids in England. Time was said to be abolished for the three days of the
Samhain festival (Bonewits 2002:3).
People did crazy things. Men dressed as women and women as men. Farmers'
gates were pulled out and left in ditches and people's horses were moved to
different fields. Children would knock on doors for food and treats (Bonewits2000:3).
The description here is quite characteristic of the form similar festivals
take in Africa, though it may not be exact. However, there are changes along
the years due to the influence of Christianity in both cultures.
Effect of Christianity on Samhain Festival
A pagan critique of the Church's influence on Samhain may be helpful in an
objective assessment of how the pagan festival has been affected by the gospel.
Bonewits writes that "the Christian Church was unable to get people to
stop celebrating this holiday, so they simply sprinkled a little holy water
on it and gave it a new name as they did with other Paleopagan sacred holidays
and customs which have Paleopagan elements associated with their dating/or
symbols," -- such as "Valentine's Day/Lupercalia, Easter/Eostre,
and Christmas/Yule." (2002:4).
Samhain Day (now Halloween), which was associated originally with the gods
and goddesses of the Celts, has been co-opted by the Church as All Saints
Day (November 1) followed the next day (November 2) by All Souls Day which
was originally the day for the worship of ancestors. Polytheism and ancestor
worship was common practice in Europe just as it was in Africa. Most of the
great cathedrals of Europe were built on top of earlier shrines and sacred
grooves (Bonewits 2002:4). Early Christian missionaries to Africa did the
same and in some places went to the extent of clearing bad bushes which were
unsacred sites and abode of the wicked and evil spirits, to erect churches.
Are Public Schools in America Secular or Pagan?
The Neo-pagan Bonewits does not argue that Halloween festivity today is not
pagan. He agrees with those who accuse Halloween to be pagan, declaring with
certainty that they are right. He does not mince words in saying that the
presence of Halloween in American schools is paganism in operation and control.
"When Fundamentalists come to your local school board and try to get
Halloween removed because 'it's a pagan holiday,' they are perfectly correct,"
says Bonewits.
The above response from a neo-paganist confirms that Halloween is pagan and
poses a challenge like, what can you do about it, including the extremities
of vandalism, blood, sorcery, witchcraft and exploiting commercial activities
that go with the festivity? There is no time in America that I experienced
spiritual oppression as during the Halloween festivity. Activities of demons,
spirits and witches are usually intense at that period. Some churches organize
serious warfare prayers to combat their experience of wicked forces during
Halloween. This confirms the reality of evil presence connected with the festival.
Commercial gains from the proceeds of Halloween paraphernalia by those malls
who use their money to support educational and political programs, and other
causes which favor their Halloween/witchcraft trade activities, have strengthened
the revival of paganism in America The unholy marriage of some churches with
the gods and goddesses of paganism has perpetuated paganism in such churches,
clothing it, unfortunately, with the toga of Christianity whereby the undiscerning
are ensnared.
Harry Potter and The Spread of Witchcraft
The Harry Potter series projects a worldview that promotes witchcraft. The
novel is a big seller and a great machine for propagating a worldview that
is anti-Christian. Harry Potter's parents were said to be killed by a witch,
Voldemort, in a Halloween night, and Harry who was with them escaped with
a lightening- bolt scar on his forehead. Horror tales such as this are sometimes
part of such festivals in Africa that are connected with masquerades/black
magic and charm testing in order to prove spiritual power. The sources of
such horrors/deaths are usually known by the leading members of the masquerade
cult.
What way of life does the author of Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling, intend to
teach children by creating a wizard out of Harry Potter and making him the
hero of her story through the study of witchcraft and magic for revenge. The
worldview of the novel is diametrically opposed to the Bible, both in studying
to become a witch and in the seeking of revenge. The consequences of kids
reading the novel are becoming evident in the kind of reviews they write after
reading it. However, I encourage that you read the Harry Potter series yourself
rather than base your judgment on other people’s reviews, some of which
may be exaggerated or ill motivated. A novel that projects a worldview which
encourages revenge, and in addition presents the art of witchcraft as a way
to it, is unacceptable to me in light of my Christian faith.
Lessons For The Church
When the Church discriminates against people, it may create witches without
knowing it, and those who are witches already will only be hardened to propagate
witchcraft more than ever. Unfortunately, when they do so, their message usually
gains more attention and support from the world than what discriminating church
folks have to say.
In the horrible circumstance that Harry Potter found himself in the home
of his close relatives, it was better news for him that he came in company
of those who loved him and cared for him even though they were witches. Perhaps
if a church family showed him equal or greater love than the witches did,
he would not have joined a witchcraft school. The question is how much does
the church love these readers who have gone after the witch, Harry Potter?
What excitement can we create for our youth and the world in writing novels
that will not be anti-Christian in worldview, but rather present a witness
wisely for the Lord?
Learning From Shakespeare
Didn't Shakespeare write a wonderful series of plays and sonnets which both
Christians and the world were attracted to for centuries? Doesn't God have
people today who can paraphrase and contextualize Shakespeare for today's
readers, or write a similar series for our time? The other factor is funding.
He who pays the piper, as it is said, calls for the tune. J.K Rowling, the
author of Harry Potter, was a struggling single mother when she began Book
One of the series. It remained on scraps of papers until she received an unprecedented
award from the Scottish Arts Council enabling her to finish the first book.
Are you surprised that the source of Harry Potter's funding will support
publishing the novel with the growing influence of paganism and spiritism
in Europe? Whether in Africa, Europe, or elsewhere, paganism and witchcraft,
old or repackaged, have the same source of origin. There is no light in them
says the Prophet Isaiah, and the test for their proof is God's Word (Isaiah
8:20). Seducing spirits in operation may appear familiar, like the Holy Spirit,
in order to sell, especially in our time. It takes careful discernment to
identify certain demonic activities. It also takes engaging devils in constant
battle with the Scriptures, as Jesus did, to mature in discernment of their
tactics because Satan himself is said to disguise as an angel of Light.
An Attack on Biblical Worldview
The Harry Potter series has been customized and made child-friendly so that
in this new repackaging of witchcraft in a fictitious novel people hardly
discern the error involved. The attack is on the biblical worldview, and the
death pill is taken by readers who are unaware as they read, especially the
children. The Scripture says that we should not regard familiar spirits or
seek after wizards to be defiled by them, but to seek the Lord, our God (Lev.
19:31). It is also among the signs of the last days that many will depart
from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons (I
Tim. 4:1).
Across cultures, and at different times, Satan has remained the source of
sorcery and witchcraft, whose practices take new forms today. The heavily
commercialized Halloween festivities for reviving and spreading paganism and
the stunning popularity of the Harry Potter series with its impact, particularly,
in the American public schools are very effective strategies of the occult
in disseminating and globalizing the newly repackaged doctrine of the old
religion of the devil.
To win this current battle, the Church needs to submit to God and actively
resist the devil. No effort in faith should be underrated or delayed. God
may choose to use the sling stone of one that is obscure or naive to eliminate
this Goliath of a monster that is challenging the people of God and threatening
to mislead an entire generation of people and kids in particular.
The Global Effect of American Paganism
Witchcraft and occultism have gained official acceptance in American school
curriculum and public life, while the Bible and prayer to God are unacceptable.
This has a worldwide effect due to the impact of the United States in the
world economy and politics. The more Satanism gains strength in higher and
strategic places in America, through the new repackaging process of witchcraft
and occultism, the more the world is misled. You may guess the extent of the
satanic activities in the power struggle of which party or person(s) get the
control of America to influence world decisions in the forthcoming USA presidential
election.
I remember visiting a believing family and discovered that they had dabbled
into the occult. A lady medium was sending them literature in series with
promises of good luck and fortune. They did not see anything wrong in it.
As I showed them from the Scriptures the error of the practice, the husband
objected, saying that it is everywhere in America and not a hidden practice.
It took time before I could convince them of the error and got the materials
destroyed after some serious praying.
As I questioned the couple mentioned above on why they could go into such
practice even as believers in Christ, I learned that it was out of the wife's
frustration for not having her prayers answered over a school final exam.
The husband concurred that he did not blame her. The new repackaging of this
occult practice made it user friendly for them to dabble into it because,
from their African background in pagan religion, they know the difference
between Christianity and paganism.
How would any Christian leader who lives in America sit on the fence on this
subject when it affects people irrespective of race and ethnicity? It is unfortunate
if born again believers from foreign countries, who renounced Satanism in
their own lands, get to America only to rededicate themselves to it, sometimes
unaware, because it has been repackaged and made user-friendly. If adult believers
hardly escape these pitfalls of the Enemy in America, what hope is there for
children in the public schools and by Internet sites where paganism, witchcraft,
and other forms of occultism hold sway?
Nigerian-born Herbert Eze has seven years of marketing experience and twenty
years of pastoral/teaching and political experience. For three years, Eze
has taught Social Science and World Religion courses at the University of
Phoenix Southern California. He also serves as adjunct assistant professor
of Intercultural Studies at Hope International University, Fullerton, where
he teaches Cultural Anthropology.
Herbert M. Eze can be contacted by e-mail at: HerbertEze@juno.com
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