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西方「萬聖節」是11月1日,而英文的「Halloween」則是10月31日,嚴格的翻譯應該把「Halloween」譯成「萬聖節前夕」,但中文一般就使用「萬聖節」一詞,指10月31日晚小孩子的搞鬼活動。
萬聖節,跟情人節、感恩節一樣,也被商業化了。那麼,它與我們的信仰有牴觸嗎?基督徒應該如何看待這個節日呢?
作者/Jamie Morgan
翻譯/Ruth Wei
很多的基督徒都會慶祝萬聖節,一些教會甚至牧師也在慶祝。最近我看到一個教會竟然廣告說他們開展一個殭屍快跑的活動。真的嗎?在上帝的家中?
In a spirit of full disclosure, when I was a brand-new believer, I allowed my son to go trick-or-treating. Part of the reason was because my husband was not yet saved and insisted we do. The other part was because I didn't see the harm in it. After all, many Christians I respected did it, so as a new Christian I justified that it must be OK. Right? Wrong!在我初信主時,我並不明白屬靈上的含義,所以我允許我的兒子去做「不給糖果就搗亂」。部分原因是我的丈夫那時還沒有得救,並且堅持我們必須要做。另一部分原因是我沒有覺得其中有什麼不妥。畢竟,很多我尊敬的基督徒都做了,作為一個初信者我理所當然的認為過萬聖節是可以的。對吧?其實錯了!
As I grew closer to the Lord and gained more knowledge of His Word, I began to feel convicted about Halloween. I had thoughts like:隨著我越來越親近神,越來越明白神的話語,我感覺到慶祝萬聖節是罪。我覺得是這樣的:
God is a God of life, but Halloween focuses on death. Should I celebrate a holiday where people decorate their front yards with tombstones?上帝是生命的主,但是萬聖節注重的是死亡。我應該慶祝一個用墓碑來裝飾家院的節日嗎?
The Scriptures tell us to put away deeds of darkness (Rom.13:12) and that light has nothing in common with darkness (2 Cor. 6:14). Is celebrating a dark holiday something a child of the light should be doing?聖經告訴我們要脫去暗昧的行為(羅13:12),光明和黑暗沒有想通的(林後6:14),所以一個光明之子應該去慶祝黑暗的節日嗎?
I had been delivered from fear and panic attacks and knew that fear comes from the enemy. Should I participate in a holiday that has fear as its very foundation?我被從害怕和恐慌之中拯救出來,因為知道恐懼是從敵人而來的。那我應該去慶祝一個以恐懼為基礎的節日嗎?
Witchcraft is clearly detestable to the Lord (Deut 18:10-13). Shouldn't something that glorifies witchcraft (just take a walk through the Halloween store) be detestable to me as well?行巫術的是耶和華所憎惡的(申18:10-13)。難道高舉巫術的節日(去萬聖節上瞧一瞧)不應該是我所憎惡的嗎?
Halloween is a sacred, high holiday for Wiccans (the official religion of witchcraft). Is this a holiday Christians should celebrate alongside Wiccans?萬聖節是威卡教的一個莊重的節日(巫術的官方宗教)。難道基督徒應該和巫術一起來慶祝這樣的節日嗎?
Is it cute when we dress our kids like the devil (or witches, ghouls, scary characters, etc.)? Isn't it, well, demonic?把我們的孩子打扮成魔鬼的樣子(或是女巫,食屍鬼,恐怖角色等)不是很可愛嗎?當然不是,這是惡魔的打扮。
What if my child dresses in a wholesome fireman costume? Romans 16:19 says that we need to be wise to what is good and innocent of evil. If I let him participate in Halloween, even while dressed as a fireman, aren't I sending him a mixed message by allowing him to participate in a celebration of evil?如果我的孩子打扮成消防員呢?羅馬書16:19告訴我們要在善上聰明,在惡上愚拙。如果我讓他去參加慶祝邪惡的萬聖節狂歡,即使是裝扮成消防員,不也是給了他一個模稜兩可的信息嗎?
The Lord said in 2 Cor. 6:17, "Come out from them and be separate ... Touch no unclean thing ..." Doesn't God want His children to be set apart from the world and from sin and evil? Aren't we supposed to be peculiar people?哥林多後書6:17提到:你們務要從他們中間出來,與他們分別,不要沾不潔的物,我就收納你們。上帝不是希望祂的孩子能夠從世界的罪和惡中分別出來嗎?我們不應該是這樣的一群人嗎?
My extended family thinks it's ridiculous that we not allow our son to dress up for Halloween. Should their opinions matter to me more than God's? Shouldn't pleasing God be my utmost concern?我的大家庭裡其他的人認為我不讓我們的兒子參與萬聖節是很可笑的人。難道他們的看法比神的看法更重要嗎?難道取悅神不該是我的終極目標嗎?
If there is even a question in my heart and mind that it might be wrong, shouldn't that be my first clue? Why would I continue to do so with even a lingering thought that it is wrong?如果心中質疑某個想法,認為它是錯誤的,難道這個質疑不當是我應該注意的嗎?為什麼還要繼續糾結於這個錯誤的想法呢?
Does Halloween bring glory to God? No! It glorifies the devil! Nuff said.萬聖節能榮耀上帝嗎?不!它榮耀的是魔鬼!已經說得夠多了!
So as a new believer, saved only two years, I responded to the conviction of the Holy Spirit, repented of displeasing the Lord and put a stop to Halloween. And as a pastor, after observing first hand the amount of destruction that the enemy brings intopeoples' lives when they give him a foothold, I am even more convinced I made the right decision to close the door to the enemy and on this evil holiday.所以作為一個得救兩年的初信基督徒,我回應聖靈的譴責,願意為做了不討上帝喜悅的事情悔改,也不再繼續慶祝萬聖節。作為一個牧者,看到我們的敵人魔鬼在人們屈服於他時所帶來的毀壞,我更確信杜絕慶祝一個邪惡的節日就是對我們的敵人關上了襲擊我們的大門。
Setting aside a day to celebrate evil,darkness, witchcraft, fear, death and the demonic brings disdain to God. A Christian celebrating Halloween would be like a Satan worshiper putting up a nativity scene at Christmas while singing, "Happy Birthday, Jesus!" The two just don't go together. Jesus has nothing in common withSatan (2 Cor. 6:14), and neither should we.定下一個節日來慶祝邪惡,黑暗,巫術,恐懼,死亡和魔鬼是蔑視上帝的作為。一個基督徒慶祝萬聖節就像是一個魔鬼的崇拜者在聖誕節時布置一個耶穌出生的場景並且唱著「耶穌,生日快樂」!這兩者是不可能並存的。正如耶穌和撒旦是絕不相容的(林後6:14),基督徒和魔鬼崇拜者也絕不相容。
So, what did we do instead? Hide in the basement with the lights off? Hustle the family out of the house? No, darkened homes are the enemy's victory! Where does your light shine the brightest ... inthe darkness!我們應該做些什麼呢?關上燈躲在地下室裡?禁止我們的家人出門?不!家中黑暗就是敵人的得勝了!你的光照在哪裡最亮呢?在黑暗裡!
Halloween is the one day a year when neighbors come to your door expecting to receive something. So give them JESUS! Our family chose to give God the glory and the devil a black eye by reachingout to our neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ! "You are the lightof the world ... let your light shine among men that they may see your gooddeeds and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:14-16).萬聖節是一年之中你的鄰居來到你家門口想要得到某些東西的一天,所以將耶穌給他們!我的家人選擇分享耶穌基督的福音給我們的鄰居以此來榮耀上帝同時給魔鬼一巴掌!「你們是世上的光……你們的光也當這樣照在人前,叫他們看見你們的好行為,便將榮耀歸給你們在天上的父」(馬太福音5:14-16)
So stop justifying why it is fine to celebrate this demonic, worldly, evil holiday. There are no muddled lines or gray areas about it. A committed follower of Jesus Christ should not celebrate Halloween.所以不要再繼續討論慶祝這個屬魔鬼的,世俗性的邪惡節日是否合適了。這個問題並不存在模糊的或是灰色的地帶。一個委身於跟隨耶穌基督的人不能慶祝萬聖節。
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father, You are Holy, Holy and Holy! Thereis no darkness in You! When the holiday of evil is coming, Lord, we ask foryour protection. Please lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one! Because we are Your children, and we want to worship You only! Lord,the almighty One, please give us the courageous to share Your gospel in this season, and give us the power to fight against our enemy! Because You have overcome this world, and we are no longer belong to this world anymore, we are the people who have identity in the Heaven. Lord, we need You to help us to shine in this world! The Lord of Life, please be with us! In the name of Jesus Christ we prayed, Amen!
禱告:
我們的天父,您是全然聖潔的神!
在您裡面沒有黑暗!在這個慶祝魔鬼的節日裡,主啊,我們請求您來保守我們!請您保守我們不要遇見試探,救我們脫離兇惡。因為我們是您的孩子,我們願意單單的來敬拜您!
主啊,全能的神,請求您給我們勇氣讓我們在這樣的時刻裡去分享您的福音,給我們力量與魔鬼徵戰。因為您已經勝過了這個世界,我們不再屬於這個世界,而是屬天國的子民!主啊,求您幫助我們在這個世界上發光!主啊,求您與我們同在!
奉耶穌的名禱告!阿們!
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