Dear Editor,
A quick online search will reveal various lists of the top 10 most popular Halloween costumes from recent years. One costume that appears on each of these lists is that of a witch.
It comes as no surprise really given the popularity of witches inmovies and TV shows. Many of these shows are geared toward children. Whether we like to admit it or not, adults and children alike can have their consciences dulled to the things we routinely allow ourselves to be exposed to.
Solomon, with wisdom endued to him from God, understood this principle when he wrote in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”
In our world today many view occult practices as a thing of the past and might be surprised to discover that Wicca, a modern Pagan religion associated with witchcraft, is on the rise.
A Pew Research Center survey conducted in 2014 estimated that 0.4% of Americans or around 1.5 million people identified as Pagan or Wiccan.
It may not be that exposure to occult entertainment in the past has influenced you to want to practice witchcraft, but is that the only possible negative outcome?
Could it be that youmay have developed a soft spot in your heart for evil, even to the point of dressing your child to represent something that God says is sinful? (Lev. 20:27, Deut. 18:10, Gal. 5:19-20).
Should our standard as Christians be what is culturally acceptable and popular in the world or what is written in the word of God (Romans 12:2)?
In order to be pleasing to God, we must constantly evaluate ourselves as well as the customs and practices handed down to us from years past (I Thes. 5:21-22).
Blake Hawkins
Coldwater, MS
