A time for children to dress up in costumes and go door-to-door shouting Trick or Treat as they beg for candy treats – threatening mischief if not appeased. A time for adults to decorate their house with spooky images, party the night away, dress in costumes and even to be excused for acting a little silly. Is Halloween harmless? Where does it come from? Have you ever delved into the history behind Halloween or All Hallows Eve as it is also called? Let’s find out a bit about this day of “fun”.
Most scholars believe that the observance is derived from ancient Celtic practices centered around Samhain [pronounced Sow-een], the pagan end of the year harvest festival which gave thanks to the pagan sun-god for the harvest at the end of summer and welcomed the new year. Samhain means “Hallow-tide” (the holiday), probably from roots meaning “summer’s end”.
[source: McBain’s Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language]
Encyclopedia Britannica says: Halloween, also called All Hallows’ Eve or All Hallows’ Evening, a holy or hallowed evening observed on October 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day. In modern times, it is the occasion for pranks and for children requesting treats or threatening tricks. In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain eve was observed on October 31, at the end of summer. This date was also the eve of the new year in both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times and was the occasion for one of the ancient fire festivals when huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. The date was connected with the return of herds from pasture, and laws and land tenures were renewed. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes.
The Celts believed in the pagan doctrine of an Immortal soul and Samhain was a time when the veil between the world of the Living and the world of the Dead became very thin and ghosts and spirits were free to wander as they wished passing between the two worlds. The Celtic priests or Druids, pagan orders in Britain, Ireland and Gaul, generally performed their rituals by offering sacrifices, usually of animals, but sometimes of humans, in order to placate the gods; ensuring that the sun would return after the winter; and frightening away evil spirits.
BONFIRES
To the Celtics, the bonfire represented the sun and was used to aid the white magic Druid in his fight with dark powers. The term bonfire or bane-fire comes from the words “bone fire,” literally meaning the bones of the sacrifices that were piled in a field with timber and set ablaze.
Samhain is a time for getting rid of weakness, as pagans once slaughtered weak animals, which were unlikely to survive the winter, and burnt them to their pagan gods as a burnt offering. The practice of burning humans was stopped around 1600, and an effigy or human-like figure was sometimes burned instead. This practice continues in some cults today.
When Catholicism began to spread through Europe in the third and fourth centuries the pagan temples were torn down, yet pagan worship never completely disappeared. The festival of Samhain remained a primary pagan festival. Belief in spirits may have waned, but many of the old Samhain traditions continued to be practiced especially by the children. Primarily in Ireland, children dressed as evil spirits went from house to house demanding a treat. If they received none, they performed an unwelcome trick.
DIVINATION
Those who practiced fortune telling and divination believed that this was the night that they had the most success. They called upon dark spiritual forces to bless their efforts. One form of divination was to put apples in a tub and bob for them. [A variant was Snap Apple where the apple was suspended by a string instead.]
The current game dates back to when the Romans conquered Britain, bringing with them the apple tree, a representation of the goddess of fruit trees and fertility, Pomona. The combination of Pomona and the Celts’ belief that the pentagram was a fertility symbol began the origins of bobbing for apples. When an apple is sliced in half, the seeds form a pentagram like shape, and it is thought that the manifestation of such a symbol meant that the apple could be used to determine marriages during this time of year. From this belief comes the game bobbing for apples.
During the annual celebration, young unmarried people try to bite into an apple floating in water or hanging from a string; the first person to bite into the apple would be the next one to be allowed to marry.
In some variations, a woman would peel the apple while gazing in a mirror by candlelight and throw the peeling over their shoulders and then quickly look around. They expected to see a vision or an apparition of the one they were to marry. Others expected to see the apple peel fall in the shape of the letter of the first initial of their prospective lover.
BLACK CATS
The history of the black cat as an evil symbol originates in ancient Babylonian and Hebrew mythology, which often portrayed them coiled up like another symbol of evil, the serpent. Is it any wonder, then, that the black cat should be associated with witchcraft as well?
The black cat was once thought of as a familiar of witches and some cultures believed that witches could change into cats. Some believed that witches could make this witch to cat transformation nine times, which may be the reason cats are still said to have nine lives.
Greek mythology also offers ancient evidence of the black cat’s association to evil. In Greek mythology a woman named Galenthias was changed into a cat and became a priestess at the temple of Hecate, the “Dark Mother”. Hecate was also known as the Mother of Witchcraft.
There are folk tales about black cats all around the world. The Celtic people believed the black cat was a reincarnated being capable of divining the future. Germans of the Middle Ages believed that a black cat was an omen for death if it jumped on the bed of an ill person. The Normans thought that if a black cat crossed your path in the moonlight, you were destined to die in an epidemic. The Chinese believed that black cats could foretell poverty and sickness. In Finland, the black cat was thought to carry dead souls to the next world. In India, to liberate a reincarnated soul, a black cat was thrown into a furnace.
Ignorance breeds superstition, and the superstition surrounding the black cat is nearly as rampant as the paganism of today.
Black cats, of themselves, are not evil, in fact being a creation of YAHUAH, they make good pets and do not deserve to be associated with this evil holiday.
WITCHES
The roots and history of witchcraft are varied through many cultures including the ancient Celtic people. Witches worshipped the creation more than the Creator. [cf Romans 1:25] They “respected and revered” (i.e. worshipped) the cycles of life and the Earth, including the phases of the moon, the changing seasons and birth and death.
The Witch is one of the more enduring symbols of Halloween, horror and folklore. Ugly and evil, they are shown flying on their broomsticks, or stirring their cauldrons. Witches were not always thought of as evil or ugly but looked upon to be healers or wise women of the pagan communities.
Witches today are sometimes mistakenly thought to be strictly with the Wiccan religion begun by Gerald Gardner in the 1950’s. However, not all witches are Wiccan (an old English word for witch)…. many do not feel bound to any religion at all. This pagan religion is an offshoot of the ancient Celtic witchcraft of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. Samhain [Halloween] was and is one of the more important pagan sabbats or seasonal holidays of the year that witches hold sacred. The ancients dressed up as animals (familiars) to trick the evil spirits and prevent them from harming the practitioner. Many types of modern witches claim this holiday as their day, taking part in activities such as ritual purification, divination, and contact with dead ancestors.
The Scripture clearly and unequivocally condemns witchcraft. Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. Both Exodus and Deuteronomy have passages pertaining to YAHUAH’s displeasure with witches or “sorcerers”. An example would be that of King Saul and his visit to a necromancer (one who can speak with the dead) known as the “Witch of Endor” for assistance in communicating with the dead prophet Samuel. Saul succeeded, although he was told by Samuel that YAHUAH was displeased because Saul had sought council from the dead rather than trust in YAHUAH Himself.
CATHOLICISM
It was a common practice for the Catholic Church to disguise pagan festivals with a veneer of Christianity. The Catholic Church would appease converts, both genuine and coerced, by allowing them to continue the pagan traditions of their ancestors. The dates were sometimes moved and the names of saints substituted
for pagan deities related to the non-Christian festivities. Halloween was one such pagan holiday hijacked by the Catholic Church.
In the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints’ Day (All Hallow’s Day). It was first observed on May 13 for Catholics to remember their dead saints. The origin of the festival of All Saints celebrated in the West dates to the seventh century, when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs; the feast of the dedicatio Sanctae Mariae ad Martyres has been celebrated at Rome ever since.
Pope Gregory the Great decided to incorporate the Druids’ holiday into the church. Mixing the holy and profane, he made the proclamation: “They are no longer to sacrifice beasts to the devil, but they may kill them for food to the praise of G-d, and give thanks to the giver of all gifts for His bounty”.
In 834, Pope Gregory III moved All Saint’s Day from May 13 to Nov. 1 to replace the pagan festival of the dead and the pagan New Year celebrations. Oct. 31 thus became All Hallows Eve (‘hallows’ here means the ‘hallowed ones’ or ‘saints’). Sadly, many of the vain customs survived and were blended in with a veneer of Christianity.
PROTESTANTISM
In 1517, a Catholic monk named Martin Luther protested against the Catholic Churches selling of Indulgences which would buy forgiveness of sins for a deceased loved ones passage from the imaginary Purgatory into heaven. On October 31st, he nailed his 95 complaints against Catholicism to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral, as he knew many Catholics would show up for All Hallows Eve services. This started what is known as The Protestant Reformation.
“… after the Reformation, Protestants rejected this [All Hallows Eve and All Saints Day] feast along with other important ones such as Christmas or Easter.” – Colliers Encyclopedia
In America, our forefathers shunned any such observances as Halloween and tended to favor only observances related to some purer form of Christianity. In the mid-1800s Irish immigrants mostly Catholic, brought to America the now-all-too- familiar Halloween customs of masquerade costumes, trick-or-treat, carved Jack-o-lanterns, etc.
(The Jack-o-lantern was originally a hollowed-out turnip but turnips were not as prevalent in America and the pumpkin was substituted. The lantern was believed, due to popular folklore, to contain the disembodied spirit of ‘Jack’ a trickster who duped the Devil; and thusly, couldn’t get into heaven or hell)
Origins of the Costume Party
As we have read, the ancient Celts disguised themselves in animal skins to ward off evil spirits (something that is common to ancient cultures all across the globe). Today, the frightful masks are now themselves celebrated – not as a device to discourage malevolent entities, but rather to attract attention from others in a sort of brief orgy of narcissism.
A modern costume party takes its origins from the masquerade balls which started during the 15th century in Europe. By the 16th century Italian renaissance, masquerade balls became reveling public affairs with dancing and socializing, most often used to celebrate the overly indulgent celebration of the Venetian Carnevale [carnival].
Masquerade balls remained popular in other European countries throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. This was inspired by games held during the celebration, as guests tried to guess the identity behind the costume and the mask.
The eighteenth-century masquerade was inextricably linked to an erotic atmosphere. Issues of gender, sexuality and role-reversal were all tangled up within the confines of the ballroom [as they are at modern adult costume parties today]. The activity at masquerades included the touching and fondling of strangers, and propelled a highly sexual energy among guests. The donning of masks brought an inevitable sexual tension prevalent among masquerade-goers. The masquerade participant did not need to follow the usual restraints of everyday life.
Masks were particularly significant as aphrodisiacs: “conventional wisdom held that someone donning a mask, especially a woman, experienced an abrupt loss of sexual inhibition”. [Source: Castle, Terry. Masquerade and Civilization: the Carnivalesque in Eighteenth-Century English Culture and Fiction. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1986.]
Since a mask provided detachment from identity, it provided a sort of detachment from traditional morality, as well. Prostitutes were common at masquerades, and contributed to the sexually charged atmosphere. Promiscuity among women at masquerades was common, even if the sexual activity was not taking place at the ball, it was certainly exacerbated by the atmosphere and the aura of the masquerade. [Source; Castle, Terry. Masquerade and Civilization: the Carnivalesque in Eighteenth-Century English Culture and Fiction. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1986]
However, this concealment also led to the occurrence of murders during masquerade balls, where assassins took advantage of their hidden identities. The most popular and celebrated at that time was the death of King Gustav III of Sweden. Soon enough, novelists like Edgar Allan Poe, found the masquerade balls as good material for his short stories. The outlandish behavior and the colorful stories that emanated from these festivities made it interesting enough to inspire, literary settings, plays, operas and short stories.
It came to a point when certain groups of moral people formed an alliance to wage war against the holding of masquerade balls. They implored upon authorities to take certain measure against the holding of this traditional masquerade balls. It was fast becoming a great contributor to immorality in the society. This then signaled the waning desire to be a part of the revelries in the olden day style of a costume party. That is, until the Halloween party.
HALLOWEEN TODAY
With the advent of modern corporations, holidays such as Halloween and Christmas have become big business. For major profits, candy manufacturers and costume-makers promote Halloween which may have altogether disappeared without their influence. Even Christians who worship the G-d have supported this unwholesome merchandising.
There is no doubt that Business has encouraged the growth of the Halloween tradition. It is now the 2nd most popular holiday, and one of the three top candy selling seasons. – [source: “What’s So ‘Hallowed’ About Halloween?” -Clayton D. Steep; p11]
Halloween is adored by practitioners of both Wicca and Satanism alike. The witches, of both white and black magic, hold the day in high esteem. Anton LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan, said: “Call it black, call it white, call it what you will, it’s all evil, and it all gets its power from the source of hell”. One cannot deny that the occult and Satanism’s influence today is strengthened by the observance of Halloween.
“After one’s own birthday, the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht (May 1st) and Halloween (or All Hallow’s Eve).” – The Satanic Bible by Anton Levey page 96, section on Religious Holidays.
But YAHUAH’s Holy Word, says: 1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of YAHUAH, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of YAHUAH’s table, and of the table of devils.
The Scriptures inform us that Satan is a real spirit being who is bent on preventing our ever becoming spirit beings (by accepting YAHUSHA HAMASHIACH as our Savior) by using any and every deception he can. Satan’s plan includes the widespread dabbling of people into the supernatural powers, including the occult, accompanied by a great revival of New Age spirit-ism.
Recently, especially in the last 20-30 years, the occult has moved into the mainstream of America – in books (such as the Harry Potter series which has become the greatest seller in England even outselling the Bible), television (such as the TV series Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, Dracula, Grimm, The Walking Dead, True Blood, The Secret Circle, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, etc. as well as a new onslaught of Psychic programs), movies (such as the Potter Series, Practical Magic, Bewitched, I married a Witch, Season of the Witch, The Craft, etc, etc), magazines (such as Circle, Sage Woman, New Witch, Pan-Gaia, as well as articles and ads in more general popular magazines), and video games (countless). Universities offer courses on witchcraft and magic – usually the so-called “white” variety or Wicca and grade schools teach spells and occult practices ·yet our children can’t pray to the Qodeshiym ELOHIYM in schools!
Halloween is, for many, a “crossover” involvement in which innocent games can lead to serious entanglement with real witches, neo-pagans, New Agers, and other occultists. A common pastime is the use of a Ouija board to attempt to contact ghosts or spirits that are believed to be roaming about. This can lead to serious consequences including demon possession. Demons have a vested interest in Halloween because it supports the occult, and it also offers novel and unexpected opportunities to control and influence people.
Forms of the occult can include mediums, channelers, clairvoyants, psychics, spiritists, diviners, mystics, gurus, shamans, psychical researchers, Yogis, psychic and holistic healers, astral travel, astrology, mysticism, Ouija boards, Tarot cards, contact with the dead, UFOs, and thousands of other practices which almost defy cataloging.
Occultism includes Satanism, New Age, astrology, Kabbalah, Gnosticism, theosophy, witchcraft and many forms of serious magic. It includes activities seeking the acquisition of “hidden” things-which are expressly forbidden by YAHUAH in the Scriptures.
Halloween is a festival based on fear (think about the “fun” of a haunted house). The Druids were power-hungry and desired to gain control over others for their own purposes. This is at the essence of “witchcraft” which literally means “manipulation.” In complete contrast, however, the Scriptures replace fear with love. 2 Timothy 1:7 says that the RUACH (Spirit) of YAHUAH has not given us a “spirit of fear”.
Why would the Christians desire to entangle themselves in any variety of fear at all? Does the Christian realize that fear, in its root, is a fear of death? The sting of death has been done away with in MASHIACH. When someone attends a “haunted house” or a “scary movie” they jump in fright because they are housed in mortal bodies that can experience pain and suffering (a foretaste of hell-fire?). They are scared to die, but receive a type of exhilaration from their “brush with death”. This is the result of a twisted and perverse fallen soul [person]. Why would anyone want to glorify fear, dying, and death? Why do they enjoy it? It is part of the curse and fall of man (cf. Genesis 3).
HARMLESS FUN?
One might complain and say “My kids are just having fun and getting free candy! We are not worshipping evil forces or making G-d angry”. “Oh, we are going to hell because we let our kids dress up and say ‘trick or treat”?
A Catholic or other religionist may even assume they do honor G-d and saints that day with prayers for the dead. What does YAHUAH think?
Does YAHUAH say that it is alright to observe the pagan festivals such as Halloween even if we say we are honoring Him? Notice carefully what he said to the Yashr’e’liym (Israelites) before they entered the promised land:
YAHUAH’S WORD
Deuteronomy 12:29-32 When YAHUAH thy ELOHIYM shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their elohiyms, saying, How did these nations serve their elohiyms? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto YAHUAH thy ELOHIYM: for every abomination to YAHUAH, which he hateth, have they done unto their elohiyms; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their elohiyms. What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto YAHUAH: and because of these abominations YAHUAH thy ELOHIYM doth drive them out from before thee. Thou shalt be perfect with YAHUAH thy ELOHIYM. For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, YAHUAH thy ELOHIYM hath not suffered thee so to do. [ Deuteronomy 18:10-14 ]
Doreen Irving, the former ruling witch of Western Europe and the British Isles, and also the mistress of the area’s high priest of Satan, who later became a Christian, said: “If Christian parents had any idea of what Halloween really is, they wouldn’t even mention the word around their children.” [source: Halloween: A Celebration of Devils (David N. Taylor) p5]
You might still say “Does it really matter”? “Does YAHUAH really care about such things”? “They seem so trivial”. Remember that YAHUAH is a Father who requires our willing obedience. Sin entered the world because of one man’s disobedience to YAHUAH over something to eat (a treat). [See Genesis 3]
Set-Apart people are to be a light to the world and not partake of things that smack of evil. “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.” [Ephesians 5:11] We should consider YAHUAH’s words and lean not to our own understanding.
A Believer and worshipper of the one true YAHUAH ELOHIYM should not practice holidays with pagan roots and trappings. If we love YAHUAH we show it by obeying Him. Reject Halloween and all pagan-originated holidays and practices.
The apostle Paul said Witchcraft is one of the acts of the sinful nature and those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of YAHUAH but have their part in the Lake that burns with Fire. (See Galatians 5:16-21; see also Revelation 22:15).
How much ground should the Christian give the devil? Is there any room for compromise? No, there is none. The Christian should have a holy hatred of the devil and everything he represents. “Give no place to the devil”, (Eph. 4:27). Halloween represents all that the devil loves and propagates against the holiness of YAHUAH’s character. When Christians participate in occult festivals, they are ascribing glory to the devil, the g-d of this world.
Replacement Festival?
Some may ease their conscience by saying they are worshipping G-d at their “Christian Fall Festival” on the same date of Halloween. They say they can displace the pagan core by keeping the festival under different auspices. So … when has YAHUAH ever inaugurated this kind of worship? Can you take a pagan idol and claim its festivities are now Christian because you said so? Can you make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear?
The Yisraelites (Israelites) tried that and utterly failed too. Remember when Moses’ brother Aaron made the golden calf while Moses was on the mountain top receiving the Law of YAHUAH?
Exodus 32:4-6 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy elohiyms, O Yisrael (Israel), which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to YAHUAH. And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
“To morrow is a feast to YAHUAH”: This is an important verse. Aaron said this pagan idolatrous worship was now honoring YAHUAH, but was it? NO! Many religious leaders today claim to serve the true ELOHIYM while making evil seem good and serving a elohiym (g-d) made in their own image or, in merely serving themselves, they make themselves that elohiym. A false elohiym – a rival to the true YAHUAH ELOHIYM!
Why? Is it just because they desire to make their children happy and fit in with the neighbors? Christian parents should be teaching their children to hate worldliness, not chasing after it. “You adulterous generation, do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity towards YAHUAH? Anyone who is a friend of the world is at enmity with YAHUAH” (James 4:4-5).
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath MASHIACH with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of YAHUAH with idols? for ye are the temple of the living ELOHIYM; as YAHUAH hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their ELOHIYM, and they shall be my people.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith YAHUAH, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith YAHUAH Almighty.
Some reading this might say, “But, I am not a Christian”. Well, If that is true then please bear with this just a little longer. You have read this far and have little to lose by finishing what you started. Whatever your religious or irreligious background, the truth of the matter is that ‘The Truth’ came before any paganism or other deviation from the truth. There is only one absolute truth of where we come from and where we are going. Let YAHUAH be true and every man a liar.
YAHUAH’s Word as found in the Scriptures is for all mankind – not just the ones labeled as Christians. – YAHUAH wants all to come to the knowledge of truth.
All of us have common roots that go back to Noah and his family saved from the flood. Therefore all of us come from the first man Adam who was created to become an obedient, loving Son of YAHUAH. Adam disobeyed and disobedience became a way of life for us by choice. YAHUAH has wanted each of us to be reconciled ever since.
YAHUAH loves you, yes you! No matter what you have done in the past or how you have lived. He wants you to turn your heart to Him. He wants all of mankind to be saved. [I John 4:9-10; I Timothy 2:4, John 3:16-18]
YAHUAH sent His only Son, YAHUSHA HA’MASHIACH, to pay the death penalty required for our disobedience. He did this while we were yet undeserving sinners. He did this so you and I can be forgiven and receive eternal life as a gift of reconciliation. All it takes is for you to confess to him that you are a sinner and that you need to be forgiven by the precious blood of YAHUSHA HA’MASHIACH. Then start life anew as an obedient living Qodeshiym of YAHUAH.
[ II Corinthians 5:17; Revelation 14:12; Romans 10:9-13]
Isaiah 1:16 Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith YAHUAH: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Halloween is one of many modern observances that we have inherited from our fathers, yet is not rooted in Scripture. For me, the fact that it is not rooted in Scripture is all the evidence I need to not observe it. But I do recognize the value in looking at the history of the ‘unholi-day’ and seeing if it is rooted in idolatry.
A little History
According to various Encyclopedia’s, the origins of this holiday are of demonic origin. Listed below are some quotes.
Pronounced As: halwn, häl- , Oct. 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day, observed with traditional games and customs. The word comes from medieval England’s All Hallows’ eve (Old Eng. hallow=”saint). However, many of these customs predate Christianity, going back instead to Celtic practices associated with Nov. 1-the beginning of winter and the Celtic new year. Witches and other evil spirits were believed to roam the earth on this evening, playing tricks on human beings to mark the season of diminishing sunlight. Bonfires were lit, offerings were made of dainty foods and sweets, and people would disguise themselves as one of the roaming spirits, to avoid demonic persecution. Survivals of these early practices can be found in countries of Celtic influence today, such as the United States where children go from door to door in scary costumes demanding “trick or treat.
Encyclopedia Britannica:
Halloween, also called All Hallows’ Eve or All Hallows’ Evening, a holy or hallowed evening observed on October 31, the eve of All Saints’ Day. In modern times, it is the occasion for pranks and for children requesting treats or threatening tricks. In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain eve was observed on October 31, at the end of summer. This date was also the eve of the new year in both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times and was the occasion for one of the ancient fire festivals when huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. The date was connected with the return of herds from pasture, and laws and land tenures were renewed. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the processes of nature. In addition, Halloween was thought to be the most favorable time for divinations concerning marriage, luck, health, and death. It was the only day on which the help of the devil was invoked for such purposes.
Encarta Encyclopedia:
Origins, Halloween: Many of the ancient peoples of Europe marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter by celebrating a holiday in late autumn. The most important of these holidays to influence later Halloween customs was Samhain, a holiday observed by the ancient Celts, a tribal people who inhabited most of Western and Central Europe in the first millennium BC. Among the Celts, Samhain marked the end of one year and the beginning of the next. It was one of four Celtic holidays linked to important transitions in the annual cycle of seasons.
Samhain began at sundown on October 31 and extended into the following day. According to the Celtic pagan religion, known as Druidism, the spirits of those who had died in the preceding year roamed the earth on Samhain evening. The Celts sought to ward off these spirits with offerings of food and drink. The Celts also built bonfires at sacred hilltop sites and performed rituals, often involving human and animal sacrifices, to honor Druid deities.
Does this sound like something we ought to be imitating? Do we really want our children dressing up like witches and demons roaming about the streets and demanding offerings from human beings? And worse yet, threaten to bring some unwanted harm on the person if they refuse to give the child (imitating demons) an offering in the form of a treat? The obvious answer to the above questions for any believer in YAHUAH is no!
What does Scripture say?
Let’s look at what scripture says about witches:
Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
Deuteronomy 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, 11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto YAHUAH: and because of these abominations YAHUAH thy ELOHIYM doth drive them out from before thee.
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of ELOHIYM.
So are our we and our children supposed to imitate witches and demonic practices or are we supposed to imitate YAHUSHA the Messiah?
We read later that Christians took the observance and “Christianized” it. Continuing the MS Encarta Encyclopedia article above:
Origins, Halloween: By the end of the 1st century AD, the Roman Empire had conquered most of the Celtic lands (see Rome, History of). In the process of incorporating the Celts into their empire, the Romans adapted and absorbed some Celtic traditions as part of their own pagan and Catholic religious observances. In Britain, Romans blended local Samhain customs with their own pagan harvest festival honoring Pomona, goddess of fruit trees. Some scholars have suggested that the game of bobbing for apples derives from this Roman association of the holiday with fruit.
Pure Celtic influences lingered longer on the western fringes of Europe, especially in areas that were never brought firmly under Roman control, such as Ireland, Scotland, and the Brittany region of northwestern France. In these areas, Samhain was abandoned only when the local people converted to Christianity during the early Middle Ages, a period that lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. The Roman Catholic Church often incorporated modified versions of older religious traditions in order to win converts. For example, Pope Gregory IV sought to replace Samhain with All Saints’ Day in 835. All Souls’ Day, closer in spirit to Samhain and modern Halloween, was first instituted at a French monastery in 998 and quickly spread throughout Europe. Folk observances linked to these Christian holidays, including Halloween, thus preserved many of the ancient Celtic customs associated with Samhain.
So we see that the roots of this festival are found to be in demonic idolatry. Some Christians tried to “Christianize” it to appease the idolaters, but who really converted who in this situation? It seems to me that it was the idolaters that converted the Christians! Believers are supposed to set the standard, not imitate the world and have a “Christian” version of everything like we see is so common today.
Does it Matter?
Does YAHUAH say that it is alright to observe the pagan festivals as long as we are honoring Him? Notice carefully what he said to the Israelites before they entered the promised land;
Deuteronomy 12:29 (KJV) When YAHUAH thy ELOHIYM shall cut off the nations from before thee, where thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; 30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they are destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. 31 Thou shalt not do so to YAHUAH thy ELOHIYM: for every abomination to YAHUAH, which he hateth, have they done to their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods. 32 Whatever thing I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add to it, nor diminish from it.
What we are really looking at here is Satanism’s influence today:
“After one’s own birthday, the two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht (May 1st) and Halloween (or All Hallow’s Eve).” The Satanic Bible by Anton Levey page 96, section on Religious Holidays.
But Scripture says:
1 Corinthians 10:21 Ye cannot drink the cup of YAHUAH, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of YAHUAH’s table, and of the table of devils.
Let’s stop the mixing of cups and the partaking of two tables. Let’s instead turn unto YAHUAH. Clearly, very clearly, it does matter!
Who are the Yahudiym (Jews) and is Torah just for them?
One of the first things we have to realize when it comes to the Torah, is who was it given to and who was it for?
Ask most people and they will tell you that the Law or Torah was given to the Yahudiym (Jewish) people. Keeping the Sabbath, observing the seven Feast of YAHUAH, eating only those animals that were declared good for food, and keeping any of the Torah, is only for the Yahudiy (Jews), most people will tell you.
Let’s take a look and see how the Scripture defines Yahudiym (Jews) and see exactly who the Torah was given to.
First we have to take a step back and define Hebrew. Hebrew means to transverse or crossover. Who was the first Hebrew or person to cross over?
“One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew” Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 14:13.
The first person mentioned in the Scriptures as a “Hebrew” is Abram, who was renamed Abraham. This makes sense considering that Abraham “crossed over” and left the comfort of his country, his home, and his family to follow YAHUAH into the wilderness.
“Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 12: 1-3.
Abraham was Hebrew and most likely he was the first Hebrew.
This would make all the descendants of Abraham Hebrews as well. Isaac, Jacob, King David, and even YAHUSHA would have been Hebrew’s because they were all descendants of Abraham.
Now we need to define Yisrael (Israel) Scripturally.
Today, Israel is a country in the Middle East, with physical borders and a group of people that live inside of those boarders who call themselves Yisraelites and/or Yahudiym (Jews).
When we read about Yisrael (Israel) in the Scriptures, is this the Yisrael (Israel) that is being referred to?
9 Then YAHUAH appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him. 10 YAHUAH said to him, “Your name is Jacob; you shall no longer be called Jacob, But Yisrael (Israel) shall be your name.” Thus He called him Yisrael (Israel). Bere’shiyth (Genesis) 35:9-10.
When we see Yisrael (Israel) in the Scriptures, assuming it is referring to the country of Yisrael (Israel) can cause some confusion.
When the Scriptures refers to “the sons of Yisrael (Israel),” it is talking about Jacobs’s twelve sons and their descendants. Jacob or Yisrael’s (Israel’s) twelve sons and their descendants were the first Yisraelites. Now we can safely say that all of Abraham’s descendants were Hebrew, and all of Jacob’s descendants were Yisraelites, but Abraham wasn’t an Yisraelite.
Now we can start to break down the 12 Tribes and see where each group originated. Jacob’s sons; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin made up the twelve tribes of Yisrael (Israel) and each tribe would have been named according to the name of each son. So all the descendants of Yahudah (Judah) were known as Yahudiym (Jews), Dan’s descendants would have been called Danites, and descendants of Levi were known as Levites. With this understanding, it becomes clear that only 1/12 of Yisrael (Israel) was Yahudiym (Jewish).
So far we know that Yahudiyms (Jews) are descendants of Yahudah (Judah), and all Yahudiym (Jews) are Yisraelites and Hebrew, but not all Yisraelites are Yahudiym (Jews). All this can be very confusing, so let’s recap what we know so far.
Abraham was Hebrew, but not an Yisraelite or a Yahudiy (Jew) because neither existed yet. Isaac, Abraham’s son, was Hebrew, but not an Yisraelite or a Yahudiy (Jew) because neither existed yet.
Jacob, who YAHUAH renamed Yisrael (Israel), was Isaac’s son. Jacob was Hebrew, but not a Yahudiy (Jew) because Yahudiyms (Jews) originated with his son Yahudah (Judah).
Yahudah (Judah), one of Jacob’s twelve sons was Hebrew and an Yisraelite, but before his children, there was no such thing as a Yahudiy (Jew). The descendants of the other eleven sons were not Yahudiym (Jews), but were named accordingly e.g. from Levi came the Levites, from Benjamin came the Benjamites and so on.
It’s critical to realize that while all Yahudiym (Jews) are Yisraelites, not all Yisraelites are Yahudiym (Jews).
Only the descendants of Yahudah (Judah) are Yahudiym (Jews).
There is a deception at work that has a majority of people believing that most if not all of the Old Testament was written for the Yahudiym (Jews).
Most people believe that YAHUAH led the Yahudiym (Jews) out of Egypt, and while that is true, there is much more to the story. He also led the other eleven tribes out of Egypt as well as foreigners who chose to “crossover” and worship YAHUAH.
According to the Scripture, YAHUAH’s chosen people are the descendants of Yisrael (Israel) who we now know are not just Yahudiym (Jews), but all of the twelve tribes.
“Hear, O Yisrael (Israel)! YAHUAH is your ELOHIYM, YAHUAH is one! 5 You shall love YAHUAH your ELOHIYM with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. Deuteronomy 6:4-5.
For you are a Set-Apart/Qodesh (holy) people to YAHUAH your ELOHIYM; YAHUAH your ELOHIYM has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Deuteronomy 7:6.
So who is this verse talking about as a “chosen people”? These verses tell us that Yisrael (Israel), as in all 12 tribes are YAHUAH’s chosen people.
Even if we are not natural born Yisraelites, we can still become one. According to the Scriptures anyone who chooses to believe in and follow the commands of YAHUAH can be “grafted in”. This has been happening since the Exodus when foreigners came out of Egypt along with Yisrael (Israel).
There shall be one Torah (law) for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you. Shemoth (Exodus) 12:49
The natives would have been descendants of Jacob’s twelve sons, and the strangers would have been everyone who wasn’t one of Jacob’s twelve sons, but they were ALL a part of Yisrael (Israel).
Even though they were not born Yisraelites they were grafted in and therefore under the same law.
Romaiym (Romans) 11 talks in depth about being grafted in, but to sum it up we could say that if you believe in YAHUSHA and follow the commands of YAHUAH, you are Grafted In and have become a part of His “chosen people.”
We hope this study has cleared up some common misconceptions. The Yahudiym (Jews) alone are not YAHUAH’s chosen people and it was not only the Yahudiym (Jews) who were brought out of Egypt.
Also, the thought that the Torah was given ONLY to the Yahudiym (Jews) is not accurate. Yisrael (Israel) (not the country) is YAHUAH’s chosen people; Yisrael (Israel) (both natural born and Gentiles who were “grafted in”) were lead out of Egypt; and YAHUAH’s commandments, statutes and judgments were given to all of Yisrael (Israel).
“Now, O Yisrael (Israel), listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which YAHUAH, the ELOHIYM of your fathers, is giving you. 2 You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor takeaway from it that you may keep the commandments of YAHUAH your ELOHIYM which I command you. Devariym (Deuteronomy) 4: 1-2
At the end of King Solomon’s reign, 10 of the 12 tribes split off and became the Northern Kingdom of Yashar’el (Israel). The tribes of Yahudah (Judah) and Benjamin made up the Southern Kingdom.
YAHUAH divorced the ten northern tribes for not following the Torah and whoring after other gods. They were scattered among the nations. Because the tribe of Yahudah (Judah) was the dominant tribe they all became known as Yahudiym (Jews).
Today, because of bad translations of the Scriptures and the lack of or desire to study the word and test everything, most people falsely assume that the Torah does not apply to them, because it was ONLY for the Yahudiym (Jews)!
As we have hopefully shown, this is a grievous error and the Torah, Feast Days, and Sabbath are not just for the Yahudiym (Jews), but for anyone who wishes to be in covenant with YAHUAH.
How is it that people can cling to an opinion or view of a person, event, issue of the world, despite being presented with clear or mounting data that contradicts that position?
The easy answer, of course, is simply that people are irrational. But a closer look at some of the particular ways and reasons we are irrational offers some interesting food for thought.
In a recently published study, a group of researchers from Northwestern University, UNC Chapel HIll, SUNY Buffalo and Millsaps College found that people often employ an approach the researchers called “motivated reasoning” when sorting through new information or arguments, especially on controversial issues.
Motivated reasoning is, as UCLA public policy professor Mark Kleiman put it, the equivalent of policy-driven data, instead of data-driven policy.
In other words, if people start with a particular opinion or view on a subject, any counter-evidence can create “cognitive dissonance”–discomfort caused by the presence of two irreconcilable ideas in the mind at once.
One way of resolving the dissonance would be to change or alter the originally held opinion.
But the researchers found that many people instead choose to change the conflicting evidence–selectively seeking out information or arguments that support their position while arguing around or ignoring any opposing evidence, even if that means using questionable or contorted logic.
That’s not a news flash to anyone who’s paid attention to any recent national debate–although the researchers pointed out that this finding, itself, runs counter to the idea that the reason people continue to hold positions counter to all evidence is because of misinformation or lack of access to the correct data.
Even when presented with compelling, factual data from sources they trusted, many of the subjects still found ways to dismiss it.
But the most interesting (or disturbing) aspect of the Northwestern study was the finding that providing additional counter-evidence, facts, or arguments actually intensified this reaction.
Additional countering data, it seems, increases the cognitive dissonance, and therefore the need for subjects to alleviate that discomfort by retreating into more rigidly selective hearing and entrenched positions.
Needless to say, these findings do not bode well for anyone with hopes of changing anyone else’s mind with facts or rational discussion, especially on “hot button” issues.
But why do we cling so fiercely to positions when they don’t even involve us directly?
Why do we care who got to the North Pole first?
Or whether a particular bill has provision X versus provision Y in it?
Why don’t we care more about simply finding out the truth–especially in cases where one “right” answer actually exists?
Part of the reason, according to Kleiman, is “the brute fact that people identify their opinions with themselves; to admit having been wrong is to have lost the argument, and (as Vince Lombardi said), every time you lose, you die a little.”
And, he adds, “there is no more destructive force in human affairs–not greed, not hatred–than the desire to have been right.”
So, what do we do about that?
If overcoming “the desire to have been right” is half as challenging as overcoming hate or greed, the outlook doesn’t seem promising. But Kleiman, who specializes in crime control policy and alternative solutions to very sticky problems (his latest book is “When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment”), thinks all is not lost.
He points to the philosopher Karl Popper, who, he says, believed fiercely in the discipline and teaching of critical thinking, because “it allows us to offer up our opinions as a sacrifice, so that they die in our stead.”
A liberal education, Kleiman says, “ought, above all, to be an education in non-attachment to one’s current opinions.
I would define a true intellectual as one who cares terribly about being right, and not at all about having been right.”
Easy to say, very hard to achieve.
For all sorts of reasons. But it’s worth thinking about.
Even if it came at the cost of sacrificing or altering our most dearly-held opinions … the truth might set us free.
Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group.
This change is in response to real (involving the physical presence of others) or imagined (involving the pressure of social norms / expectations) group pressure.
Conformity can also be simply defined as “yielding to group pressures” (Crutchfield, 1955). Group pressure may take different forms, for example bullying, persuasion, teasing, criticism, etc. Conformity is also known as majority influence (or group pressure).
The term conformity is often used to indicate an agreement to the majority position, brought about either by a desire to ‘fit in’ or be liked (normative) or because of a desire to be correct (informational), or simply to conform to a social role (identification).
Jenness (1932) was the first psychologist to study conformity. His experiment was an ambiguous situation involving a glass bottle filled with beans.
He asked participants individually to estimate how many beans the bottle contained. Jenness then put the group in a room with the bottle, and asked them to provide a group estimate through discussion.
Participants were then asked to estimate the number on their own again to find whether their initial estimates had altered based on the influence of the majority.
Jenness then interviewed the participants individually again, and asked if they would like to change their original estimates, or stay with the group’s estimate. Almost all changed their individual guesses to be closer to the group estimate.
Compliance (or group acceptance)
This occurs ‘when an individual accepts influence because he hopes to achieve a favorable reaction from another person or group. He adopts the induced behavior because….he expects to gain specific rewards or approval and avoid specific punishment or disapproval by conformity’ (Kelman, 1958, p. 53).
In other words, conforming to the majority (publicly), in spite of not really agreeing with them (privately). This is seen in Asch’s line experiment.
Compliance stops when there are no group pressures to conform, and is therefore a temporary behavior change.
Internalization (genuine acceptance of group norms)
This occurs ‘when an individual accepts influence because the content of the induced behavior – the ideas and actions of which it is composed – is intrinsically rewarding. He adopts the induced behavior because it is congruent [consistent] with his value system’ (Kelman, 1958, p. 53).
Internalization always involves public and private conformity. A person publicly changes their behavior to fit in with the group, while also agreeing with them privately.
This is the deepest level of conformity were the beliefs of the group become part of the individual’s own belief system. This means the change in behavior is permanent. This is seen in Sherif’s autokinetic experiment.
This is most likely to occur when the majority have greater knowledge, and members of the minority have little knowledge to challenge the majority position.
Identification (or group membership)
This occurs ‘when an individual accepts influence because he wants to establish or maintain a satisfying self-defining relationship to another person or group’ (Kelman, 1958, p. 53).
Individuals conform to the expectations of a social role, e.g. nurses, police officers. It is similar to compliance as there does not have to be a change in private opinion. A good example is Zimbardo’s Prison Study.
Man (1969) identified an additional type of conformity:
Ingratiational
This is when a person conforms to impress or gain favor/acceptance from other people.
It is similar to normative influence, but is motivated by the need for social rewards rather than the threat of rejection, i.e., group pressure does not enter the decision to conform.
Explanations of Conformity
Deutsch and Gerrard (1955) identified two reasons why people conform:
tive Conformity
Yielding to group pressure because a person wants to fit in with the group. E.g. Asch Line Study.
Conforming because the person is scared of being rejected by the group.
This type of conformity usually involves compliance – where a person publicly accepts the views of a group but privately rejects them.l Conformity
This usually occurs when a person lacks knowledge and looks to the group for guidance.
Or when a person is in an ambiguous (i.e. unclear) situation and socially compares their behavior with the group. E.g. Sherif’s Study.
This type of conformity usually involves internalization – where a person accepts the views of the groups and adopts them as an individual.
Sherif (1935) Autokinetic Effect Experiment
Aim: Sherif (1935) conducted an experiment with the aim of demonstrating that people conform to group norms when they are put in an ambiguous (i.e. unclear) situation.
Method: Sherif used a lab experiment to study conformity. He used the autokinetic effect – this is where a small spot of light (projected onto a screen) in a dark room will appear to move, even though it is still (i.e. it is a visual illusion).
It was discovered that when participants were individually tested their estimates on how far the light moved varied considerably (e.g. from 20cm to 80cm).
The participants were then tested in groups of three. Sherif manipulated the composition of the group by putting together two people whose estimate of the light movement when alone was very similar, and one person whose estimate was very different. Each person in the group had to say aloud how far they thought the light had moved.
Results: Sherif found that over numerous estimates (trials) of the movement of light, the group converged to a common estimate. The person whose estimate of movement was greatly different to the other two in the group conformed to the view of the other two.
Sherif said that this showed that people would always tend to conform. Rather than make individual judgments they tend to come to a group agreement.
Conclusion: The results show that when in an ambiguous situation (such as the autokinetic effect), a person will look to others (who know more / better) for guidance (i.e. adopt the group norm).
They want to do the right thing, but may lack the appropriate information. Observing others can provide this information. This is known as informational conformity.
Non Conformity
Not everyone conforms to social pressure. Indeed, there are many factors that contribute to an individual’s desire to remain independent of the group.
For example, Smith and Bond (1998) discovered cultural differences in conformity between western and eastern countries. People from Western cultures (such as America and the UK) are more likely to be individualistic and don’t want to be seen as being the same as everyone else.
This means that they value being independent and self sufficient (the individual is more important that the group), and as such are more likely to participate in non conformity.
In contrast, eastern cultures (such as Asian countries) are more likely to value the needs of the family and other social groups before their own. They are known as collectivist cultures and are more likely to conform.
The phrase, “everybody’s doing it,” is very much at the center of the concept of peer pressure. It is a social influence exerted on an individual in order to get that person to act or believe in a similar way as a larger group. This influence can be negative or positive, and can exist in both large and small groups. Most people experience it in some way during their lives.
Social Behavior
People are social creatures by nature, and so it is hardly surprising that some portion of their self-esteem comes from the approval of others. This instinct is why the approval of peers, and the fear of disapproval, is such a powerful force in many people’s lives. It is the same instinct that compels people to dress one way at home and another way at work, or to answer “fine” when a stranger asks “how are you?” even if it is not necessarily true. There is a practical aspect to this; it helps society to function efficiently, and encourages a general level of self-discipline that simplifies day-to-day interaction.
Positive Peer Influence
Despite the most common associations with the term, peer pressure is not always negative. A student whose friends excel in academics may be compelled to study harder and get good grades. Players on a sports team may feel driven to play harder in order to help the team win. This type of influence can also be exerted to get a friend off drugs, or to help an adult take up a good habit or drop a bad one. Study groups, class projects, and even book clubs are examples of positive peer groups that encourage people to better themselves.
Negative Influence
For certain individuals, seeking social acceptance is so important that it becomes like an addiction; in order to satisfy the craving, they may go so far as to abandon their sense of right and wrong. Groups of children may join in bullying newcomers in school. Teens and young adults may feel compelled to use drugs or alcohol, be sexually promiscuous, or join gangs that encourage criminal behavior. Mature adults may sometimes feel pressured to cover up illegal activity at the company where they work, or end up in debt because they are unable to suppress the temptation to buy a house or car that they can’t afford in an effort to, “keep up with the Joneses.”
Children
When discussing peer pressure, children and teens are often the greatest focus of concern. Because of their lack of maturity and judgment, children are especially vulnerable to this kind of influence, and often find it difficult to resist joining group activities, even when their own common sense warns against it. Likewise, group leaders themselves can easily become enthralled with their power over the rest, leading them to spur the group to take actions that no individual member would have considered on his or her own. Many teens become absorbed into different cliques and groups, spending less time with their families, causing previously strong family influences to diminish. This puts them at greater risk.
Combating Negative Pressure
Schools and other organizations try to teach kids about the dangers of negative peer pressure. They teach kids to stand up and be themselves, and encourage them to politely decline to do things that they believe are wrong. Likewise, it can be helpful to encourage children to embrace the beneficial influence of positive peer groups.
Proactive Parenting
Parental involvement can also help negate harmful peer pressure. Parents can take a number of steps, including working to build closer relationships with their children, getting to know both the children’s friends and the parents of those friends, knowing where their children are and who they’re with, and providing structure and discipline at home.
Self Awareness
There is no question that some people are more vulnerable to peer pressure than others, and that some people are more vulnerable to it at one stage in life than in another. Being self-aware is at the root of managing this type of pressure. Although peer pressure is sometimes quite overt, it can also be so subtle that a person may not even notice that it is affecting his or her behavior. For this reason, when making important decisions, simply going with a gut instinct is risky. Instead, people should seriously consider why they feel drawn to taking a particular action, and whether the real motivation is simply that everyone else is doing the same thing. “Going with the flow,” so to speak, is not always a bad thing, but as each individual is still responsible for the consequences, it is important to be a thinking participant in the decision.
The WAR On Reality: How Globalists Occupy Your Mind To Control Everything
by Mike Adams, The Health Ranger
“There is a war on reality, and the battlefield for that war is your consciousness. Almost everything that you see in society or from official sources is fabricated or rigged. It’s fictional. It’s all designed to weave this artificial tapestry of beliefs and ideas and so-called truths in your mind that actually are not true, that are not based on reality.
The point of this is to create a system of control, a prison for your mind, that gives you the illusion of thinking that you have freedom of thought and freedom of choice, or that you live in a democracy, for example, when in reality this entire system around you is all fabricated to force you into making certain decisions or taking certain actions or avoiding certain actions, all of which…
To recuperate is to get something back that you have lost — could be good health, or money, property or stock lost in a bad investment. When you recuperate, you heal and recover.
Recuperate comes from the Latin word recuperare “to take back,” so when you recuperate you gain something back that was yours before —
Recuperate is usually something people do after an illness. If you don’t want to sound fancy, just say you’re recovering.
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23 Gilah then, you children of Tzion and simcha in YHUH your Elohim: for He has given you the former rain moderately and He will cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain as before. [3069]
24 And the floors shall be full of wheat and the pots shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 And I will restore to you [3070] the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust and the consuming locust and the gnawing locust, My great army that I sent among you.
26 And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and give hallel to the Name of YHUH your Elohim that has dealt wondrously with you: and My people shall never be put to shame.
27 And you shall know that I AM in the midst of Yisrael and that I AM YHUH your Elohim and there is no one else: and My people shall never be put to shame.
28 And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My Ruach upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: [3071]
29 And also upon the avadim and upon the female avadim in those days will I pour out My Ruach. [3072]
30 And I will show wonders in the shamayim and on the earth, dahm and fire and pillars of smoke.
31 The shemesh shall be turned into darkness and the yarayach into dahm, before the great and the terrible Yom [3073] YHUH comes. [3074]
32 And it shall come to pass, that whoever shall call on the Name of YHUH shall be delivered: [3075] for in Har Tzion and in Yahrushalayim shall be deliverance and escape, [3076] as YHUH has said and among the remnant survivors whom YHUH shall call. [3077]
RESTORATION SCRIPTURES TRUE NAME EDITION
Foot Notes:
[3069] Two-house renewal during the Great Tribulation.
[3070] The ultimate aim and goal of the Great Tribulation is to punish the heathen and restore a remnant of both houses of Yisrael, who have been so terribly plundered.
[3071] By definition, Joel’s children’s are Yisraelites, which means in The time for both houses to be purified through the time of Jacob’s Trouble, or the Great Tribulation, a time unlike any other in world, or Yisraelite history.
[3072] This was fulfilled in Acts 2 as step one to the renewal of both houses. Step 2 is at the end of the Great Tribulation, when Yisrael is fully restored and fully endowed and empowered by the Spirit, with all Yisrael following Messiah and His Torah.
[3073] The same day is great for Yisrael and dreadful for the perishing heathen.
[3074] Cosmic disturbance immediately precedes Messiah’s coming, followed by His return and a final outpouring of His Spirit.
[3075] In order to be delivered in and from the Great Tribulation, it will be an absolute necessity to know and call on YAH’s true Name, even as the Name of YAH protects the 144,000 themselves during the Great Tribulation.
[3076] The escape is to Mt. Zion and Jerusalem, not to heaven. Those chosen and surviving the Great Tribulation along with all the resurrected believers will find survival and escape in the land of Yisrael, not in a made-up escape in a rapture bus.
[3077] Called, chosen remnant Yisrael from both houses.
Glossary of Hebrew Words:
Gilah (H) Rejoice
Tzion (H) Zion
Simcha (H) Joy, Or Happiness
Hallel (H) Praise
Ruach (H) Spirit Of Man, Or BeastRuach Hakodesh (H) Set-Apart Spirit
Truthers Journal 