[Synnen]

Well, NK--that IS the piece of scripture they based the torture and death of thousands of wise women on.

[NeedKarma]

Wow, 2 posts and 6 Reddies given out, I don't think I like this new member's way of dealing with posts.

[speechlesstx]

Retiredmanvan, sorry for the less than stellar welcome. Rather than go through the scriptures I took the easy way out (except for linking to all those scriptures) - but it is relevant at least. From the Holman Bible Dictionary:

DIVINATION AND MAGIC An attempt to contact supernatural powers to determine answers to questions hidden to humans and usually involving the future. The practice was widely known in the ancient Middle East, especially among the Babylonians who developed it into a highly respected discipline. Ezekiel 21:21 records, "For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked in the liver."

The ancient Babylonians and Assyrians employed several methods. The Babylonians commonly used hepatoscopy, divination by the liver. The liver of a sacrificial animal by virtue of being considered the seat of life could be observed carefully by specially trained priests to determine the future activities of the gods. For this purpose the priests underwent ceremonial cleansings in preparing to interpret the livers which had carefully been divided into zones, each containing its own secrets. This was done before action was taken on any matter of real gravity. Clay models of animal livers apparently used as instructional tools in teaching the science of hepatoscopy appear in archaeological sites in Babylonia and in Palestine.

Other methods included augury (foretelling the future by natural signs, especially the flight of birds), hydromancy (divination by mixing liquids; see Gen. 44:5), casting lots (Jonah 1:7-8), astrology (2 Kings 21:5), necromancy (1 Sam. 28:7-25), observing the Urim and Thummim (1 Sam. 28:6), and by consulting the liver (Ezek. 21:21).

The use of magic is seen often in the literature of the ancient Middle East, employed both by the gods and by human beings. As superhumans, the gods themselves were subject to the higher power of magic. In Enuma Elish, the Babylonian Creation Story, the god of wisdom, Ea, killed his father Apsu, god of the fresh river waters, after reciting a spell. In the same epic, Marduk, the leader of the pantheon, went into battle against Tiamat, goddess of the chaotic sea, with a talisman of red paste in his mouth. Likewise, Tiamat relied on the recitation of a charm to cast a spell. To demonstrate his supreme position in the godhead, Marduk through the magical power of his word caused a piece of cloth to vanish and to reappear. To assure her reappearance on the earth, Ishtar, the goddess of love and fertility, donned charms before descending to the underworld.

Similar beliefs in magic are evident from ancient Canaanite myths. The supreme Canaanite deity El acted to heal the ill king Keret by working magic. The goddess Anath through magical means restored the dead Baal to the earth. Paghat, the daughter of the legendary king Daniel, observed the movements of water and of the stars.

The Old Testament often attests to the practice of magic by the Hebrews themselves, reflecting how entrenched it was. Saul, the first Hebrew king, is said to have "put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land" (1 Sam. 28:3), but even he later sought out a necromancer (1 Sam. 28:7). Jehu responded to the question of Joram, king of Israel, as to whether he came in peace, "What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?" (2 Kings 9:22). Isaiah 2:6 accuses the house of Jacob of being "full of diviners from the east and of soothsayers like the Philistines" (NRSV). Isaiah 3:2-3 reflects that the society attaches the same importance to "the diviner," "the skillful magician," and "the expert in charms" as to "the mighty man, and the soldier, the judge, and the prophet" (RSV). Consequently, King Manasseh could make public use of such services (2 Chron. 33:6). The people acted in a similar fashion. Jeremiah 27:9 admonishes the people not to heed "your [false] prophets,. your diviners,. your dreamers,. your enchanters, or your sorcerers." (Compare 29:8).

Although varying kinds of divination and magic are reported to have been practiced widely in ancient Israel and among her neighbors (Deut. 18:9-14; 1 Sam. 6:2; Isa. 19:3; Ezek. 21:21; Dan. 2:2), Israel herself was clearly and firmly admonished to have no part in such activities. "You shall not practice augury or witchcraft" (Lev. 19:26 RSV). "Do not turn to mediums or wizards; do not seek them out to be defiled by them" (Lev. 19:3 RSV). "If a person turns to mediums and wizards playing the harlot after them, I will set my face against that person and cut him off from among his people" (Lev. 20:6 RSV). "A man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard shall be put to death; they shall be stoned with stones, their blood shall be upon them" (Lev. 20:27 RSV). "When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, any one who practices divination, a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a medium, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord; and because of these abominable practices the Lord your God is driving them out before you. You shall be blameless before the Lord your God. For these nations, which you are about to dispossess, give heed to soothsayers and to diviners; but as for you, the Lord your God has not allowed you so to do" (Deuteronomy 18:9-14). "You shall no more see delusive visions nor practice divination" (Ezek. 13:23 RSV).

Karen Joines

Hope that's a bit more helpful.

Steve

[De Maria]

I am searching the Bible

Halloween is derived from the ancient Catholic celebration of "All Saints Day", so I doubt you'll find much in the Bible. Halloween is the contraction of the old English derivation of "All Hallows evening". Sometimes it is written "Hallow e'en"

Hallows means "Holy" or "Saint". We see another example of its use in Our Lord's Prayer:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name...

To understand why we celebrate All Hallows Eve, let us compare to Christmas Eve.

December 25 is Christmas, but we begin celebrating Christmas on December 24, Christmas "Eve".

November 1, is "All Saints Day" (i.e. All Hallows Day) but we begin celebrating on October 31.

It is an old Catholic custom to anticipate the day by attending Mass on the previous evening. And that is how All Saints Day and Christmas Day are celebrated. By attending Mass. It is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic Church.

This custom of anticipating the day is traced to the Scripture which says:

Genesis 1

5 And he called the light Day, and the darkness Night; and there was evening and morning one day.

for all sections concerning Witches, Warlocks, Or any information related things we know as Halloween. Any help will be appreciated

Van

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.

1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.

2 Chronicles 33:6
And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Type the word "witch" in the search utility on the Bibegateway:
BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 50 versions and 35 languages.

I'm probably late being its late November, but I hope that helps anyway.
Sincerely,

De Maria

[silentrascal]

Deuteronomy 18:10-12 (in more clear terms than the befuddling verbage of the KJV):

"There should not be found in your anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, anyone who employs divination, a practicer or magic or anyone who looks for omens or a sorcerer, one one who binds others with a spell or anyhone who consults a spirit medium or a prefessional foreteller of events or anyone who inquires of the dead. For everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable things Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you."

1 Chronicles 10:13:

"Saul died for his unfaithfulness.......and also for asking of a spirit medium to make inquiry."

Revelation 21:8:

"But as for the cowards and those without faith and those who are disgusting in their filth and murderers and fornicators and those practicing spiritism and idolaters and all the liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This means the second death."

Acts 19:19:

"Indeed, quite a number of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them up before everybody. And they calculated together the prices of them and found them worth fifty thousand pieces of silver."

Leviticus 19:26:

"You must eat nothing along with blood. You must not look for omens, and you must not practice magic."

Leviticus 19:31:

"Do not turn yourselves to the spirit mediums, and do not consult professinoal foretellers of events, so as to become unclean by them. I am Jehovah your God."

Leviticus 20:27:

"And as for a man or woman in whome there proves to be a mediumistic spirit or spirit of prediction, they should be put to death without fail. They should pelt them to death with stones. Their own blood is upon them."

[silentrascal]

Halloween—Ancient Night of Terror

It is the last night of October. By the light of the moon, a small group of costumed figures move from house to house stating their demands with dire threats. Guarding some doorsteps are grimacing pumpkin heads glowing with burning candles—made from human fat. Other doors drip with human blood. It is the night of Samhain, Celtic lord of the dead.

Perhaps in no other “Christianized” celebration does Satan so blatantly honor himself and memorialize his war dead. The writer J. Garnier suggests that celebrations of suffering and death can be traced back to the ancient destruction of all of his human followers, as well as the hybrid sons of fallen angels, at the time of the Flood. Cultures the world over have festivals for the dead, “held by all on or about the very day on which, according to the Mosaic account, the Deluge took place, viz. the seventeenth day of the second month—the month nearly corresponding with our November.”—The Worship of the Dead, by J. Garnier.

The Druids were no exception. On October 31, Samhain was said to release the spirits of the dead to mingle with the living. Druids roamed the streets with lanterns, and on coming to a house, they demanded money as an offering for Satan.

Halloween is a major satanic ritual day. “It's a religious holiday for the underworld, with satanists performing sacrifices and witches quietly celebrating with prayer circles or meals for the dead,” according to a USA Today article. It quoted Washington witch Bryan Jordan as saying, “[Christians] don't realize it, but they're celebrating our holiday with us. .  . . We like it.”

Parents, do you want your children imitating these sinister rituals?

Halloween's Horrible Roots

Masks and costumes: “The Celts left out food, drink and other treats for the spirits and then tricked them into leaving by donning masks and costumes and parading to the edge of the village.”

Bonfires were “literally 'bonefires'” wherein “the priests sought to appease the sun god by sacrificing animals and, often, people too.” (The Tampa Tribune) “By observing the way the sacrifices died, the Druids looked for omens of the future.”—Beaumont Enterprise.

Trick or treat: “The cry of the Druids was comparable to the modern day 'Trick or Treat.'”—Central Coast Parent.

Scary stories: “The bloody Druid rites live on in the youthful emphasis on ghosts and spirits. .  . . Halloween parties and the telling of scary tales also have their origin in the Druid times when spirits were believed to be abroad in the land.”—The Tampa Tribune.

Despite the pagan origins of these holidays, some will recoil at the thought of denying children the fun of modern celebrations. After all, what do informed children know of ancient Saturn, Astarte, and Samhain? Some know quite a bit. They also know that they want no part of them.


SOURCE: November 22, 1993 Awake! pg 14. "The Facts Behind Christmas, Easter, and Halloween"

[Megg]

Halloween—Ancient Night of Terror

It is the last night of October. By the light of the moon, a small group of costumed figures move from house to house stating their demands with dire threats. Guarding some doorsteps are grimacing pumpkin heads glowing with burning candles—made from human fat. Other doors drip with human blood. It is the night of Samhain, Celtic lord of the dead.

Perhaps in no other “Christianized” celebration does Satan so blatantly honor himself and memorialize his war dead. The writer J. Garnier suggests that celebrations of suffering and death can be traced back to the ancient destruction of all of his human followers, as well as the hybrid sons of fallen angels, at the time of the Flood. Cultures the world over have festivals for the dead, “held by all on or about the very day on which, according to the Mosaic account, the Deluge took place, viz., the seventeenth day of the second month—the month nearly corresponding with our November.”—The Worship of the Dead, by J. Garnier.

The Druids were no exception. On October 31, Samhain was said to release the spirits of the dead to mingle with the living. Druids roamed the streets with lanterns, and on coming to a house, they demanded money as an offering for Satan.

Halloween is a major satanic ritual day. “It’s a religious holiday for the underworld, with satanists performing sacrifices and witches quietly celebrating with prayer circles or meals for the dead,” according to a USA Today article. It quoted Washington witch Bryan Jordan as saying, “[Christians] don’t realize it, but they’re celebrating our holiday with us. . . . We like it.”

Parents, do you want your children imitating these sinister rituals?

Halloween’s Horrible Roots

Masks and costumes: “The Celts left out food, drink and other treats for the spirits and then tricked them into leaving by donning masks and costumes and parading to the edge of the village.”

Bonfires were “literally ‘bonefires’” wherein “the priests sought to appease the sun god by sacrificing animals and, often, people too.” (The Tampa Tribune) “By observing the way the sacrifices died, the Druids looked for omens of the future.”—Beaumont Enterprise.

Trick or treat: “The cry of the Druids was comparable to the modern day ‘Trick or Treat.’”—Central Coast Parent.

Scary stories: “The bloody Druid rites live on in the youthful emphasis on ghosts and spirits. . . . Halloween parties and the telling of scary tales also have their origin in the Druid times when spirits were believed to be abroad in the land.”—The Tampa Tribune.

Despite the pagan origins of these holidays, some will recoil at the thought of denying children the fun of modern celebrations. After all, what do informed children know of ancient Saturn, Astarte, and Samhain? Some know quite a bit. They also know that they want no part of them.


SOURCE: November 22, 1993 Awake! pg 14. "The Facts Behind Christmas, Easter, and Halloween"

Guess what? I'm wiccan. Guess what? B4 I was wiccan I was a christain. God fearing person for 18yrs. Wiccans and pagans are the most loving peaceful people you will EVER meet. Their misunderstood, just like many religons can be. When a religon kills inocent people... you know they're evil. Must mean christians are evil.. jk jk. But Salam witch Trials anyone?

ANYWAY- I have read the bible and parts about the witches and etc. I disagree with much of it. However I agree with the comments on the particular books an passages. There are not many to begin with. Take a look at the commandment from moses: "Thou salt not have any other gods b4 me". Accourding to that statement any who believed in other gods menaing more then one would have been witches I even did some study on that in the past. Interesting what people think. Even as loony as some things sound. I like to give everything a chance. :-)

[Synnen]

I love how the druids and pagans somehow become Satan worshippers in Christian eyes.

I'm sure it would surprise the heck out of most Christians to know that we believe in THEIR god too. He's just not the ONLY god.

The hypocrisy there just kind of bothers me, you know. You talk about ancient druids sacrificing animals to their gods--well, I seem to remember Isaac being willing to sacrifice his own SON because God willed it. I also remember that Cain had an animal sacrifice, and there are several OTHER places in the Bible which mention sacrifices involving animals--lambs, ewes, rams, whatever. So... don't be a hypocrite about OUR ancient customs when you shared that particular one.

Samhain is the day the Wiccan god dies--later to be born again. Doesn't your god die too? Don't you have mass for that occasion?

We recognize Samhain (which, by the way, is the ancient celtic name for the month of November) as the end of the year/beginning of the New Year. We give thanks for the harvest, and honor our ancestors and beloved dead. The most that *I* have ever sacrificed on Samhain (and I've been a Wiccan for going on 14 years now) is a chalice of wine to the earth, and a loaf of bread to the fire, accompanied with the words "May the world cease its hunger/thirst"

But... whatever. I'll never convince the kind of Christian that believes that I'm a satan worshipper that I'm NOT (nice little twist they gave when they were converting people--the Horned God I worship has NOTHING to do with Satan, but yet--it was good marketing back then to tell people so to get them to convert to Christianity). And I'll never BE convinced that someone with their mind completely closed to other possibilities is anything but evil.

[NeedKarma]

Megg disagrees: I'm wiccan so you going to kill me?

Hey Megg, I'm pretty sure you tatally missed the point of my post. I'm actually on your side.

[Megg]

Hey Megg, I'm pretty sure you tatally missed the point of my post. I'm actually on your side.

It was a joke.. haha

[NeedKarma]

Usually giving people a negative reputation isn't too funny.

[Megg]

Well gee my bad then :-)