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Halloween
Article by Richard T. RitenbaughVampires appear within the broader discussion of Halloween's origins and character as one of the recognized figures of the spirit world that the holiday perpetuates, standing alongside fairies, witches, ogres, goblins, demons, and ghouls. This grouping reflects Halloween's descent from the Celtic festival of Samhain, a New Year's and harvest celebration observed over three days around November 1, during which the Celts believed the boundary between the physical and spiritual worlds relaxed, allowing spirits, including those of the recently departed, to cross into the mortal realm. Out of fear of these wandering spirits, the Celts left out food and treats to appease them, believing that failure to do so would result in tricks or curses, a superstition that ultimately underlies the modern practice of trick-or-treating. Although Roman Catholicism later attempted to Christianize this pagan observance by instituting All Saints' Day and eventually moving it to November 1 to coincide with Samhain, the underlying pre-Christian Celtic practices persisted, particularly the recognition of the spirit world in figures such as vampires. Today's Halloween, then, has reverted essentially to its Celtic roots, retaining this fascination with unseen spirits and creatures associated with the dead, even though nothing genuinely Christian remains in the holiday. This connects directly to the broader biblical teaching that spiritism, witchcraft, and occult practices, including the honoring or invoking of spirits, are forms of idolatry that God calls abominations. Scripture repeatedly links such practices with spiritual prostitution, since they place other spiritual entities between God and His covenant people, damaging that relationship in the same way physical infidelity damages a marriage. The presence of vampires and similar figures within Halloween's traditions is thus not an incidental or harmless detail but part of a larger pattern in which the holiday honors demonic or ungodly spirits rather than God. This is consistent with the broader warning that customs devised by nations lacking God's revelation are worthless and spiritually dangerous, serving as snares designed to appeal to human nature while leading people away from God. The inclusion of vampires among Halloween's recognized spirit-beings, therefore, illustrates how the holiday continues to embody the very practices of divination, spiritism, and reverence for the dead that the Bible explicitly condemns, reinforcing the conclusion that Halloween, in all its historical and modern forms, represents an unholy mixture of paganism, occultism, and idolatry incompatible with a Christian's relationship with God.
Crazy or Christmas
Sermonette byIf Christmas is Christ's birthday, it is strange that everybody else except Christ receives a gift. All of its symbols derive from pagan sources.
Hating Evil, Fearing God
'Ready Answer' by David C. GrabbeVampires appear in the material as one of the imaginative elements associated with Halloween, listed alongside witches and werewolves as figures that modern Israelites indulge in annually, even if only in imagination. This indulgence is presented as evidence that many have no problem engaging with the occult, at least in a make-believe sense, despite the fact that Halloween's roots trace back to the pagan festival of Samhain, described as a mixture of drunkenness, revelry, licentiousness, vandalism, treachery, superstition, anarchy, and rank demonism. Though today this festival is dressed up as harmless, creative fun for children, its essence remains unchanged, and figures such as vampires represent that continuity with its demonic origins. The mention of vampires functions within a larger argument about the nature of evil as defined in Proverbs 8:13, which states that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. Since the seed from which Halloween grew was paganism, which is described as simply a softer term for demonism, the fruit produced by that seed will also be evil, even when presented in an entertaining or festive way. Vampires, along with witches and werewolves, are thus categorized as elements of Halloween that, regardless of the guise they take, are contrary to eternal life with God. Those who genuinely fear God are said to instinctively and earnestly loathe those things that harm life and liveliness, even when the harm is not immediately apparent, and Halloween imagery, including vampires, is presented as harmful because of its connection to the evil one and his subservient evil spirits. The broader point being made is that if one truly respects God and what He stands for, one will also oppose all that He is against, which includes anything associated with demonism, however trivialized or normalized it may appear in popular culture. The illustration of the haunted house advertisement, "The Necropolis," which promotes gore and death-themed imagery, is used earlier in the discussion to demonstrate the same principle of double-mindedness, where supposed righteousness casually coexists with the celebration of evil. Vampires, as part of this cultural celebration of dark and destructive imagery, serve as a specific example of how evil can be repackaged as fun, illustrating the necessity of discernment and the cultivation of godly fear so that what is truly harmful to life and liveliness is recognized and rejected rather than embraced under the guise of harmless entertainment.
Halloween
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughVampires appear among the pre-Christian Celtic practices retained in Halloween, listed alongside fairies, witches, ogres, goblins, evil spirits, demons, ghouls, and goats as entities whose recognition fills the streets on that night. This element stems directly from the ancient festival of Samhain, observed around November 1 as a transitional period when the boundary between the physical and spirit worlds was believed to lift, permitting such beings to cross over. Participants sought to appease or contact these spirits through offerings, divination, and rituals, practices the material identifies as forms of idolatry and spiritual prostitution. The presence of vampires in contemporary observances therefore continues the same spiritism and chaos that God condemns as detestable, defiling both land and people, and producing separation from Him rather than the holiness He requires of His children.
Testing the Spirits (Part 1)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsVampires appear in a sales catalog titled One Spirit Resources for the Spirit, Mind, and Body as the title Vampires, Werewolves and Monsters, grouped with other entries on paranormal phenomena, animal wisdom, astrology, magic, goddesses, and similar subjects. The catalog presents these topics as resources under a single unifying spirit that draws from multiple sources, including shamans, yoga, Buddhism, Gnostic texts, and occult practices. This listing illustrates the catalog's version of one spirit as a collection of chaotic demons supplying knowledge and information. The material connects vampires directly to Satan's counterfeit unity through diversity, which operates as one spirit through chaos and carries the core motivation and characteristic of being antichrist. Such offerings stand in opposition to the true Spirit of God, confirming the broader warning that many false spirits have gone out into the world and must be tested against scripture to distinguish the spirit of truth from the spirit of error.
The Not-A-Problem Folk
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Charles WhitakerThe Comics Code of 1954 prohibited any scenes dealing with or instruments associated with vampires and vampirism. This rule formed part of a larger set of standards that also banned depictions of the walking dead, ghouls, cannibalism, werewolfism, excessive bloodshed, torture, horror, depravity, lust, sadism, and masochism. The code required that evil never be presented alluringly and that crime appear only as a sordid activity, while forbidding any content that might create sympathy for criminals or disrespect for lawful authority. Publishers voluntarily submitted material for review so that approved issues could carry the association's seal. These restrictions reflected an industry response to moral challenges posed by increasingly graphic and explicit comic books. Over subsequent decades the code was progressively weakened to accommodate lower cultural standards until the major publishers withdrew in 2011 and the enforcing body ceased operations. The disappearance of such prohibitions, including those concerning vampires, illustrates the broader pattern of inadequate or absent responses to genuine moral issues that the material identifies as contributing to societal decline.
Hiding in Plain Sight
Sermonette by Mike Ford59% of 'Christians' do not believe in Satan, but we see his hand in the transgender movement, the obsession with climate change, and the abortion plague.
When the Trumpet Blows
Sermon by John O. ReidJesus Christ states His office as the true and faithful witness and the one who began creation. He sees daily the mindset and works that are neither cold nor hot. He wishes they were one or the other so that He could work with them. Lukewarm can be described as complacent, compromising, slothful in study, selfish, making an idol of oneself and one's desires, self-satisfied, cozy, comfortable, indifferent, and inconsistent in one's relationship with God. Because they have lost their love for God and neglect to obey from the heart, He will vomit them out of His mouth. They say they are rich and increased in the knowledge of God and have it made, yet they are wretched, poor, blind, and naked. God counsels them to examine themselves diligently. They are to buy gold purified in the fire to be truly rich, to be clothed in white raiment, and to open their eyes to the reality of this world and how short the time appears to be. He corrects them as a loving parent because He loves them greatly and wants them to respond by repenting, getting back their first love, and being diligent in prayer, study, and fasting. He knocks on the door and wants them to admit Him into their lives not with lip service but with every fiber of their being. To him that overcomes there will be a reward to rule with Jesus Christ.