Halloween — the Feast of the Devil!
On October 15, 2004, CNN.com ran an interesting article regarding this year’s celebration of Halloween, as it falls on a Sunday. Many claim that Halloween, as a celebration for the devil, should not be kept on Sunday, the “Lord’s Day, the Day of Jesus,” but should be kept on Saturday, instead. The interesting fact is that Saturday, NOT Sunday, is the “Lord’s Day” (compare Mark 2:28), and that Halloween is recognized as Satan’s feast. We must ask: Why, in the world, would ANYONE want to celebrate Halloween, recognizing the fact of WHO is worshipped on that day? CNN reported:
“Across the Bible Belt this Halloween, some little ghosts and goblins might get shooed away by the neighbors — and some youngsters will not be allowed to go trick-or-treating at all — because the holiday falls on a Sunday this year. ‘It’s a day for the good Lord, not for the devil,’ said Barbara Braswell… Some towns around the country are decreeing that Halloween be celebrated on Saturday to avoid complaints from those who might be offended by the sight of demons and witches ringing their doorbell on the Sabbath… ‘You just don’t do it on Sunday,’ said Sandra Hulsey of Greenville, Georgia. ‘That’s Christ’s day. You go to church on Sunday, you don’t go out and celebrate the devil. That’ll confuse a child.'” At least for those true Christians and others, who refuse to celebrate Halloween, this debate might help them. As CNN stated: “With so many towns split over when Halloween should be celebrated, many are going with a porch-light compromise: If people do not want trick-or-treaters, they simply turn off their lights, and parents are asked not to have kids knock there.”
Halloween Madness
“According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2004 Halloween survey, total Halloween spending is estimated to grow 5.4 percent to 3.12 billion from $2.96 billion last year” (cnnmoney 10/16/04).
This article, appearing on CNN/Money’s web site continues with these astounding statistics: “The report said Halloween is the sixth-largest spending holiday of the year. The winter holidays top the list at $219.9 billion in sales followed by $12.79 billion spent on Valentine’s Day, $10.47 billion spent on Easter, $10.43 billion spent on Mother’s Day and $8.04 billion for Father’s Day.”
All of this is occurring in the United States. In this light consider the results of a Pew Research Center for the People & the Press survey report from December 19, 2002: “Religion is much more important to Americans than to people living in other wealthy nations. Six-in-ten (59%) people in the U.S. say religion plays a very important role in their lives. This is roughly twice the percentage of self-avowed religious people in Canada (30%), and an even higher proportion when compared with Japan and Western Europe” (www.people-press.org).
One must wonder at the commercialism of what passes for religion in America. God reveals that the modern descendants of Jacob’s birthright would indeed talk about religion: “‘Hear this, O house of Jacob, Who are called by the name of Israel, And have come forth from the wellsprings of Judah; Who swear by the name of the LORD, And make mention of the God of Israel, BUT NOT IN TRUTH OR IN RIGHTEOUSNESS'” (Isaiah 48:1).
You can find the Biblical truth of these practices and about what Christians should and should not observe in our free booklets: “God’s Commanded Holy Days,” and “Don’t Keep Christmas.” In addition, please note our comprehensive discussion on Halloween in the Q&A of Update #114, dated October 24, 2003. All of these are available at www.eternalgod.org.
God’s Word No Place in the EU?
On October 11, 2004, www.eubusiness.com reported about the EU’s rejection of “the nomination of the proposed new commissioner for justice because of his views on homosexuals.” The article explained: “The parliament’s civil liberties committee voted by 27 to 26 to reject the nomination of Italy’s Rocco Buttiglione, a devout Roman Catholic, as Justice, Security and Liberty commissioner in the new 25-member college that takes office at the end of this month. During confirmation hearings Buttiglione outraged some members of the parliament with his views on homosexuality, which he called ‘a sin’…”
Most shocking is the way in which this incident was reported. For instance, the German tabloid Bild castigated Buttiglione for having voiced such an antiquated view, stemming from the Middle Ages. German politicians were quoted as saying that such a viewpoint does not belong in today’s Europe. This might not be that surprising, as there are several high-ranking politicians in Germany, who are known to be homosexuals. In other words, what is being told to us is that God’s Word, the Bible, must be rejected and does not belong in today’s Europe. This is an interesting assessment, indeed!
Iran’s Missiles
On September 25, 2004, WorldNetDaily published a frightening report about the capacity of Iran’s nuclear missiles. The article stated: “Iran said today it has successfully test-fired a long-range ‘strategic missile’ and delivered it to its armed forces, saying it is now prepared to deal with any regional threats and even the ‘big powers.’ Iran’s new missiles can reach London, Paris, Berlin and southern Russia, according to weapons and intelligence analysts…. The news comes shortly after Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards staged military maneuvers near the border with Iraq, seen as a signal to Washington Tehran is prepared to fight back against any attempts to prevent the development of a nuclear reactor that could be used to make weapons-grade plutonium.”
How England’s Press Views Iraq
The British newspaper, The Week, published the following article on September 25:
“For once, Tony Blair is ‘telling the unvarnished truth,’ said the Daily Mail. We are indeed engaged in a horrific new conflict in Iraq. But if Iraq is now the ‘crucible’ of the war on terror, it is Blair who has helped make it so by joining America’s reckless invasion in the first place. Be that as it may, said The Independent, ‘Blair’s judgment is sound on one point’. This is not the time for anyone to ‘wobble’ over the election timetable. ‘Having so abysmally failed in our promises to bring peace to Iraq, the very least we can do now is stick to our pledge on elections.'”
The article continued: “If the coalition is to achieve that formidable task, said The Times, it will need all the help it can get from the U.N. To that end, Kofi Annan has not helped matters by ‘raking over the past with his highly debatable and essentially irrelevant comments about the legality of the intervention’. We should be looking forward, not back, said the Washington Post. In his relentlessly upbeat speech, he [President Bush] refused to admit to the worsening situation on the ground, still less give any clue as to how he proposes to respond to it. This ‘duck-and-cover’ strategy may play well politically, ‘but it is also deeply irresponsible and potentially dangerous.”
In a related article, the paper stated:
“Iraq: the warnings Blair ignored… A cache of secret documents, leaked to the Daily Telegraph last week, has revealed that some of Tony Blair’s closest advisors warned him repeatedly of the perils of invading Iraq… There was, after all, no real justification for it — as Peter Rickens, the Foreign Office policy director, bluntly informed Blair. ‘Even the best survey of Iraq’s WMD programmes will not show much advance in recent years,’ he wrote. ‘Military operations need clear and compelling objectives. For Iraq, ‘regime change’ does not stack up. It sounds like a grudge match between Bush and Saddam.’… ‘No one has satisfactorily answered how there can be any certainty that the replacement regime will be any better,’ [Foreign Secretary Jack Straw] warned. ‘Iraq has no history of democracy, so no one has this habit or experience.'”
Tony Blair in Trouble
The British newspaper, Daily Express, commented on October 8, 2004, on Tony Blair’s attempts to create an army in Africa. The paper stated: “Tony Blair was accused of ‘living on another planet’ yesterday when he committed the over-stretched British Army to new foreign missions. The Prime Minister pledged to put up to 1,500 troops on permanent standby to be raced into African war zones to ‘hold the fort’ for up to 210 days. They will form part of a European force ready to dash into trouble spots at 10 days’ notice. Mr Blair made the announcement in Addis Ababa.'”
In a related article, titled, “Blair’s African Absurdity,” the paper said: “Whenever Tony Blair is in trouble at home, as now, he slips into the role of world statesman. This time, he is trying to solve the problems of Africa… It all sounds so noble. But the number of soldiers involved is too small to make much difference in Africa. However this crazy plan will place an extra burden on our already under-manned and under-resourced British army, as well as putting more of our soldiers in mortal danger. Mr Blair’s meddling has involved us in many conflicts around the world but, he has cut it. Our army is already stretched to breaking. What would happen if more forces were needed in Iraq or if there was renewed unrest in Afghanistan or Northern Ireland? It is possible that an entirely new conflict not currently on the military’s radar could begin. Britain’s forces are too small for us to take on the role of world’s policeman.”
Rift Between Washington and Europe Widens
The Week reported on September 25: “Paris Snubs Washington. The rift between Washington and ‘old Europe’ widened still further last week when France and Belgium blocked an American plan to establish a Nato military academy in Iraq… [Reportedly] Germany and Spain backed the French stance. The move was widely seen as a strong signal to the US that it should not ask for more help from Nato to help control the violence in Iraq.”
In a series of related articles, the German weekly magazine, Focus, on October 11, 2004, addressed the issue of the widening rift between Washington and Europe, as well as within the United States, and asked the question whether an election of John Kerry as the next President would help or hurt the relationship between the two power blocs. The magazine stated:
“Both candidates exemplify the seemingly incurable rift within the American people. It is a rift that has polarized the people in the USA within the last two years into two political worlds. Rarely has a president divided the nation before so much as President Bush… Frightening questions loom at the horizon: Will Bush start additional wars, if he wins?… But if one thinks that Kerry is a dove, he is mistaken. ‘Iran and North Korea are more dangerous than ever before,’ he warns. ‘I don’t know yet whether we have to act in a preemptive manner, but I will keep my watchful eye on them.’ Contrary to Bush, Kerry wants to bring the traditional allies back on board.. Some of it is wishful thinking. France has clarified that they will not send troops to Iraq, even under Kerry [In the meantime, Germany has said the same.].”
In an interview with the magazine, former German Minister of Defense, Rudolf Sharping, stated that the relationship between the US and Germany might even get worse and more difficult under Kerry. The magazine pointed out that a German refusal to send troops to Iraq might be viewed by Washington, under Kerry’s leadership, as an even greater and more serious affront than under Bush.
The International Press on Putin
The Press in Great Britain, France, Russia and the United States condemned Putin’s recent “unambiguous step towards tyranny.” As The Week reported on September 25, “The Russians expected draconian action following the terrorist outrage in Beslam. And they got it, says… Le Monde (Paris), but not quite as they imagined… President Putin simply tightened his grip on power, ending the system of direct elections for regional governors and abolishing the first-past-the-post contents to Russia’s parliament… Even President Bush, who has praised Putin as an ally in the war on terror, was moved to protest at this undermining of democracy… Our would-be dictator has made his move, says… the Moscow Times… Of course Russia must take action to fight terrorism, says… The Washington Post. But the changes Putin has imposed aren’t directed at that: they’re an ‘unambiguous step towards tyranny.’ Bush was right to speak out against them; but he must go further, and put pressure on Putin to preserve democracy. ‘Did the US help undo Soviet Communism only to watch tyranny take its place?'”
Israel Fears Strong EU
Deutsche Welle reported on October 14, that Israel is concerned about a strong and powerful EU. The article, titled, “Israel Fears Strong EU,” stated: “A confidential report from the Israeli Foreign Ministry has predicted relations with the European Union could further deteriorate in [the] future, hitting Israel economically and diplomatically… The EU and Israel have been at loggerheads for months over the implementation of a Middle East peace plan and the construction of Israel’s security barrier. Israel also regards Europe as a bulwark of pro-Palestinian sentiment and has long complained of what it sees as growing anti-Semitism in Europe… The report also warns that influence over world politics by the US, Israel’s most important ally, could diminish as the EU’s role grows, German daily Berliner Zeitung reported on Thursday… Though Europe is Israel’s major trading partner, they have very definite differences of opinion over Mideast peacemaking. Earlier this week, EU foreign ministers criticized Israel’s use of force in Northern Gaza… In the security area, the EU is said to be considering a police mission on the ground to help train Palestinian security services in the event of an Israeli withdrawal [from Gaza in 2005], in co-ordination with the Egyptian government. ”
Beatification of Karl I
On October 3, 2004, MSNBC.com reported about the recent beatification of Austrian Emperor Karl I. The article pointed out: “Another newly beatified figure stirring controversy was Karl I, who led the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the final years of World War I. Also known in the West as Charles I, he took the throne in 1916 and worked for peace, abdicating at the end of the war, a few years before his death in 1922. Critics have said the Vatican had no business honoring a monarch who commanded troops who used poison gas in the conflict. The pope hailed Karl as a model ‘especially for those who have political responsibility in Europe today.'”
The article continued:
“John Paul declared Oct. 21, the date of Karl’s marriage in 1911 to Princess Zita, as Karl’s feast day. ‘He was a man of peace,’ said the Rev. Ivan Csete, a pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Forestburgh, N.Y., who rode to the ceremony in a city bus crowded with Hungarian students. ‘History would have been different had he succeeded in 1916’ in his efforts to end the war, added Csete, who said he fled his native Hungary after participating in the ill-fated 1956 uprising there against Communist rule…. The Vatican ruled that the required miracle for beatification included the recovery… of a Brazilian nun whose varicose veins were healed after she prayed to the monarch, who died in 1922. The church was ridiculed for the miracle it attributed to Karl’s intercession.”
In a related matter, Bild, on October 16, 2004, asked the surprising question whether Germany and Austria will return to a monarchy. The paper said: “Otto von Hapsburg (91), oldest son of the last Emperor of Austria [Karl I], stated to the TV station Phoenix that he perceives the possibility that Germany and Austria will once again embrace a monarchy.”
Cat Stevens a Terrorist?
In a bizarre development of events, Yusuf Islam, formerly known as the famous pop-singer Cat Stevens (“Morning Has Broken,” “Peace Train,”) was refused entry to the United States during the week of September 25. He was informed that he had been placed on a “watchlist for terrorists,” and that he was not allowed entry for reasons of security. The British citizen had been on a United Airlines flight from London to Washington. In mid-flight, the plane was diverted to Bangor airport, Maine, and, after a brief interview, Stevens was returned to Great Britain.
On September 30, 2004, the LA Times published the following letter from Cat Stevens, aka Yusuf Islam, introducing the same as follows: “Something Bad Has Begun.The former Cat Stevens says he hasn’t changed but the U.S. has.”
In the letter, Stevens wrote: “I was flying to Nashville last week with my 21-year-old daughter to explore some new musical ideas with a record label there. Ironically, I was trying to remain low-profile because of the speculation that it might have raised in the music world about a return of ‘the Cat.’ Media attention was the last thing I wanted. But it seems God wanted otherwise. Toward the end of our journey from London to Washington, the plane was diverted. The captain announced something about ‘heavy traffic.’ After landing in Bangor, Maine, six tall, blue-uniformed officers boarded and surrounded me and my daughter. ‘Is your name Yusuf Islam?’ they asked. ‘Yes,’ I confirmed. ‘Do you mind coming with us and answering a few questions?’
“At that point my heart stopped, and my daughter’s face turned aspirin-white. This was the start of the nightmare. Three FBI agents escorted me away from my daughter and asked me questions. At first, it sounded like they might have me mixed up with somebody else, as they repeated the spelling of my name. ‘No. Y-u-s-u-f,’ I carefully spelled out. The agents looked a bit puzzled. As they continued asking questions, some of their queries were obviously not related to me, so I thought this must be a matter of simple mistaken identity. Whether it was a mix-up or not remained unclear because they weren’t under any obligation to give me a reason; the green visa waiver form I had so neatly filled in earlier had effectively denied me any right to appeal or answers. It was only when an immigration official read out to me a legal reference number that he mentioned some implication with ‘terrorism’ — no further details necessary.
“The most upsetting thing was being separated from my daughter for 33 hours — not knowing how she was or when and where we might be united. Because my phone was confiscated, I couldn’t contact my family… Is this the same planet I’d taken off from? I was devastated. The unbelievable thing is that only two months earlier, I had been having meetings in Washington with top officials from the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to talk about my charity work. Even further back, one month after the attack on the World Trade Center, I was in New York meeting Peter Gabriel and Hillary Rodham Clinton at the World Economic Forum! Had I changed that much? No. Actually, it’s the indiscriminate procedure of profiling that’s changed. I am a victim of an unjust and arbitrary system, hastily imposed, that serves only to belittle America’s image as a defender of the civil liberties that so many dearly struggled and died for over the centuries.
“Need I say that any form of terrorism or violence is the antithesis of everything I love and stand for? Anyone who knows me will attest to this. I have spent my life in the search for peace and understanding, and that was mirrored clearly in my music. Since becoming a Muslim, I have devoted my life to education, charity and helping children around the world. Consistently I have condemned the attacks of 9/11, stating that the slaughter of innocents, the taking of hostages and coldblooded killing of women and children have nothing do with the teachings of Islam. I’ve openly and publicly repudiated the actions of groups that resort to such acts of inhumanity — whatever their names. Any allegations to the contrary are fabricated. The Koran equates the murder of one innocent person with the murder of all of humanity.
“Ever since I embraced Islam in 1977, people have regularly tried to link me with things I have nothing to do with. Take the Salman Rushdie case as an example, or the regurgitating of the accusation that I support groups like Hamas. I am a man of peace, and I denounce all forms of terrorism and injustice; it is simply outrageous for anyone to suggest otherwise. The fact that I have sympathy for ordinary people in the world who are suffering from occupation, tyranny, poverty or war is human and has nothing to do with politics or terrorism.
“Thank God my daughter and I were relieved of our ordeal and delivered home safely. I also thank all those who prayed for me and supported me through this dark episode; I have never harbored any ill will toward people of God’s great Earth anywhere — and wish the reverse was also true.”
Since then, Cat Stevens has tried to have his name removed from the watch list, and he has asked for an explanation as to how he ever got on the list. It has not been reported, so far, whether his attempts have been successful.
