ALL-SOULS DAY, THE PAGAN HOLIDAY

It was a fun night last night when I played with my dog in the yard. While we had lots of fun, the neighborhood dog whose Cody cried like a child yelling to his mother just to allow her to play. Cody is a German big dog who is imprisoned inside his house in his entire life ‘coz people are scared seeing his size. The first time I met him, I was scared ‘coz he barked me in anger even I didn’t do wrong, but I knew how to calm dogs. I gave him often the foods and massaged his body. Now we’re friends. I knew what he felt last. He was envious seeing my dog Tam who can play outside the gate with me. Tam is a very friendly dog who doesn’t bite and bark in anger so we don’t imprisoned him at home. I feel pity to Cody who has no experience to play with his mates. What he does inside their house is to play the plants and clothes hanged under the sun to be dried. Mother was angry to Cody one time for pulling the clothes she hanged nearby their house gate so she scolded Cody. The days, whenever Cody sees mother, mother is horrified ‘coz Cody barks in anger and revenge. Mother screams suddenly when she washes the clothes at the laundry area nearby Cody’s gate because Cody becomes a scary beast that barks mother surprisingly.

Why am I telling about the story between mom and the dog? Because Nov.1 is coming. Surely there will be tons of scary things we can see on TV and hear on the radio. The stores and malls are fed up with Halloween ornaments.

During All Souls Day in the Philippines, some families go to the cemetery to visit their loved ones who passed away and clean their grave. Some people even beautify the graves to look like a real home and it becomes more flamboyant among the other graves. And then they bring foods to the graveyards, play music, and celebrate the day.

As a Christian, we don’t really celebrate this pagan holiday. Aside from the fact that November 1 is commercialized, we don’t celebrate All-Souls day because we don’t believe that when a person dies, his soul is wandering the earth. When we die, we will be judged immediately whether hell and heaven. When someone passed away, we should forgive him forever coz the body in a coffin fade-away and pir efforts are nothing. No matter what we do, they can never see nor hear our efforts. God also said in Ecclesiastes 9:5:
“For the living know they will die; but the dead do not know anything, nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten.”
(New American Standard Bible Concept)

What is the lesson? Clearly speaking, while the person is alive, we should express often how much is his worth before it’s too late.

God forbids us to celebrate this kind of activity. It is said in Deuteronomy 18:9-13:

“Occult Practices
9 When you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD; because of these same detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.” (NIV)

Disclaimer: Content and illustrations are original. Some contexts are from NIV and NASBC.