It's a "scream," but is it good?

Does the thought of being chased by demons through a maze of death and destruction sound like a good time to you? Every year around this time, tens of thousands across America pay good money to experience an illusory world of magic, demonic spirits, and the occult, and this experience takes place in many of our most beloved "family" theme parks. Are these scare-festivals innocent family fun, or are they a tactic used to influence young minds against the true God of the Bible?

Almost every major city has an amusement park of some variety or another, with thrill rides, carnival games, and funnel cakes. If you live in a city with one of these parks, you will inevitably hear TV and radio ads for their annual Halloween dress-up events, where one can experience a transformed park, teeming with actors in full makeup dressed as ghouls, vampires, zombies and the like. These parks spare no expense in their attempt to create a realistic spirit world, hiring top Hollywood effects artists to transform family "theme parks" to fright-night "scream parks."

A few years back, before I had ever heard of Tomorrow's World and the real truth found in the Bible, I went with some friends to perhaps the most famous of these "scream parks" in Southern California. The park had been transformed into a world of "haunted" mazes, full of loud music, special lighting effects, and latex creations of death and gore. We waited in long lines to enter these mazes, where actors coming out of hidden corners and making bizarre noises, startled, chased, frightened, and in some cases petrified, those who passed through. Such parks do such a good job of scaring the wits out of their patrons, legal disclaimers are posted, warning those who are pregnant and who have medical conditions not to participate.

But is this only make-believe, or can real harm come from this kind of entertainment? Can a fabricated world of imaginary spirits actually affect our lives in the real world?

God's Word shows there is a real spirit world that existed before the earth was ever created (Job 38:4, 7). A real Satan the devil uses his fallen angels (Jude 6) to deceive not only those influenced by the occult, but the whole world (Revelation 12:9)!

This so-called harmless Halloween fun actually serves a purpose in Satan's power over man, keeping the world blinded from the light and truth of the gospel of the glory of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The human mind is easily influenced by such evil spirits, as Satan is "the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience" (Ephesians 2:2). These evil spirits can and do sway all the world to sin against God. They have even taken over and possessed some individuals and some of these instances are described in the Bible. In giving us clear instructions to stay away from wicked spirits, God is protecting us from this type of influence.

God's Word and way is spiritual armor, protecting His people from the wiles of the devil and spiritual wickedness. He implores us to "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (James 4:7, cf. Ephesians 6:10-18).

If you would like to learn more about what God says regarding the pagan "traditions of death," please read Rod McNair's article entitled "Festivals of Death," in the September/October 2008 issue of Tomorrow's World magazine. You can also order our booklet entitled Satan's Counterfeit Christianity absolutely free, or read it online.