Halloween - Part 2 - Bible Studies With Mark

 

  

In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, "There is no God." [Psa 10:4 ESV]

 

In the previous article we reviewed the pagan roots of Halloween. In the next two articles I will present the satanic ties to the holiday. My primary sources for this information are the Satanic Bible by Anton Szandor LaVey, The Satanic Scriptures by Peter H. Gilmore, and the personal testimony of Ex-Satanist Riaan Swiegelaar.

 

According to LaVey, Halloween holds a special place in satanic tradition. The satanist believes that Halloween is a time when the veil between the individual and their indulgent, primal nature is lifted. 

 

Quoting LaVey:

 

“[The church of Satan] is rooted in rational self-interest, atheism, and symbolic ritual. 

Halloween, from our perspective, is the most satanic of all holidays—not because of 

any alleged ties to the occult, but because it celebrates indulgence, fun, and the 

acknowledgment of the darker aspects of human nature without guilt.” Continuing: 

“Halloween allows people to play with identity. Costumes and masks give permission 

to explore forbidden archetypes and roles—witches, devils, monsters—without judgment. 

This is a healthy ritual of release, an unleashing of the inner self in a controlled, festive 

context. The two major Satanic holidays are Walpurgisnacht and Halloween. Halloween 

is cherished not for any spiritual or supernatural reasons, but because it aligns with 

satanic values: indulgence, celebration of the carnal, and mockery of societal taboos. 

Where traditional religions fear the symbols of death and darkness, we embrace them. 

Skeletons, bats, devils—these are not signs of evil, but tools of self-expression, satire, 

and defiance. Halloween lets the world briefly share in our aesthetic and ideology, whether 

they realize it or not. It’s critical to emphasize that the Church of Satan is atheistic. We do 

not believe in or worship literal deities, devils, or demons. Halloween is not a night of 

sacrifice or magic spells. It is a night where the world inadvertently celebrates the ideas 

of Satanic freedom: the joy of the flesh, the honesty of the mask, and the celebration of 

the self.”

 

But in the Bible, John shares a different perspective on these worldly values: 

 

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of

the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the 

desires of the eyes and pride of life--is not from the Father but is from the world. And the 

world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides 

forever. [1Jo 2:15-17 ESV]

 

The writings of Peter H. Gilmore agree with those of LaVey. For these authors and those who agree with them, Halloween is an opportunity to mock the God of the Bible and those who follow him. And even though the Church of Satan is atheistic, LaVey said, “I'm glad that Christian parents let their children worship the devil at least one night out of the year.” 

 

Christians must not fall prey to these lies from the enemy. The Bible warns us: 

 

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also 

reap. [Gal 6:7 ESV]”

 

Riaan Swiegelaar shares a darker version of satanism that is most definitely theistic. Swieglaar is a Christian. Before coming to Jesus, he served as a priest in the Church of Satan. In the next article we will consider Swieglaar’s opinion of Halloween.