the Christian community - Is celebrating Halloween a sin?

基督徒群體中重新出現——慶祝萬聖節是一種罪嗎？

If you are not a religious person, it might sound absurd that some view Halloween as sinful.

如果你不是宗教人士，有些人認為萬聖節是有罪的，這可能聽起來很荒謬。

I mean, come on... it's just kids dressing up and collecting candy, right?

我的意思是，拜託...這只是孩子們打扮並收集糖果，對吧？

Apparently, not everyone thinks that way!

顯然，並不是所有人都這麼認為！

There are actually some religious groups, particularly some sects of Protestant Christians,

其實有一些宗教團體，特別是基督教新教的一些教派，

proclaiming that joining in Halloween festivities is a grave sin!

宣稱參加萬聖節慶祝活動是重罪！

The unease arises from Halloween's origins in the pagan festival of Samhain and its associations

這種不安源自於萬聖節起源於異教薩溫節及其

with the occult.

與神秘學的連結。

Modern Halloween, with costumes and trick-or-treating, is largely secular.

現代萬聖節，以服裝和「不給糖就搗蛋」的形式，在很大程度上是世俗的。

However, some still associate it with perceived dark forces, leading to objections.

然而，有些人仍然將其與感知到的黑暗勢力聯繫起來，從而引發了反對。

For instance, certain Christian groups might avoid Halloween, fearing its perceived ties

例如，某些基督教團體可能會避免萬聖節，因為擔心它

to witchcraft.

與巫術有聯繫。

In some schools, Halloween celebrations have been replaced with "fall festivals" to avoid

在一些學校，萬聖節慶祝活動已被“秋季節日”取代，以避免

religious concerns.

宗教問題。

Some of them even downright cancel it, for example, in 2021, several schools or school

其中一些甚至徹底取消，例如，2021年，

districts in Seattle, East Lansing Michigan, and Princeton New Jersey decided to forego

西雅圖、密西根州東蘭辛和新澤西州普林斯頓的幾所學校或學區決定放棄萬聖節

Halloween celebrations, citing reasons of "equity" and concerns about "marginalized"

慶祝活動，理由是「公平」和對「邊緣化」

students.

學生的擔憂。

The phenomenon is a result of deeply held beliefs intersecting with evolving cultural

這種現像是根深蒂固的信仰與不斷發展的文化傳統交叉的結果

traditions.

。

This question has been discussed, debated, and dissected by numerous individuals from

這個問題已經被許多來自 世俗和宗教背景的

both secular and religious backgrounds.

人討論、爭論和剖析 。

So Let's delve into this topic with PAA

那麼，讓我們和 PAA 一起深入探討這個主題

Hi, I am Shao Chieh, welcome to what people also ask, where I answered some of the most

。嗨，我是 Shao Chieh，歡迎大家提問，我

Googled questions with even more Googling.

用更多的 Google 回答了一些最常被 Google 搜尋的問題。

Today's query is “Why do some religious people, especially Christians don't celebrate

今天的問題是「為什麼一些宗教人士，尤其是基督徒不慶祝

Halloween?

萬聖節？

”, let's start with the first one:

”，我們先從第一個開始：

Is Halloween a sin from Christians' perspective?

從基督徒的角度來看萬聖節是罪嗎？

Before we judge the holiday, understanding its historical roots is crucial.

在我們評判這個節日之前，了解它的歷史根源至關重要。

According to Beth Allison Barr, a historian, and author specializing in medieval and religious

歷史學家、專門研究中世紀和宗教歷史的作家 Beth Allison Barr 在

history in her article titled “Why Evangelical Christians Are Afraid of Halloween” published

2018 年 10 月 31 日發表在 Patheo 上的題為

in Patheo on OCTOBER 31, 2018, Halloween holds a close connection to the Christian festivals

“為什麼福音派基督徒害怕萬聖節”的文章中表示 ，萬聖節與 世界各地的

of All Saints' and All Souls' Day.

基督教節日有著密切的聯繫。 聖徒和萬靈節。

Contrary to the popular belief that Halloween is mostly pagan, Barr suggested that it's

人們普遍認為萬聖節主要是異教的，但巴爾認為萬聖節

rooted more in Christian history.

更植根於基督教歷史。

On the other hand, the website of Focus on the Family, a global Christian ministry founded

另一方面，成立

in 1977 offers a counter perspective on its website, focusonthefamily.com.

於 1977 年的全球基督教事工「聚焦家庭」(Focus on the Family) 的網站 focusonthefamily.com 則提供了相反的觀點。

In an article published on their website titled “Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?”,

在他們的網站上發表的一篇題為“基督徒應該慶祝萬聖節嗎？”的文章中

it's stated that Halloween dates back to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which involved

指出，萬聖節可以追溯到凱爾特人的薩溫節，其中涉及

pagan and supernatural rituals.

異教和超自然儀式。

However, the article also highlights that Pope Gregory III later moved All Saints' Day

然而，文章也強調，教宗額我略三世後來將諸聖節移至

to coincide with Samhain, signifying the onset of Halloween's association with Christian

薩溫節，這標誌著萬聖節開始與基督教

traditions.

傳統聯繫在一起。

Celts believed that on Samhain, the souls of the dead would visit their homes - and

凱爾特人相信，在薩溫節，死者的靈魂會拜訪他們的家，而

that those who had died in the past year would travel to the next world.

那些在過去一年中死去的人會前往下一個世界。

As a result, people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts.

於是，人們會點燃篝火，穿上奇裝異服來驅鬼。

They also believe the presence of spirits can enhance their priest called Druid's

他們也相信靈魂的存在可以增強他們稱為德魯伊的牧師

ability to predict the future.

預測未來的能力。

This belief could be a contributing factor to the widespread practice of fortune-telling

這種信仰可能是 當代萬聖節期間

during Halloween in contemporary times.

算命現象廣泛流行的因素

As to the Catholic root of Halloween, it is closely related to the Catholic festivals

。就萬聖節的天主教根源而言，它與天主教

of All Saints' and All Souls' days'.

的諸聖節和萬靈節 密切相關 。

Especially the practice called souling where the poor would go around asking for a pastry

尤其是一種叫做「靈魂」的習俗，窮人會到處索取一種

called soul cake with the promise of praying for the donor's deceased loved ones.

叫做「靈魂蛋糕」的糕點，並承諾為捐贈者已故的親人祈禱。

Which later became the tradition of trick or treating.

這後來成為「不給糖就搗蛋」的傳統。

Nowadays, many Protestants, and specifically Evangelical Christians, tend to disapprove

如今，許多新教徒，特別是福音派基督徒，往往不贊成

of Halloween due to its perceived pagan origins and the ways in which contemporary celebrations

萬聖節，因為人們認為萬聖節起源於異教，當代慶祝節日的方式

of the holiday are believed to conflict with Christian values.

被認為與基督教價值觀相衝突。

Evangelical Christians often emphasize strict adherence to the teachings of the Bible, and

福音派基督徒經常強調嚴格遵守聖經的教義，

many interpret scripture as being in opposition to engaging with the supernatural or participating

許多人將聖經解釋為反對參與超自然或參與

in practices that might be seen as celebrating evil or darkness.

可能被視為慶祝邪惡或黑暗的做法。

Catholics, on the other hand, have a different historical and theological context for understanding

另一方面，天主教徒有不同的歷史和神學背景來理解

Halloween.

萬聖節。

The connection of Halloween to All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day provides a framework

萬聖節與諸聖節和萬靈節的聯繫提供了一個框架

that ties the holiday more directly to Christian beliefs and practices.

，將節日更直接地與基督教信仰和實踐聯繫起來。

The Catholic tradition of honoring saints and praying for the deceased fits naturally

天主教尊重聖人、為死者祈禱的傳統

with the historical practices associated with Halloween, making it easier for Catholics

與萬聖節相關的歷史習俗自然契合，使天主教徒更容易

to participate in the holiday while still aligning with their religious beliefs.

參與節日，同時仍符合他們的宗教信仰。

Furthermore, some protestants also oppose specifically Catholic's adaptation of Halloween

此外，一些新教徒也特別反對天主教徒將萬聖節改編

into "All Souls' Day,", and In order to explain what's going on we have to talk about Purgatory!

為“萬靈節”，為了解釋這是怎麼回事，我們不得不談論煉獄！

So Why do Catholics pray for the dead?

那麼天主教徒為什麼要為死者祈禱呢？

And what is All Soul's Day?

什麼是萬靈節？

As it turns out, a lot of Catholics in medieval times believed almost all Catholics would

事實證明，中世紀時期的許多天主教徒相信幾乎所有天主教徒都會

go to purgatory where they would be tortured with fire until they were purified.

去煉獄，在那裡他們會受到火的折磨，直到他們被淨化。

The great news is that purgatory, where Christians go, is not an eternal punishment like hell,

好消息是，基督徒去的煉獄並不像 非基督徒相信去的

where non-Christians are believed going to.

地獄是一種永恆的懲罰 。

But keep in mind, “temporary” can mean a very long time.

但請記住，「暫時」可能意味著很長一段時間。

According to an article titled "Tetzel on 7 Years in Purgatory for Every Sin" published

根據

by Patheos, which is an online media company providing information and commentary about

提供有關宗教資訊和評論的網路媒體公司 Patheos 發表的一篇題為《Tetzel 因每項罪孽而在煉獄中度過 7 年》的文章

religion.

。

Johann Tetzel, a German Dominican preacher known for selling indulgences during the early

約翰·特澤爾（Johann Tetzel）是一位德國多明尼加傳教士，他在 16 世紀初以販賣贖罪券而聞名，他聲稱基督徒犯下的每

16th century claimed that every sin committed by a Christian would result in 7 years of

一項罪都會導致

suffering in Purgatory.

在煉獄中遭受7 年的痛苦。

According to him, despite Jesus Christ's sacrifice to erase the penalty for original sin, Roman

據他說，儘管耶穌基督犧牲了原罪的懲罰，但羅馬

Catholicism believed that post-baptism sins require temporal punishment.

天主教認為洗禮後的罪需要暫時的懲罰。

This punishment occurs in Purgatory, where souls endure fiery torment.

這種懲罰發生在煉獄中，靈魂在那裡承受熾熱的折磨。

While the pain in Purgatory is temporary, it can last a very long time.

雖然煉獄中的痛苦是暫時的，但它可能會持續很長時間。

And according to Tetzel, it's seven years of fiery torture for each sin.

根據泰澤爾的說法，每犯下一項罪就要經歷七年的酷刑。

Many medieval Christians especially Catholics believed this teaching.

許多中世紀的基督徒尤其是天主教徒相信這一教義。

Just take a moment to imagine believing that:

花點時間想像相信這一點：

Let's say you are a very good person and only commit one sin per day, which is not very

假設你是一個非常好的人，每天只犯一種罪，這不太可能

likely because that includes eating too much butter and using Facebook as a verb.

，因為這包括吃太多黃油和使用 Facebook 作為動詞。

You will end up spending 2,555 years in purgatory for the sins you commit per year.

你最終會因為每年犯下的罪孽而在煉獄中度過 2,555 年。

If you live to 70, you would be facing 178,850 years of suffering in purgatory burning alive.

如果你活到70歲，你將面臨178,850年的煉獄痛苦。

Isn't that crazy?

這不是很瘋狂嗎？

This is why it is important to pray for the dead because they also believe prayer can

這就是為什麼為死者祈禱很重要，因為他們也相信祈禱可以

shorten the time your loved ones spend in Purgatory.

縮短你所愛的人在煉獄中度過的時間。

The Catholic Church back then believed you could reduce your time in Purgatory through

當時的天主教會相信，你可以透過

prayers, masses, and the "Treasury of Merits" where the merits of saints could be transferred

祈禱、彌撒和「功德庫」來減少在煉獄中的時間，聖人的功德可以轉移

to lessen one's time in Purgatory aka Indulgences.

到「功德庫」中，以減少在煉獄中的時間，也就是贖罪券。

You can imagine this system led to a lot of spiritual abuses.

你可以想像這個系統導致了很多精神虐待。

Many Christians felt trapped: the sheer mathematical burden of their sins and the consequent time

許多基督徒感到陷入了困境：如果不放縱的話，他們的罪和隨後的

in Purgatory appeared insurmountable without indulgences.

煉獄時光所帶來的巨大負擔似乎是無法克服的。

Indulgences were essentially certificates that reduced or even nullified one's time

贖罪券本質上是減少甚至取消一個人

in Purgatory.

在煉獄中的時間的證書。

While some indulgences were granted for acts of piety or pilgrimage, others were sold for

有些贖罪券是出於虔誠或朝聖的目的而授予的，而有些則是為了

money.

金錢而出售的。

Tetzel's sale of indulgences, which claimed to remit all purgatorial penalties, was especially

特澤爾出售贖罪券，聲稱可以免除所有煉獄刑罰，這項行為尤其

controversial.

引起爭議。

By paying an amount, one could not only secure their passage straight to Heaven but also

透過支付一筆費用，人們不僅可以確保他們直接進入天堂，還可以

release deceased loved ones from Purgatory's fires.

將已故的親人從煉獄之火中解救出來。

Tetzel's zealous promotion of indulgences included his notorious catchphrase, "As soon

泰澤爾熱衷於推廣放縱，其中包括他那句臭名昭著的口號：“一旦

as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from Purgatory springs," which captured the

金庫裡的硬幣響起，煉獄中的靈魂就會湧出”，這句話抓住了

transactional nature of his message, which many perceived as exploiting people's fears

他的信息的交易性質，許多人認為這是在利用人們的恐懼

and guilt.

和罪惡感。

Tetzel's activities drew sharp criticism from Martin Luther, a German theologian who challenged

泰策爾的活動招致德國神學家馬丁路德的尖銳批評，他挑戰

the Church's authority and questioned the validity of indulgences.

教會的權威，質疑贖罪券的有效性。

Luther's 95 Theses, a document outlining his objections, sparked the Protestant Reformation,

路德的《九十五條論綱》概述了他的反對意見，引發了新教改革，

a movement that ultimately led to the division of Western Christianity.

這場運動最終導致了西方基督教的分裂。

Luther challenged the commercialization of salvation and emphasized that Christ's sacrifice

路德挑戰救贖的商業化，並強調基督的犧牲

was sufficient for the total forgiveness of sins.

就足以使罪得到完全的赦免。

Given this historical background, the opposition of Protestants, especially Evangelicals, to

在這樣的歷史背景下，新教特別是福音派反對

All Soul's Day can be seen as a manifestation of longstanding theological disputes between

萬靈節可以被視為

Protestants and Catholics.

新教與天主教之間長期神學爭論的體現。

The Evangelical worldview, with its emphasis on a personal relationship with God and the

福音派的世界觀強調與上帝的個人關係和

authority of scripture alone, stands in stark contrast to the Catholic doctrines of purgatory

聖經的權威，與天主教的煉獄

and indulgences, which they perceive as inconsistent with biblical teachings.

和贖罪券教義形成鮮明對比，他們認為這些教義與聖經教義不一致。

Further complicating the matter, some would argue that in the United States specifically,

使問題更加複雜的是，有些人認為，特別是在美國，

deep-seated anti-Catholic sentiments, originating in colonial times and intensifying with the

根深蒂固的反天主教情緒起源於殖民時代，並隨著

19th-century influx of Catholic immigrants, also play a part in Protestant's anti-Halloween

19 世紀天主教移民的湧入而加劇，這也在新教徒的反萬聖節

sentiment as the aforementioned article written by Professor Barr suggested, it's a very

情緒 中發揮了作用。 前面提到的Barr教授寫的文章建議，這是一篇非常

interesting article, I recommend you read it.

有趣的文章，我建議你閱讀。

So I want to talk about the concept of purgatory a bit more, cuz while some considered it to

所以我想多談談煉獄的概念，因為雖然有些人認為這是

be a nice concept of second chance, others see it as a rather legalistic belief that

第二次機會的好概念，但有些人則認為這是一種相當法律主義的信仰，

could lead believers to become overly preoccupied and worried about their thoughts and actions.

可能導致信徒變得過於專注和擔心他們的想法和想法。行動。

so

那麼，

How do different beliefs between Protestants, Catholics, and Jews impact scrupulosity across

新教徒、天主教徒和猶太人之間的不同信仰如何影響

various religious groups?

不同宗教團體的謹慎態度呢？

The concept of purgatory and the prospect of enduring such prolonged agony after death

煉獄的概念以及死後忍受如此漫長的痛苦的前景

would have been deeply unsettling.

會令人深感不安。

This intense fear and anxiety surrounding religious doctrines could manifest as obsessive-compulsive

這種圍繞宗教教義的強烈恐懼和焦慮可能表現為強迫

symptoms, specifically in the form of scrupulosity.

症狀，特別是以謹慎的形式表現出來。

Scrupulosity is a psychological disorder, often linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder

謹慎是一種心理障礙，通常與強迫症

(OCD), characterized by intense feelings of guilt or anxiety over moral or religious issues.

(OCD) 有關，其特徵是對道德或宗教問題產生強烈的內疚感或焦慮感。

Individuals with scrupulosity may be consumed by fears of committing sins or worry excessively

謹慎的人可能會因為害怕犯罪而過度擔心

about their actions or thoughts leading them to hell or purgatory.

自己的行為或想法會導致他們進入地獄或煉獄。

Such concerns, even if objectively unfounded, can provoke compulsive behaviors like excessive

這些擔憂，即使客觀上沒有根據，也可能引發強迫行為，例如過度

prayer, repeated confessions, or the constant seeking of reassurance to avoid perceived

祈禱、反覆懺悔或不斷尋求安慰以避免感知到的

spiritual consequences.

精神後果。

Though closely associated with religious beliefs, particularly around concepts of sin, hell,

儘管謹慎與宗教信仰密切相關，特別是圍繞著罪惡、地獄和

and purgatory, scrupulosity can also manifest in non-religious contexts focused on moral

煉獄的概念，但謹慎也可以在註重道德完美的非宗教環境中表現出來

perfection.

。

This intersection of religion and OCD brings forth intriguing patterns, especially when

宗教和強迫症的這種交叉帶來了有趣的模式，特別是在

considering the diverse religious backgrounds of individuals.

考慮到個人不同的宗教背景時。

A study published in Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy in 2019 found that those identifying

2019 年《行為與認知心理治療》上發表的一項研究發現，

as Catholic reported the highest levels of scrupulosity compared to those identifying

與 新教徒、猶太教徒和無宗教信仰的

as Protestant, Jewish, and those with no religious affiliation.

人相比，天主教徒的謹慎程度最高

The heightened level of scrupulosity among Catholics could potentially be attributed

。 天主教徒的高度謹慎可能歸因

to stringent doctrines, such as the belief in purgatory.

於嚴格的教義，例如對煉獄的信仰。

One caveat of this research is its reliance on a relatively small sample size.

這項研究的一個警告是它依賴相對較小的樣本量。

Moreover, the study doesn't differentiate between mainline Protestants, known for their

此外，這項研究並沒有區分主流新教徒和福音派新教徒，主流

more lenient doctrine, and evangelical Protestants, known for their stricter and more exclusive

新教徒以更寬鬆的教義而聞名，而福音派新教徒則以更嚴格和更排他的

view on salvation.

救贖觀而聞名。

By lumping all Protestants into a single category, the data may potentially be distorted.

透過將所有新教徒歸為一個類別，數據可能會被扭曲。

I am wondering if we compare only evangelical Protestants to Catholics, would the result

我想知道如果我們只將福音派新教徒與天主教徒進行比較，結果

be any different?

會有什麼不同嗎？

Let me know what you think.

讓我知道你的想法。

But let's just move on to the next question: Has Halloween's Religious Significance Diminished

但讓我們繼續討論下一個問題：萬聖節

Over Time in the US?

在美國的宗教意義是否隨著時間的推移而減弱？

Luckily, nowadays, we usually do not associate Halloween with a religious connotation anymore.

幸運的是，如今，我們通常不再將萬聖節與宗教意義聯繫起來。

According to a study published in the journal Etnolingual in 2017, the way Americans view

根據 2017 年《Etnolingual》雜誌發表的一項研究，隨著時間的推移，美國人看待萬聖節的方式

Halloween has changed over time.

發生了變化。

The research used tools called the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) and

該研究使用當代美國英語語料庫 (COCA) 和

the Corpus of Historical American English (COHA) to look into how words related to Halloween

歷史美國英語語料庫 (COHA) 工具來研究與萬聖節相關的單字

have been used in the past and present.

在過去和現在的使用情況。

By examining these word patterns, we can get a more clear idea of how society's views on

透過檢視這些字詞模式，我們可以更清楚地了解社會對

a topic have shifted over time.

某個主題的看法如何隨著時間的推移而改變。

Originally, Halloween was first celebrated in America before becoming popular worldwide.

最初，萬聖節首先在美國慶祝，然後在全世界流行。

Over the years, the words used to describe Halloween in America have changed, indicating

多年來，用於描述美國萬聖節的詞彙已經發生了變化，這表明

a shift in perspective.

觀點的轉變。

This study aimed to find out which descriptive words or "adjectives" were most commonly linked

這項研究旨在找出哪些描述性詞彙或「形容詞」最常

with Halloween and how those associations varied over different time periods.

與萬聖節相關，以及這些關聯在不同時期有何變化。

The results?

結果？

In the past, words linked to Halloween often had a religious or sacred meaning.

過去，與萬聖節相關的字詞通常具有宗教或神聖的意義。

However, more recently, words associated with Halloween have become more fun, joyful, and

然而，最近，與萬聖節相關的詞彙變得更加有趣、快樂和

playful.

俏皮。

This change suggests that Americans now see Halloween more as a time for celebration and

這一變化表明，美國人現在更多地將萬聖節視為慶祝和享受的時刻，

enjoyment rather than a solemn or religious event.

而不是莊嚴或宗教的活動。

So, while Halloween may have once had religious significance, today it's more about dressing

因此，雖然萬聖節可能曾經具有宗教意義，但今天它更多的是裝扮

up, playing tricks, and having fun!

、惡作劇和玩樂！

If you made it to the end of the video, chances are that you enjoy learning what people also

如果您看完了視頻，那麼您很可能喜歡了解人們

ask on Google.

在 Google 上提出的問題。

But let's face it, reading PAA yourself will be a pain.

但讓我們面對現實吧，自己閱讀 PAA 會很痛苦。

So here's the deal, I will do the reading for you and upload a video compiling some

所以協議是這樣的，我會為你閱讀並

fun PAAs once a week, all you have to do is to hit the subscribe button and the bell icon

每週上傳一次 編譯一些有趣的 PAA 的視頻

so you won't miss any PAA report that I compile.

，你所要做的就是點擊訂閱按鈕和響鈴圖標 ，這樣你就不會錯過我發布的任何 PAA 報告。編譯。

So just do it right now.

所以現在就做吧。

Bye!

再見！