A Co Derry couple have warned of what they claim are the of celebrating Halloween, which they describe as “devil worship on a massive scale.”
Freda and William Kerr, who run the Mid-Ulster Christian Helpline in Maghera, have put posters warning of the dangers of Halloween in the windows of the Highway Christian Centre in the town.
The posters say that “the Devil uses Halloween for his own evil purposes” and warn people about the dangers of “ensnared by devil-inspired such as ouija boards, séances, fortune-telling and the dark web.”
They also state that ‘evidence has proven’ that children have developed an ‘unhealthy interest in the occult’ after dressing up as witches, monsters, superheroes or animals over Halloween.
“There are very sinister things that happen at Halloween which people are not aware of,” Freda said.
“Young people are involved in all sorts of practises, particularly at Halloween they’re involved in playing with ouija boards and going to séances and all these dark practises which is leading them into the supernatural realm, which is causing great disruption in their lives.”
She said that she believes that interest in the occult is growing across the north and that there are ‘literally hundreds of people’ all over the country who believe that the works of the Devil are being practised on a daily basis.
“Instead of worshipping the Devil, people need to catch themselves on and realise that Jesus defeated the Devil at Calvary with his own body and blood,” she said.
“Jesus defeated Satan and he is still defeated, although he’s putting up a mighty fight in these last days to destroy young people’s lives.”
Rev Jonathan Campbell, of Newbuildings Independent Methodist ministry, expressed similar concerns about Halloween in 2009.
He launched a petition calling on the then Derry City Council to stop the city’s annual Hallowe’en celebrations which he claimed makes “evil look innocent.”
At the time, he said the city’s annual Halloween celebrations “brings a curse upon the city.”
“Christians believe that evil is a real, but defeated, power,” he said.
“Halloween, however, is about evil triumphant, therefore it is a distortion of reality.”
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