Evangelical Support for Halloween and the Iraq War

“Satan’s holiday”, as Halloween is called by millions of Evangelical Protestants, is just around the corner. With this celebration of all things dark and mysterious comes the opportunity for many Evangelical churches to reach out to the community. As hundreds of communities plan for their haunted house, Guts Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma (among others), takes the “haunted” to the next level. According to an article on Beliefnet.com, some Evangelical churches create “Hell Houses” in which visitors see “blood-and-guts scenes of real human terror: drunk driving accidents; drug overdoses; abortions gone bad”. The exhibit, called “Nightmare” at Guts Church, finishes in a room in which the participants are given the chance to believe.

Hell Houses might be the most popular party in some of these towns. “Nightmare” brings about 30,000 people every year. However, it is debatable as to whether very many of these people have yet to be saved.

While these churches set up vehicles of saving for many children’s favorite holidays, the Evangelical support for the war in Iraq has been waning. In the last month, support for the administration’s decision to enter Iraq has slipped from 71% to 58%. At the same time, the support among Republicans remains high at 78%, compared to September’s 76%.