“When Becky Demmitt tells her students that she doesn't celebrate Halloween, many assume she must be a Jehovah's Witness.

"I don't celebrate a holiday that celebrates everything evil and bad," said Demmitt, a teacher at Ellis Arts Academy and member of Faith Center of Rockford, a Christian church. "I keep my light off at my door on Halloween so kids don't come, only to have to explain I don't do Halloween."”

“"(Halloween) is a time to evangelize," said Malone, who with his wife, Pam, started a prayer ministry 10 years ago called Pray USA! "People come to your door," he said. "We want to show the love of Jesus in a very practical way."”

“Castelline, who met yesterday with the Parent Teacher Organization to explain his decision, said three teachers told him they had children in their classes who were not going to come to school if the Halloween celebration was held. The celebration, which has been going on for at least 14 years, involves teachers dressing up and lining the hallways and children making Halloween-related arts and crafts.”

“Hammond schools are banning Halloween costumes and parades this fall, citing safety concerns.

School officials say they're concerned about evacuating school buildings full of costumed children in event of a fire and are worried about the safety of costumed students walking down the street. They've also had complaints about celebrating Halloween.”

“And why not use Halloween as an opportunity for evangelism? Make up a card that says, "Greetings, trick or treaters! This candy is given you in the name of Jesus Christ! We want you to know He alone conquers evil and death and leads the faithful to a secure relationship with a loving, Holy God. Find out more about Him in His church every Sunday!"”

“Some churches take advantage of the built-in scariness of Halloween to present what they believe to be the ultimate terror. Faith Baptist Church in Starkville, for instance, hosts "Judgment: Tour Your Final Destination" as a way to compel conversions.

"It's an eight-scene, walk-through drama with a storyline that relates to choices we make, either waiting to make a decision or choosing wrongly," said church secretary Shelley Addy. "It shows what would happen if you don't choose Christ. Visually, we try to show hell as a dark and depressing place, and heaven as the ultimate place you'd want to be."”

“"Halloween was always a questionable, dicey issue," said Dr. Karen-Marie Yust, associate professor of Christian education at Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education.

She grew up in a Southern Baptist church that had a carnival-like program on Halloween during which children dressed as biblical characters.

"It's the celebration . . . of the evil power that is contrary to God," Yust said.”