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Haunted houses seem to be the social pastime of fall, and few hayrides offer an option that isn’t haunted. But are haunted houses safe for kids?
How should a Christian parent respond to the invitation of a haunted house?
My father-in-law, Michael Dawson, is a missionary to the Yanomamö people in the Amazon Rainforest of Venezuela. His parents first went down as missionaries in the early 1950s, and Mike was born and raised there. He has committed his life to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the Yanomamö. He has sacrificed greatly, given so much, yet continues to be committed to the call of seeing Yanomamö men and women come to know Jesus. You can find out more about him on his Facebook page, blog, or through his two books :: Growing Up Yanomamö and I Can See the Shore.
The following story was told to my father-in-law by Shoefoot (Bautista). Shoefoot was a very powerful witchdoctor, known and feared throughout the Amazon rainforest because of his power in the spirit realm.
Since trusting Jesus for His salvation and being set free from fear and slavery, Shoefoot has committed his life to sharing the Gospel with his people. He has been a very good, personal friend of our family. You can read more about his story in the book Spirit of the Rainforest, which is his story recorded by our friend Mark Ritchie.
A Former Witchdoctor Recounts His Experience in a Haunted House
I am known as Shoefoot in your country, but, as do most Yanomamö, I have many names or rather nick names. We Yanomamö guard our real names closely. One of my favorte names is “He has a mouth,” and now that God has given me much opportunity to speak for HIM, I think it is the best one for me.
It was funny how I got this name. Shortly after Pepiwä (Joe Dawson) came to work in my village, my brothers, along with other men started working for him. He and Millimi, his wife, always wrote our names down on little white pieces of stuff that looked like bark, but was much thinner (of course now I know it is paper, but then, we had no idea).
They always wanted a name for each of us. Pepiwä asked my brother what my name was and my brother did not want to tell him, so he said, “He’s got a mouth, ask him!”
Well, Pepiwä wrote down “He’s got a mouth” and when it was time to get paid, he called out, “Here is the pay for He’s got a mouth.”
We all looked at each other, then my brother remembered what had happened and pushed me forward to collect my pay. From that day on, for years, I was called “He’s got a mouth.” But in my village most people call me Bautista.
My friend Maikiwä asked me to tell him the story of what happened on one of our trips to the U.S. with my good friend Mark Ritchie who helped us Yanomamö tell our story in his book. (Spirit of the Rainforest)
We were going around telling stories of how much my people suffer in bondage to the spirits and in one place, I forget exactly where it was, but it was in the state called Michigan, we were speaking to many students.
My friend Gary was telling my words in the nabä language for me. After we finished one talk time, we were told that the people had made a house to scare others with and they wanted Gary and I to go in there and see it.
Well, I had no desire to go in a house just to be scared, I have known enough fear and now that I don’t have to live in fear, I have no desire to put myself through that for anything. Gary also did not want to go in, but he and Mark thought it would look badly, it would look rude, if we did not humor the young people who had worked on this house. So we went in.
Imagine my surprise when we went in and I immediately recognized a demon’s house that I had gone through as a novice witchdoctor so many years ago in the rainforest. This was part of my training and initiation and I had spent much time in this particlier demon’s house.
I turned to Gary and told him, “Oh, I have been here. This is, and I told him the name of the demon, house.”
He said, “Bautista, this was just made up to scare kids and make money. Stop it already; let’s just get through it as fast as we can.”
“No,” I told him. “This is his house. From here we will go into a long room – trapped in the walls will be people’s faces, frozen in terror, shreaking in pain.”
Sure enough, from that room we went into a long narrow room, and it was just like I told him. Of course, in this house, it was just a replica, not the real demon’s house. The faces were just masks and the screams were just coming from a box that traps people’s voices, but it looked enough like what I had seen for me to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was patterned after the spirit’s house I had seen.
We continued on, going into 7 or 8 rooms. Before walking into the next room, I told Gary what we would see there. By this time, Gary was translating for the young people who were supposed to be helping us get scared, and instead of us being scared, our guides were turning even whiter than they had been when we started on this game to scare us.
“We had no idea,” they told Gary and Mark. “We got the plans for this house from the the place of many books.” (library)
Listening to their agitated talk, I thought again of how my people say that after omawä (satan) taught my people, he left them with the demons and went to the land of the nabäs to teach them about himself.
“Maikiwä,” Bautista finished, “It is so sad that your people are really turning from the Lord and learning about omawä. Do they really think that they can turn their backs on the Living God and escape the life that I had and many of my people still have?”
To the Yanomamö, the spiritual realm is just as real as the physical. We Americans, however, are often unconcerned and indifferent to it.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this should not be! There is a very real battle being waged for our minds and souls — and those of our children! We need to be informed, vigilant, and dressed in the full armor of God. We have an enemy seeking to destroy us, but greater is HE who is in us, than he that is in the world [1 John 4:4]!
As I wrote in a post about using spiritual discernment ::
Hundreds of stories, movies, books, and influences all around us exert spiritual leverage, and we are so unaware! The devil seeks to get a foothold or a stronghold through what seems innocent, fun, or even beneficial. The devil is a liar. He deceives. He is a master at taking truth and distorting it, corrupting what is good.
Many make haunted houses a regular part of their October fun. The adults or young people who create them might not have any negative purpose in setting them up, but let me assure you, the devil sure does.
Please allow me to caution you — don’t go just because everyone else is. Is there a catch in your spirit? Perhaps God is speaking. Listen to HIS voice, not the movement of the crowd.
And for the love of all that is right and good and true, DO NOT FORCE YOUR KIDS TO GO TO A HAUNTED HOUSE. Do not tell your child to “suck it up” and “get over” being afraid.
Don’t subject your child to fear-inducing “fun,” and never, never, never belittle, mock, or punish them when they feel afraid (in the moment or days later) when you have forced them to participate in something they were afraid to do.
As one who did participate in haunted houses as a child and young adult, and as one who has battled fear and spiritual oppression, let me tell you — haunted houses are not the innocent fun you might suppose them to be.
10 Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, 19 and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak.” {Ephesians 6:10-20}
Resources for You:
- Halloween :: the choice our Christian family has made
- How to talk to your kids about halloween
- Activities around halloween to open your home and your heart to your neighbors
- Scriptures to pray around halloween
- Halloween :: What is a Christian family to do?
- A Biblical and Historical Look at Halloween (from Answers in Genesis)
- Children’s books for halloween
- Christian tracts to use during halloween
When You’re Struggling to Become a Thankful Family
Scripture Memory for Kids :: 10 Verses about Gratitude
Thankfulness :: Books for Kids that Teach Gratitude
Thanksgiving Books for Kids
Halloween :: The Choice Our Christian Family Has Made
The Truth about Haunted Houses :: A Former Witchdoctor Recounts His Experience in a Haunted House
Thank you for sharing! This helps solidify my convictions on these kinds of things! I want to raise my babies to be Godly, and there is so much in our culture that tries to sneak in and take hold. Whenever I have voiced my convictions on things like Halloween, certain movies, or kids toys and games that I feel questionable about, people often make me feel foolish for it. Now I feel I can stand my ground.
May God continue to bless you and your efforts on His behalf!
What you are preaching is wrong your faith should be in Jesus Christ and not wat someone writes I have been doing a haunted house for years and I do it to be able to support my family and to help other people No I to not use demons or do anything to lead children or anyone to do unethical. You are judging and it says in the Bible not to judge. By you judging and stereotyping haunted houses owners like me you are preventing people from getting help in life from the profits of my operations. I am a Christian and my faith is strong. I believe in one God who trusts me to live my life to serve him and I do that with my haunted house helping youth and people and treating people as he would want me to do so. I believe I can do all things threw Jesus Christ and I will continue to do my haunted house to help people and serve him. You must not believe in the power of our great God as you are basing your opinions of haunted house on the story of some witch Doctor and hurting me serving God threw doing what I do My faith is strong enough to with stand people’s unfair blasting of good christian haunted house operatters as God will always come first and I will continue to serve Jesus in everything I do. I pray the people reading your article ( opinions ) will have stronger faith than most and come support haunted houses like mine. We provide good clean Halloween fun We are good Christian people.
Brother in Christ, as Christians we should never compromise our Christ convictions to satisfy our flesh desires. I can not understand how a haunted house can be positive in any way. The main purpose of it is to scare and put fear in people by focusing on the factor of evil and darkness and glorifying the devils work.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against a spiritual wickedness in high places.
As you state your faith is strong.
Do not allow the devil to bewitch you into thinking that what is disguised as “innocent fun” is actually his work to instill fear and evil thoughts into ones mind, especially those who do not know the truth about Abba Father and His sovereignty dominion and authority in our lives. As such may we always genuinely ask for Father Gods guidance, direction and instruction in all that we do to glorify Him.
Peace be with you. 🙏
Brother in Christ, as Christians we should never compromise our Christ convictions to satisfy our flesh desires. I can not understand how a haunted house can be positive in any way. The main purpose of it is to scare and put fear in people by focusing on the factor of evil and darkness and glorifying the devils work.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against a spiritual wickedness in high places.
As you state your faith is strong.
Do not allow the devil to bewitch you into thinking that what is disguised as “innocent fun” is actually his work to instill fear and evil thoughts into ones mind, especially those who do not know the truth about Abba Father and His sovereignty dominion and authority in our lives. As such may we always genuinely ask for Father Gods guidance, direction and instruction in all that we do to glorify Him.
Peace be with you. 🙏
Finding this website is possibly one of the biggest blessings of my life. Thank you.
For many years I faced extreme criticism from others, including “upstanding Christians ” for my stance against Halloween celebrations, any fear inducing activities dealing with the demonic in any way, Pokémon, Disney shows with magic and necromancing, and all superhero toys and movies, etc…
No one “taught” me about the evils of these things. As a matter of fact, my husband and I stood totally alone in this thought pattern and still do in many instances.
From earnestly studying the Bible and by that still small voice of the Holy Spirit I decided to go against the grain of society and listen to what God was teaching me. Many Christians opposed my stance even though I kept my beliefs to myself while raising my eight children. Then, they actually “accused me” of judging them. I never judged anyone. I knew I alone was accountable to God for obedience and that He was responsible for them working out their own salvation and NOT me. However, that frame of mind caused persecution (especially from family members.) I think possibly that some were battling convictions on these matters and didn’t want to make the sacrifice to give them up.
My children are raised now. They, too, have to make decisions about what to allow and what not to allow in their households.
They will have to suffer persecution, maybe substantially more than I did, because society is even more corrupt.
I have no regrets. None.
It will be me alone who will face the judgement seat of God one day. I will never say on my death bed that I wish my children would have had more Disney or superheros indoctrinated into their lives. Hopefully my Lord will say I was a good and faithful servant.
Yes. It was hard to face persecution but would be much harder to face the fact that it was I who introduced and facilitated cloaked demonic worship.
Please pray for your children.
Pray for your adult children as they raise their children.
God bless you all and may His light shine upon you!
Thank you, Jesus, for being my one and only superhero!