ACCORDING to Natalie Chatterton (Letters, October 16), Halloween could help the church. As she is not sure what she believes, I hope this might help.

Christianity is not an organised religion, but rather a personal relationship between a believer and a loving Father, God and his son, Jesus.

The opposition to that is Satan or the Devil, who wants to deceive you and I.

The truth of Halloween is recorded in history. Between 1486 and 1669, a common belief was that witches gained their power from the devil by entering into a pact with him. Witches were thought to bring harm to people, their children or their animals.

They were said to meet at 'sabbats' which parodied Christian rituals.

A time of persecution arrived when it was estimated that in excess of 50,000 people were tried for witchcraft in Western Europe alone.

Many of these were burned alive and women, the old and poor were particular victims.

Halloween is a time for remembering those dead, for divination and for communication with the world of the spirits.

God and his son Jesus, expressly forbid their followers to engage in such practices. See the Holy Bible -- Deuteronomy, 18 v10, and Galatians, 5 v20.

Mrs Chatterton suggests the Christian Church should take the opportunity of Halloween to gather in "new members." I suggest that celebrating the practices of the devil has no place in the Christian Church.

PETER FARLEY, Reservoir Street, Darwen.