I also enjoy listening to his tapes. Very entertaining! Yes, even though some quality investigative journalism had shown the foundation of his ministry to be a sham ( Selling Satan: The Evangelical Media and the Mike Warnke Scandal by Mike Hernstein and Jon Trott). His false testimony about being a "former Satanist high priest" contributed significantly to the sensationalism surrounding the subject for many years.

The investigative journalists uncovered that during the timeframe, when he was allegedly engaging in "the dark side," he was actually just your average "nerdy" church going youth. Ironically, he did not begin partying and womanizing until he became a travelling comedian/evangelist.

He actually hinted at his duplicity on one of his recordings. He was joking around about how nobody wants to hear the testimony of "someone who has been saved since childhood for thirty-five years. They want to hear the testimony of someone who killed their mother yesterday, and got saved last night." So, that's exactly what Mike Warnke did with tales of ritualistic sacrifice, drug use, and partying. However, the partying and excess began after the success of his "ministry." I'm surprised it took as long as it did, before someone started checking out the details highlighted in his book The Satan Seller.

As for Halloween, I have no problem with getting dressed up and observing the holiday festival, or any other "traditional" festivals. I know that not only Jehovah's Witnesses have a problem with the "renamed pagan festivals," but some evangelicals do as well (including Christmas). Also, there are other evangelicals who only observe the Jewish festivals outlined in the Old Testament. However, I personally have no problem with any of the festivals/holidays, and I have not given them up for Lent (pun intended).

However, I do have a problem with the glorification of death and the macabre.Therefore, I usually choose something more life affirming for a costume, like a cutthroat pirate.

Interestingly, Halloween is known as "day of the dead" in Mexico, or as ACORN calls it - "Voter Registration Day."