Speaking her truth. Hailey Bieber (née Baldwin) responded to critics calling her a “fake Christian” for celebrating Halloween with a lengthy post on Instagram on Wednesday, October 16.
The 22-year-old model — who attends Carl Lentz‘s mega-church Hillsong along with her husband, Justin Bieber — reposted a response from Hillsong pastor Nathan Finochio addressing criticism that Christians who celebrate Halloween are participating in a pagan practice and glorifying the devil.
A follower asked Finochio “Halloween yes or no?” and he replied with a very detailed response.
“Pagan Feast of Winter Solstice? Oh that’s now JESUS BIRTHDAY. Pagan Feast of Spring Planting? Oh that’s now EASTER WEEKEND. Pagan Celtic Festival involving dressing up and warding off evil spirits? Oh now it’s ALL SAINTS DAY and we celebrate the VICTORIOUS CHURCH THAT HAS BEEN OVERCOME BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!!! CANDY PLEASE!!!” he wrote.
The pastor added, “I’m not afraid of any devil or demon or incantation. They are terrified of me. Halloween is now MY HOLIDAY and I am claiming all candy for the glory of God and the celebration of the Saints. What now? I’ll dress up however I like! My favorite characters, pop culture stuff, whatever. It’s my party and you’re invited. I’m alive today and a Saint tomorrow. Give me candy.”
Hailey, who grew up as an evangelical Christian, reposted the response on her Instagram Story with the caption, “Yasss.”
The explanation could have been a response to the backlash she faced on October 9 for celebrating Halloween. According to BuzzFeed News, Hailey asked her Instagram followers to send her Halloween costume ideas on her Instagram Story, which led to one person asking, “Aren’t u a Christian?” She replied, “Yes. I still dress up for Halloween.”
Another follower called her a “fake Christian” to which Hailey responded, “our kids are gonna celebrate too.”
Hailey and Justin, 25, legally wed in September 2018. The couple celebrated their nuptials with a second ceremony in South Carolina last month.
“Hailey and Justin wanted to have a proper ceremony to celebrate their love,” a source told Us Weekly exclusively after the pair tied the knot again on September 30. “Justin was really adamant about having one in front of their family and friends. It made their marriage feel more ‘real’ and ‘official’ to them. They kept the wedding small because Justin didn’t want any ‘fake friends’ there and hates that.”
The “Sorry” singer has also recently mentioned having children with Hailey. Earlier this month, Justin posted an Instagram video of a father and son laughing together. “This is something I look forward to,” he wrote. He also posted a clip of a toddler wearing her mother’s lipstick. “Hailey, with your attitude and my savage behavior, we are in a world of trouble haha,” Justin captioned that video.
Hailey told Vogue Arabia in November 2018 that she didn’t plan on getting pregnant “any time soon” but was looking forward to starting a family with Justin.
“I love kids and I can’t wait to have my own,” she said at the time. “I would say now that’s a closer reality.”
