Scolding, Legalism, and Freedom

A few of my long time readers know that this blog is about flora, fauna, family, friends and faith - the 5 best F's, I think, and although I tend to write about things in that order, that's not necessarily the order in which I think about things.  For those who do not like my posts on faith, or don't care to read about them, skip today - tales from the garden to resume tomorrow.


Today's post was prompted by some level of frustration that's starting to build in my head every time I log onto Facebook. I'm a Facebook junkie. I love social media. I edit a social media news site and wrote a book about this beast known as blogging, friending, twittering and all other names.  I connect with lots of people who share a wide variety of interests: gardeners, coworkers, colleagues, friends, former school chums, you name it.  I enjoy getting to know people and I hope they like getting to know me.

Over the past week, certain posts have started to occur with regularity, admonishing people about Halloween and scolding anyone for celebrating this "devil holiday."  The only thing in my household that's devilish about Halloween is the way candy corn seems to make its way from a sealed bag to my hips; how does that happen? Munch, munch...

I see lots of comments about witchcraft flying by and admonishments that 'true Christians' should shun Halloween.  I then see lots of amen brothers, followed by more condemnation for anyone that lets their kid don a costume and beg candy from the neighbors.

I don't appreciate being called a bad Christian because I like to have a pumpkin on my porch, I enjoy scary movies, and my church is hosting an innocent party for children.  Yes, we do.  The kids have to come dressed like a Bible character, but they get candy and have some fun.

And the day after is All Saint's Day.  I got attacked for mentioning saints too.  Halloween means holy eve, and the evening IS the evening before a holy day, a wonderful day celebrating the holy men and women who are our guiding lights, who teach us through word, deed and example.  

Scolding everyone willy nilly and posting things about how "true Christians should not celebrate Halloween" is leaving a bad taste in my mouth.  Maybe it's because I've also had evangelical people tell me that Catholics aren't true Christians, and my dorm mate at a summer writing program refused to talk to me when she learned I was Catholic.  She told me I was going to hell because I worshiped statues. I was puzzled; I don't recall ever believing a plaster statue could come down off the table and help me.  I asked her if she was going to hell for having a picture of her parents in her room; statues, I said, are just like pictures, something to remember those we love, and to think about those who have gone on before us.  She slammed the door in my face.  Thus went a possible friendship.

I think posting those legalistic things is like slamming a door in my face. Perhaps the people posting them think they are sharing the gospel truth, but sometimes coming on too strong and legalistic does more harm than good.  Our former pastor walked a good line, I thought, between warning the congregation against getting into the forbidden stuff and having good, clean fun.  Scary movies and candy for children are fine.  Dabbling in spiritualism isn't.

 Do me a big favor.  Don't get up on your soap box and accuse me of not being a true Christian because I don't believe the exact same thing you do.  God also wrote the law on our hearts, didn't he?  I seem to remember reading that somewhere....