Prayer, Alcohol, and Halloween.

Prayer:

Recently, one of our area high school's decided to cancel leading in prayer before their football games because a student complained about them. Of course, Christians are outraged, and I'm sure I am just supposed to be as well. But my outrage is actually directed towards the Christians in this situation. While I will further explain my view in a following blog series called "What's the Problem?", for now let me leave these few thoughts:

~I used to interpret high school football games, and once I asked why they prayed before them. I was told it was for good luck.  I wonder to how many people these prayers are indeed merely good luck charms. So what are we really losing? If these people don't even know or believe in God, then were they really even praying? Were they even being heard?

~Think about what exactly our "voice" as Christians is to the public school system. Are we known as loving, helpful, giving, kind? Or are we just known as gripers?

~What's the goal? Sure, fight it and force people to say a prayer, but what does that really do? Do we want them to truly pray, or just go through a motion to appease an angry crowd?

~You can still keep praying if they don't lead in it. Just like we see the example of Daniel in the Bible- I don't see Daniel leading any protests or making angry speeches, he just keeps on praying.

~What if this school was leading a different religion's rituals before the football game? Would you be on the other side wanting removal as well?

Halloween:

I don't know all of the ins and outs of the history of Halloween, and as I don't have kids yet, I have not had to personally formulate my own full philosophy on it. I do know that some Christians are against Halloween and view it as sort of a Satanic day. I must say, again without fully studying the history, that my view of the here-and-now Halloween is not so harsh. I am not a fan of making light of the spirit world or demons, but do feel that Halloween now has many other aspects to it.

Often church's do what is known as a "Trunk or Treat" where family's set up cars in the church's parking lot and give out candy there. It is a great way to promote safety on Halloween as well as be an outreach to the community as neighborhood kids are invited to come. Surprisingly to myself, I know Christians who are even against this. Some churches who this year had Trunk or Treats on Sunday night also then had regular services inside for those who didn't approve of nor want to be a part of the trunk or treat.

One question that bugs me is this: If Halloween is indeed such a deep, dark, demonic day then shouldn't the last place Christians be is sitting in their comfy pews? Or hiding in their houses with their porch lights off? It just isn't consistent to me to hear people's outrage over it being such a sinful, Satanic day yet they just sit back and criticize without doing a thing to shed a light. I mean if they truly believe what they say, shouldn't they be out in those parking lots loving on those children? Or heading through the neighborhoods sharing Jesus and fighting against this darkness?

Alcohol:

I greatly enjoyed a sermon preached at my church a couple weeks ago. It asked the overall question of whether or not we are following Jesus or following traditions. One specific issue discussed was alcohol. The point was clearly preached that while the Bible does speak against drunkenness it does not condemn drinking alcohol. And while there are important principles to use, one cannot honestly say that drinking in itself is a sin. One of my favorite lines was "We cannot blame God for our rules."

I am very tired of Christians condemning something that the Bible never does, while at the same time treating lightly areas that the Bible does clearly condemn. For example, we almost condone gluttony. In the book of Proverbs there are indeed warnings against drunkenness (not drinking, but drunkenness) and with these warnings often hand in hand are warnings against gluttony and the warning that we should not be given over to our appetite. I'm sure a lot of Christians would freak out if someone walked in to church with a Bud light, yet we joke about being "good Baptists" because of our love for food and ability to eat a lot.

If we are going to condemn all drinking because it is "addictive, unhealthy, and expensive" (as I've often heard) then we better also condemn pizza. My point is, know your Bible, and what clear-cut rules it gives and what rules it does not give. Also remember, "In the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you." (Matt. 7:2)