Posted on 10/20/2005 11:09:48 AM PDT by Millee
An Ellettsville family whose home is decorated for Halloween contacted police after someone placed on its porch a flier that suggests Halloween praises the devil.
Dalene Gully told Indianapolis television station WRTV that she took offense to the flier, which was placed outside her home by the House of Prayer Church of Bloomington.
"I started reading it, and I was very, very upset by it. I found it very accusatory and very threatening," Gully said.
The church's pastor, Larry Mitchell, said the people who left the flier would have preferred to talk with Gully, but she wasn't there.
Mitchell said the church didn't intend to upset the Gully family, but rather tell people that Halloween isn't harmless fun.
"Halloween is not fantasy," Mitchell said. "We're training up our children, and obviously this lady was trained up in this. Halloween seems like it is taking just as much prominence as Christmas."
The Gully family filed a complaint with the Ellettsville Police Department. The incident also prompted the family to install an alarm system at the home, the station reported.
"This is my home, and I like Halloween. If I want to decorate my home, I have every right to decorate my home," Gully said.
Glad that your mom found a wonderful way, to make up for the 'bad' Halloweens that she had when she was a child....made for great Halloweens for you...
Way to go misinterpreting every verse you copy/pasted. Let's not continue this. You've made your decision...
My daughter is an angel.
Of course, her twin sister is dressing up as a devil witch. I wanted her just to be a devil because then the twins would be an angel/devil and it kind of fits their personalities.
Last time I checked Pizza Hut, AOL and the rug cleaning guy don't go out of their way to insult someone's beliefs... at their own home.
"Trouble is, all those "horrifying accounts of poisoned candy and fruits booby-trapped with razor blades and needles" are urban legends, spread energetically by "Christians"..."
Your unproven opinion, spoken as fact, is nonsense.
Unfortunately there are a lot of people who *do* take the celebration of Halloween as a serious religious exercise.
Putting head into the sand will not help as it is not stopping the Diversity Cult being established in the public schools.
I suppose you think your answer has something to do with what I said? The "Diversity Cult" has nothing to do with Halloween and has nothing to do with my assertion that it is only your type who is keeping pagan associations alive.
Putting your head in the sand about how hysterical you are isn't helping. Normal Americans know jask squash about how "pagan" or "satanic" Halloween supposedly is.
Do you or your spouse wear a wedding ring? Can you find that custom in the Bible, or is it of pagan origin?
SD
Ah, perceptions. It would seem quite likely the author didn't intend to insult anyone but the homeowner, exposed to the word of God, freaked and took it as an insult.
No offense intended but offense taken.
You know what else is of pagan origin? Tools and musical instruments. Both were invented and perfected by "ungodly" pagans in the book of Genesis. Therefore everyone who uses tools and musical istruments are doing as the pagans do LOL
Furthermore!!!!! LOL
We don't need a First Amendment to protect welcome speech. We need it to protect unpopular speech.
The flier distributor was enjoying the exercise of his First Amendment rights.
The homeowner who called the newspaper to rally the anti-religionists doesn't respect our Bill of Rights, nor does the reporter and his editor.
Go find me some verified reports of this actually happening, besides the one I mentioned. Major news organizations have tried and failed.
Have you ever read about Halloween in the Castro district in San Francisco?
And to tell you the truth. I think my mom has a much deeper faith than her parents ever did.
I don't know that that is true, but regardless, Halloween's name is derived from a contradiction of All Saints Day. It was a direct opposition to a celebration of Christian saints, and a celebration of the time of darkness.
That said, as a silly carnival it is harmless - the perceived harm comes from those who take it seriously. Unfortunately, there is a sizable number of people who do so.
Organizations do that all the time. Are we really that sensative these days?
What's wrong with throwing it in the trash. Instead there is a violation of "rights" inferred and further on down the thread Baptists are referred to as Baathists.
I am always open for a good discussion on halloween. I personally avoid the practice. Yet, the biggest charge against me is that I am a "fundie".
Sticks and stones.
The pagans in Rome hated the message that told them to turn from paganism.
In a country founded upon the Bible, it is incredible that people would get so upset from a flyer that they could just toss in the waste can.
This was not a threatening flyer, unless we redefine threatening to agree with the Orwellian newspeak, politically correct rules of conduct.
Taking a cue from this thread I plan to start using my "right" of having nothing offend me. A lot of Freepers might end up banned in order to suit me.
I mean rather than ignore crazy freepers (or throw a flyer in the trash) I'm going to complain to JimRob that my rights are constantly being violated by opinions that I don't like.
Oh c'mon. As a "god-fearing Christian" I have no problem with my kids dressing up and going trick-or-treating. And I would have a problem with a church knocking on my door to tell me I'm going to hell for doing so. Halloween (like every other holiday) is what you make it. I don't tell my 2 & 4 year olds that pumpkins were used to scare away demons or that they're dressing up to confuse spirits. All they know is at the end of the night their pumpkins are filled with so much candy they'll be hyper till Thanksgiving. Sheesh!
You might have to get in line to apply for that position, if/when any openings become available.
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