Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Church's Anti-Halloween Flier Upsets Family
IBS ^ | October 20, 2005 | Staff

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.


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: christhaters; cults; druids; halloween; idolatry; paganism
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 261-280281-300301-320 ... 441-442 next last
To: SouthernFreebird
I am Christian also and my children participate in Halloween. I look forward to the evening and make up little baggies of candy and small toys bought in bulk. My husband or I, depending, stay home and give out candy while the other takes the kids around my mom's neighborhood. Of course the kids literally fill up at Meema's, lol.

We have a fall festival for the kids at church around this time. We have so much fun. We do dunking booths and apple bobs etc. We ask for donations for tickets and the money raised is then used to fill shoeboxes for needy children and gifts for the elderly in a local nursing home at Christmas time. Everything for the festival is donated by families in the church so there is no expense in it and there is fun to be had for everyone.

281 posted on 10/20/2005 4:10:07 PM PDT by PleaseNoMore
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 269 | View Replies]

To: Shalom Israel
She's exercising property rights; the pastor is exercising free-speach rights; only an idiot (and a reporter) could get together and construe that the two were somehow mutually exclusive

Well, not mutually. The pastor has no free-speech rights on her property.

282 posted on 10/20/2005 4:10:25 PM PDT by Oztrich Boy (Paging Nehemiah Scudder:the Crazy Years are peaking. America is ready for you.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: gamarob1
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

Many good things were invented by pagans. Pagans also can receive inspiration from God and they will be judged according to what they knew. Some parts of the Truth were revealed to the Jews or Christians through pagans.

But it is wrong for a Christian to actively participate in the rites of other religion.

283 posted on 10/20/2005 4:11:06 PM PDT by A. Pole (George Orwell: "In times of universal deceit, telling the truth will be a revolutionary act.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 249 | View Replies]

To: The_Reader_David
Anyone, Christian or pagan, who can confuse the great American costume party on October 31 in which children dress up in mockery of the powers of evil (and just about anything else these days) with a pagan or demonic rite is sorely deluded.

It strikes me as particularly absurd for Christians, who in Our Lord have confidence against the wiles of real demons, to start or take offense at pantomime demons.

Damina....well said!!!

284 posted on 10/20/2005 4:15:01 PM PDT by makoman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: GovernmentShrinker
Un-asked-for literature (concerning steam-cleaning my carpets, car washes, aluminum siding, political candidates, and religious views) is part of what I grimace and put up with as the price of living in a society where people feel free to communicate. Even if it's aggravatin' as hades-with-a-fire-sale.

Like I said, if I finally reach my saturation point I will get my property posted. As of now, it's just more cellulose for my compost pile.

285 posted on 10/20/2005 4:15:06 PM PDT by Mrs. Don-o (Live and Let Live)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 144 | View Replies]

To: Theo
"Accusatory"? Please post the text from the flyer so that I can be convinced.

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....

..."I started reading it, and I was very, very upset by it. I found it very accusatory and very threatening," Gully said.

The woman took it as accusatory. If my house was decorated to the nines with Halloween decorations and I got a a flier that equated celebrating Halloween with worshiping Satan, I would conclude I was either being accused of being a Satan worshiper or a deluded fool. The front of the flier says "In Praise of the Devil...?"

A little love goes a long way. There is plenty of opportunity to speak the truth in love. This sort of thing just makes people mad.

When my son was dying, it wasn't any one in our church who showed us love. No one from my son's youth group, which he attended faithfully, ever visited him in a year and a half. They didn't even bother to send him a get well card.

I don't consider my former church to be a bad one, just one that didn't have a clue on how to implement John 13:34,35 (like 99.99% of all churches). The person who showed my son and our family the most love was a non-Christian nurse who was possibly a lesbian.

Note to the House of Prayer (and all other churches): if you want to grow your church, stop circulating fliers and find a family with a dying child and love them in the name of Jesus.

286 posted on 10/20/2005 4:22:50 PM PDT by Semi Civil Servant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 91 | View Replies]

To: Larry Lucido; P-Marlowe; Gamecock
Here's an idea that will bring great joy to your Reformation Day Celebration! Use the patterns and follow the instructions below to carve Reformation images into your pumpkins.

LOL!!! Some people would find a picture of Calvin "very scary".

287 posted on 10/20/2005 4:32:05 PM PDT by HarleyD ("...and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." Acts 13:48)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies]

To: StolarStorm

That's a good post. It's a hard question, at least for me to answer. I don't know what to think about the Meiers nomination.

When does the argument 'the democrats will be worse' no longer stick? I know that for my own sake I would never back a pro-choice republican. It is so hard to meld our own conservative ideals into a big tent party. On the other hand what else are we going to do?

While i don't believe that the U.S. is predominately liberal I don't see a whole lot of emphasis on a strong, lawful society, do what thou wilst is becoming the standard mantra on both sides of the political divide. I don't like to be a pessimist but I worry a bit about '06 and definitely wonder what will come our way in '08.

All in all, I voted for Bush so if things go haywire, I'm responsible in a way.
As far as the forum itself this place changes a lot. I couldn't tell you how the forum will respond to a GOP breakdown. If there is really going to be one. After all, the MSM will be the one fueling that and I don't trust them for anything.


288 posted on 10/20/2005 4:44:08 PM PDT by JakeWyld (WAAAAAZZZZUUUUUP!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 265 | View Replies]

To: Oztrich Boy
Well, not mutually. The pastor has no free-speech rights on her property.

Leafletting is permitted by law in that neighborhood (and most neighborhoods). I get threatening pizza coupons all the time.

289 posted on 10/20/2005 4:53:24 PM PDT by Shalom Israel (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 282 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole
Boy you're just the expert on everything, aren't you? You have every answer to every thing....

That's usually a sign of someone that don't know much

290 posted on 10/20/2005 5:56:07 PM PDT by gamarob1 (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 283 | View Replies]

To: Millee

Do you all understand what is going on in this country? Christians are being persecuted here now! These people called the police over a flier, and the media reports it? This is so wrong, and yet it is happening over and over again in this supposed freedom of religion country of ours.


291 posted on 10/20/2005 5:59:42 PM PDT by ladyinred (It is all my fault okay?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: luckystarmom
I really don't like strangers leaving flyers at my house, period.I understand how you feel, but that is not the subject of the article.

The article is not complaining about 'flyers' in general. It is complaining about certain ideas expressed on the flyer which say Halloween is evil. The ridiculous thing is how some people try to act like this view against Halloween is new, or suddenly extreme. Differing views have been around as long as anyone can remember and no one ran to the authorities and whined, we just ignored it.

I ignore most flyers that come to my house and I don't look for some way to feel 'threatened' just so I can justify going to authorities. So much ridiculous whining.

292 posted on 10/20/2005 6:00:58 PM PDT by joe_broadway (Talk is cheap.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 270 | View Replies]

To: joe_broadway

I understand. I agree with you. I personally love Halloween, and I am a Christian. My son went to a Christian school that was very anti-Halloween. I can understand why a church wouldn't participate in Halloween activities, but I don't think that people who dress up and go trick or treating are doing anything evil.


293 posted on 10/20/2005 6:41:08 PM PDT by luckystarmom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 292 | View Replies]

To: Oztrich Boy
The pastor has no free-speech rights on her property.

Are you saying or implying that someone was in violation of the law? I think they were within their rights and I have studied this issue for years, but I could be wrong if they have a local ordinance.

In general we do have free speech rights, but someone can tell us to leave their property if that is their wish.

If you are making more than just a statement about the limitations of free speech in general, please publish the ordinance you are using for your claim. Otherwise it is no big deal and I understand you were just making a statement about the exception to the default of the law.

294 posted on 10/20/2005 6:44:38 PM PDT by gratham pitt (Veritas vos lierabit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 282 | View Replies]

To: GovernmentShrinker
"This church is essentially doing the same thing: leaving literature at a home, warning the residents that they urgently need to stop what they're doing, or else."

They could only make that claim if they were the only ones targeted. If the flyers are being left at all the homes, then no one person's beliefs, or lack therof, are being singled out.

295 posted on 10/20/2005 6:52:05 PM PDT by sweetliberty (Stupidity should make you sterile.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 137 | View Replies]

To: sweetliberty
They could only make that claim if they were the only ones targeted. If the flyers are being left at all the homes, then no one person's beliefs, or lack therof, are being singled out.

Are you saying that the flyers were printed up for this house alone? Not likely.

Or are you saying that unless you leave a flyer at all houses, you may not leave one at any house?

Of course this claim does not agree with First Amendment legal history and certainly not American civil history. This narrow view is actually one that would agree with someone like Barry Lynn or the ACLU.

296 posted on 10/20/2005 7:19:51 PM PDT by gratham pitt (Veritas vos lierabit)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 295 | View Replies]

To: ladyinred

Well, I would say that the "Christians" were the ones doing the persecuting in this case. (Not really, but I hope you get my point - I'm sure the lady felt she was being persecuted for her beliefs, or lack thereof, by the Christians).


297 posted on 10/20/2005 7:19:52 PM PDT by gingerky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 291 | View Replies]

To: Semi Civil Servant
My sympathy for the loss of your son.

I wonder if it's possible that the church was unaware . . . our rector announces periodically from the pulpit for people please to let him know if someone is ill or in the hospital -- because the new privacy laws prohibit the hospitals from contacting anyone and telling them that someone has been hospitalized -- even that person's own church, even with permission. It has made it very difficult for the church to keep on top of hospital visits and sick calls.

If that is not the case, and they were aware but did nothing, I hope you let them know, after you had recovered from your grief. Sometimes what folks need is a swift kick/wakeup call. They're not mean or ignoring their duty, they just get preoccupied.

298 posted on 10/20/2005 7:27:27 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother (. . . Ministrix of ye Chace (recess appointment), TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 286 | View Replies]

To: gratham pitt
"Are you saying that the flyers were printed up for this house alone?"

No; I was responding to GovernmentShrinker's post that seemed to indicate that he thought that. I was suggesting that it is ridiculous to assume that only certain individuals are being targeted and that unless that was the case, the individual that was doing the complaining couldn't claim that his/her beliefs were being attacked because chances are that the flyers were passed around the entire neighborhood and did not single out anyone, as is typical with churches passing out literature.

299 posted on 10/20/2005 7:30:04 PM PDT by sweetliberty (Stupidity should make you sterile.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 296 | View Replies]

To: P-Marlowe
Excellent post#122 P-Marlowe
Bravo!
Thank you for posting it.
We can agree on something once and awhile
300 posted on 10/20/2005 7:30:15 PM PDT by pro610 (Faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains.Praise Jesus Christ!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 122 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 261-280281-300301-320 ... 441-442 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson