10.20.2005

Church Intimidates Family for Celebrating Evil Halloween



Church's Anti-Halloween Flier Upsets Family

from WFMY News 2

Ellettsville, IN - A 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.

1 Comments:

Anonymous Luke Stevens said...

If a church thinks that Halloween is related to Satan in some way (which it isn't, technically) then it has every right to suggest to its congregation that they not decorate their homes as an example to others. The idea that they would drop a flier telling another member of the community that they are raising their child incorrectly then they have crossed the line.

A church is just a part of the community, not in an elevated or leadership position so the idea that they tell people what to do is wrong. This is especially true when criticising the way the parents are raising their children.

If it were me and they had spoken to me instead of leaving the flier as they intended to be I would be speechless. Let those who are without sin cast the first stone, telling other people that they are bad parents based on some cheeky decorations is a far worse 'sin' than enjoying an American tradition which is only meant to be fun. Trick or Treating is great for the community, people out and about seeing all the neighbours in a different context; this brings people together not casting then them into hell.

July 10, 2013 7:46 PM  

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