Recently a religious woman in our town threw an accusation my way. “You know, she admits to listening to secular music.” Wow! I thought. That’s the worse thing I do? Well then, I must be in pretty good shape!
Where do we as Christians get the idea that everything is evil and nothing is good?
“No pants on women, it makes them look like men.”
“Don’t say Oh My God! It’s taking the Lord’s Name in Vain.”
“No sleeveless blouses on women, armpits are evil.”
okay I made up the armpits are evil but really what is the reason a woman can’t show her shoulders in public?
“No crosses whatsoever, they are demonic!”
Okay but in movies they ward off vampires….just saying…..
“HIDE! On Halloween.”
Uh, because this is the only day the LORD didn’t make right? (Insert sarcastic snicker here)
“Dance at the altar before the Lord or you are not really worshiping.”
“Don’t dance at the altar before the Lord. This is not a disco!”
“Contemporary music is just a fad, hymns will come back.”
“You can’t watch a rated R movie, but look the other way, and pass the cash over to your kids so they can go see it.”
“No spaghetti straps on dresses.”
This is especially true if you even remotely attractive.
“NO Jewelry!”
This is critical if you are someone in danger of making a golden calf.
Can you think of more?
Then let’s go to the other spectrum:
“We live together because if we got married, I’d lose my benefits. God sees my heart.”
“I taught Sunday School before. Let someone else have a turn.”
This is usually followed by a rant about children today.
“I don’t report my tips to the IRS. They don’t need my money.”
“I work part-time because otherwise my ex would get her back child support.”
Bible study? Girl, I’ve read the bible several times, what can you teach me?”
It’s not gossip if it’s true.
I’m just wondering at what point we stop fighting each other, live out what the word says, quit making excuses and speaking in half truths, which are lies we tell ourselves to make us feel good, and get on with the business at hand? What is the business at hand? To reach out to people who are hurting and show them a Jesus who loves them, not because they look right, act right or are right, but because he just does.
Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ. –Dietrich Bonhoeffer
How do we get anything done when we won’t stop living in religious fear and condemnation of one another. As I told the TLC women recently, “What makes you right?”
Pastor Susan 
I’ve grown up with these “mandates” of Christianity. I was once asked not to play at a church because I tapped my foot in time to the music—I was playing guitar at the time. I wear an earring with a cross on it to remind me of a vow. I’ve been asked to remove it during a play as it might offend someone.
I could go on but it seems fruitless. The rules in Scripture are pretty easy to know. The main things are the plain things and the plain things are the main things. Disputable matters need to be left to individuals to figure out but not argued over. I’ve seen so many Christians lose their faith over stupid stuff like this that it makes me want to growl every time I hear about it.
Oh well, human nature will not change until we give up and allow God to work His miracles in our hearts.
I remember many years ago my precious mother told me she was freezing at night when she walked to church and one day as she sit at church, legs so cold she could hardly sit there, the Lord spoke to her and said I am not the one that said you could not wear pants to church your mother is the one that told you that, from that day on when it was cold or she just felt like it she wore her pants or pant suits to church. We can get tangled up in the things we grow up with if we are not careful to search the word and listen to the Lord for ourselves.
You are talking about legalistic christians. Jesus had no patience with legalism. He called us to a higher morality.
Blessings on you and yours
John