The paintball saga continues

So I think I've effectively alienated myself today from Halo, the church group I am and perhaps was involved in. Then the legalism rained down tonight.

After paintball the group went to someone's house and had some drinks. There was some drink n' dialing going on. People were enjoying themselves. It was an all around fun end to a fun day.

One problem though. We invited someone who bought along a designated driver who happens to be employed at the church where HALO is domiciled. He tells Halo's leadership and they freak out.

My bible study for tonight got rescheduled to July because the people who head it wanted to talk to us about what happened. And talk they did. No longer can we drink before during or after a Halo event on that day. They asked for input, and I provided it in spades (in a pretty courteous manner I might add).

Let me start off by saying that the evangelical world is completely and totally wrong on this issue. They've missed the point. I think we all know the line of reasoning. 1) Don't do anything to cause a brother to stumble, 2) Drinking alcohol could damage your testimony and lead someone not to believe because of perceived hypocrisy, 3) Drinking impairs judgment and do you really want to be tempted that way?

Points 1 and 2 are just symptoms of a huge problem in the American Christian world. Legalism. It's straight up puritanicalism (I know it's not a word). Here's where my argument gets unique. I've never heard anyone make a similar argument so here you go.

The reason why drinking may cause a Christian or non-Christian to stumble is that Christians have created and duly earned the stereotype. I believe this is a phenomenon that afflicts American Christianity alone, and may have spread into other parts of the world through our missionaries.

It's rooted in the Puritanism of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. It reached it's culmination in the temperance movement when wife's were tired of their husbands coming home drunk after spending their wages at the local saloon. They made their arguments and dressed them up with puritanism with the get on the waterwagon stuff.

Because of this history, American Christians have created a stereotype for themselves. The we don't drink, smoke or go with those who do has been perceived by those not so religious as a part of Christianity, when in fact it was something that was added after the fact. And now we're stuck with it. It's a Catch 22. If you go one way (I don't drink) you're perceived by non Christians as legalistic (you know, the whole "Christians are against fun' view). You go the other way, they think your a hypocrite. We're stuck here because Christians in the past advocated this and tried to legislate their extra-biblical morality.

So I lay all this out in the group. Did anyone say "I think you have a point and I should think about that"? Nope. Did anyone say "I believe you're understanding of this isn't accurate and here's why? Nope. But the rule stands and no one who made it ever thought about the deeper implications. They didn't think about why it just propagates this stereotype.

I hate how evangelicals have such homogeneous views on this subject. I'm convinced that 99.9% don't give this particular issue any real though or realize what problems it creates for them.

This is an American thing. CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and the other Christians in the inkings met at a pub, and they all loved to smoke. Monks used to live off beer when the fasted for years. When did the switch from wine to grape juice in Communion happen? I tried googling it but I didn't get an answer.

This whole discussion is just silly. I hate that people are trying to make me and my friends feel guilty for something that's not wrong. I will not be tied down by a stereotype. The most troubling thing about this is the homogeneity of thought on this subject. And also what bugs me is that as pretty much the lone vocal dissenter, the leadership is probably going to be praying at night that my "heart" would change or something.

My biggest mis-step of the night was when I laughed at something the leader said.

"We've created this rule, but not to be legalistic"

(I chuckle)

"What?"

I'm sorry. It's just sort of funny. It's ironic. You're creating a rule, but that's not legalistic. That's ironic. It doesn't matter which side you're on, it's ironic.

"...."

I'm not backing down from this. I don't want this to be a divisive issue, but I refuse to silently let the Christians I know put what I think to be non-Biblical pressure on me to behave certain ways. If you disagree with me, have a reason. It better be well founded or else I'm going to call you out on it given I recognize that it's unfounded. If you don't like it, then don't talk down to me and tell me how I should live. You haven't earned the right because you don't own your beliefs. You've just taken them.