7. Many people seem to have the idea that camp rules are legalistic, particularly for camp counselors and other staff members. All sorts of behaviors and dress styles are prohibited, and behaviors must be assumed on entering camp grounds. These rules are generally much more stringent than the rules outside the camp, and so they seem to be legalistic. Whatever legalism might be as defined by Scripture I'm not for certain, but I think the common use of the term means an overemphasis on the law that approaches the notion of salvation by personal works. The people who accuse others of legalism have at the center of their statement a love for the gospel. Yet this gospel is only a fairy tale unless it spurs us on to good deeds towards other human beings, and so in defending the gospel against legalism some people forget that Paul mentions the heart's response with good works to the Gospel. Yes, Paul does mention works and grace in the same literary breath. I think camp rules can be strict, and yet be focused on encouraging loving, Gospel-centered relationships. This might be pietism, but I don't think I would use the L-bomb.
Monday, September 10, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I think it is silly to call camp rules legalistic, however strict they may be, so long as the camp leadership has an appropriate motivation for the rules and expresses them correctly. If a camp establishes and enforces rules that go beyond the clear commands of Scripture out of a belief that those rules are an essential part of Christian life or if the camp sets up any rules because of a belief that those rules can cause a person's salvation, then the camp is practicing legalism or something like it. Otherwise, the camp can rightly set up any rules it wants to, assuming all affected parties are informed of the rules before placing themselves under them. Submission to authority hardly even comes into play if you have consented to the rules themselves. Parents and the government can establish rules that you don't like but still have to follow, but your relationship with a camp is totally voluntary. If you don't like a camp's rules (or their reasons for them), don't go. Camps are (at least to some extent) businesses, and camp rules are (at least in part) business decisions. I might be overly de-spiritualizing the issue, but it seems that unless a camp claims undue Scriptural or moral weight behind its rules, camp rules really just come down to freedom of contract.
True true. Beware, silly people, we can attack you multiple ways.
Post a Comment