What We Learn From the Great Pumpkin

In Merideth Wilson’s classic musical The Music Man, the barbershop quartet sings, “How can there be any sin in sincere?” The song, like the entire score, is filled with clever lyrics and word play. The irony is evident in the overall story. The protagonist, Harold Hill, is a con-man who has lived a life of insincerity. He never intended to actually start a band for the town’s youth. However, he sincerely fell in love with Marion. But is sincerity enough?

It is about time for my annual viewing of the Charles Shultz’ exposé of the limitation of sincerity. I speak, of course, about The Great Pumpkin. Linus is totally sincere in his adoration of the Great Pumpkin. His belief is that the Great Pumkin will visit the pumpkin patch that he finds the most sincere. Linus is even an evangelist for the Great Pumpkin as he convinces Sally to wait in the pumpkin patch with him. I ask again, is sincerity enough?

This world has a plethora of choices when it comes to religion. The common conception is that a person can evaluate all the choices and then choose what suits them. The selection of religions is treated as casually as choosing an entrée at a buffet. While a person certainly has that option, not all options are of equal value. The selection of and devotion to a religion should not be an exercise in personal preference but a quest for truth. In the biblical world, the people of God had to contend with several other religions in which worship was celebrated through the use of temple prostitutes. Many people were drawn into these religions as a matter of personal preference. No surprise there.

The pumpkin patch problem, the sin of sincerity, is that it places all the importance upon the person instead of the pumpkin. If the amount of a person’s faith, or the fervor in which they express it, were the determining factor, then it would not matter what the object of their faith was. It would all depend upon how deeply or sincerely they believed.

I sadly watch evangelists for the Kingdom Hall go door-to-door through nearby neighborhoods to spread their sincerely-held doctrines about the capacity of heaven, the non-existence of hell, and above all, their demotion of Jesus to a lesser being than God. I also regret the public figures that try to equate all the different religions as valid ways to get to God. These evangelists for the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society are certainly sincere, but they are sincerely wrong.

The Bible explains that there is only one God. There is also only one enemy of God. While the religion of Satanism is identifiable, Satanism is the parent corporation which does business as many other religions. All religions outside of Christianity are simply storefronts for Satan.

Bugs Bunny could walk off a cliff with a clear conscience knowing that in doing so, he was defying the law of gravity. He would break the “fourth wall” and explain to the watching audience that he never studied law. In reality, a person may step off of a cliff because they sincerely believe they can fly, or do not believe in gravity. Reality will have a reply. A person may fervently perform dozens of rituals because they sincerely believe it will cleanse their soul. Will religious ritual really cleanse a soul? This question has been asked and answered. The Bible says that if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). This is reality.

As Linus and Charlie Brown debrief over Linus’ failed attempt to see the Great Pumkin, Charlie Brown strikes a nerve by saying that Linus has made a mistake. Linus’ faith is emboldened and he is determined to be even more sincere in future. Charlie Brown remarks that sometimes friends are separated by denominational differences.

I love this retort by Charlie Brown, but the analogy is a bit off. Within Christianity there are many denominations which are marked by differences of opinion on lesser theological issues or matters of church polity. Some examples of denominations are Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Pentecostals. These are big categories with many smaller groups within. There are even encyclopedias published listing the various denominations. Denominations represent various expressions of the religion of Christianity. A belief in the Great Pumpkin represents a different religion entirely. Examples here are Buddhism, Islam, and Scientology, which are not denominations but rather, different religions. They are not different expressions of truth. They are false religions and not comparable to Christianity.

Sincerity must be met with truth. If there were no real God, then the only measure of a religion’s worth would be the devotion felt by its adherents. The Great Pumkin religion would be valid. However, Linus sincerely expected reality; he expected truth. There is but one true God. This truth does not depend on the sincerity of church attendees. However, this God is not fooled by those who worship without sincerity. So, the bottom line is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, namely there is one God, and people should worship Him with all the sincerity they can muster (paraphrase mine).