When Hell Froze Over

I remember seeing a show like this when it came on. I lived in South Central Missouri as a child and we only got one channel of TV. If I remember it correctly, there was a couple who lived on a farm and the community was affiliated with a very legalistic fundamentalist church. The husband had to leave for a few days on business so the wife was alone. I don't think there were any children. Martin Milner is what was called a hobo then who stopped by for perhaps a meal or water and probably did some work there to pay for it. I am sure as appropriate behavior was then, he slept in the barn overnight but someone gossiped about it to look like Martin Milner and the wife spent the night together. He left the next day and soon the story caused her to be called for a church trial about the incident. I don't remember if her husband believed her but the church court did not and she had to submit to being sanctioned by the church to not be excommunicated. She had to admit to something that she knew she was innocent of.

My family was in the Assembly of God church then and they had progressed away from such legalism but my grandmother said it USED to be like that when she entered the Pentecostal movement in the 20's. This is long but the point I wish to make is that once again Hollywood has always liked to make people who live their faith, myself included, are like that and it is not that way for most of us. My church evolved from such legalism many years ago and there are very few churches that behave that way today. Everyone has the right to believe as they feel but not a lot of us are like the Troglodites she had to face. I just wish Hollywood would take a look at how people of faith live and not condemn all of us with such a broad brush. Robert Duval produced a movie about 20 years ago that was pretty accurate and respectful, The Apostle. Rest in peace, Mr. Milner.