Legalism: What is is? And how can you deal with it?
I like Gino Geraci's definition: When my opinion becomes your obligation (e.g. work-based faiths).
Response to comment [from an atheist]: "[L]ook it up on wikipedia?"
We've slipped into Christian-talk again, haven't we? You should hate legalism. Atheists usually do. But what they fail to understand is, Christians hate it too (true blue Christians that is).
We want freedom from religion just like you-- trust in Christ is that freedom (Jn 8:36).
“When I was converted, I lost my religion.” --Dr. W.I. Carroll
Response to comment [from a Jew]: "I always find it annoying when Christians take their world-view, paste in onto Judaism and come up with statements like this. "Earn our way back to God" assumes a Christian viewpoint of Original Sin."
You deny that Judaism is work-based? Judaism, Catholicism, Islam (or any other work-based faith) are more closely related than historical, biblical Christianity. All religions of the world are work-based. Christianity is faith based (Eph 2:8).
"Ritualism is nothing more than a rut, and the only difference between a rut and a grave is the length and the depth." -- Chuck Smith
Are you an ethical monotheist?
Response to comment [from a Jew]: "I always wonder where "historical, biblical Christianity" was for over 1,000 years, before the protestant movement got off the ground."
God has always had a remnant (Rom. 11:5).
Legalism: What is it? And how can you deal with it?