Burn them at the stake!
I was reading a new blog today and this person was commenting on another blogger's notes on the Emergent convention that just wrapped up in Nashville. I'm not going to link to this discussion because it's not about them. Anyway, this first blogger, in response to a presentation on theology, made a comment wondering if this presenter was a "false teacher" as predicted/prophesized by the Bible. I'm not interested in determining whether this person is or is not a false teacher or questioning the orthodoxy of their belief. I think it is interesting that this person's first response to a challenging theological concept was to apply the label of "false teacher" to its author.
Another example of a similar controversy is that of United Methodist Bishop Joseph Sprague. Sprague’s theology and belief is admittedly unorthodox, but in response to this speech at the Iliff School of Theology he has been attacked as a heretic, a false teacher, and an apostate. (Google "Sprague Iliff heresy" for a representative sample.) He has had several formal complaints filed against him and there are many within the UMC who will not rest until they feel he is no longer a threat.
What bothers me is how quickly people are willing to label those they disagree with as "false teachers," "heretics," and "apostates." Why, when we are confronted with religious ideas that differ from our own, do we respond with these religiously loaded words? Also, think about what those words mean now and what they've meant historically. Christians used to burn heretics at the stake. Are those that would label others as heretics or false teachers ready to move from symbolic violence (i.e. language) to real violence? Is their belief system so fragile that they have an absolute need to root out any who might disagree with them and thus threaten their faith?
Why can't we just say to those we disagree with, "That's an interesting idea. I happen to disagree." I think we can't say that because by validating the right of individuals to possess ideas contrary to our own, we fear that we are legitimizing those ideas. I think people also fear that by acknowledging there are people of "other minds" in the world, their own certainty in their belief system will falter.
So instead people label others as heretics, false teachers, and apostates as a way of shutting down any possibility of discussion or debate. I think what they’re really saying is, "Your ideas are so crazy and unorthodox that I do not believe you can be a complete person and possess them. I reject your personhood because of the ideas you possess."
I think it is tragic that people are creating environments where it is impossible for Christians to share ideas without the fear of being labeled as heretical. My own sister-in-law implied that I might be a false teacher. How sad that people cannot sit down and have conversations without these labels being applied! It seems to me that the impulse to apply these labels represents a very deep fear in a lot of Christians. Their fear is that their faith is weak and that it will break under the slightest pressure. Thus they must isolate themselves from anything that might challenge their faith.
I think the very real danger is that by excluding anyone with different ideas in the name of orthodoxy, Christians risk missing the testimony of "authentic" teachers and prophets. It also risks encasing the church in a stale and stagnant theology and assumes that "true" Christians can determine whether God is working in the lives of others. My prayer would be that Christians open their minds to the possibility that God is working even in those that they disagree with. I know that I need to as well.
Just for fun – here are some helpful links to protect yourself from false teachers.
- False Prophets and False Teachers
- Identifying False Teachers
- List of False Teachers – look at the left sidebar for the list (some notable members on the list – Rick Warren, Billy Graham, James Dobson)
- False Teachers
- FALSE PROPHETS, DECEIVERS, AND FALSE TEACHERS
posted by Brian @ 12:04 PM
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