Nothing bores and disappoints me more than bloggers who insist that they are truly orthodox and that nearly everyone else is a heretic. This short Emo Philips gag helps explain why to some degree.
To begin with, that level of discernment and judgment and its obsessive fixation on wrongthink as it pertains to adhering to externals hovers at about the same level as that utilized by the most raving, foaming-at-the-mouth leftist true believers.
Screaming heretic from the rooftops is not an argument any more than screaming racist or transphobe is an argument. It does not exemplify sound or creative thinking, reflects no modicum of internal spiritual movement or development, and sidesteps all the serious spiritual issues Christians should urgently concern themselves with today.
First off, the accused is probably already fully aware that he is indeed a heretic according to the doctrine against which he is judged, so what exactly is the point of stating the obvious? It would be like screaming American at a person who understands that he is a citizen of the United States.
Also, what many heretic accusers fail to understand is that the accursed heretic standing before them may very well be perfectly orthodox in the tradition that he follows, a tradition that informs him that his accuser, not he, is the real heretic. Hours of meaningful and engaging dialogue follow.
Then there is the whole issue of Christians labeling people as heretics even though they switched denominations, sometimes more than once, meaning that such Christians were themselves heretics at some point. You would think that such individuals would have more sympathy for others’ spiritual journeys. But no, on the contrary, they are frequently among the most smug, arrogant, and vitriolic of true believers.
Of course, we must not forget all the heresy accusations liberally being tossed about within one tradition or denomination. Don’t accept the current pope as valid? Heretic! Accept the current pope as valid? Heretic!
And then there are the lowest of the low on the heretic ranking chart —the unaffiliated Romantic Christians like me who are generally dismissed as non-Christian or, sometimes, even anti-Christian because we insist on making our own way rather than submitting to one of the established denominations or traditions.
The most common dismissal against such an individualized approach is that it is too subjective. Christians are permitted some idiosyncrasy within the religion; however, the level of subjectivity, discernment, and choice of an individualized approach disqualifies it as Christianity because at the end of the day, Christianity is a program — or a selection of programs — and the whole point of being a Christian is getting with a program.
Yet getting with a program involves choice and discernment — yes, even for cradle Christians. The root meaning of heresy stems from the Greek hairesis “a taking or choosing for oneself, a choice, a means of taking; a deliberate plan, purpose; philosophical sect, school.”
Choosing for oneself can involve submitting to one of the established traditions or eschewing all of them and going it alone. Either way, it’s choosing for yourself, entailing that all Christians today are heretics, regardless of whether they acknowledge that or not.
Screaming heretic from the rooftops is not an argument any more than screaming racist or transphobe is an argument. It does not exemplify sound or creative thinking, reflects no modicum of internal spiritual movement or development, and sidesteps all the serious spiritual issues Christians should urgently concern themselves with today.
First off, the accused is probably already fully aware that he is indeed a heretic according to the doctrine against which he is judged, so what exactly is the point of stating the obvious? It would be like screaming American at a person who understands that he is a citizen of the United States.
Also, what many heretic accusers fail to understand is that the accursed heretic standing before them may very well be perfectly orthodox in the tradition that he follows, a tradition that informs him that his accuser, not he, is the real heretic. Hours of meaningful and engaging dialogue follow.
Then there is the whole issue of Christians labeling people as heretics even though they switched denominations, sometimes more than once, meaning that such Christians were themselves heretics at some point. You would think that such individuals would have more sympathy for others’ spiritual journeys. But no, on the contrary, they are frequently among the most smug, arrogant, and vitriolic of true believers.
Of course, we must not forget all the heresy accusations liberally being tossed about within one tradition or denomination. Don’t accept the current pope as valid? Heretic! Accept the current pope as valid? Heretic!
And then there are the lowest of the low on the heretic ranking chart —the unaffiliated Romantic Christians like me who are generally dismissed as non-Christian or, sometimes, even anti-Christian because we insist on making our own way rather than submitting to one of the established denominations or traditions.
The most common dismissal against such an individualized approach is that it is too subjective. Christians are permitted some idiosyncrasy within the religion; however, the level of subjectivity, discernment, and choice of an individualized approach disqualifies it as Christianity because at the end of the day, Christianity is a program — or a selection of programs — and the whole point of being a Christian is getting with a program.
Yet getting with a program involves choice and discernment — yes, even for cradle Christians. The root meaning of heresy stems from the Greek hairesis “a taking or choosing for oneself, a choice, a means of taking; a deliberate plan, purpose; philosophical sect, school.”
Choosing for oneself can involve submitting to one of the established traditions or eschewing all of them and going it alone. Either way, it’s choosing for yourself, entailing that all Christians today are heretics, regardless of whether they acknowledge that or not.
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