Unfortunately, the history of Christianity is largely the story of how a community of people has spectacularly failed to accommodate differences within their midst. In the past, Christians quarreled over the definition of orthodoxy - separating theologically sound doctrine from heretical teachings. Of course, this often resulted in both sides excommunicating/disfellowshipping/shunning each other and claiming that the members of their group were the only "true" Christians. In other words, error equaled disqualification!
More recently, theological differences have been seen by more and more members of the Church as petty, arrogant, and inconsequential. These days, Christians are more likely to "cancel" each other over taking different sides in the larger societal "culture wars." In other words, it is much more of a contest over whose values are to prevail within the country as a whole. Moreover, instead of the mostly interdenominational conflicts of the past (e.g. Protestants vs. Catholics, Baptists vs. Methodists, etc.), these values conflicts are often intradenominational. Indeed, very often, we find groups like Evangelical Christians making common cause with Conservative Catholics on these kinds of issues.
Crosswalk.com posted an article back in 2018 which I think nicely summarizes the most divisive issues which are currently still plaguing the Christian community. In an article written by Veronica Neffinger titled Here Are 8 of the Most Controversial Issues in the Church Today, the dubious honor of first place is given to the issue of gay marriage. Moreover, mirroring reactions in the larger society, the reactions of those who support or oppose the practice to each other are very often just as visceral and dismissive of the other side as those which take place among Democrats and Republicans. The other side isn't just wrong - they are immoral, hateful, ignorant, or unchristian!
As one would expect, abortion comes in a close second. And, once again, one's stance on whether or not women should be able to obtain this procedure is presented as an issue which separates the "true" believers from the "false" ones! For many, designating someone as a "pro-choice" Christian is seen as an oxymoron - an impossibility. "Abortion is murder," they reason, and "a Christian cannot murder anyone." Case closed. Black and White. Clear as night and day.
The article also identifies a few other issues as being the most likely sources of division within the community. They are: Women in Church leadership positions, the types of music considered appropriate for worship services, charismatic worship services, baptismal rituals (hold overs from the theological controversies of the past), politics from the pulpit, and whether or not its appropriate for Christians to consume alcohol (I would enlarge this one to include the degree to which some folks think that it's appropriate to participate in the wider secular culture). All in all, I think that's a pretty good list. I think that it accurately reflects some of the most divisive issues which face Christians in 2023.
Now, while the sources of division within the Church may have shifted over the history of the movement, unfortunately, the propensity of the saints to excommunicate each other for adopting the "wrong" perspective on these issues seems to be just as strong as ever. Indeed, when listening to some of the discussions that have been generated within the community on these topics, it is not hard to imagine folks burning each other at the stake if that was still permissible! Sadly, judgement rules over tolerance. Too often, hate triumphs over love. "It's my way or the highway," is the popular standard. For too many Christians, Paul's assertions about the proper role of personal conscience is ignored or dismissed.
To be clear, there is NOTHING wrong with being passionate about one's faith or the particular issues cited in this article. Even so, I am very proud of the kinds of discussions that these issues have provoked on this blog, and I hope that that kind of Spirit always prevails here! I wish to make it very clear that anyone who decides to criticize a view expressed here - or adopt the opposite position on some issue discussed here - is always welcome here! As long as the discussion is thoughtful, compassionate, respectful, and constructive, I simply cannot imagine excluding someone as a brother or sister-in-Christ.
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