Let's Talk Heresy: Historical Friday

Heresy is a word we don't like to hear in the present age. It brings up some unpleasant memories of what people in centuries past have done in the name of Christ. The word heresy invokes visions of the Spanish Inquisition, where so called Christians had others hunted down and tortured. It makes us think of the Crusades, where those bearing the name of Christ went to war over economics, power, and land all in the name of religion.

In this day and age heresy is a bad word. We associate it with the suppression of thoughts and ideas. Our culture today prizes individual opinion above all else, so it naturally dislikes any notion of there being someone who is wrong. This attitude has made it into churches. We don't really like talking about the different opinions we have concerning various theological concepts or passages in the Bible.

The problem with the word heresy is just that; it is simply a word. We have attached quite a bit of stigma to it that it may or may not deserve. This causes us to avoid using it, even when it is the most appropriate word for the job.

Why Talk About Heresy?

Heresy is defined as a "belief or opinion that is contrary to orthodox religious doctrine." Part of the reason we don't like using the word heresy anymore is that we don't like talking about "orthodox religious doctrine." We don't like standing up and saying a certain view is right or wrong. We prefer to let people believe what they want as long as they don't do anything really bad that shines a bad light on the rest of us.

Now doctrine is another word we need to define. Too often the word doctrine is thrown around for issues like instrumental music, women's roles, and church governance. While these are important things to talk about, they are NOT doctrine. Doctrine is the core beliefs that we hold, the very essence of our faith. 

I'll give you an example. Who is Jesus? THAT is a doctrinal question, and it is precisely that kind of question we have avoided.

So why talk about heresy? There are many types of heresy out there, many of which are in our churches. This is important. We like to think that what we believe about certain doctrinal issues doesn't really matter. I would contest that it does. It affects the way we view God, ourselves, and others. It can change the way we live.

That is why the next few Historical Fridays will be dedicated to looking at a few ancient heresies. What you may be surprised to find is that they are still very much alive today. My goal is to get you thinking about your own faith. I want you to consider what it is you believe and whether or not that belief is manifesting itself through your life.

Conclusion

I pray that the next few weeks are educational as well as beneficial. I think that learning about the issues the early Christians had to deal with helps us see the issues we have to deal with. Today's blog was meant to establish what I mean by the terms doctrine and heresy. 

I continually go back to this question; who is Jesus? I asked it here and I asked it at the very start of this blog. This is the question we must be able to answer. What I fear is that we as Christians cannot give a unified answer.