Burn All the Heretics

Many authors I enjoy (both alive and dead) have been called heretics at some point. And we need to burn these heretics at the stake! We need to make sure that these heretics disappear for good. These heretics need to die!

These heretics need to die.

If you’re wondering why I want some of my favorite authors to die, to be burned at the stake, the answer is I don’t really. I want the heretics to die. More specifically, the theological rants about people with different opinions, interpretations and methods needs to come to an end. It’s boring and more importantly, sickening. Labeling someone as a heretic is a serious charge… and you say so, but you don’t really consider the ramifications.

Oddly enough, hermeneutics – the science/method of interpreting scripture lends a great insight into the way we should approach the theology of others. Just as one of the main hermeneutical steps is interpreting a verse as appearing inside of a particular context (a verse will appear in a larger thought or paragraph, which appears in a chapter, which appears in a book, which appears in a collection of books, is written by a particular author, to a particular audience, during a particular time period, of which there is a particular situation [political, economic, religious, etc] and is written in a particular language, etc) we must interpret other’s theology in its context. Not just as an academic step or to put the proper filters in place before labeling one a heretic. The most important thing context reminds us is that the people who are labeled heretics are actually human.

Humans who feel, who hurt, who love. And humans who are capable of failure. I have yet to read an interesting book to which I can wholly align myself to. Most captivating, compelling, interesting, life-changing books have parts of which I say “I’m not quite sure that’s true” or “I don’t really agree with that articulation or interpretation.” But taken as a whole, some of those books have been life transforming, in a positive way.

I have read reviews of books I have thoroughly enjoyed which say, essentially, this book is going to cause people to stray from the faith, to have a distorted view of the gospel. This is absolute rubbish. Books and ideas don’t cause people to stray from their faith. I seriously doubt that anyone has walked away from God because of sentence or two in a book that doesn’t fit a particular group’s theological interpretation of a singular idea.

People who write these sorts of reviews and label people with other ideas as heretics need to stop treating people like children. Even if a false theological point is made in a book, are you so naïve to demean other people of faith as to say they will be so easily swayed and their faith so easily shaken? What gives you the right to say that you are immune to such doubt? Is it because you have a degree? A certain level of intellect? If you have no such right, then why do you warn people as such? To treat others as if their faith is weak and yours is strong, that you must warn them?

So as I said before. Heretics need to die. The church needs to stop so readily declaring the heresy of others. Look at the history of the church. Whom of the great theologians was not declared a heretic at some point or another? More importantly, whom didn’t have an ounce of heresy in his theology? Augustine, nor Luther, nor Calvin, nor Aquinas, nor Wesley, etc… cannot lay claim to theological perfect. Which means at least some (probably more after first glance) parts of their theological presentations are not right/truthful or orthodox. They are all heretics in some sense and all have areas in which they were unorthodox. And if the greats are not immune to this, then you aren’t either.

Tolerance of other people’s ideas is easier when we realize the immense faults of our own. If we begin to see the heretic in ourselves, we will less readily yell “heretic!” across the room. So may we learn to see the other as human, as we see ourselves as human. May these heretics be killed! May we destroy the illusion of the monster whom could not exist if it were not for the imagination of our mind. May we question the purpose and profitability of our theological disagreements. And may we learn how to love and respect others more fully.

My Concise Opinion on the Death of Osama Bin Laden

There has been a cacophony of opinion and thought regarding the death of Osama Bin Laden.  I agree with most of the opinions – even those which are opposing and argue against the other. I have refused to comment thus far because I believe it is a nuanced matter. I have heard truth in most of the arguments I’ve heard, but I’ve been hesitant to fully agree with one side. so…

My opinion:

• Justice has taken place. I take no side. But simply say, justice has happened. Who? What? Whether? etc… are questions I refuse to answer. I use the term “justice” loosely, in a universal sense. There has been universal retribution for Osama’s decision to live a life of violence. He lived by the sword and he died by the sword.
• The death of a human life is never cause to celebrate. There is nothing beautiful or awesome about death, ever.
• The cessation of forces of oppression, violence, evil, malevolence, destruction and death is cause to celebrate. Osama Bin Laden was an executioner of such forces for thousands of people… his force of death will never be a presence in this world again and that is a hopeful event, not the demise of the person, but the demise of the force.

Other thoughts:

The universal law of justice is governed by an equally powerful force: grace. As a follower of Christ, I believe in heeding Christ’s teachings to love ones enemy and to forgive unconditionally. I cannot condemn justice – it is natural law, it would not be right to call something unjust when it is in fact just. However, I do choose to strive to be a person of grace and forgiveness. My call is not to be an executioner of justice, but a dispenser of grace. We see this idea displayed in the injustice of Christ suffering on the cross – undeserved and unfair, yet grace is displayed (I would argue, more beautifully than anywhere else in the history of the universe).