When calling some a heretic is heresy

I still feel OK enough to read and link to good blog posts and Alan Knox has a good one today. Alan posted a brief post looking at the question of the “H” word, I know you’re a heretic, but what am I?! and makes the salient point that accusations of heresy can actually be…heretical!

We separate over many disagreements even though, in Scripture, disagreement is not disunity. Irony of all ironies, when we allow disagreements to lead to disunity between brothers and sisters in Christ, we are actually the heretics!

What?!?!

It’s true. In Scripture, “heresy” refers to separating from other Christians. If you separate from someone who you consider to be a Christian, then you are a heretic.

As someone who has dropped more than a few “H-Bombs” in my time, this hits too close to home. This isn't to say that there aren't heretic, there ceratinly are. Joseph Smith was a heretic. Jim Jones and David Koresh were heretics. Modern day false prophets and kooks like a certain cultic group in Canada are heretics. The brother in Christ I disagree with regarding secondary issues, even ones I feel strongly about? No.

Can someone be a believer and be a heretic? Can someone who is truly a heretic be a believer? If the answer to both is “no”, then we are in serious trouble when we label someone a heretic who we simultaneously acknowledge as a brother in Christ.

Check out Alan’s blog, he gets points for good blogging and extra points for using “you’re” correctly! I had to deduct a few points for the very disturbing picture on the post though…