While, as I wrote yesterday, I am a self-avowed, practicing Heretic, I am objective enough, I think, to recognize that there are dangers in this kind of thinking and living that cannot be ignored. While Orthodoxy can lead to authoritarianism, Heresy can lead to chaos and destabilization. Heresy comes in many forms; some are innocuous, while others are dangerous. One example of harmless heresy: I don’t believe that the purpose of Jesus coming to the earth was that He would suffer, die, and rise from the grave (What?!?!). Hear me out. Jesus did do all those things, but I believe that the Gospel account gives credence to an alternative view. A strong case can be made that Jesus came to start the Kingdom of God and was thwarted by the Roman Empire, a few disciples, and some leaders of His own faith. He said that the Kingdom of God was at hand when He began His ministry, and our Gospel reading this past week in church has Jesus telling His disciples that some of them would not taste death until the Son of Man returned in His glory. That is, for the bulk of Christians, a heretical view. Is it dangerous? Only to those who need to see God as cruel. The grace in my version is that God responded to human cruelty (the murder of God) by raising Jesus from the dead and pivoting to a new plan.
True heresy, however, can be very dangerous. The so-called prosperity “gospel” (PG) is one of the most dangerous heresies of the 20th and 21st centuries. The idea that God loves and cares more for you by giving you more than others is the antithesis of the teachings of Jesus (for a deeper dive, see my Today’s Thought from Sept. 1). The real dangers of this lie are 1. it destroys Christian credibility by turning it into a pyramid scheme, and 2. it takes money from people who can’t afford to give by convincing them that they will reap more by giving more. PG turns God into a cosmic slot machine and creates a scenario in which God does our bidding because we are “so good”. It also relies heavily on works, which Protestants fought hard against during the Reformation.
Another dangerous heresy is the idea that God chooses our leaders. That is the leaders that fit our personal interpretation of American values. This comes from the writings of Paul and other pseudo-Pauline letters that were meant, I think, to encourage Jesus’ followers to not participate in attempts to overthrow the government. And speaking of insurrections, many people involved in the January 6th attempt to overthrow our government and kill Vice President Pence did so out of a warped view of God’s will. They believe that former Pres. Trump was God’s choice and Pres. Biden is not, and they were willing to kill to make that happen. When theology leads to murder, theft, and other bad behaviors, it is, in my humble opinion, not from or about God. It is about human sin, and it is a perversion of my faith.
When heresy is about opinions and interpretations of Scripture that are not hurtful or violent, it is perfectly appropriate to consider and even live by. When it is about overthrowing the government or murdering people (like Abraham, maybe?), it is unacceptable. If heresy opens our minds and hearts to a more Jesus-like existence, it is a good thing. When it leads us down paths of destruction and pain, it is not. I like to think that my heretical views are fairly harmless ways of making myself and others think differently about God. I don’t think they will land me in hell. At least, I hope not. If they do, you can say you told me so. Until then, chill.
Prayer – Teach us, O God, ways to think, pray, and discern more deeply what You mean to us. Amen.