I’ve recently encountered several instances of Christians I know calling certain beliefs “heresy.” In one case, a pastor labeled the belief that Christians could be possessed by demons as a heresy. In another, an acquaintance called the entire Emerging Church movement heresy. But what’s the real meaning of such a divisive term? Why not just say “I think you’re wrong?”
Presumably in the instances above the intent was to delineate true from false belief. Beliefs held by Christians that are true = orthodoxy. Beliefs held by Christians that are false = heresy. (more…)