gengwall

This stand separates believers and identifies those who do not agree with them as “enemies”.

There is a little more subtle but equally disturbing trend in less aggressive churches. That is to call anyone who disagrees with the pastor or the leadership “divisive”. As you might easily guess, that label has been used against me and I have been marginalized within my own church. What is inexplicable is that my wife gets labelled on a par with me. If you knew her, you would be shocked because she is anything but divisive. But she has taken the unfortunate step of agreeing with me, and so she is pushed out as well.

In a sense I pity these misguided friends. When you make your brothers and sisters your enemies, who do you have left? Of course, they would claim “God is on our side”. Somehow, the angst they are going through is not exactly the “peace which passes all understanding” that I believe God’s followers are supposed to experience.