Libel, Heresy, and Hope (This one's long)

I’m noticing a trend.

I work in “big business” and am used to seeing lawsuits come up occasionally for libel. Are you familiar with libel? Digging through my business law books, I find a plethora of definitions for libel, but by far the best is from Arthur Plotnick’s “The Elements of Editing”…a non law book.

“Defamation: An act of communication that causes someone to be shamed, ridiculed, held in contempt, or lowered in the estimation of the community, or to lose employment status or earnings or otherwise suffer a damaged reputation. Such defamation is couched in “defamatory language”…

Libel: Published material…meeting three conditions: (1) the material is “defamatory” either on its face or indirectly; (2) the defamatory statement is about someone who is *identifiable* to one or more persons; and (3) the material must be distributed to someone other than the offended party; i.e., published.”

So, in order for libel to stick in court, there must be evidence of malice. I’m trying to be brief, bear with me. There are several different kinds of malice, Actual, Legal, and Common Law. For the purposes of this conversation, I’m talking strictly “actual” malice. Actual malice with regards to libel means that something was published with distinct knowledge that is was false or “reckless disregard” of whether it was false or not. Legal and Common Law malice are more closely related to ill-will or spite. Wow, makes you think a little differently about what you say and write doesn’t it? You can be legally bound if you say something about someone out of spite.

Excuse me, Professor, but will this be on the final exam? Okay, okay, now I can get to my point.

In the business world, libel is huge. If Steve Ballmer steps forward and says something like, “Steve Jobs sells poison milk to school children” in an open letter to the San Francisco newspaper, that’s libel…and Microsoft would likely have to pay a pretty penny. (Steve Jobs probably wouldn’t let that one go.) And the public wouldn’t think anything different. “Wow, that’s not a very nice thing to say, someone is going to get some money on that one.” We watch politicians every day say things about the initiatives and plans of a competitor. Obama and Edwards, pound on Clinton’s proposed plans, but watch closely, they never say anything directly about Senator Clinton. It’s all carefully measured. Yes, it reflects on the person, but not directly. It’s all about inference.

Yet, in today’s Christianity, apparently it’s perfectly fine to write whatever we want about anyone with whom we disagree. Not only that, it’s perfectly fine to do it with whatever vitriol we can muster.

It is a well known fact that I am NOT a fan of mega-churches, mostly because I find many of the attendees to be shallow spiritually, and they often get lost in the crowd. HOWEVER, the larger a church gets, the harder it is to have an individual relationship with each person. This leads to “programs”, usually small groups or “cell” groups where the fellowship and relationships really happen. Discipleship takes place outside of the main congregational gathering. Normally, I point to Willow Creek and Saddleback when talking about mega-churches. Understand this: Bill Hybels and Rick Warren have their hearts in the right place, a desire to see people experiencing Christ. I disagree with some of their implementations, but I do not disagree with their mission or their calling. On the topic of mega-churches, let me say that nothing draws a crowd like a crowd. Something is happening there that brings people in. How can that be bad for Christianity? Let’s say that people are drawn in, “converted”, and then leave the mega-church to live missionally in the world, and possibly attend another community of faith. That is success, given everything in the Bible that I read.

Yet, there are some who SLAM Hybels and Warren as heretics. Heretic is a big, nasty word. So, let’s see, who else often shows up on the heretic list. (Note, I’m not making any judgement against any of these individuals, I’m trying to make a point. ) Brian McLaren has actually had books written against him….by name. Tony Jones of Emergent Village recently posted on his blog that he had to explain to his 6 yr old daughter what a heretic is, because he was called that during a presentation at a conference where she was with him. Warren and Hybels have been written about. Doug Pagitt, Diana-Butler-Bass, Marcus Borg, the entire Roman Catholic Church, Rob Bell, Joel Olsteen, Robert Schuller, Max Lucado, Chuck Swindoll, Dan Kimball, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Bishop N.T. Wright, John Hagee, Mother Theresa, the list goes on and on and on. Oh, wait, I have a few more.....Luther (remember, he was excommunicated), Calvin, Wesley...anyone else I'm missing?

This name calling, people bashing MUST STOP!!! AND IT MUST STOP NOW!!! It is not Biblical, it is not Christian, and it’s legally a problem . (See the beginning of my rant)

Wait, Brad, how can you say it’s not Biblical? We are called to sound out on false teachers.

Paul wrote in his first letter to Timothy, “I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than divine training that is known by faith. But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.” (I Tim 1:3-7 RSV, emphasis mine)

The libel I read on various blogs and in the “Christian” press is vitriolic. There is no love. AND, AND, AND, it’s not focused at the individual who is being blasted. It is written for all of the readers, the public, and it is malicious. There are other verses about "gentleness" that I didn't include, but I could. This is alread getting long.

Paul continues in his second letter to Timothy, starting in verse 14, “Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.”

BOOM, there’s the rub. “Not to teach any different doctrine”…..hmmm….and who decides that? “Rightly explaining the word of truth”….hmmm…and who decides that? Let’s see, if only we had a large central organization and a single person who could decide that for us. Oh, wait…tried that for 1500 years. I know, let’s break away from that central organizational structure and then interpretation of the scripture can be done by all of the people….oh, wait…that’s a great idea….but then how do we define salvation? Some are chosen, some are not? (Anyone who doesn’t believe that is going to “hell”. Clearly not chosen.) All are chosen, but have to accept the grace? (Anyone who doesn’t accept it is going to “hell”.) It’s what we do? It’s how we live? There is one God in three parts? (Trinity) There is only one God in two parts, with a Spirit that is not God, but a messenger from God? "There is only one God, and anything else is a separate entitiy? (Unitarian) Everyone is saved, and no one has to do anything? (No one is going to “hell”)

All of these things are based on interpretation. ALL OF THEM. And if you prooftext enough, they are all provable ideas. (Yes, incorrectly so, but provable nevertheless.)

I’ll end with this.

Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, part of what I recognize as the Triune God (based on interpretation!!!), said this about his “work” to his disciples. I love this scripture. I embrace this scripture because it gives me great hope. “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth,” (John 16:12-13a RSV, emphasis mine)

I, through prayer, study (scripture and other), tradition, experience and reason (conversation with those I trust and value), am being lead into all truth, but I cannot bear ALL of that truth right now. Why? Jesus said I couldn’t. I am excited by the journey. I am excited to know that my brothers and sisters in Christ are in the same boat!!! As I realize truths and embrace them, my faith gets deeper, more robust. If you seek truth, you will find it. If you seek answers, you will be led further, deeper, into the mystery, and the answer may be bigger than you ever expected. God is huge, and my theology gives such a small glimpse into His vastness.

Before you start painting people with the heretic brush, examine yourself and determine whether you are growing, or whether you’ve stagnated because you think you’ve “arrived”. Guess what….you haven’t arrived.

Sorry this was so long. It’s what has been on my heart. I could have dumped in a lot more scripture, but I just wanted to get this out. If you've read this far, THANK YOU!!! I look forward to your comments.

Brad