Throughout history, Christians have faced the persistent temptation of confusing the language we use to talk about God with the essence of Christian faith. This stubborn human tendency to turn doctrine into an idol - to confuse a human creation with the truth itself - can easily lead people to wield doctrinal claims as a weapon against minority or dissenting perspectives. Thus, anyone who does not line up with a certain formulation of Christian faith is not only wrong, but also a heretic and therefore worthy of punishment or death. John D. Roth
About This Quote

Yes, there are some who believe that they can bend the words of Jesus to fit their own lifestyles. They argue that the only way to be good Christians is to conform. These people sometimes argue that without doctrinal purity, Christianity is no longer Christianity. They believe that true Christian faith is not found in the message of Jesus but rather in their own judgments about what he must have meant.

As Christians, we should denounce this false notion that doctrine is not essential to our faith. Instead, we should stand on truth and say that Jesus did mean what he said.

Source: Beliefs: Mennonite Faith And Practice

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