Midnight Musings

Being online means meeting people you would have never met in person.  And people are strange.  They have different opinions.  They have different thoughts.  They have different world-views.

And that’s just your friends.

As someone who is constantly writing about his opinions on everything, I’m wondering…  Is it good to get into debates on doctrinal issues online?  Does it humanize us, or weaken the Gospel when we have disagreements on what the Bible says?

Asked another way—is it better to be unified in the public square and save the debate when we’re with each other, or is it acceptable to talk about the hard portions of Scripture for all to see?

Christ’s prayer in John 17 was that we may all be one in Him.  He desired unity, and through out the New Testament we see many of the Apostles encouraging us to work past differences and use church discipline in an effort of restoration.

And yet today it’s the opposite—church discipline leads to splits which lead to division over the color of the carpet or what you think of the current Pastor.

We can never be too pure, and we’ll always have opinions over doctrine, but there must be a line—a line where we’re willing to accept differences and live together in Christ. 

Where would you draw the line of separation?  On a personal level?  On a church to church level?