re: #26 Walter L. Newton

I want to know why Christians don’t clean house? A few of the smaller “sects” practice excommunication (sometime called disfellowshipping).

I wonder, this coming Sunday, who many pastors and ministers and priests will get up on the pulpit and say something like this…

“If you support Operation Rescue, or agree with Randall Terry, then there is a problem with your walk, your faith, your confession, your dedication to Christ.”

It’s similar to they same question we ask of moderate Muslims, and waiting and waiting for the condemnations. They are never forthcoming.

Why? The Hebrew and Greek scriptures all cover the concept of removing bad influences from among the flock. It’s not like it’s a non-biblical idea, it’s extremely biblical, yet never practiced.

When I hear “well, they are not really Christian,” then why don’t I hear a follow up to that… “and we do not want them among us?”

Until I see that sort of housekeeping practiced in the Christian community, it’s hard for me to take any of the outrage rhetoric seriously.

I suspect that the murder will be discussed at many church services this coming Sunday. Hopefully most will talk about faith/bearing witness/being an example of the faith/etc. I’m sure some will use the incident to continue with the anti-abortion rhetoric. Most churches do not kick people out of the congregation, its just not how it works.