Hell, Bell and Heresy – A Caution

From Christian Post-

You may not have thought about it before, but no matter who you are or what you believe, you are a heretic!

Or, at least you would have been considered one by some group or another at a certain point in the history of the Christian Church, and been subject to beatings, imprisonment, torture and possibly death. That fact alone should caution us to be careful when we call someone a "heretic" or accuse a Christian brother or sister of teaching "heresy" when they hold views we disagree with.

Heresy is a very serious charge. And, it has resulted in very serious consequences – not the least of which is the fact that excesses by some who have sought to stamp out heresy have led to God's Name being blasphemed among non-believers!

The Eastern and Western Churches each considered the other "heretical" after the Great Schism in AD 1054. The leaders of the Protestant Reformation – Martin Luther, John Calvin, Ulrich Zwingli, and others – were deemed "heretics" by the Roman Catholic Church. Members of the Roman Catholic hierarchy were considered "heretics" by the Reformers. And, both groups persecuted as "heretics" the Anabaptists who didn't believe in infant baptism.

More here-

http://blogs.christianpost.com/good-reads/2011/05/hell-bell-and-heresy-a-caution-08/