If he hadn’t risen from the dead, he’d be turning over in his grave.
I’ve become increasingly conscious lately of the vast number of things we Christians argue about. The list is endless. Adult or infant baptism? 
Sprinkling or immersion? Salvation by faith alone, or faith plus good works? Was the world created in 6 literal 24-hour days, or over the course of years? Did Mary have other children, or did she remain a virgin? Should a woman wear a hair covering? Is the book of Baruch part of the Bible? Can women serve as pastors of the church? Must priests remain celibate? How many Sacraments are there? Is it a sin to drink alcohol? Should the Mass be offered in Latin or in the common language of the people? At what precise time point does the bread and wine used in Communion become the Body and Blood of Christ?
Now I’m not saying these things aren’t important. Some of them really are. But I’m amazed at how ugly some of the disagreements get. And I’m trying to imagine how it looks to someone from the outside. I’m wondering if we’re doing all that well at leading people to Christ if we’re constantly arguing among ourselves, and if the arguments are full of venom? And I’m wondering how we can hope to truly develop our relationship with Jesus when we spend so much time engaged in needless controversy.
Lately I’ve found myself attempting to simply walk away from those things which aren’t really essential elements of my faith. This is important to me. For one thing, I suspect that some folks are simply trying to “get something started”. When someone says something like, “I think Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married”, I think they’re wasting their time. We won’t be able to prove it conclusively one way or the other, and although I disagree, it isn’t all that important to me. My faith in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior isn’t really affected by this controversy. When people argue about whether we will go to heaven immediately upon our death, or whether we undergo a time of purification first, or whether we will be waiting for Jesus to come again before all of us will go together, I try not to get pulled into the discussion. I have faith that God has worked out these details, and my faith isn’t going to be destroyed if it turns out that only one of these is correct. For that matter, my faith won’t be destroyed if something else altogether takes place.
Brilliant men and women have debated complex theological issues throughout the history of our faith. One of the first involved whether the new convert must be circumcised. The Council of Jerusalem determined in about 50 A.D. that circumcision wasn’t required for salvation. And from that day to this, the number of controversies has multiplied and the number of divisions in the body of Christ have mushroomed. According to Wikipedia, it is estimated that there are 38,000 Christian denominations. I can’t help but believe that we’ve missed the essence of what Jesus was teaching here on earth.
Maybe I’m missing the point here. But while the debates rage, I’m going to continue to believe in Jesus Christ, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified, died, buried, and risen from the dead. While other people engage in discussion about a host of issues, I’m going to plug along, trying to follow Him.
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