Freedom to Disagree Without Losing Love
Mark A. Taylor introduces Christian Standardโs โIn Opinions, Libertyโ feature by reflecting on how believers can disagree without breaking fellowship. Drawing from family life and Ephesians 4:2, he encourages humility, patience, and love in conversations where Christians hold differing opinions.
- Christian disagreement should be handled with humility, gentleness, patience, and love.
- The new โIn Opinions, Libertyโ feature will address matters where Christians do not always agree.
- Freedom in opinions includes the freedom to differ while refusing to think less of one another.
by Mark A. Taylor
Any parent of young adults knows two things:
First, youโll always be a parent. Just because theyโre out of the house, you donโt stop worrying about their health and their choices and their future. Just because theyโre earning a living, you donโt stop wondering if they have enough money.
Second, and more important, the parent of young adults must keep his opinions to himselfโor at least state them in a gentle way that earns a hearing. Grown children donโt respond well to lectures from their parents, especially when they passionately disagree about the issue at hand.
I was thinking about this as I read the first entry in a new column weโre introducing this week.
Introducing โIn Opinions, Libertyโ
Weโre calling the feature โIn Opinions, Liberty.โ Our first writer, Glen Elliott, reminds us this is part of a formula we claim as a pillar of our movementโs genius: โIn essentials, unity. In opinions, liberty. In all things, love.โ
Like so many philosophies, this one is easier to repeat than to practice. As many have observed, the problem with opinions is our opinion about whatโs an opinion!
Some contributors to this column will address topics involving little direct biblical teaching. (โWe discontinued small groups.โ โWhat happened to the invitation hymn?โ) Others will quote Scripture (โThere is not a Christian nation.โ โWe must evangelize even if we havenโt โearned the rightโ to do so.โ)
All will discuss matters where Christians donโt agree. And all hold their opinions firmly. Some readers will be convinced. Some will disagree and maybe even debate. We welcome the discussions these essays will stimulate.
Freedom to Differ in Love
Iโve discovered if I can keep my grown kids talking to me, sometimes they change their opinion. Of course, sometimes they convince me to change mine. (I think I can remember once when this happened!)
More often, however, we just agree to disagree. And thatโs fine, because in opinions we have freedom. Freedom to differ. Freedom to err! Freedom to think anything except less of each other.
One genius of our movement is that we donโt subscribe to manmade creeds or denominational rulebooks; we look only to the Bible. When we encounter opinionated brothers and sisters whose positions donโt match ours, the Bible tells us how to react: โBe completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in loveโ (Ephesians 4:2).
We donโt have to agree with someone to enjoy him as a part of our familyโor our fellowship. When it comes to differing opinions, only one thing is essential: love.
Although we canโt guarantee publication, we welcome readersโ submissions to this new feature. Share your opinion by sending an e-mail to ch***************@*********ub.com with your 1,400-word essay attached. Put โOpinionโ in the subject line.
Author: Mark A. Taylor
Mark A. Taylor, who served as Christian Standard editor from 2003 to 2017, retired in June 2017 after almost 41 years with Standard Publishing (Christian Standard Media).
You state in the article that “One genius of our movement is that we don”โขt subscribe to manmade creeds or denominational rulebooks; we look only to the Bible.” I have heard this many times over many years in the Christian Church.
But, in fact, the Christian Church (non-denominational) DOES have a man-made creed, which is (as stated in the article):
“In essentials, unity. In opinions, liberty. In all things, love.”ย
Here are a couple of definitions of a ‘creed’, both coming from the second definition listing in their respective dictionaries:
2. A system of belief, principles, or opinions
2. A set of fundamental beliefs; also : a guiding principle
Is not the statement “In essentials, unity. In opinions, liberty. In all things, love.”ย actually a ‘creed’ by definition? It certainly is a set of principles”โeven a set of fundamental beliefs of the Christian Church.
Paul himself stated, “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” This was a guiding principle”โa creed, if you will. Jesus Himself stated in Mark 12:29-31 what the most important commandment was. This passage has been called “the chief aim of man’s existence.”ย If that is the case, then it is a guiding principle for life”โwhat we might call a creed.
Let’s stop being disingenuous about this. I’m curious as to how many hold the same opinion as I do, but are fearful to voice it in public”ยฆ
Respectfully Submitted,
A Shema Christian
Thanks, Mark.
I love this motto of our movement. If I remember right, Campbell changed the Lutheran version to “In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion, liberty; in all things, love.”
I agree with the first comment, to a point. The confusion about our “anti-creedal” stance is unfortunate. Of course, the Stone-Campbell movement holds to core beliefs and principles. To say we are “anti-creedal” is to call us back to our roots as a unity movement. Since, in the days of Stone and Campbell, various “confessions” (creeds) were used to separate believers into various sectarian camps. Perhaps, we should call ourselves “anti-confessional.” No, that would cause even more confusion, and sounds just as bad–maybe, worse.
Maybe, we should just state it positively and avoid the whole mess. Instead of saying, “No creed but Christ,” or “No book but the Bible,” could we say, “We have a creed, it’s Christ,” “We have a book, it’s the Bible.”