"Weak is the new strong."
- Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill Bible Church.
This quote says quite a bit about what the so-called Emerging Church movement is on about. Even if Brian McLaren insists that it's not a movement, but a "conversation". I found this quote in Andy Crouch's article, The Emergent Mystique, in the latest issue of Christianity Today.
It seems that most churches around the place have basically dispensed with the practice of excommunication. Despite the fact that it's clearly laid out in the New Testament - for example, Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5. Moreover, anecdotal evidence would suggest that those churches that do excommunicate people do so in quite a heavy-handed manner.
But what are the causes of this regrettable situation? Why don't churches excommunicate? I brain-stormed some possible reasons:
Laziness.
Not wanting to appear harsh or intolerant.
False humililty.
Apathy.
Hypocrisy.
The mistaken idea that all sins are equal.
Declining church membership.
Misunderstanding of the nature and obligations of church membership.
Rebellion.
Slackness.
Not knowing the relevant passages quoted above.
Fear.
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