There are usually two sides to every issue.
You are either pro or con.
You agree or disagree.
You approve or disapprove.
You accept or reject.
You are either a conservative or a liberal.
It is either black or it’s white.
In Tennessee you are either “fer-it” or “agin-it”.
There is no middle ground.
That is of course until you start talking religion or politics.
When it comes to these two subjects the waters get so muddy that we tend to rank and categorize not only which side of the issue you are on, but just how far off center you are. What is usually black and white now turns to varying shades of grey. Are you a right wing conservative or just a moderate? Are you a radical left wing communist or are you a bleeding heart tree hugging liberal? Or, on the other hand, you could be way off center on either side of the line and be considered a zealot, a fanatic, or an extremist.
I personally like to think of myself as a liberal conservative. I have a tendency to float back and forth across the dividing line depending on the subject matter. I am very comfortable in the middle. I have no trouble and I get along well with those clumped around the middle of the scale regardless of which side of the line they happen to be on. Those who congregate around the middle seem to always conduct themselves reasonably. They are open to debate, discussion, and even a healthy disagreement or two. I find them flexible, tolerant, open, and willing to learn.
It is the extremist that I am having so much trouble with. Extremist are militant and unyielding in their views. They are by nature the loudest and most vocal. They demand attention and action. They despise words like reason and tolerance. To them tolerance equals weakness. Compromise is a four letter word reserved for sissies and wimps. They shoot first and ask questions later. Political zealots are easy to spot and fairly easy to ignore and avoid. (Avoidance is the only way to handle a real fanatic)
Religious zealots on the other hand are a little craftier. They sometimes disguise themselves as preachers and Bible school teachers. They prey on people’s insecurities. They try to shame the masses with sermons about being lukewarm and uncommitted. For them it is simply not enough to agree, or be on their side, no, they demand that we militantly oppose, persecute, and denounce any and all who do not fall in line and march in step.
Religious extremist if allowed to run unchecked can kill a church, a Christian school or just about any other organization in which they are allowed a voice. The calm peace loving nature of the level headed moderate majority is often worn down by the constant bickering and fault finding of the zealots. The end results are predictable.
A sure fire way to know whether these religious extremist are being allowed a voice in your church congregation or the Christian school where your children attend is to simply look at the numbers. Declining membership or enrollment is the number one sign and symptom of unchecked extremism. Once the downward spiral has begun it is most time fatal. It is a slow and painful death. The good news - there is a cure, but it is unpleasant and requires major surgery. The zealots must be removed from the organization.(Romans 16:17-18)
