It seems to me that if we are forced to make a choice between being right (winning the argument) and being loving, we should always chose the latter. Unfortunately, this has not always been the case with the Christian Church.
Counterfeits and the real thing
The fact that evil deeds have been done by those who claim allegiance to Christ is a criticism that is sometimes raised against Christianity. In thinking about a response to this critique, it dawned on me that anything of value is likely to be counterfeited. The presence of the counterfeit is a backhanded compliment and speaks to the value of the original.
The church is not the only army that shoots its wounded
I have heard it said that the church is the only army that shoots its wounded. After hearing all the fuss about Adrian Peterson these last few weeks, I now know that this statement is not true. It is not false because the church does not shoot her wounded. It is false because the church is not alone in this behavior.
On forced moral reform
Moral reform is the most difficult and delicate branch of statesmanship; few rulers have dared to attempt it; most rulers have left it to hypocrites and saints.
