By David Baker

Something said on the news last week really got my attention. It was a small thing that was said, and it is sure to be lost in the swirling storms of rhetoric of the last month and a half. In commenting on the behavior of Al Gore and his people in the election recounts, this unremembered commentator said, "The reason that the Democrats are doing what they are doing is that they know something the Republicans don’t. They know the importance of winning at any cost. This is, after all, a contest to see who the most powerful man in the world will be."

When it comes to politics, we must understand that the liberal mindset is different than what most people are used to. Win at any cost is the rule. The outcome is more important in war than the game. And this is war. The sacrifices that liberal politicians make to win are strange to us, but they are a natural and logical step in achieving the desired result – victory.

There are times when liberals appear to be the "nice guys." (Nice guys finish last – Leo Durocher). They preach unity, but it must be their unity. They talk about reaching out to the other side – bipartisanship – and they are happy to hear conservatives rant and rave and voice their opinions as long as the conservatives go along with the liberal agenda. They can tolerate a little noise. And because their view exalts the society above the individual (see socialism, communism, ant hill) they can take their time. Incrementalism is a tactic. Persistence is the key, not time. They enjoy quoting what Winston Churchill said were the three most important principles of life. "1. Never give up. 2. Never give up. 3. Never give up." Who could win against such a determined attitude. Resistance is futile.

We have been talking about politics, but we could have been talking about the devil’s work in the church. The Lord’s people will always be divided over conservative and liberal views. Because of the need of Scriptural authority for all that we do ("And whatsoever ye do, in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" – Col. 3:17), we all claim a conservative viewpoint, even those among us who are quite liberal.

I am amazed at the persistence of the liberal mindset in the church. The "grace-fellowship" neo-Calvinists of the Ketcherside/Fudge era haven’t left us. They have merely evolved. They became the Crossroads/Boston/disciplers in the 80’s and 90’s, and now they are among us again, Romans 14 being their charter, and "Unity-in-Diversity" their cry. Thrusting deeper and deeper into the heart of the Lord’s body, they carry away captive more and more of the brethren. ("Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ" – Col. 2:8).

You see, their object is not unity-in-diversity. Their object is doctrinal victory. They will tolerate us with all of our noisy objections because they know that if they are allowed to have free course among us, they will bit by bit wear us down. Unity-in-diversity is not mere toleration of the other side on important issues. Those who preach it do not even see it as compromise. Those who preach unity-in-diversity do not see it as an end, but the means to an end that should be unthinkable to the conservative. It is a step, oftentimes necessary, to victory – TOTAL VICTORY.

"Unity-in-diversity" is a new term describing an old concept. We used to debate over the issue of "open-fellowship." "Unity-in-diversity" is "open-fellowship," justified on the basis of a misunderstanding of passages like Romans 14.

The idea is, that in spite of our disagreements on important doctrinal issues, we are all brethren through a mutual belief in Jesus, and need to extend fellowship to one another. "We are all going down different roads, after all, what two brethren among agree on every little thing. Yet we are going to the same place." "Wise and sincere people study hard and can’t seem to come to agreement. What makes us think that it can be done?" (My answer: "How that by revelation was made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ" – Eph. 3:3-4; "Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright the word of truth" – 2 Tim. 2:15. Paul said it can be done through diligence and study.)

What are acceptable areas of toleration? It depends on who you are talking to. If you are talking to some, those areas might include speaking in tongues or the instrument. To others, we might be including fellowship halls and softball teams. Still others, who would eschew fellowship in these matters, embrace those who teach error on the marriage question, or those who forsake the Scriptures on the question of origins – how old is the earth and how did God develop the human race to its present state?

Could we entertain thoughts of fellowship with those who reject baptism as an essential, teach original sin and predestination, or deny the deity of Christ? We say not, but on what basis do we reject fellowship with those who teach error on these subjects, and promote fellowship with those who teach error on subjects named in the previous paragraph?

Make no mistake. Those who teach these errors are sincere, and they believe that all should eventually see the error of their way and be converted to their side. They do not sit quietly, making no effort to convert others. How can they if they believe they have the truth? They must content themselves to work slowly, but they do not give up, neither can they be satisfied merely with our giving them place. That would be compromise, and though they may tolerate us for a while, they cannot compromise and achieve the victory that is their ultimate end. Eventually there will be a battle, and the question is, will those of a conservative mindset have the heart to fight? The liberals among us will never give up. They will never give up. They will never give up.

If standing firm causes us to appear "mean-spirited," so be it. We must be ready to give answer (1 Pet. 3:15). And we must remember that the other side sees this in the same way as war is often viewed. Victory is the only acceptable outcome. And we must see it the same way.

Denominationalism has been a blight upon those who would wear the name of Christ. The "unity-in-diversity" advocate has as the foundation of his thought the exact same mindset as the denominationalist. Would we tolerate such divisions in Lord’s church that we see in the world of the denominations? Would we tolerate or promote sectarianism in the Lord’s body? Is Christ divided?

"Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos: and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided?" (1 Cor. 1:10-13).