"I am reminded of the several instances when Jesus was condemned for violating a Sabbath law in order to heal the lame or blind. When faced with an opportunity to extend grace to a hurting person, the religionists of Jesus's day chose law over compassion. Not just once, but with chilling regularity. ... When Jesus was asked to boil down the law to its essential element, he didn't hesitate. Love. Love your neighbor. Love the Lord. Love yourself. Jesus never, not once, went to the mat for doctrine. Yet every split and schism in the church happened because of our stubborn insistence that others must profess the "right" beliefs. We have expended huge amounts of resources and goodwill, defending the very aspect of religious life Jesus valued least. This is the great irony of Christ's church--a significant number of its members care more about believing certain things *about* Jesus, than following his example of love and service. If the church were Christian, mirroring the compassion of Jesus would be more important than echoing the orthodoxy that has built up around him." -- Philip Gulley (If the Church Were Christian)