re: “Or, it is evidence of the pettiness of many christians - the only army in the world that attacks its wounded and proclaims any perceived weakness at the top of its lungs for the enemy to hear...”
Yes, I have seen and heard what you speak of in your statement, and, I have seen Christian Brothers and Sisters spew venom and hatred toward each other over theological disagreements.
However, while I believe that Christians are to express their disagreements (within the church) with respect and out of a concern for the wayward brother or sister (as the Bible clearly teaches) - does that mean we do not respectfully rebuke a Christian brother when there is a perceived huge, theological error - especially when that brother is a pastor or priest?
The problem with your suggestion of “covering it up” or “standing in the gap” within the church body rather than in full view of the public is that Pastor Hillsong made his statement in the public arena - for all to hear.
That’s why he appropriately made his clarification in public as well.
Again, I agree that our rebukes should not be spoken with anger and demeaning, hateful language - but the rebuke, the correction MUST be given or we demonstrate that we really don’t care about the person in error, or worse, the error itself.
I agree that his clarification should have been in public. But any ‘rebuke’ should have been done in private, by a couple people. Go to him and say ‘ya know, this didn’t sound good. sounds like...’. Then he comes out publicly and clarifies it. Not a big deal.
We are too quick and to public to ‘accuse our brethren’. Jesus was quick to call out hypocrites, and we often justify ourselves when doing the ‘same thing’. Gotta remember, Jesus died for those sins. I think we identify these mega-church guys as the enemy, and instead of being ‘numbered with them’ in their ‘transgressions’, we like to separate ourselves from them - more as the hypocrites would do than the one who laid his life down...