It’s not as much fun as you may think.
Does your faith group — if you have one — have this kind of ritual? Mine did. It’s called “disfellowshipping,” and it is similar to Roman Catholic excommunication.
Here’s as good an explanation of disfellowship as any:
Disfellowship of a member, a form of church discipline which is similar to excommunication, is announced to the congregation by the elders, along with the basis of the decision to disfellowship the member.
Disfellowship is rare because typically those at variance become alienated from the congregation and either remove themselves voluntarily, or submit to other forms of discipline and return to compliance with Church of Christ doctrine.
The scriptures the church of Christ uses as justification for this pattern of disfellowship are Matthew 18:15-17 and 2 Thessalonians 3:6.
Disfellowship is performed at the congregational level, as there is no hierarchy above that level to enforce discipline.
Dating Jesus 
Unlike many, perhaps most, other churches, the PCUSA has a very substantial constitution, “The Book of Order” and “The Confessions of the Church.” Most every particular is defined…including requirements for membership and the nature of the profession of faith.
“Decently and in Order” is the guiding phrase of running the Presbyterian church. My heart aches for what this guy went through, but it is the price of experimentation in somebody else’s playground.
Ooh, harsh! I have this conversation with my son, a Roman Catholic, quite a lot — can you be a Catholic and not adhere to everything the church says? Like, can you be a Catholic and practice birth control, that kind of thing. I think I have a fairly fluid view of what’s OK for adherents to any particular faith.
Harsh? To hold someone accountable for what they express, particularly in the context of joining a particular group and agreeing to their core beliefs?
And, one is NOT an adherent unless one actually ADHERES.
I will proudly accept the adjective “harsh”. After all, I have three university presidents, their staff, a handful legislators all calling me harsh for insisting on holding institutions accountable for failing to meet targets that they set and agreed to live by.
I know we’ve talked about this before and I believe you and I differ on what makes for an adherent. I grade on a curve, I guess, for myself and everyone else.
We probably do.
I also firmly believe in the right of free association which, among other things, allows private organizations to set their own standards of membership.
This is all tough stuff, I just don’t believe we solve the issues by giving away any sense of accountability or structure.
And I appreciate there being standards. I promise I do. I just don’t agree that one must follow absolutely every rule in order to belong to a particular group. I realize this leaves things open to interpretation, and my interpretation of a group’s rules might not be yours.
….okay…another book on the list….
This is intense. A contemporary heresy trial…..not really a trial, though…but an interesting view inside the process.
It’s not something most people report, is it?
I understand that. And I don’t expect everyone to have to follow every single rule. However, if there are three or four that are absolutely core, then I do expect them to follow those.
That’s probably fair. But who decides what’s “core?”
The “owners” of the group..the collective. And that is what is key about the Presby Church…everything is put to vote after prayer. We can usually agree to disagree on an issue but still live within the covenant of the Book of Order.
The Presbys also have a history of splitting and reunifying over the last couple hundred years unlike most other denominations.
Splitting, I get, but reunifying is pretty cool. I can’t say I’ve seen that much in the cofC.
Nope. The cofC and Disciples won’t even acknowledge one another in the liquor store.
Q: Why do you always take at least two members of the cofC fishing with you?
A: If you take only one, he’ll drink all your beer. Take two, they won’t drink any.
Why, oh why, haven’t I heard this one before?!??!
I don’t know. But feel free to use it.