I am convinced that seldom have these statements been more relevant and needed than today. Ignorance of these heresies or belief in their irrelevance is a guarantee that the Church will make the same mistakes all over again. There is scarcely any ancient heresy that does not have a modern expression or a modern heresy that we have not seen before in the Church's history. Heresies were square wheels which did not roll then and won't roll now. Neither heresy nor the Holy Spirit is the' unique discovery of this generation.
Ideas have consequences.
The fundamental reason for condemning heresy is simply that if a teaching is wrong, the people who follow it are hurt by being deprived of some essential aspect of the Good News. This positive aspect of defining doctrines as orthodox or heretical has too often been overlooked in modern times. We often fail to appreciate the necessity of preserving the teaching of Christ and His work in order to safeguard the graceful and liberating experiences of Christians. One cannot give one's own experience to another person, much less to another generation. One can only witness to it, describe it, and live in a way to make that witness believable and attractive.