At one level it is simply a question of definition. For Christianity to be intelligible its meaning cannot be plastic, as if it can mean whatever anyone wants it to mean. But the value of rules in matters of faith is much greater than the desirability of intellectual coherence. And this is where the topic of this issue of the magazine becomes relevant. Some teachings or convictions that claim to be Christian deviate so much from the rule of faith that they gain the label of heresy.
Heresy is such a serious departure from the faith that it deserves condemnation.
But the negative connotations also sometimes extend to anyone who brands a particular idea heretical or a certain person a heretic. Such condemnations evoke images of intolerance at best and witch-hunts at worst. Christians are supposed to be loving, the logic goes, and labeling someone or something as beyond the pale does not conform to the rule of charity. Ironically, even the demand for love can foster its own form of condemnation, thus showing the inherent need for rules. A more positive view of the enterprise involved in defining heresy does exist, however.