Re:Nothing new under the sun... (Score 1)

heresy is something different than not following God or being an atheist, buddhist or whatever. The early gnostics were willfully pursuing their own version of Jesus which was not based on what the apostles were saying was true of him at all. Heresy is usually defined as people who call themselves christians but do not follow orthodox chrisitanity (JWs, Mormons, etc). Heretics, non believers, Jews have all faced oppression at the hands of the church but by reading the bible its quite clear this isn't something God wants from us. We aren't required to say that someone else's viewpoint is legitimate but we are required to love them even though they love the darkness (John 3).