Liberal vs Conservative. Catholic vs Protestant. Charismatic vs Cessationist. High church vs Low church. Evangelical vs Mainline...
For an institution that is supposed to be about unity, the Church certainly has a lot of factional infighting.
It isn't just that these groups are different expressions of the same faith. If that were the case, there wouldn't be much of a problem. It's that every day, especially online, you can find pitched battles being fought between them. Social media, blogs and newspapers are all battlefields where doctrinal, ecclesiological and even personal issues are thrashed out.
Let's be clear from the outset – no-one is in physical danger, which is progress. During the Wars of Religion in the 16<sup>th and 17<sup>th centuries, millions of people perished. The wars weren't just about doctrinal differences, of course, but arguments about faith contributed greatly to the slaughter.
We have thankfully moved past that stage of Christendom now. Even so, battles rage every day. So-called 'hot button issues' are the obvious flashpoints. The role of women in leadership and the inclusion of gay people in the Church remain incredibly controversial. In recent years, though, it isn't just those issues which have seen sparks fly.
Christians have been in combat over issues as diverse as the reality of hell and the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The isues themselves aren't a problem, but the manner in which they get battled over can be deeply problematic.
There are important issues, of course. The early Church had to battle against heresies in order to define the orthodox faith which has been passed down to us today. The likes of Augustine and Athanasius defended what we now see to be genuine Christianity against counterfeit versions offered by the likes of Pelagius (who thought humans could be sinless without God) and Arius (who thought that Jesus hadn't always existed alongside God the father).
There are times in history where it's important to take a stand. Many Roman Catholics now agree that some of the points made by the Reformers were a valid and important corrective to the excesses of the Church. Even so, it would be a deeply odd Protestant who didn't also bemoan the violence which followed and the ongoing division between Christians that was opened up by the Reformation.
Today's battlegrounds are more readily accessible than ever. All you need is access to the internet and you can load your rhetorical guns with ammunition and begin firing across toward the other side. Many, many debates swiftly become toxic for just this reason – anyone can join in, and evidence seems to suggest that people engaging online say things that they wouldn't dream of saying fact to face. I was speaking to a prominent Christian recently who casually mentioned just a fraction of the aggressive abuse given after any public appearance. There seems to be an inexhaustible ocean of opprobrium ready to drown any semblance of sensible debate or conversation.
The real problem here is that the vast majority of us aren't at any of the extreme ends of the debate. Most Christians find themselves too busy with work, family and getting on with their local expression of church to be activists for a strident position.
But when those of us who find ourselves in the middle begin to see the bullets fly, it's a profoundly depressing experience. Patronising, belittling, even abusive comments are traded back and forth and the rest of us end up caught in the crossfire. A friend who follows church affairs closely often remarks on how depressing it can be to be one of those in the middle watching the ugliness of the arguments.
'Collateral damage' is the horrific euphemism contemporary governments have come up with to describe innocent people killed during a war. It's a weasel term in many ways, designed to minimise public revulsion about civilians being killed. At times, though, it can feel to those of us in the middle of internecine Christian conflicts as though our faith is collateral damage. We stand in the middle of the infighting and find our joy being sucked away by the brickbats going back and forth.
Online abuse isn't limited to Christians of course. I've witnessed horrible stuff between supporters of the same football club, members of the same political party, even fans of the same pop star. But shouldn't the Church be better than this? Shouldn't we be striving to achieve what the Archbishop of Canterbury has called 'good disagreement'?
If we can't even do that, then what chance of anyone outside the Church listening to a word we have to say?
Follow Andy Walton on Twitter @waltonandy
