Heretic, n. One who, while appreciating the overall truth of the
Christian message, is wiser than God and recognizes certain errors in
orthodox theology. These errors usually occur at some point where God
misinterpreted the nature of love.

Jesus summarized the Law in the commandments to love God and neighbor,
and the teaching of the Apostles retained this; we are bestowed grace,
the outpouring of God's love, a love which is to transform and fill
us. Love for neighbor is so important that, oftentimes, the way to
love God is through obeying the commandment "Love your neighbor"; in
the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "If you are in the temple
offering a sacrifice and remember that your brother has something
against you, go, leave your sacrifice on the altar, and be reconciled
with your brother." Heretics have generally retained an understanding
of the central importance of love for a neighbor, and offer a better
way to do so.

It seems, as time passes, that the zeitgeist is a continual source of
heresy. Of course, it is not the only one, and most major heresies
have been able to claim at least a few adherents for most of time, but
the spirit of the time seems to aid the most people in recognizing
that the Bible is an old book, and bring Christian thought and
application of the Law of Love into accordance with the most recent
discoveries.

In the nineteenth century and early twentieth, the law of the jungle
was understood, and lovingly applied to human affairs. In the wild,
only the strong shall survive. It seems harsh, but is far more
merciful than mercy. It is sad for a weakling to be killed, it is
conceded, but necessary; if the weaklings survive to pass on their
inferior genes, it is whole future generations which are doomed to be
weakened, and experience a slow and painful death. Mercy is penny wise
and pound foolish. Even when people aren't killed, there is often
something to be done to make sure that they do not infest future
generations with their inferior seed; hence the involuntary
sterilization of the mentally retarded. By eliminating mercy, and
allowing all those who would pass genetic disease and infirmity to be
preyed upon, it is possible to ensure that future generations are
strong, healthy, and happy; this was believed to be the best way to
apply love.

Now, even among people who believe casuistry to be the best way to
adhere to moral imperatives, that misinterpretation is passe. It is
recognized that people are equal and have a right to live, and that
different is not necessarily evil. From this, it is deduced that being
different automatically precludes the possibility of evil, and, if
people are equal, then all tendencies are equally good, equally
consistent with a state of health and fullness of life, equally
resultant from the state of a person in good physical, mental, and
spiritual health. Paul was mistaken when he, having declared
redemption for sinners and a life of freedom and joy to those who
submit their sinfulness to God's grace, declared homosexual practice
to be inconsonant with holy living. Past generations were wrong to
burn homosexuals at the stake; we avoid their error by recognizing
that homosexual practice was created by God as good, as evidenced by
the words from Genesis which Jesus quoted to answer the question about
divorce: "He created them male and female."

-- Hayward's Unabridged Dictionary