The greatest perceived danger to many church leaders is the idea that their congregants begin to embrace questioning and free thought.

I believe most of what is taught as Christianity has as its primary purpose keeping laity dependent upon clergy. What better way than scaring the laity and telling them the Clergy will help them? Clergy tells the laity a loving God will torture his "very good creation" for eternity in Hell unless they do exactly what the Clergy tells them God commands.

Have you ever wondered why, while Christians, today hold dear the virgin birth of Jesus it was never mentioned by Paul, Peter, James the brother of Jesus or Jesus? Paul said it is reasonable to believe God exists by what can be seen. Apparently everything else depends on taking someone's word. When what Clergy claims to be true can be seen to be not true laity begins to doubt that which cannot be seen.

The greatest perceived danger to many church leaders is the idea that their congregants begin to embrace questioning and free thought.

In the 300's CE, Emperor Constantine and his newly formed Church leadership structure took actions to eradicate – by force when necessary – any Christian thought that did not conform to the creeds they had articulated. Free thought impacted their power and control, both physically and spiritually. That mentality remains today, thus Sunday morning is the most segregated day of the week as Christians assemble with those who think as they think. When everyone thinks alike, someone is not thinking.

If Clergy are to remain relevant they should not ignore Augustine of Hippo's advice.

"In matters that are so obscure and far beyond our vision, we find in Holy Scripture passages which can be interpreted in very different ways without prejudice to the faith we have received. In such cases, we should not rush in headlong and so firmly take our stand on one side that, if further progress in the search for truth justly undermines this position, we too fall with it. That would be to battle not for teaching of Holy Scripture but our own, wishing its teaching to conform to ours, whereas we ought to wish ours to conform to that of Sacred Scripture"