Unregistered

I am the unregistered guest from 6-5-15. One thing that always bugged me was the justification I heard with my own ears, quoted many times in the local church , for suing other Christians. It was based on Acts 25:11 where Paul says "But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
Look at the full context starting with v7: "When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them." The Jews went to Caesar first and brought the issue to unbelievers! It was not how a God knowing people should treat other God knowing people,
i.e. going to the gentiles. To see how Christians should treat an internal disagreement, look at I Cor 6.

Lawsuits Among Believers

6 "If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? 2 Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! 4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? 5 I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? 6 But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!

7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? 8 Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters."

The minute the LC took doctrinal disputes to secular court, their biblical credibility with me went to zero. If they publicly repented of this, they might begin to be restored in my mind, but I don't think this will ever happen.