Is it the Church or the Goers?

The Christian right has made quite a spectacle of itself as of late. While its positions are noble, its delivery is not, and so many are being turned away from "church" by its people. Why is this? How can we find such significant discrepancies and hypocrisies in church?

As a churchgoer for my entire life, it's clear that people say what they will at church and raise their hands in agreement with the virtues and morals put forth in the Bible. But, when they are not there, or when the rubber meets the road and they have to display the character of Jesus, an entirely different message sets up. I'm guilty of it myself. I lose my temper over small stuff. I don't exercise patience in certain situations, and I judge celebrities and politicians like there'll be no time to do it tomorrow.

So, what of it? What about the church and its followers and its rules? Recently, everyone has been upset about the healthcare mandate that requires businesses to pay for birth control regardless of whether or not the owners believe in it. I can understand the unrest in the interest of liberty. Businesses really shouldn't be forced by the government to do anything except pay the appropriate taxes for operating in the country. I can't see it being a religious freedom question, but a life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness issue. I say this because long ago it was determined that when these businesses hire individuals they must not hire based on religious affiliation. So, if the person who works for the business does not hold the same set of beliefs and everyone in the Nation is receiving this benefit from their employer, then this employer should follow suit and allow the worker to make the final decision about their birth control. This infringes on the workers' freedom.

Also, the photographers and bakers and wedding venues who keep turning away homosexual couples are showing a great deal of hypocrisy. Clearly, homosexuality in any form is listed as sin. Go to 1 Corinthians 6:9 and it will be listed there along with drunkenness, partying, fornication, adultery, idolatry, conning people out of money, theft, and wishing you had what someone else owns. It's funny how people walk into these places of business everyday to order cakes or photography, but are never questioned about whether there will be drinking at the party / wedding. Will there be dancing and revelry at the reception? No one asks if it's their first or second marriage, in which case they are committing adultery. Jesus himself says so. The couple to wed is not asked whether they are living together and fornicating. No one asks the bride where she found her dress...in a magazine on another woman, after looking at which she said, "I've gotta' have that one." If so, she was covetous and by these business owners' standards they cannot provide services for her. I mean, it's strange.  Why this sin? Why is this the hill the religious right is dying on? If the owners of these businesses had been holding up the banner all along, it would not be a story or a shock to anyone if they turned people away in this case as well. If you're going to stand, stand for the truth all the time, not just when it's socially acceptable.

That's the Christian church's problem today. It's not the message, it's the hypocrisy of the messengers. And until the church wakes up there will always be a cloud of ungodliness cast on it.