Hypos

Chandra had a friend that she wanted to bring to the 30 Hour famine at St. Paul's who is an atheist. So, I was giving the whole thing some thought. The more I thought about it, the worse I thought it would be for this friend. Chandra, I think, hopes—as I do—that this friend will become a believer. Well, to put it bluntly, the youth group at St. Paul's sucks. There's no life. One kid is a Buddhist, only going to Church because of his mother, and another is an atheist (or so I thought). Chandra corrected me. He's not an atheist, he's just anti Church. Well, it's a short trip from one to the other. So, I asked her why he is anti Church and she said because of all the hypocrisy. I have my own opinion, but I'll get back to that.

I had an awesome conversation with my youngest brother not all that long ago, who is somewhat anti Church as well. I wish I had a transcript of that conversation; he actually seemed to come around a little. I said that it's easy to see the hypocrisy. It's right there in front of your face. And, society and the anti Church and atheists are more than happy to point it out to you. What's hard to see, is all the good that lays below the surface, that isn't visible, all the poor that are fed and clothed, all the groups that are hosted, all the downtrodden and depressed that are counseled, etc... You really have to look to see it. Church members aren't going to blow their own horn, most of the time. And, the anti Church sure as $h1t aren't going to point it out. There seems to be such a public backlash, anti Church movement growing. Anyway, I digress.

We're all hypocrites. Jesus himself said that he came for the sinners. The scriptures say that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Jesus said that he didn't come for the righteous, that those who are not sick do not need a doctor. We are all sinners, every one of us; that's why we need Jesus. Christians aren't hypocrites, their just sinners trying to do good. WHERE DID THIS COMMONLY HELD NOTION THAT CHRISTIANS ARE FAULTLESS COME FROM! We sin. I sin. And, it's not the Church's fault. I'm not pretending to be good; I'm trying to be good. There's a difference! "Oh, look, he's doing this, and he calls himself a Christian," and comments like it are why we are labeled hypocrites. It makes me want to pull my hair out! St. Paul said that he wished to do the good he wanted to do and not do the evil he didn't want to do. We all sin. Christians sin. We don't decide to become Christians and magically stop sinning. I'm not pretending I don't sin either. So, don't judge me; I'm not a hypocrite. I'm a sinner.

Some Christians don't go to Church (which I think makes them last generation Christians) because they don't believe that they need to go to Church to be Christian. I've said it many times; that is so selfish! Going to Church is not just about you. In the parable about the man who gives his servants coins, Jesus is telling us to invest our faith. Those who don't go to Church are the servant who buried his money in the ground. St. Paul cautioned us not to give up the practice of meeting together. We are to help each other, council each other, guide and nurture the faith in each other. We pass on our faith at and through Church. Plus, it's a great convenient place to worship God too. ;) But, it is so selfish to hoard your faith. So hypocrites hang out at Church. So what! It's God's Church. I'm going.

They say that the worst kids are always the children of police officers (perhaps it's a blessing of sorts that I never found employment in my field) and ministers. Two of my good childhood friends were the sons of clergy. One is an atheist and very anti Church (to the point where he has deleted me a few times from Facebook because he couldn't stomach my comments of faith), the other is at least agnostic and equally as anti Church. Is it just rebellion against one's parents? Sometimes I wonder if Satan doesn't work extra hard on them. A sort of, "Well, I can't get you so I'll go after your precious children" sort of attitude. It's easy for these kids to see the hypocrisy.

Bishop Bob (the son of a priest) wrote a column in the Huron Church News about how he once told his mother that he wasn't going to Church because they were all hypocrites. His mother said something like, "Come along dear; there's always room for one more."