EuroAmerican Christianity has always suffered from this problem since it first sprang up in North Africa. It is called the Donatist heresy.

While Donatism mostly concerned whether a priest needed to be pure of heart/deed in order to administer the sacraments, I think it can be extended out to cover the judgments made on the laity as well. That is, if you are a hypocrite, has anything that you have done in the name of Jesus that brought about some good grace been irrevocably undercut by your hypocrisy? If Christianity is to be consistent with its orthodoxic heritage, the Christian must say NO.

This does not mean, go ahead and do what you want because the good stuff will still be good and the bad does not count.

The hypocrites have to be judged by the community, and if they are found utterly wanting, they have to become excommunicate. That is what St. Paul recommends be done with such people.

But Christians have to be willing to excommunicate those who blemish Christianity and not just keep putting up with the hypocrisy. No Christian should ever be suprised that the world judges the Church & the various communities so harshly when the behaviors of Christians are excused away or labelled an exception.

Megachurch Christianity has followed into the direct footsteps of every Christian community that uses excuses and hides the truth. This is because Christian fellowships tend to let themselves becomes synonymous with their society. Well newsflash good Christians: Neither America nor any other nation is “Christian.”

The Church is the Body of Christ. You can try to influence your society but be ready for cross-contamination. Would not hurt if some of today’s Christians, esp. in the Megachurch set, would sit down and read the City of God by St. Augustine. Christians should be engaged in their locales and in their societies, but should never confound their particular society with the City of God.

Patriotism is one of those paths paved with good intentions… you know… the ones that lead to hell.