A lot of good comments and thoughts here. There are some who are religious and some who are not who think that religion should be some sort of behaviour mod system. As for me I doubt I could change anyone's mind and I know I couldn't change anyone's heart. I rememeber seeing a t-shirt during the Vietnam war that said "Kill them all and let God sort them out." Lately I have been thinking "Love them all and let God do the rest."
I have an awesome relationship with Jesus but I hate religion. I once read " Religion is what is left when the Holy Sprit leaves the church." Just following a set of rules is futile and leads to bitterness, hypocricy and dissulionment. Read Ecclasiastes and see what happened to Solomon.
Yes, there is a lot of Christians who are hypocrites, and I include myself in that list. If you are looking for something without hypocricy don't look in churches. On the other hand I have been hard pressed to find any group of people without hypocricy. (or good spelling LOL).
I can't convert anyone nor do I try, I just do my best to follow Jesus and love everyone. Sometimes I blow it big time and lose more temper and say things I regeret. I do things I have no business attempting like trying to "fix" people.
People are not stupid, they now if your attention to them is about manipulation, as in "I'm going to be your friend and the first chance I get I'm going to do the sinners prayer with you." Forget all that, people in this world are starving for true love and community, give them that and let God do the rest.
In the period the book of Acts was written Nero was doing things like using christians as human candles at his garden parties. It was not a good time to be a follower of "the way" as they used to call it. But the church was growing at and amazing rate despite all of the persecution. I believe it is because Christians where known a gentle kind people who would take in anyone who needed help.
Today because of a few loud mouths who get all the press Christians are known for what they hate not for what they love.
Many of us love God and love all people as He told us to do. Or at least try to.
