Upon mature reflection...

I was writing to a friend, just yesterday, a person who does not "appreciate the finer points" of Christian theology. In fact, he has no use for "the faith," at all.
His arguments, so nearly as I can tell, are aimed at the wicked men  who betray the Church hypocritically, all the while saying something which leads to the oppression of others, be it, women or gays, or marriage, most recently and prominently.
These "ministers," when caught out, come over all tears and declaim in stentorian tones their repentance, their "new-found" faith, that they're entering into counselling!
It is ALL rubbish, of course, and candidly speaking, I detest that sort of hypocritical behavior and preaching. Such double-standard carryings-on only serve to denigrate the Church in the eyes of those who do not know Her well, and shake the foundations of strong faith of those who remain loyal.
If people actually knew the radical story of the Gospels, many of them would turn tail. The history of Jesus and the Gospels is: Jesus tips over "sacred white elephants."
Generally speaking, the "man in the street" is not comfortable with a religious or philosophical leader who is wildly unorthodox, and even brawlish, at times.
That doesn't mean we ought to remain pacific rather than becoming emphatic and enthusiastic about certain critical topics. That which affects the "body politic" is, by its very nature, of critical importance - it touches each of us to one degree or another.
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