Some things never seem to go away. Over the years I continue to hear various versions of, “The reason I don’t go to church is that the church is full of hypocrites!” Now before I explore the implications of these statements, I think I would do well to define the word. The word, hypocrite according to the dictionary, yes, I still have one, means, “A person who pretends to be what he (or she) is not; a pretender.” In a religious sense, a “person who pretends to be very good or religious.”

Now how does all this fit into the church and being or not being a part of one? Right from...