Do THEY think this way about US?

Remember the exciting days of the early 70s, when the Nixon presidency was collapsing? If you don't, surely you at least remember the interesting years of the Monica Lewinsky scandal in Clinton's presidency.

One of I'm sure many things these two eras share in common was the too easily bandied-about cynical assessment of the situation: "They all do that; it's just that this time someone got caught."

In fact, we don't just say this of our presidents; many tend to qucikly slough off almost everyone's moral lapses.

Perhaps you have been following the story of Jimmy Finley. I worked an Epiphany with Jimmy about 3 years ago and enjoyed getting to know him. I was totally surprised by the allegations that came out last Friday.

In discussing the situation with a friend, the old "they all do that..." came to mind. I have been reading into the emergent church movement (is it a "movement"? That's a question for another blog...) One of the things I appreciate about that line of thinking is it is taking seriously the perceptions within our larger culture of such things as "Church" and "Christianity."

Right or wrong, fair or unfair, those of us who call ourselves Christian must take such perceptions seriously.

When an unbeliever or unchurched person reads the latest account of alleged pastoral misconduct, do they shake their heads and say "they all do that..."?