Justine,

Once again, I find myself defending Christianity - please note I only post in response to others - I am not actually here with an agenda to promote religion.

Christianity is not about power or politics. It is about laying down power to take up love and serving others needs instead. It is about a revolution in individual people's thought lives.

Sure you can focus on the points in history when the "church" has gained power and disgraced itself, by ignoring Christ's imploring to lay down power. This ignores the quiet revolution of millions of broken people down through history, renewed by an encounter with Christ - what we would call the remnant.

I have said before that I could judge science by the Atom Bomb, Vivisection and any other negative headline issue, but this would be to damn the endevour by it's sometime frail application. The same for Christianity. The foolish Christian Right who hate and think they have the right to judge others for being gay etc. when Christ urged them to deal with the log in their own eye before reaching for the speck in others. This is the application of Christianity you see and hear every day.

But this is not the many believers who quietly go about the business of trying to do good in their own community - being ready to have answers when asked about their hope, but not ramming their faith down people's throats. Why would you ever hear about these?

So yes, it is a disgrace when a large part ot the church becomes nothing more than a crowd who are caught up in polarised positions on gays, abortion etc. but the simple measuring stick is this: Are they in accord with Christ? and on these issues I know they are not and it is therefore questionable whether they are genuine (as you say) - when they so easily practice the politics of hate. Only God can know.

Regards,

Blacknad.