The media has been deluged with stories of ministers who have been charged with molesting young children, church leaders who have embezzled funds from church accounts, and pastors caught in adulterous affairs. Scores of religious celebrities and leaders have been exposed in recent years for sexual or financial impropriety. But it’s not just Christians that disappoint, but their institutions. As a result, more and more seekers are saying, "Spirituality, yes. Church, no."

  When those who claim to follow Christ are immoral, Inflexible, strange, uptight, unloving, judgmental or hypocritical, it casts shadows on the faith itself. And when our experience with the Christian community involves being bored, or even worse, burned, it is tempting to walk away from Christianity altogether. Yet disappointed people who continue their exploration of the Christian faith have often done so by reminding themselves of the following spiritual truths:

  While somewhat trite, the phrase, "Christians are not perfect, just forgiven", is important to remember. What is behind many -- not all, but many -- charges and accusations against the character and integrity of Christians is the demand for perfection in the life of anyone who claims to be a Christian and urges others to consider Christianity as well. But an authentic Christian is not someone who is perfect, just someone who has come to God for forgiveness and a relationship. Despite their imperfections, Christians should not stand in the way of your relationship with Christ