Emergency Exit

Actually, most churches are set up like that where I live. At least, the protestant churches are. I'm a protestant, and every church I've been to is actually fairly democratic. The pastor doesn't get to just go off and say whatever he wants. He answers to the elders or deacons, and they answer to the people of the church. Like Bill's church.

I think you're thinking of more extremist fundamentalist Christianity. Remember, what you hear and see in the news is far different from the mainstream. News about how some guy goes to church every Sunday, loves his Muslim neighbor as much as himself and gives regularly to charity isn't going to sell. Just keep in mind that on the news you're always hearing the more extremist version of a belief system whether it be Christianity, Islam, conservatism or liberalism. It's always the more extremist version. I'm not saying there aren't people like that that exist. There just aren't as many of them as you think. They're the ones that are always going around shouting about all the wrong in the world so you miss all the mainstream, moderate people who don't really need to say anything because they're complacent.

But yes, people who do not practice what they teach do not deserve to be listened to nor do they deserve respect. I have a feeling it's like what Shani says. They started out meaning for the best, and later down the road they've gotten a bit misguided.

Also, there's a lot of people who are hypocrites in their belief system but remember that in America, a majority of the population says they are Christian. That means statistically, the majority of the hypocrites you come across will be Christian, too. In a more Muslim dominated country, the majority of the hypocrites would be Muslim. In Israel, they'd be Jewish. And so on.