Don't Throw Out the Baby With the Bath Water!

3 minutes read time

Scandal and hypocrisy among religious people can be devastating to others' faith. Can human failure lead us to reject God?

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As a young man growing up in a small midwestern town, I attended church on a fairly regular basis. Until one day I found out about a scandal that was common knowledge throughout the congregation. It seems one of the elders of the church was having an affair with the wife of another member of the congregation. This elder was a prominent man in the community and a heavy financial contributor. The pastor was aware of the problem, but took no disciplinary action. This hypocrisy offended me to the core. I stopped attending. I threw in the towel on religion and even questioned the existence of God. "If this is supposed to prove there is a God, I don't believe it" was my thinking. My grievous error is an example of going against the adage, "Don't throw out the baby with the bath water." But God didn't throw me out. Later He led me to see that He does exist, that He is working out His plan here on earth. God called me into the ministry where I have served for many years. A few years ago disillusioning circumstances arose that led to my resignation from the church organization for which I had pastored for 30 years. This time, my departure did not involve giving up on God and the Bible. I became part of a new church that was formed to preserve the same basic truths that I had proven, preached and committed my life to. Unfortunately, thousands of members who experienced similar discouraging circumstances are sitting at home--hurt, confused and turned off on "organized religion." How many people make the tragic mistake of throwing out the baby with the bath water? Some who experience spousal abuse become completely soured on the marriage institution. Some children who grow up in dysfunctional families vow never to marry because of the distorted image portrayed by their parents. How many women hate all men? How many men hate all women? God established the marriage institution "at the beginning" (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-8). He also made us male and female (Genesis 1:27), with differences that can lead to harmony and productivity or chaos and strife. God intended that marriage be a joy for husbands and wives. The Bible teaches that love and respect are to go hand-in-hand (Ephesians 5:33). God also instituted the church for our good. Jesus said, "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18). The church, when functioning as God intended, guides us over the rough spots, and teaches God's solutions. The ministry is commissioned to lead God's people to love, support and respect each other. What should be tossed out are the attitudes and errors that cause the problems, not the good things that God established. Another well-worn saying suggests, "If all else fails, read the instructions." Instructions for happiness in marriage, information on male and female differences and teachings about the importance of the church are all found in the pages of the Bible. Unfortunately, some who claim to represent the teachings of the Bible misunderstand and misrepresent the truths of the Scriptures. "Even supposing some of them have proved untrustworthy, is their faithlessness to cancel the faithfulness of God? Never!" (Romans 3:3, Moffatt translation). "Let us think of God as true, even if every living man be proved a liar" (Romans 3:4, Phillips version). God's truth and faithfulness will stand. These are sure promises we can count on in times of trouble, even troubles brought on by "religious people." Don't throw out the baby with the bath water!
prepare the bride
organized religion
God's Church
Marriage and Family
Doctrinal Beliefs
Character

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Larry Walker

Larry Walker

Larry Walker serves as an elder in the United Church of God congregation in Bend, Oregon. He retired from the full-time employed ministry in November 2016, and is a 1966 graduate of Ambassador College. He and his wife Karen have four children and eight grandchildren. They live on a peaceful and scenic wooded acre in the country near La Pine, Oregon, where they experience the beauty of God’s creation and walking on trails through the woods at a nearby state park. They are avid readers and enjoy many types of music.