Yes, unfortunately, they are everywhere. I believe that Jesus did not come to establish a "religion' -- He came to establish relationship in His body, the church. When we truly know Jesus, His attitudes toward others will dominate our lifestyle.

I'll agree, but the worst part of this thought is this: I'm afraid I've been guilty of seeing one of them every time I look in the mirror. It just seems to me that I've spent so much time getting to know the Bible, and never seem to spend my time being Jesus to a lost and hurting world. I know people who seem to have a weak understanding of doctrine, but are out there gathering clothes and food for those in need.
I'm sorry Lord for the things I've made it.

The cynic in me wants to say that it seems our churches are full of these people.

But then my senses came to me and I realized that many people in our churches don't really know the Bible either.

Sorry, my cynical side's been showing more than normal recently.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! I certainly didn't mean for this to sound judgmental. My friend was simply amazed by how much Bible knowledge a certain church possessed, yet they seemed distant in knowing Jesus personally. Yes, people can tell if we have "been with Jesus" because His influence will be manifested in our attitude toward others. Thanks Wes, for sharing your heart and reminding us to look in the mirror.

My friend Jerry Jones made a statement that when we visit places and are looking for a church to attend, we probably use a totally different criteria than Jesus would. The questions we ask about the church might address how they worship, etc. Jesus might ask, "Do they take care of the widows and orphans? Do they help the poor and down-trodden?"

And yes, there is another angle to look at this question. Bible knowledge (just as four-part harmony in worship) seems to be trending downward.