You will not find me in that philosophical camp that says, "Believe anything you want as long as you’re sincere."

I suspect Hitler was sincere. I’ll wager that the woman who tried to exorcize the devil from her child by boiling the baby in a cauldron was sincere.

But such sincerity is evil.

Such sincerity needs to be damned not blessed with pious little platitudes about belief.

The church takes a stand. In the name of God, we say, such sincerity is wrong. For thousands of years we have formulated a standard of social behavior that is based not on the American ideal of rugged individualism but the heavenly goal of community. The church is the bearer of that truth.

In a world that celebrates dog eat dog, the church announces that there is a better way, a way based on centuries of empirical evidence and wisdom.

That people within the church have failed to make that announcement clear enough or failed to follow it themselves does not deny the truth.

And the truth is the Ten Commandments are a wonderful guide for a healthy family and community.

And the truth is that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

And the truth is that confession and forgiveness are at the very heart of every healthy relationship.