Almost since its inception, much of Christianity has had a callous disregard for the principles Jesus taught. While there have been many true adherents who seemed to have grasped the moral principles Jesus illustrated, too many supposed Christians have read into the faith too much of their own prejudices. History is full of acts of the “faithful” far removed from the teachings of the New Testament.

Studies show that while some 84 percent of the population of the United States professes to be Christian, only about 16 percent (of the 86 percent) are in church on any given Sunday. Clearly there are many out there who are sufficiently enamored of Christianity to claim it as their faith, but who hold back from attending church for a variety of reasons. Here are five of the excuses I have been given, with my responses.

John 6:56-69; Exodus 16:4a, 13-15.

More years ago than I care to remember, when I was about 14, my family and I lived for a while on the coast of southern Spain. My early-morning task each day was to walk perhaps a quarter mile along a cliff-top path some 50 feet above the Mediterranean Sea, and then cut inland another quarter mile to a small village. My objective was the local bakery.

“The unexamined life is not worth living” said Socrates, five centuries before Jesus. Taking Socrates’ thought further, I assert that the unexamined faith is worthless. That is, if religious faith is to have value — if it is to have meaning and purpose, if it truly is to orient one to the ultimate reality known as God — then it must be regularly, personally, and thoroughly examined.