I hate to be a broken record, but I think this is another fine example of the American’s church’s Phariseeism. It was the Pharisee who prayed, “I thank God that I am not like other men…” The one who went away justified prayed, “Oh God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” If you compare me to the Spears the family, I look fairly well put together.

I have a personal relationship with a young girl who decided she was not going back to church because her pastor called the Spears girls “sluts” during a weekend message. Nice! Paul is pretty clear in writing to the church in Corinth that when we start to compare ourselves to others we are fools.

“The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God.’ ”

God, help me drop the stones and stop the comparisons.