All sin is equal -?

I have a problem with the way we think about sin.

I heard a podcast by the Evangelical Alliance the other day, commenting on The Apprentice. The writer was dismayed that Lee won, despite lying on his CV. Now, I don't think lying, even in a small way is a good idea. However, there is a sense in which, as one of the interviewing panel on the apprentice commented, lying on your CV is just 'not that big a deal.' Would we accept that?

This is not the problem I have though. The problem comes, not with how we classify sin, but with the way that we judge others.

See, if I believe God is perfect, and I should try to be perfect, then I'll try to root out sin in my life, and only do 'good' things. This is a GOOD thing. However, then, as a human being, I won't live in a state of constant guilt about my actions. SOME christians live in a state of constant unworthiness and guilt, but most don't - it's just too tiring.

This means that, although I may theoretically give assent to the fact that I am never worthy of God's grace, I will measure my actions with a yardstick that just about puts me above the bar in terms of my ethics, and so I will tend to walk around with a sense that I'm basically alright most of the time (unless I've just heard a sermon on sexual sin, the plight of people the third world, or the need to share the gospel with others, in which case I'll feel guilty for a few hours/minutes or until dinner, depending on how long it takes me to forget about it).

THIS means that if anyone doesn't cross the bar that I set for myself, they become a SINNER. And with a view of sin that says 'all sin is just as wrong in the eyes of God,' then I will be liable to treat them with either a sense of discomfort, or mild patronisation, or the cold shoulder.

I think that this is part of the reason why non-Christian communities are more accepting (about SOME things) than Christian ones. When I hang out with my musical theatre friends, I know that, were I a tattoo'd lesbian smoker, I would be completely accepted as 'normal.' I wouldn't be given sympathy; I wouldn't be seen as someone needing rescuing - I'd just be seen as a normal person, and expected to get on with playing my role in the show (probably Nancy in Oliver I should expect).

So are we surprised when gay people feel more comfortable in the gay community than in the church?! People have crossed the line from 'alright' to 'sinner' and are then given an identity as someone to be helped, avoided or vilified. Would you want to be part of a community that treated you like this? Can't we just see people - all people - as sinners who God wants to use to achieve his purposes?

I do of course accept that in a very real sense all sin IS equal in the eyes of God. But, what I do want to draw out is that we can very easily reject PEOPLE when really we should be helping them become righteous. Any hints on how to do that?!