Cleanliness is next to godliness...

I have heard people, erroneously, espouse countless things from the pulpit, implying that countless issues could prevent you from reaching the pearly gates.

I've heard one state that if you have been divorced you cannot be a Christian. Another occasion afforded me the opportunity to learn that you could not be overweight and a Christian. Of course we've all heard that "God hates fags," so apparently being gay also prevents you from calling yourself a Christian. I'm sure there are countless other preventions from calling yourself Christian, some of which I've heard and some I haven't.

All these reasons you cannot enter a relationship with God or indeed call yourself Christian. So I've decided to add to these misnomers and begin my own campaign for why you may not call yourself a Christian or in fact a member of any monotheism.

If "cleanliness is next to godliness" it stands to reason that you shouldn't call yourself a Christian if you are not organised and an exceptional housekeeper.

From a scriptural standpoint we are encouraged to be good stewards. How can you call yourself a good steward if you are failing to keep things clean? Why should you be imparted with anything more, or better, if you fail to take care of those things, however meager, you already have?

Alright, I'll admit, I'm an obsessive housekeeper. My standards may be a bit higher than most but I firmly believe that every item I own or with which I am entrusted deserves the utmost care. It is my responsibility to keep things in the best condition possible.

So what about the organisationally challenged, those with chronic disorganisation? What about those with psychological reasons for their lack of cleanliness, hoarders or people of that ilk? Is it the responsibility of those of us gifted with organisation and the "clean gene" to pick up the slack? Perhaps. There are those who pick up the slack in so many areas of the Church or life in general, each has his, or her, "gifts," perhaps it it yours to keep the world clean and organised.

I just wish, sometimes, that those who are cleanliness challenged would realise the work involved in cleaning and keeping clean their environments and perhaps try a little harder to keep from making more work for you just moments after you finished an area.

"Cleanliness becomes more important when godliness is unlikely." P.J. O'Rourke