Sadly, I'm inclined to agree.
My AWANA group was like this as was the camp I went to.
In AWANA, I felt like an outcast. Now this is partially because my friends who I had been in AWANA with for years quit or graduated from the program. Though, I also think it is because I did not go to the same high school as everyone else in our program did. About 90% of our high school group went to a home-school high school while I was in a public school. They all went to their same cliques that they were in in school. No room for outsiders. I spent more time in deep discussion with the leaders of our group and I preferred their company over my peers. Also, the majority of our members, were sons and daughters of our leadership. They grew up together, did everything together, once again, no room for outsiders.
My camp was very much the same. Many of the campers were sons and daughters of the counselors. But, my church camp also had what I call the "stereotypical Christian."
To start, nearly everyone was homeschooled. ((NOTE THAT I AM NOT AGAINST HOMESCHOOLING AS I WAS UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL))
The very fact that I was public schooled made me an outcast. Everyone said that they felt so sorry for me like I was living with the plague (and they treated me as if I did). No one bothered to ask if I liked it all. They just assumed it must be terrible. I was so angry at them for it. I tried to explain that it wasn't that bad but they thought that I must be "worldly" to say that. They couldn't understand that it was far harder for me to be a Christian and remain a Christian in a public school setting than it was for them to be in their sheltered little world's where they have never had to defend their faith at all. Instead of asking me how I did it, they shamed me because of it.
Also, all the girls were girls. I don't mean this in a "well duh" sense but again in the stereotype. The girls all had hair that was 6 feet long and worried more about appearance than anything else. Some girls even wore nothing but skirts the whole time at camp...
I am a tomboy. Needless to say, this is not me at all. I had more getting down and dirty playing frisbee and football with the boys than I did sitting on the sidelines worrying about a broken nail. Which leads me to my next point.
The vast majority of the time, our lunch tables consisted of boys at one table and girls with another. As if if we intermingled at all, the whole camp would be infected with cooties. I challenged this point by sitting at a boys table and discussing sports with them. I found it refreshing and fun!
Finally, everyone thought that one specific girl was the greatest singer to ever exist. No one could possibly be better. If you didn't agree and you didn't adore her, than you should just go die because you didn't deserve to live. Another issue I had...
I had no squabble with the girl at all. I thought she was quite nice in fact. But I've been trained in music since I was 4 years old and I know good when I hear it. And she was not. When she would volunteer to sing, I would kringe as others cheered. When asked if I liked her singing, it wasn't right to lie, so I told the truth. I've heard better.
I signed my social death sentence by telling the truth.
The fraction of outcasts at camp joined together. In a way, we formed our own clique. It wasn't that we had given up. We had put forth considerable effort to get along with everyone but we were not accepted for one reason or another.
One of my earliest memories of being in Sunday school at one of the churches I have attended is of anger. A homeless woman had wandered into the bathroom of our church in downtown Denver. Instead of our church taking her in and giving shelter from the cold and food and clothes, she was told she had to leave and that she "didn't belong."
Sadly, Christians are still human. Some Christians do make others feel like only the "beautiful people" are accepted. I know I've felt this way many times in my church, AWANA, camp. We group people. We want everything to be classified. Someone who dresses goth can't possibly be a Christian. In fact, not only are they not a Christian but they MUST be an atheist or a satanist because of the clothes they wear. Someone who dresses nicely and is kind to people must be some denomination of Christian because of how they act.
The fact is, we can't see the heart of man the way God does. All we see is appearance and actions and from that, we classify. We alienate. We create groups, disorder, pain, division and all out hatred of the Church because we do not represent it as it should be.
Instead of someone walking into church and being welcomed and loved on, we sum up their appearance and group them accordingly.
"You are not in your Sunday best but you aren't in rags either. Your Bible is on your palm pilot. Please go to the early believers class where you will be taught what is proper"
"You are wearing a beautiful suit and shoes. Your hair is perfect and your Bible is crisp. Please join the deacons and elder's in their meeting, I believe we have a position for you."
or
"You wear rags and smell horrid. Your hair is tattered and Bible is torn and missing pages. We can't allow you in. Please return to the street where you belong."
Final thought, then I'll shut up. Some food for thought. There is a song by Todd Agnew, "My Jesus" which I think the Church would benefit greatly from if only they would follow it. For the whole song,
click here Though, the lyrics of interest are below.
Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church
The blood and dirt on His feet would stain the carpet
But He reaches for the hurting and despised the proud
I think He'd prefer Beale St. to the stained glass crowd
And I know that He can hear me if I cry out loud
Beautiful People
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