The Gate is Narrow

The Hypocrites are Locked Out.

Hypocrite is a term levelled at pretty much any politician you don't agree with in any given campaign cycle. It is a term not a little over- trivialized by overuse. But what really is a 'hypocrite" and why did Jesus blast them from here to eternity? These were the people who ran around condemning others for not following all the minutia of the laws while they locked out the spirit of the law, which was LOVE. God is LOVE, remember. "White-Washed Tombs full of dead men's bones" is one way they are referred to. "Vipers" -snakes. Clearly, Jesus came in part to blow these folks out of the water. They were making life miserable.
So Jesus has some pretty harsh words for these people - and he flatly says that they won't be coming along with him into Paradise. Too full of themselves and their self-righteousness judging others into misery gloatingly. Missing the Mark of the Spirit of Truth based and rooted in Love.
Well then, Who are the people that scripture says will actually get to Heaven?

1. Those whose righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law of Jesus' day.
See, Matthew 5:19-21
"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."

2. Those who do the Will of God the Father.
See, Matthew 7:20-22
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

3. Those who are like 'children'
See, Matthew 18:2-4
And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

4. Those who are 'poor in spirit' i.e. spiritually humble as in the Sermon on the Mount,
See, Matthew 19:22-24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven [than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle].

5. Those who are not stumbling blocks to others reaching God by slamming heaven's door on them.
See, Matthew 23:13
"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.
Matthew 23:12-14 (in Context) Matthew 23 (Whole Chapter)

Now get a Biblical Concordance or your favorite Bible Search tool on line, and google these terms "drunkards, slanderers, fornicators" and find how many times it says that those folks too will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Neither drunkards, slanderers, nor fornicators....will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Go find it- I know you can. Start with 1 Corinthians 6:10.

So what is happening in Ecclesiastical Circles in Washington, DC now? They are in a whizzing match with the secular authorities (e.g. the DC City Council) playing pin the tail on the Sin's A**
of homosexuality. One sin, one massive condemnation. Don't get me wrong- whether or not one thinks it is sin or not (the Catholic world clearly has an official position on it while some are guilty of it-and they know who they are) - and have now resorted to responding to the DC City Council by punishing anyone who wants to work for Catholic Charities by refusing to give ANYONE spousal insurance coverage because they don't want to cover gay spouses. This is after they already dumped their foster and adoption care program because they don't want to serve "eligible" (according to the DC City Council) homosexual couples in providing adoptions to them with equal consideration to heterosexual couples.

There are a lot of sins out there. Presumably there is no questionnaire form one fills out for insurance coverage or spousal coverage with Catholic Charities in which the Archdiocese asks:
1. Have you ever 'fornicated.' 2. Have you ever slandered anyone (that eliminates half the jealous old parish council dames I met at one church) 3. Have you ever committed adultery (also a sin) 4. Are you remarried without an annulment? 4. Have you ever been drunk and how regularly? 5. Have you ever fondly touched yourself (also a grave sin.) and the like....

None of these Kingdom Expulsion sins apparently gets any consideration for insurance consideration with the DC Archdiocese, but they single out the sin of homosexuality? Why?
I submit that it is a political issue. That sin gets Republicans really riled up-and they are huge money donors. In fact it fuels all kinds of self-righteous hate- mongering and epithetic spitting in the face if the Archdiocese persecutes gays. These right wing-nuts cannot handle that there is a "Log Cabin Republican" contingent nor that their Torture Hero Cheney has a gay daughter who artificially inseminated herself with a syringe. That does not compute. But what raises revenue is cutting off insurance benefits apparently.

Don't get me started on 'thieves' and 'swindlers.' Con Men and common thieves don't get in either. Did you put on the questionaire 'have you defrauded anyone lately?' That might even eliminate a few people we all know.

Who really is getting into the Kingdom. Who really is doing God's will?