Too be Religious or not to be Religious?

I have started this 'Action' group, and as I suspected, people haven't yet caught onto the idea. Actually, I have hit as much brickwalls of opposition as I have seen votes for the idea. Is it just me or is it like pulling teeth to get people to actually 'care' about other people in need? They'll commit to prayer and the likes but to actually lending a 'helping hand' seems to be an obstacle. All I am asking is what is in the scriptures, nothing too unreal, and that means your free time and using your 'disposable' income. Roadblocks. They want to look religious but ask them to act religious, well...that's an uphill battle.

Acting Religious? How do I figure? Quite simple really. At two various times some simple things came up, bible study (during the meeting) & prayer (before and after the meeting). I have addressed both issues and said 'no'. Why? I just don't want to become like everyone else, I just don't want to sell this idea short. Doesn't make sense? Here it goes. Those things are done to look 'Christian', in public anyways.

Bible study, in group discussions, I have noticed lead to varying views and debate...what's the use of that? So we can divide ourselves over something miniscule? And of what edification does it provide to talk about something and not just do it? I ask people to attend church and read the bible but still they persist a bible study needed to be done. I say read it at home and when you come here put it into practice. This is Practicality Street not Church Avenue.

The prayer issue (recent) is something I hold dear to. Jesus teaches in Matthew 6 about prayer in solitude, alone with God...true sincerity. Now we'd be having prayer for simple reasons like 'other groups do this' and 'to look Christian' but in all actuality it's not quite that sincere. The person who proposed it I asked her to pray and she said she didn't know how. Don't know how? She was a new 'christian' and not adept in the art of public prayer so I let someone, a pastor's daughter, say it. It flowed like words from a religious tongue, adept in the art of saying the right thing. It was then I knew that if we do this then it's so the people in this group can be 'sefl-righteous', have the look and feel of Christianity and very possibly get away with doing as little as possible. I am saying 'no' to this being a part of the group. I still stick to pray at home about these issues and ask God to show you what to do, even during the act of helping.

I have noticed people won't attend this group because I say these things, they need some validation of their Christianity to be a part, even before they will help a single person. I am absolutely 100% behind this one sentence: 'having the look of godliness, they deny the power thereof (behind it)'. Am I going for the 'looks' or the actual power 'behind it'? That sentence speaks of true sincerity. Actually if you read into a lot of Paul's works and the book of James you see this point reitirated in various ways. The life of Jesus smacks of this theme continually (almost the whole gospels are devoted to Jesus' arguements with the Pharisees). If you are looking to validate your Christianity at my expense, you barked up the wrong tree.

So in my weird bemusings I provide 2 things: A stumbling block to the 'Churches' way of doing things and thus they are offended. Second, I am accepting to those the church offended and offer a 'helping hand' back to the kingdom. Strange but I based everything on the gospels and all the good things that come out of this endeavor I have only God to thank.