The Modern Church's Image

Christianity has been much maligned in today's society. There have certainly been those who have done their share to earn the church a poor reputation by judging others, committing various crimes, focusing on money or attendance rather than the needs of the people, or through hypocrisy. The church, however, is made of humans, just like any other organization. The fact that those inside it are not perfect should not detract from the message of the church, but rather remembered by those both inside and outside it.
I do not defend the actions of pastors or priests who have embezzled, cheated on their wives, touched little children, or committed other various infamies. I would only ask that the message of the church not be dismissed because of their actions, but called to the forefront as necessary for those committing them. The message of the church is forgiveness and love. The message of Christ is that none of us can fulfill the law and so we all need to accept his sacrifice for us, so that our sins can be forgiven. There is no room in the message for condemnation of the individual because we are all lost without Christ.
When a church leader sins, their sin itself is no different than a sin by someone outside the church because it is, at its heart, the leader choosing themselves over God. It is more noticeable because the person is a leader in the church and is held to a higher standard, but the leader is first and foremost a human still and subject to falling.
Perhaps the bigger reason many outside the church reject it is that they feel condemned when inside the church. They hear the Ten Commandments and think that is what they must do to be accepted. In truth, they are accepted by God already. It is they who need to do the accepting of what Jesus did for them.
Some know the message is one of forgiveness and feel condemned, not by the Bible, but by those in the church. Any condemnation of an individual by someone in the church is wrong itself. Someone may be told that what they're doing is wrong, but even this can be done in love and not judgment. Sin is not something that makes someone unworthy of the company of Christians; it's what is keeping a barrier between them and God. Because of that, non-Christians should not be talked down to, threatened with hell, or judged as though they are raging against God with a furious enmity, but rather counseled in love, with the non-Christian's best interests in mind.
There are undeniably those in the church who have committed many sins against God and their congregation, but that should not invalidate the message of the church; it should be a chance for the rest of us in the church to exemplify it.