It is very difficult for people to accept that the Church is made up of people, regular old, messed-up people.

Manning has a point, but things are much more complicated in most cases. People leave churches because their expectations, reasonable or not, aren’t met.

For sure, people in churches are abused and mistreated. Others bring their sense of grievance with them and wait for something to trip it.

Real life is very complicated and true understanding requires so much patience and listening and detail.

I heard Manning speak many times when I was younger and was probably moved by claims like this, but as I’ve grown, I’ve come to see things are never really as simple as he made them seem.