Pleasures entice us to move just a little away from God, then a little farther, and yet farther, until we are completely lost. Since we don't like to feel divided, we separate ourselves from the source of tension, God. Phyllis Schlafly wrote a fascinating editorial this week on how the most destructive theories and philosophies of our time originated in flawed individuals. Margaret Mead, Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Pablo Picasso all created new ways of thinking. But the theories put forth by these enormously influential intellectuals are simply rationalizations of their own sexual desires.
Christians are also good at rationalizing their sins.
God is reduced to a vague concept of love. And their spiritual lives disintegrate. All Christians are sinners, so it's easy for us to get offended. A special danger is hypocrisy - we present ourselves one way, then act another. Christians can also be cruel to each other.