Who's more Christian, the person who observes the rituals but ignores the precepts, or the person who ignores the rituals but follows the precepts? Most of the evangelical movement in the US seems to be made up of the former, not the latter.

That is a religious question itself, and one that might play into the evangelical belief that grace is more important then works. Evangelicals may be more willing to overlook errors of precepts then somebody who centers their beliefs on the importance of works.

At the very least, history shows them as being easier to manipulate by leaders who can follow the rituals despite lack of commitment to precepts.

Jay