Monday, 13 July 2009
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Churches Are Full Of Hypocrites
I've heard it said often that the reason a person doesn't attend church is because they are full of hypocrites. I can't help agreeing with them. To see some people in my church can make me physically nauseous.They dress up in their shirts and ties, dresses and suites, and pretend as if everything in life is a fantastic joy. They act as if they have nothing to hide, when in fact they are hiding everything from you. Their entire persona is a sham, a thinly veiled front to hide the fact that they make mistakes too. On top of all this, they have the nerve to judge people who don't live up to their standard of living (a false one, mind you) and actually go to bed at night thinking they have done someone a service.
That's when I remember that I fit into that description sometimes too. At times I've come to church, all dressed up, knowing that I'm barely concealing what's underneath. I've looked down on the "righteous" for their sense of self-righteousness, I've scoffed at the "sinner" for their "wicked" ways, and I've pretended everything's OK when it's not. It's hard to even face your friends sometimes, knowing that you're not the great person they all think you are. The very fact that I'm looking down on those "hypocrites" makes me a hypocrite.
Why must people attack the church for something the whole world does? We're all a fake and a hypocrite at one time or another, no matter what religion or lack thereof, you belong to. If you want to avoid hypocrites than remove yourself from the world, although you'll still never escape yourself.
We all are just humans, trying to do our best in a difficult world. I choose to attend church because I know it's what my God wants, and I find it comforting/liberating/helpful to surround myself by people who are all like me...imperfect.
Do you get tired of the hypocrite argument against churches?
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- From: Simbathe2nd@xanga
- Name: Dan
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Comments (49)
To be religious is to be a hypocrite, as no one's perfect.
The end.
"Why must people attack the church for something the whole world does?"
Because the Church is called to a higher standard. I don't really take issue with people pretending to be happy when they're not, or dressing up etc. I take issue with churches that dress up their buildings and provide their attendees with extra "stuff" they don't need while giving an immensely smaller portion (if they give at all) to the poor. I take issue with churches that pretend having an alternative to trick or treating, or having youth lock-ins is really equivalent to what missionaries are doing, thereby justifying why the church doesn't have to be involved in the field.
Those are the kind of hypocrisies Christians like to defend.
the difference in religious hypocrisy and everyday hypocrisy is simple:
- i squeak through a light just as it's turning red. i don't call myself "idiot". but if i damn near plow someone because THEY did the same thing, then "OMG! did you see that idiot run that light???" i don't sit back and tell everyone else not to run red lights, i don't say i am better or even act like it and within 3 minutes, the episode is forgotten.
at church, however, the difference is that people act like they are representing god, and they tell you all kinds of loving things UNTIL they get away from the church setting. IN church, they won't act like they even notice the girl with the short dress, they hide the cigarettes in the glove box, they won't cuss, they say "give it to god" when you have financial troubles, they preach prosperity and healing..... but OUTSIDE church they check the girls out, smoke their stuff, and stress out over bills too just like regular people. the difference is they are two-faced and preach like they have the answer when in reality they are still searching too.
a well known writer and supposed preacher from this site is the main final reason i personally am FINISHED with christianity forever. i trusted him, he was a friend. in the end he was a judgmental and onesided as the rest so that was it. if i had a thousand years to sift through who is a real christian and who just fakes it - maybe i could release my hurt - but it's much easier to stay the heck away from the label and group as a rule.
"Why must people attack the church for something the whole world does?" I just think it's a bit more extreme at the church level. I've been before. I went regularly until I was 18 or so. There were a number of things that drove me a way. The biggees were:
1. Automatic rejection and relagation to Hell (even if only in words) of people who didn't tow the party line according to the particular church, irregardless of whether or not that person was good or not.
2. Rejection of standard eduation - ie. an empirical objective view based on real-world evidences & studies - as "corrosive to faith." I mean, really, if religious beliefs can't stand up against that, let only questions of any sort, what good are they as a reality model? & how believeable/sustainable are they really?
3. Not being allowed certain thoughts, believes, or actions because they were beyond what the particular religion took into account. Belief in reincarnation or magic, for example. The early church allowed for both. These items were rejected later... reincarnation back at the 11th century Council of Nicea; magic some time later. Come on though; what's wrong with believing whatever makes sense to you? Isn't that more honest than only believing what the church says is okay?
Good points, well done.
While no doubt the hypocrisy argument against churches is indeed at time overused, I believe our use of the hypocrisy or 'doing the opposite of what we teach and say' defense as a justifying response for people in church is a bit frightening. Are we perfect? No. Are we striving to be perfect? I hope not. Are we repentent, submitted, surrendered, obedient and loving of Christ Jesus and one another? I hope so. Then ... and only then ... as a result of God's work ... will we be more Christ-like and less man-like. The new man will look quite different than the old man. The work of God in the regenerated and Spirit led man will make him be less and less hypocritical. That is what I see in Scripture and that is what I do indeed pray and hope for. Be blessed IN Christ Jesus and Hi love!!! Bernie
Thank you! The world is full of hypocrites.
yeah most of them are fakers. im sick of it. now i go to church just because i need to follow god's commands. Whenever i think of the chuches in england it makes me feel sick. sorry but this is just my feeling
After being in ministry for over 20 years and after being a human for 43, I've realized that we are all hypocrites at some time or another. Jesus called us to be holy, but he called us in our humanity. We are becoming holy, we have not yet totally achieved it yet except for the grace of the cross of Christ.
I believe that true brokenness and heartache breed compassion - when we walk through painful seasons of life we realize that we ourselves might be just as capable as the next person of making a mistake, even as we love our Savior. We realize that not all of life is black and white and in all of this is the most stunning revelation of all - that we need a Savior indeed.
For those of you who have left the church, I want to say I am sorry. I too have felt the heartache that seems to be a part of church life. One thing I've realized is that although my pain may be huge, I have also caused it as well. Unity and faithfulness are not easily won. They take time, and forgiveness, and a willingness to continue to love.
And that is a hard choice to make. I know because I've been there. It has been in looking at my own soul that I realize I cannot really judge others as I once did - and I hope that's where this question might take you - on a journey to look at your own heart and soul with great honesty. We don't accept Christ because the church is so astoundingly perfect. We accept Christ because we desperately need a Savior. Only in knowing the love of Christ can we even begin to love one another.
Please don't blame Jesus Christ for the mistakes of man.
I simply agree.
Agree. If you're looking for a church full of perfect people, what makes you think you could join?
When Jesus looked at people he saw the best in them. The height of hypocrisy is making a big deal out of other people's faults.
Jesus once said, "Concern yourself with the plank in your own eye before you bother with the splinter in the eye of another."
Yes, I do.
@The_Female_Essence@xanga - Congratulations on being finished with hypocritical Christianity! That's a great step for you. If you're in the market for a new belief system that takes a dim view of hypocrisy, I'd recommend looking into this one--absolutely nobody takes a dimmer view of religious hypocrisy than Jesus. (Here's a follow-up article as well.)
@Wait_by_Moonlight@xanga - But what if a religion teaches straight up that no one's perfect? Does it make me a hypocrite to follow that religion? The possibilities for paradox here are daunting.
The irony is that, as very recent psychological studies have shown, the best way to succumb to unethical behavior is to have a holier-than-thou attitude about your own ethics. "...A strong sense of one’s own moral goodness may in fact trigger immoral or deeply selfish acts."
Fortunately, the message of Christianity is not "You need to be morally better than everyone else," but "We're all totally messed up and sinful, but God offers forgiveness and a new beginning in Jesus."
Hypocrites are easy to find if you're looking for them. But I also know a lot of authentic people in the Body of Christ.
@Wait_by_Moonlight@xanga - Religious Christians, at least, if they are true Christians, do not believe anyone's perfect and do believe in the prescence of hypocrisy.
I think there's a big difference between the pastor who had a one-night stand with the church secretary and the pastor who had a secret affair and a love child with the church secretary. One is a seriously disturbed, albeit error-prone, human. The other is a flaming hypocrite, plain and simple.
Don't be so hard on yourself for sinning. It happens. But when you make it your lifestyle, you've got a serious problem.
my husband and i used to not attend church because of the "hypocrite" thing. Eventually we decided that we shouldn't let someone elses church experience influience our church experience and we've both grown so much spiritually and in the church community. I feel so relaxed knowing that my opinion doesn't matter on a huge WORLDWIDE scale.
i love it.
I don't go to church in order to reduce the number of hypocrites there.
If church was only for perfect people, the buildings would be empty on Sunday. We go to stand together and lift one another up. We go to worship and to serve. We go to repent and to love. We go to be healed and to heal. We go to forgive and to change. We go in the hope that by putting our hand in the hand of the Master, we will become better than who we are.
I couldn't agree more with lomal. My favourite response to "The church is full of hypocrites" is "Come on in then. There's always room for one more!"
It is saddening how poor a view of the Bride of Christ that is going around.
The Burden to be "perfect" that is placed on Christians by the world is just so unrealistic.
@deepestrecesses -
The Burden to be "perfect" that is placed on Christians by the world is just so unrealistic.
I'm going to have to disagree with you there. The world didn't set that standard. Christians did, or at least they set that standard for the rest of us. When a Christian does something bad, there's forgiveness and repentance. When a "wordly" person does something bad, it's because they're "not saved". Really unfair.
Churches are full of hypocrites. Schools are full of hypocrites. The government is full of hypocrites. The world is full of hypocrites.