Hypocrisy and Religion... and Politics... and Entertainment.... and the Workplace
Posted: Thursday, August 17, 2006
by Danny Davids
It's Not Just for Church Anymore!
It’s something we’ve seen on television and read about in the news more times than many of us care to remember. A well-known televangelist preaches to his congregation about love; he then practices what he preaches with his mistress instead of his wife. Another television pastor blasts him for committing adultery; the press learns that he’s been paying prostitutes for sex. Priests pledge themselves to celibacy upon entering the priesthood; years later we are still hearing about the heinous acts some have performed upon innocent children. Religious leaders make national headlines for their peaceful protests and their pro-life stance; they make headlines again when it’s learned they’re responsible for the bombings of abortion clinics and the injury and deaths of others.
What is the non-churched person expected to infer from stories such as this? The answer is obvious: Those who attend church aren’t any different from me. In fact, a lot of times they’re even worse than I am. They preach a good line but they don’t practice it. So even if I attend church, it won’t help because I won’t be a better person for it. Actually it’s in my best interest to stay away from church altogether because of the people who attend. They’re all just a bunch of (go ahead, say the word) hypocrites. And I refuse to be around people like that.
On the surface, that sounds like a pretty fair assessment. After all, a hypocrite is “a person who professes beliefs and opinions that he does not hold", according to dictionary.com. In instances like those mentioned above, it would appear that the definition fits. Choosing to avoid a person like this can be an act of self-preservation. After all, if an individual will lie to us about his belief system, what makes us think what he says about us is truly how he feels? If a group consists of people who will do this without compunction, how trustworthy can it be? In fact, if one group within the wider organization has this problem, doesn’t it make the entire organization suspect? We’re setting ourselves up to be hurt if we are involved in any part of the organization, so we are better off to avoid all of it.
This is the reasoning many people use when asked why they don’t attend church. I can understand why someone would feel this way, especially if he or she has been affected negatively because of a personal experience. But when I hear the phrase, “I can’t deal with hypocrites," I have to wonder how all-encompassing that attitude is in their life. Put it another way: If a person can’t deal with hypocrites in the church, why do they deal with them in other areas of life?
Recently a large energy company was discovered to have done some “creative bookkeeping" to turn a profit for a few of the higher-up executives. What’s ironic is the company’s mission statement put an emphasis on four characteristics that were to be upheld when doing business: respect, integrity, communication, and excellence. I don’t know if the man running the company ever read the mission statement, or if he thought that these words were just suggestions that could be ignored when convenient. In any case, there would be little argument if I said these company leaders were hypocrites when it came to what they said they believed about how their organization should be run. Yet people who can’t deal with hypocrites still do business with energy companies. Why? “Oh, that was only one company. They’re not all like that."
What about the TV celebrity who uses the media to promote her stance on conservation, and then is seen driving off from her latest press conference in her gas-guzzling SUV? Or the movie star who trashes Americans and their extravagant way of life, all from the comfort of his multimillion dollar home? Would these be examples of hypocrites? If so, why are we still watching television and going to the movies?
Pick an area of life. The business world. Social settings. Family. Friends. Entertainment. Sports. Politics (maybe this one should have been first in the list). In every one of these areas, one can find somebody who says one thing and does another. But people don’t stop doing business, or stop attending their favorite social function, or dump their family and friends, because of one or two people whose actions don’t back up their words.
The irony in this situation is that the hypocrite who attends church is also the banker, or the hairstylist, or the babysitter, someone that is a part of other areas of a person’s life. Human beings are not so compartmentalized that they can turn their beliefs and feelings on and off every time they switch roles. If an individual is preaching “do as I say and not as I do" within the confines of the church, it’s a good bet that attitude is carrying over into the other roles he or she has outside the church doors.
Then there’s the flip side of the coin: There are people, within and apart from the church, who truly do practice what they preach. Individuals like Mother Teresa and Billy Graham have shown us that a person can be religious and fanatical, in a good way. And think of all the philanthropists and business executives and plain old ordinary guys-and-girls-next-door who say and do things to benefit society and help us see that there is some decency in the human spirit worth believing in.
Nearly every day we encounter someone who does or says something contrary to what they claim to believe. So, why does hypocrisy in the church bother us so much? Most likely it’s because over the years, an understanding has developed that belief in God improves the individual’s actions and attitudes. Some of it comes from Scripture, and some from the church itself. When we see conflict between a person’s actions and his beliefs, we feel betrayed because we’ve been lied to. We get angry and hurt and use terms like “pulling the wool over our eyes" and “acting like a wolf in sheep’s clothing" to describe what this person has done. Our trust in this person has been wounded.
And it’s not just the trust in the individual that’s been damaged. It’s the trust we put in the belief system he upholds. Deep down we all want the answer to the meaning of life, the universe, and everything. So many people have ideas on how to get a better life; the church augments that by providing insight into how to obtain a better afterlife. When we see someone’s belief system fail him, our hopes for some of those answers and insights are crushed. Because these are such big issues, the severity of the hurt is compounded. We retaliate by taking the attitude that if this doesn’t work for him, it doesn’t work for anybody.
So why the reaction (or maybe over-reaction) to this type of human foible? I mean, come on, everybody does it now and then. Yes – everybody does. And that’s the key. Every time another story of this nature breaks, we watch the news with a mixture of fascination and disdain. We are disgusted with the actions of the individual, and yet we are also frightened at the part of ourselves we see mirrored in what unfolds in the newscast. It’s a part we don’t like, and it’s a part we’ll do our best to hide away from the world – even if it means we have to turn into hypocrites ourselves.
It may seem like it to you, but really, this article isn’t about attending church (although it wouldn’t hurt to go once in awhile). That’s a choice each individual must make for himself. The bottom line is this: Hypocrites do not exist exclusively in the church. They are evident in every area of life. So stop using them as an excuse. Have the courage to be honest with people about why you choose to do, or not do, something. If you don’t, eventually somebody’s going to do some serious examination of your reasoning and find your attitude a little hypocritical. (And you wouldn’t be able to deal with that, now, would you?)
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Top-level comments on this article: (4 total)Good article. I find many of my writings are on similar topics. Our backgrounds are perhaps the reason. We look at things from all angles and we are cosistently revising our thinking. Honesty and integrity are two critical values we should all seek. However, as you point out we all have a long way to go individually.
I like your article; however has anybody ever tried getting to the root of the problem? We all seemed to see only the superficial, instead of only cutting the weed, pulling it out roots and all. On the other hand, is this even possible? perhaps changing the system this would change the people
I just wanted to let you know that this is an amazing article and I look forward to writing a summary response in accordance-Thank You! and keep it up.And I look forward to reading your response, Robert. Let me know when you submit it!
Danny, you said a lot here! It reminded me of when Jesus said that he did not trust man, for he knew what was in man's heart ("man" being generic, male and female). Yet, He loved and still loves with an eternal and perfect love and is our r Advocate before God, having paid the price for our punishment to set us free. When we look at other people, we get off track. The best earthly heroes are imperfect. When we look unto Jesus, we follow Him and hope by faith in the eternal life one day with Him. There will never be a church on earth free of those who don't know Christ yet claim they do. They often think they do. It is not for us to judge. If we keep "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith" we will stay on track. I know of churches that have faced the hypocrisies of their leaders scripturally and others that have tried to push the deep problems under a rug or behind a lawyer to stonewall. It is reassuring to know for sure that God's will cannot be blocked. Enjoyed your article very much.We seem to apply this ability to show grace and mercy to people in almost every other aspect of life except for church. Rather, uh, hypocritical, IMHO. And that was the point of the article. :)
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