Hypocrisy

I see lots of bumper stickers during my daily drive to work.  Some are funny, some are impolite, and some are thought provoking.  One that provoked my thinking was “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.”  It got me to wondering, how do others view Christians?

Christians are in the news a lot these days.  Whether the issue is separation of church and state, alternate lifestyles, TV and movie content, or politics, Christians are quite often vilified for their stance on these and other subjects.  Why would followers of Christ, people who were commanded to “love thy neighbor” and “turn the other cheek” be vilified?

I wish I could say that Christians are vilified because of their adherence to their Christian values, refusing to condone immorality. I wish it is due to a misunderstanding of the beliefs of Christianity.  I wish I could say it comes about because Christians are persecuted for having a strong faith by people of uncertain faith and beliefs. I wish I could say that its simply because people, looking for acceptance of or justification for their beliefs, attitudes, and actions, lash out at Christians because Christians refuse to accept those beliefs, attitudes, and actions.

It would be satisfying to say it is due to those things, but I can’t.  David Kinnaman, in his book, UnChristian: What A New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why It Matters, discusses the negative perceptions people have towards Christianity. The primary negative perception is that Christians are hypocritical, saying one thing while doing another, pretending to be a virtuous and morally superior people.  

Face it, in many cases, the perception is warranted.  Churches, especially those in the South in the 1960s and earlier, preached of loving thy neighbor, but in practice, many church members loved their neighbor only if that neighbor had a certain skin color.  The Catholic sex abuse scandal adds to the hypocrisy perception because of the hypocritical actions of priests, but also those who participated in the cover-up.  When members of the Westboro Baptist Church picketed funerals of US service personnel and participated in other protests, carrying signs stating “God Hates Fags”, “God Hates Jews,” and “God Hates America”, there were no statements from the United Methodist Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Catholic Church or other major religious organizations denouncing the actions or statements of the Westboro members.  

While these examples contribute to the perception of hypocrisy, the real source of the hypocrisy is some of the Christians that people encounter daily.  In Mr. Kinnaman’s book, he reports that many people have had bad experiences in a church or with a Christian, representing nearly 50 million adults who admit they have significant emotional or spiritual baggage due to past encounters with so-called Christians.

How many times have you seen rude drivers with “I love Jesus” stickers on their car? How many times have you seen people participating in unchristian like activities while wearing a crucifix or a “What Would Jesus Do” wristband? What about congregations that seem cold and unfriendly to visitors?  It’s easy to point out the hypocrisy of others but hard to admit hypocrisy in ourselves.

Christ warned us about hypocrisy.  In His Sermon on the Mount, He tells us that performing acts of charity in order to be seen by others offers no reward in Heaven. He warns us not to pray as the hypocrites do, in public for show, but to pray genuinely in private. He warns us not to judge, lest we be judged.  He tells us to love and pray for our enemies as well as our neighbors.  It’s terribly difficult not to be hypocrite, ever.  Especially when dealing with rude, inconsiderate people or people who choose to act dishonestly or without integrity, it is difficult not to act in kind.  

Only God can see into the heart of a person and see the good there.  Others can only see your goodness through your actions.  But your actions may also illuminate your hypocrisy.  Be polite. Show compassion through words and actions. Greet a visitor (or church member) warmly at church and show them you’re glad they attended.  Do a good turn for someone, regardless of whether anyone sees it. As Christ commanded, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven (Matthew 5:17).

Christians aren’t perfect.  It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being genuine.