Viewpoint Against Christianity

“Living here in the West, I’ve had the opportunity to interact with many Christians.  In my experience, many professed ‘Christians’ teach one thing and practice another.  By almost any definition, this makes them hypocrites. Sure, every once in a while, you run into an exceptional Christian like Mother Teresa, but the majority don’t seem to practice what they preach—or hear—in their Sunday sermons.  If Jesus were alive today, he would likely criticize TV evangelists and their internet profiteers as hypocrites, just as he did the Jewish leaders 2,000 years ago.  Given the obvious hypocrisy of the Christian religion, how could someone like me reasonably entertain embracing Christianity?”

Background Discussion

There is perhaps nothing more provocative than calling someone a hypocrite. A hypocrite is someone who outwardly claims to hold certain beliefs but fails to practice them. For instance, someone who professes to abide by the Ten Commandments, but then secretly lies and cheats on their taxes. Or an individual who claims to follow the teachings of Jesus, but then engages in hurtful gossip on social media. As described in the New Testament Bible, Jesus accused the Jewish religious leaders of His time of hypocrisy. These leaders portrayed themselves as “holy” through public acts of fasting and providing charity to the poor, while simultaneously harboring internal thoughts of superiority and arrogance, and also plundering the finances of widows in their congregations for their own personal gain.  Considering these biblical examples, one might argue that, today, many Christians actually do the same.

If we hold Christians to the same standard of perfection as Jesus, then, by this definition, most all Christians should be considered hypocrites. However, what if a Christian openly acknowledges their failure to live up to the ideals of Christianity but is actively working to address their shortcomings? Should they then be labeled a hypocrite? The concept of “hypocrisy” implies a necessary deception. Therefore, in the latter case, where there is an admission of failure and no intentional deceit, the person in question should not truly be considered a hypocrite but rather a "sinner.” On the other hand, if someone refuses to acknowledge their failures and intentionally deceives both society and themselves, then they should indeed be considered hypocrites.  As Charles Spurgeon, a 19th-century preacher, once said: "It is a terribly easy matter to be a minister of the Gospel and a vile hypocrite at the same time." Ultimately, the final judgment on whether someone is a hypocrite is left for the Big Guy in the sky to decide.

By almost any definition, it is likely that certain individuals who identify as “Christians” can be justifiably labeled hypocrites, and, if they persist in their deception, they will most likely face harsh judgement by both society and God. However, there are also Christians who, while falling short of Jesus's standards of perfection, may not be hypocrites but rather just fellow sinners like the rest of us. But does being imperfect disqualify us from participating in the Christian story? Should a baseball pitcher refuse to play ball because he can’t consistently pitch a perfect game? Should a doctor abandon their practice because they were unable to save the life of every patient? Christianity does not demand perfection. As the saying goes, “Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.” But it’s also important to note that Christian forgiveness requires multiple components: 1.) admitting failure (sin); 2.) expressing sincere sorrow for wrongdoing; and 3.) making a concerted effort to change.

Should we reject Christianity because 1.) some Christians are hypocrites, or 2.) all Christians fail to live up to Jesus’s standard? We suggest that reasons such as these do not justify outright rejection of Christianity. All Christians in the world today, including revered figures like Mother Teresa, are considered imperfect sinners and in need of salvation. Rejecting Christianity because of hypocritical leaders or imperfect congregations is not valid logic. As Oscar Wilde, a 19th-century poet, once noted, "The value of an idea has nothing whatever to do with the sincerity of the man who expresses it." 

If you are interested in exploring this topic further, take your time to investigate what Christians, non-Christians, and atheists think about hypocritical behavior of purported Christians. We would humbly suggest that it is certainly possible for you to become a Christian without becoming a hypocrite. But, on the other hand, to actually play a role in the Christian story, we all must admit our failures. Even if you are a hypocrite, consider what Sir Arthur Robert Adams, a British colonial administrator, once stated: "Don't stay away from church because there are so many hypocrites. There's always room for one more." 

Please click on the links to videos, documents, quotes, and books regarding the concept of Christian hypocrisy. If you haven’t already, please consider making the Christian Decision. This could be the most important decision of your life, or of your death.