I know many people who are active in their church–publicly active –they take leadership roles and their affiliation with the institution is clearly visible in the community. They have strong working knowledge of the Bible. They can belt out every word of hymns, hands raised in the air. They may even speak in tongues.
My expectations of these folks are higher than for people who do not wear the badge “Woman of God” or “Man of God.” I expect them to follow the Golden Rule, act in a thoughtful and caring manner, love and respect all beings and practice what they preach. That’s what I expect from someone who prominently displays the badge of their religion. If they put themselves out as a model of, let’s say, Christianity, then I want to see Christ-like behavior that I can aspire to.
And yet, the irony is that their every-day behavior often doesn’t match the tenets of their church.
At all.
I see this all the time, but it came to mind the other day when someone who clearly had crossed Christ-like boundaries was put in charge of a program to teach people Christ-like behaviors. There couldn’t have been a worse choice.
Other folks I know wave their Bibles even as they sit in judgment, obviously believing that the right-hand chair to God is reserved for them.
Why is that, I wonder? Why such a disconnect between what they say they believe and how they live?
Could it be…. Satan? Of course, I don’t believe in Satan. So. How do they explain it?
That’s right. If you don’t walk the walk, it’s probably best not to talk the talk.
Yep. The rampant hypocrisy surrounding me as I grew up didn’t endear the church or many of its people to me. “Do unto others . . . if someone’s watching.”
I remember taking a political theory class and discussing the question: Would Jesus be a Christian? Would he embrace the religion that was founded around him?
I’m always reminded of Shakespeare’s, “The lady doth protest too much, me thinks,” when encountering religious hypocrites. “Protest” in his time meaning just about the opposite of our usage today.
Or small men driving big trucks.
I trust someone who, yes, shuts up about it and simply, quietly, does good. The bible quoting and judgment ring hollow.
And certainly, the hypocrisy isn’t limited to Christians.
I have spent time in a church. And I learned and enjoyed. I didn’t rely on what I have memorized from the bible. Because I didn’t put pressure on my self in such a way. I relied on what I felt. I felt more then what was stated in the bible. It can be interpreted many ways. But I could not show or express that to others. I believe in the holy spirit. And I believe in what is felt because of it. It’s nice just to be the best you can be and not worry about what others feel you should be.
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Yep. The rampant hypocrisy surrounding me as I grew up didn’t endear the church or many of its people to me. “Do unto others . . . if someone’s watching.”
Yes, very puzzling.
I remember taking a political theory class and discussing the question: Would Jesus be a Christian? Would he embrace the religion that was founded around him?
I, too, wrote once about the confusion between God and Lord God (two different monikers in the first two chapters of Genesis). http://lavenderluz.com/2012/01/perfect-moment-monday-retreat.html
Thought provoking, Carol!
What a great question that is!
I’m always reminded of Shakespeare’s, “The lady doth protest too much, me thinks,” when encountering religious hypocrites. “Protest” in his time meaning just about the opposite of our usage today.
Or small men driving big trucks.
I trust someone who, yes, shuts up about it and simply, quietly, does good. The bible quoting and judgment ring hollow.
And certainly, the hypocrisy isn’t limited to Christians.
Exactly.
I have spent time in a church. And I learned and enjoyed. I didn’t rely on what I have memorized from the bible. Because I didn’t put pressure on my self in such a way. I relied on what I felt. I felt more then what was stated in the bible. It can be interpreted many ways. But I could not show or express that to others. I believe in the holy spirit. And I believe in what is felt because of it. It’s nice just to be the best you can be and not worry about what others feel you should be.