While talking with a friend of mine, she compared Christians with politics. The comparison wasn't favorable despite the fact that she's a Christian herself. However, she's come across an unappealing view of Christians one too many times. I think we can all agree that Christians aren't perfect and never appear to be, but when hypocrisy comes across as the overarching description, then the viewer has every right to feel jaded.
Basically, the main complaint she held was that especially when it comes to service-oriented work or Christian-based employers, all that's needed to gain favor is to say the right thing. Never mind being honest and sharing your opinion, just use the right language and you're in. Once you've got the position, you can do whatever you want, and as another friend of mine chimed in, no one will care whether your actions are right or not, as long as it looks good. Like politicians.
Hypocrisy is wrong. It shows a lack of integrity and character. And for the good guys who hold on to their standards and continually act on their own conscience and belief systems, they see the things in life that they desire go flying by and given to the ones who fake it. And they get hurt and mad and feel gypped. And let's face it, they are.
But let's face another truth: it's not going to change. You're always going to run into people who lie and cheat and steal in order to make it to the top. It's part of life; it's part of humanity. And even though these are 'Christians' who should know better than to be hypocritical and who should act accordingly, quite often it's easier or more beneficial to say the right thing and do what you want.
Here's the question that is necessary for everyone to ask of themselves. Can the hypocrisy be helped? Is it on purpose? "Oh, no! Of course not! I'd never choose to be hypocritical." No, I don't suppose you would. But are the answers given and the face shown to others portrayed because it's right? Or because it's you? Maybe you know the answer, you comprehend all of the intricacies of the information, and you can regurgitate it to look good in front of someone else. But when it comes to your actions, your speech, the way you treat others - is the same information coming out? It comes from the heart, so are the right answers heart knowledge too, or merely head knowledge? Even if we're 'the good guys', is there something that we're doing that's just as hypocritical because our knowledge hasn't transfered from head to heart? Ask yourself.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Knowledgable Hypocrisy
Labels:
Christians,
Church,
head knowledge,
heart knowledge,
hypocrisy,
opinion,
politicians
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