2006-06-26 19:21:57 · 10 answers · asked by Bondservant 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Civic Participation
I just had a thought as I read your question. I think it's possible that there are many religious people, people who really believe in God, but who do not parade that belief around and impose their beliefs on other people.
You wouldn't really think of them as "religious", but they would be so.
I understand your question though. There do seem to be a lot of people who say they are religious--"I'm a Christian"--who are very un-Christ-like in their dealings with people that believe differently than they do or who make different choices than they do.
Maybe it makes them feel safe to be so clearly superior and saved, at least as far as they understand it. As for me, I have pretty much given up on religion and I try instead to think in terms of what God wants of me. I still do believe in God, as I always have believed in God. I just don't believe much in religions.
2006-06-26 19:29:22 · answer #1 · answered by LC 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"Regular people" can act more tolerant and "loving" (which is debatable) than "religious" people because the very nature of religion (and I am going to assume you mean Christianity) is intolerance of sin.
One can only be a hypocrite by definition if there is a law or standard one has pledged his allegiance to and is acting or pretending to follow it. In this context only "religious" people can be hypocrites and regular people have the disposable luxury of changing their morals and standards as they would their socks.
There is one problem with that. Those "hypocrites" didn't write the law they are pretending to obey and even worse the "law" was intended for everyone, even those "regular people" to obey. So both those "hypocrites" who are just pretending or those who have never pledged their allegiance to the Law of God, will be judged by the same Law Giver and be given the same sentence.
2006-06-26 19:33:18 · answer #2 · answered by rejavanation 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I can only speak from the Christian aspect. These religious folks you are talking about are probably the far right wing faction. They are same who have committed genocide in the name of Christianity. The ones who led the Crusades, the Inquisition, destroyed the lives of Native Americans, and who were continually cleansing - like the Witch Trials. In our present day they are the Pat Robertson's, Fred Phelps's, and James Dobson's. Let's also include Sen. Rick Santorum and his buddies. The stuffy and arrogant in some of the main line denominations.These are the terrorists in the name of Christianity. There are millions of the Christian faith. Do not allow these people and their followers cloud who we really are. I think many of those "regular people" you talk about are also people of faith, but are so embarrassed by these extremists they are just good folks without the details. There are many, many "religious folks" of all faiths, who are good and caring people. Don't be confused by the terrorists.
2006-06-27 08:17:42 · answer #3 · answered by DK 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I neither can nor want to answer for your religious folks, but I do understand exactly where you are coming from on that one. ;)
As for regular people....
1) My half-baked guess is that with non-devout, non-fanatic regular people, you are more likely, the odds are higher, that you will run into someone who is still in the habit of using their head and actually being thoughtful.
2) Another such guess is that with regular people, you don't get that whole assumption of being "right" or "infallible". Which leads to more real humility and also to someone being a bit more grounded in reality and more prone to accept checking his or her grip on reality as it is, not as some 2000-plus year old "good book" argues it "should be".
Just my nickel, sorry it isn't the shiniest of the bunch....people have been mean today and I am kinda worn down from it. :(
2006-06-26 19:30:02 · answer #4 · answered by Bradley P 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think religious people are any more hypocritical than any one else. They live by their beliefs, as do the "normal people". You may not like the ideals, morals, and values of the religious people, but you failed to show us as "hypocrites".
2006-06-27 00:20:42 · answer #5 · answered by kelly24592 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because religious people are uptight a$swholes and they can't come into contact with anyone who's "not perfect" it might contaminate them with evil... They're all hypocritical f u c k s but normal people don't base life on such a stupid thing...
2006-06-26 19:27:37 · answer #6 · answered by Stephanie w 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Religious leaders who are active poltically love to hide behind some verses in the Bible when it comes to their political views, even though the same Bible has some verses in another area that totally contradict their statements.
2006-06-27 12:06:02 · answer #7 · answered by brotherb95 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they either A) don't practice what they preach or B) don't understand their own religion in the first place.
2006-06-28 10:28:06 · answer #8 · answered by vonwasden 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not a valid question. Your premise is not true. You can't paint everyone with the same broad brush.
2006-06-27 00:21:59 · answer #9 · answered by rhymingron 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"Regular people"...there's your answer. Or an answer, kinda? Some of them just aren't normal... ; )
2006-06-26 19:27:42 · answer #10 · answered by Indigo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋