Why are so many Christians on here Hypocrites?

Question

Here is Verse 22 of Chapter 5 of the Gospel According to St. Matthew, in the translation commissioned by King James:

"But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire."

I've noticed on this website Christians have a great penchant for calling anyone who disagrees with Christian 'teachings' a fool or an idiot. This is as much as to say, "We have all the answers and no one else knows anything. Not only do we have the rules for governing our own lives, but we have the rules that everyone else must also obey. There is no debate on any issue, because we know everything, and no one has any relationship with us unless it is to gain the infinite wisdom we alone can dispense."

Niki: Read what you just wrote!!!
well hun, you are being a hypocrite right now..... i dont call anyone a hypocrite.


DUH YOU JUST DID!!!

Answer 1

Uh, because Christians should be reading their bible, when they are on the computer looking at this site and bashing all the sinners that are going to hell. Why don't they just leave us alone? I think it's because they want to feel superior for not partaking in "the world" but in reality they are just afraid. It's a self defense mechanism of sorts. If they were serious about their faith they would be trying to help us...but it's like Nietchze said..."its not the love of the christians that keep them from killing us, but rather the ineffectuality of that love." If there is a god, let him judge me, who the f*&# are they to judge? Again, they need to read their bible. They can go to myspace page www.myspace.com/disok to get their daily verse if they'd like. It's a step in the right direction.

Answer 2

I think you took this a bit to the extreme, but some Christians do not know all the details of their faith. They need to hold back from shouting out. On the other end, though, there are plenty of people are looking to get a rise out of Christians but insulting their beliefs. Calling everything "fake" or "stupid" themselves. I wish that the Religion section could be removed from Yahoo! Answers. Things would be much more peaceful.

Answer 3

it's KJV, so I can't say it's a correct translation, but I have to say that Christians are hardly the only hypocrites. Maybe the ones you're most concerned with, but definately not the only people that commit that crime. :)

Answer 4

Why do non-Christians like to label Christians as Hypocrites?

We are all human. It is sad when people rejoice about other peoples failings.

Peace!

Answer 5

I think that part of the problem is there are so many young people here. Not too many mature Christians. Very sad but hopefully, those of you, Christian or not, who are more mature than them, will gently correct them.

Answer 6

Why are all you non-beleivers pulling quotes from the bible? Wow that's interesting. You can read it to try and prove wrong!! Why not use it for what it is intended. I am no Hypocrite

Answer 7

Yes I've noticed they often resort to personal abuse and calling others fools and idiots or retards when they have lost the argument...it's pathetic really.

Answer 8

Their's hypocrites in all religions!!You dont have to be christian to be one!!!

Answer 9

Tis the nature of the beast

Answer 10

Mat 5:22 -
But I say unto you - Jesus being God as well as man Joh_1:1, Joh_1:14, and therefore, being the original giver of the law, had a right to expound it or change it as he pleased. Compare Mat_12:6, Mat_12:8. He therefore spoke here and elsewhere as having authority, and not as the scribes. It may be added here that no mere man ever spake as Jesus did, when explaining or enforcing the law. He did it as having a right to do it; and he that has a right to ordain and change laws in the government of God must be himself divine.
Is angry with His brother without a cause - Anger, or that feeling which we have when we are injured, and which prompts us to defend ourselves when in danger, is a natural feeling, given to us:
1.As a proper expression of our disapprobation of a course of evil conduct; and
2.That we may defend ourselves when suddenly attacked.
When excited against sin, it is lawful. God is angry with the wicked, Psa_7:11. Jesus looked on the hypocritical Pharisees with anger, Mar_3:5. So it is said, “Be ye angry, and sin not, Eph_4:26. This anger, or indignation against sin, is not what our Saviour speaks of here. What he condemns here is anger without a cause; that is, unjustly, rashly, hastily, where no offence has been given or intended. In that case it is evil; and it is a violation of the sixth commandment, because “he that hateth his brother, is a murderer,” 1Jo_3:15. He has a feeling which would lead him to commit murder, if it were fully acted out. The word “brother” here refers not merely to one to whom we are nearly related, having the same parent or parents, as the word is commonly used, but includes also a neighbor, or perhaps anyone with whom we may be associated. As all people are descended from one Father and are all the creatures of the same God, so they are all brethren: and so every man should be regarded and treated as a brother, Heb_11:16.
Raca - This is a Syriac word, expressive of great contempt. It comes from a verb signifying to be empty, vain; and hence, as a word of contempt, denotes senseless, stupid, shallow-brains. Jesus teaches here that to use such words is a violation of the spirit of the sixth commandment, and if indulged, may lead to a more open and dreadful infraction of that law. Children should learn that to use such words is highly offensive to God, for we must give an account for every idle word which we speak in the day of judgment, Mat_12:36.
In danger of the council - The word translated “council” is in the original Sanhedrin, and there can be no doubt that the Saviour refers to the Jewish tribunal of that name. This was instituted in the time of the Maccabees, probably about 200 years before Christ. It was composed of 72 judges: the high priest was the president of this tribunal. The 72 members were made up of the chief priests and elders of the people and the scribes. The chief priests were such as had discharged the office of the high priest, and those who were the heads of the twenty-four classes of priests, who were called in an honorary way high or chief priests. See Mat_2:4. The elders were the princes of the tribes or heads of the family associations. It is not to be supposed that all the elders had a right to a seat here, but such only as were elected to the office. The scribes were learned people of the nation elected to this tribunal, being neither of the rank of priests or elders. This tribunal had cognizance of the great affairs of the nation. Until the time when Judea was subjected to the Romans, it had the power of life and death. It still retained the power of passing sentence, though the Roman magistrate held the right of execution. It usually sat in Jerusalem, in a room near the temple. It was before this tribunal that our Saviour was tried. It was then assembled in the palace of the high priest, Mat. 26:3-57; Joh_18:24.
Thou fool - This term expressed more than want of wisdom. It was expressive of the highest guilt. It had been commonly used to denote those who were idolaters Deu_22:21, and also one who is guilty of great crimes, Jos_7:15; Psa_14:1.
Hell fire - The original of this is “the gehennah of fire.” The word gehenna, γέεννα geenna, commonly translated “hell,” is made up of two Hebrew words, and signifies the valley of Hinnom. This was formerly a pleasant valley near to Jerusalem, on the south. A small brook or torrent usually ran through it and partly encompassed the city. This valley the idolatrous Israelites devoted formerly to the horrid worship of Moloch, 2Ki_16:3; 2Ch_28:3. In that worship, the ancient Jewish writers inform us, the idol of Moloch was of brass, adorned with a royal crown, having the head of a calf, and his arms extended as if to embrace anyone. When they offered children to him they heated the statue within by a great fire, and when it was burning hot they put the miserable child into his arms, where it was soon consumed by the heat; and, in order that the cries of the child might not be heard, they made a great noise with drums and other instruments about the idol. These drums were called תּף toph, and hence a common name of the place was Tophet, תּפת Tophet, Jer_7:31-32.
After the return of the Jews from captivity, this place was held in such abhorrence that, by the example of Josiah 2Ki_23:10, it was made the place where to throw all the dead carcasses and filth of the city, and was not unfrequently the place of public executions. It became, therefore, extremely offensive; the sight was terrific; the air was polluted and pestilential; and to preserve it in any manner pure, it was necessary to keep fires continually burning there. The extreme loathsomeness of the place; the filth and putrefaction; the corruption of the atmosphere, and the lurid fires blazing by day and night, made it one of the most appalling and terrific objects with which a Jew was acquainted. It was called the gehenna of fire, and was the image which our Saviour often employed to denote the future punishment of the wicked.
In this verse it denotes a degree of suffering higher than the punishment inflicted by the “court of seventy,” or the Sanhedrin, and the whole verse may therefore mean, “He that hates his brother without a cause is guilty of a violation of the sixth commandment, and shall be punished with a severity similar to that inflicted by the court of judgment. He that shall suffer his passions to transport him still further, so that he shall make his brother an object of derision and contempt, shall be exposed to severer punishment, corresponding to that which the Sanhedrin (council) inflicts. But he who shall load his brother with odious appellations and abusive language shall incur the severest degree of punishment, represented by being burned alive in the horrid and awful valley of Hinnom.”
The amount, then, of this difficult and important verse is this: The Jews considered but one crime a violation of the sixth commandment, namely, actual murder, or willful, unlawful taking life. Jesus says that the commandment is much broader. It relates not only to the external act, but to the feelings and words. He specifies three forms of such violation:
1.Unjust anger.
2.Anger accompanied with an expression of contempt.
3.Anger, with an expression not only of contempt, but wickedness.
Among the Jews there were three degrees of condemnation: that by the “judgment,” the “council,” and the “fire of Hinnom.” Jesus says likewise there shall be grades of condemnation for the different ways of violating the sixth commandment. Not only murder shall be punished by God, but anger and contempt shall be regarded by him as a violation of the law, and punished according to the offence. As these offences were not actually cognizable before the Jewish tribunals, he must mean that they will be punished hereafter, and all these expressions therefore relate to degrees of punishment proportionate to crime in the future world - the world of justice and of woe.


It is important to remember that Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience, hence knowing the cultural context of the verse is important. This does not excuse abusive language used by a believer against anyone.
Yet the Bible is very clear about whom is considered a "fool",

The fool has said in his heart, There is no God! (Psalm 14:!)
I guess if the shoe fits.......