Why is that when confronted with evidence that Christians aren't necessarily as moral as they like to think

Question

they will almost always fall back to "but those aren't REAL Christians"? I find this incredibly denigrating and dismissive of other people's faith, and contend that those making that statement aren't the real Christians. After all, what happened to "judge not, lest..." and who are you to decide what is in other people's hearts?

The question I'm referring to was this one:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Am5bJedk7crNh2P6TZbZrZnsy6IX?qid=20070712225128AAuhpyT
but examples abound.

Answer 1

Seems like they are doing an awful lot of bargaining and justifying.
When others have moral failings, they aren't true christians, when they have moral failings its,
"Do as I say, not as I do, but I asked god for forgiveness, so don't you judge me!!!!"

Answer 2

Well, all you're going to get on this type of question is opinions, and you know what they say about opinions. *Smile*

Well, here's mine. With many Christians, that's a defensive mechanism, a way of distancing ourselves from the "bad" Christians. The lapsed Christian here put it very well. I find myself doing the same thing.

The problem isn't that some Christians still sin, even though that would be a problem in God's eyes. The problem is that people on the outside looking in see a Christian fall from grace, and say, "See? They're all hypocrites!"

DC Talk (a Christian rap/rock group) did a song a few years back, about the only one I like by them, called "What If I Stumble." It starts off with a man saying "The greatest cause of atheism in the world is Christians." And it's SO TRUE. Many of us ARE hypocrites, but the rest of us want to distance ourselves and say that we're not like that. And no matter what we do, it's wrong. It can't be denied that if a Christian lives a truly righteous life, then either we're lumped in with the Christians who don't, or we're called "holier than thou" and "Mr. (or Mrs. or Miss) Perfect." We face a LOT of derision! On the other hand, if a Christian stumbles, it's not because we're human, but because we're a "hypocrite."

I try to avoid using the "not a REAL Christian" argument. Maybe they are. You're right when you say that we don't know for sure. Only God knows our heart.

Answer 3

it's called hypocricy.
or the kiddy term is "do what we say not what we do."

Humans are judgemental, and are quick to form opinions to defend their own beliefs. Oftern this leads to an attack on the object of fear, whether it be someone asking a question or just simply an item that challenges their belief system.

on the defensive many people will disreguard anyone elses opinion to try to re enforce their own.
In this case in the person's mind the other people can not be "real christians" because they do not agree perfectly with their predisposition.

Morality is an issue that is skirted round at the best of times, but when it comes directly into the spot light it either addressed or ignored depending on what the person wants.

Answer 4

I am a christian and I agree with what you are saying. Bu I also feel that no-matter what answer is given there will be something critical that can be said about it.

If I were to say that the church is full of people and that people aren't perfect and still have problems and issues that they're dealing with/trying to get over, then that's considered a cop out.

I also don't like the philosophy 'Christian's aren't perfect, just forgiven' because that says 'hey, we're not even going to try'.

Christians should be trying to live a life that comes out of relationship with God, and there should be good fruit visible from that.

Answer 5

First off, Christians don't think they are any more moral than any else. Everybody is immoral, everybody is a sinner. For some reason, Christians are held to a higher standard. Just because somebody is Christian, it does NOT mean they are less sinful, it does not mean they are more moral or ethical, or anything like that. All it means is that Christians are forgiven. But when a Christian sins, especially publicly, people are ever so quick to point the finger.

Second of all, just because somebody calls themselves a Christian, it doesn't mean they are. Same goes for atheism or Buddhism or anything else. There are a lot of misguided people out there. I don't know about your "REAL" Christians example, but maybe they are and maybe they aren't. But please stop thinking Christians are supposed to be "better" than anyone else. They aren't better and they aren't worse either. We're all people just with different beliefs.

Answer 6

LOL... Yeah, that's a rather weak response designed to survive another round... It's just more of the same - christians duckin' and weavin' and back-peddlin' around the ring to evade the hard hitting punches of fact and truth, the hits that would otherwise decide the match.

You could say quite fairly that it's a cowardly and dishonest display but I choose just to see the humor in it , too .... It's pretty comical, after all, isn't it?

"God is always real but some christians quite often aren't..."

It's nonsense... LOL

[][][] r u randy? [][][]
.

Answer 7

For Christians to live a life of victory they have to know that their flesh have been crucified in Jesus and that they should take advantage of the abundance of God's grace and His righteousness to reign in life (Romans 5:17 & 6:6). If they live in the grace of God by being in Jesus and be led by the Holy Spirit sin shall not have dominion over them (Romans 6:14,Galatians 5:16-18). Most Christians sin because they are not taught to walk in grace, be led by the Holy Spirit to live the new creation life in Christ Jesus and be sons of God as God have predestined them to be. Christians therefore sin because they are not taught or not properly taught on how they get their act together to live by the power of the Holy Spirit. But God's promise is that the sons of God which all creation is anxiously waiting to see will surely come forth in the end-time.

Answer 8

That's a patchy subject to get into.

I agree, Christians have rough time with statistics on them.

I would say, there is a difference between someone who is a member of a church faithfully, and a member socially. Remember, in the Bible Belt, people assume they are Christian whether or not they ever become one. (Live in TN and AR).

At the same time, I've seen atheists tell people who are no longer homosexuals that they are "lying to themselves".

It's no different. Both sides have morons representing them. Both sides have people who know what they're talking about.

Answer 9

I think a major factor in this is sheer defensiveness. Now, I'm answering as a lapsed Christian, but when I was in college, it was (in that city and at that time) exceedingly uncool to be Christian. The reason had nothing to do with the religion itself; instead, it had to do with several very offensive and judgmental people who apparently considered it their bounden duty to park themselves in the middle of campus and berate anyone (including me) who passed within eyesight for being a hell-bound sinner. My personal faith (Christian or otherwise) has always been based on a strict code of personal morality, which ran completely counter to these tactics - and, in fact, found them not only utterly counterproductive, but in fact antithetical to the teachings of Christ. I swiftly grew tired of having to defend my faith in the face of those who had only met these extremists, and became accustomed to the defense of "yes, I'm a Christian, but not one of THOSE Christians." It's only a short step from that to "yes, but those aren't REAL Christians." (Which, to be perfectly fair, I came close to saying once or twice - my anger at bigoted, judgmental people 'usurping' my religion's good name was very strong.) Not claiming that such a statement is justified - just that it's understandable.

These days, of course, I consider myself more Pagan than Christian (not that I've ever rejected Christ, just that.. well, I've experienced things that are not "dreamed of in your philosophy"; and had to expand), and don't worry about it nearly so much. Sure, there's obnoxious Pagans out there, but they don't get nearly as much press as obnoxious Christians, so where's the worry?

Answer 10

No argument there. I'm not in the camp that believes that "real Christians" are supernaturally incapable of sin. God didn't take away my free will when He saved me. Christians still screw up. They shouldn't, but they do. And you're right; only God knows what's really going on in their hearts.