Do you think all churches are full of hypocrits?

Question

We are all hypocrits! Rather you go to church or not you are still from a fallen nature and make mistakes. Do we want to?

Answer 1

The definition of hypocrite is one who plays a part for the purpose of winning favor. In this context, it is a rarity to find someone who is not a hypocrite. The church is full of people therefore full of people wearing masks seeking to find acceptance.
The questions is not whether or not the church is full of hypocrites but what drives one to hide their true self. The answer lies in the fear of rejection. The greatest need of mankind is to feel loved and accepted, to know that their life matters. It is such a strong need that we will go to great lengths to achieve just that. We believe that if people really know who we are, they would not accept us. Therefore we put up a front.
In a church, people are faced with the sin issue and that often drives people to operate out of a religious spirit--seeking to become accepted by keeping all the religious laws. When we keep the law, we feel self-righteous, when we fail, we feel condemned deserving punishment. Both are very destructive to the human soul.
It is very important that the leaders/teachers in the church lead the people to the Truth of the gospel. The truth is that when we accept the sacrifice of Christ, we receive complete and absolute acceptance from a holy God. This revelation will profoundly change a person's life. When one realizes that what they are so deperately seeking is now a reality, the striving stops, we enter into "the rest of God". Our deepest need has been met and we no longer have to put on that mask, we can be real. It is then, that we have the courage to face our issues and allow God to heal us.
To be on the outside of a church accusing them of being hypocrites is just as wrong as the church people accusing the outside of all their sins. It all comes from the same spirit. I always say its easier to accuse than understand. But to seek to truly understand brings healing.

Answer 2

I am a Christian and a sinner. I have read all the answers Mariaaa and I was expecting to find the following "All are sinners and fall short of the glory of God". I don't know where in the bible it comes except that its in the Gospels.

There is a lot of misery and brokeness in the World and if anyone asked me to explain why God allows it, I wouldn't be able to answer. Every day we hear of people being killed in Iraq and the Middle East and when the news comes that another soldier has been killed my heart aches for the families. I lost my son in a car crash when he was 30 so I do know what I'm talking about. I felt as tho' my heart had been ripped out of my body.

I believe there are hypercrits in the Church but people are what they want to be - a holier than though attitude is ridiculous. I sometimes see myself as being a load of rubbish and totally unworthy of His blood but, you know what, He loves me and I know it.

I used to think there was a Heaven for people who believed that Jesus came to bridge the gap between ourselves and God and that other people died and that was the end of them.

I once heard someone giving a 'talk' or maybe I read it somewhere and it went like this:-

.......There was a queue at Heavens gates and I was in this queue - some people were walking back from the front of the queue and I saw someone I knew walking away. He said to me "Why didn't you tell me about Jesus and that I needed to believe in Him?"............

If the Church preaches the right stuff and you can come away feeling you've not wasted your time then thats whats important - not whose sitting around you.

Answer 3

I stopped going to church when I was 14 as I made the decision that there were too many hypocrites there. They would all go to mass on Sunday, then I saw the way they lived their lives and treated people the rest of the week. I didn't think it was right and my mum listened to my opinion and understood my reasoning. So my religion is now my own and I try not to be hypocritical.

Answer 4

You make too broad of a statement. There are thousands of churches maybe millions in the world. So, no, not all churches are not full of hypocrites. All humans make mistakes. We all came from sin, from which we can be forgiven. It doesn't matter if you go to church or not if you aren't going for the right reason. Saving your soul is what's important. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian, believing in Jesus Christ and that he died so that we might live will.

Answer 5

Where else do they need to be? The Church is not for the saints, but for the sinners! If we were all perfect then we would only use the church to fellowship and not preach. God gave us the ability to choose right or wrong, its up to us to answer for our lives. So where else do sinners and hypocrites need to be, if the church would not run these people out and love them instead then the world just might have a chance.

Answer 6

It is true I have been in church all my life and have a personal relationship with Jesus but I see it all the time. It seems that church is the best place to get hurt. It is where people go to get answers and when they are hurting. Hurt people hurt others without even realising. Many church goers are hypocrytes because they believe they know it all and quite often don't. There is a good reason God said remove the plank from your own eye before trying to remove the speck from your brothers eye.

Answer 7

Churches are full of people, and many people in the church are hypocrites. There are hypocrites in every section of society aren't there? None of us are faultless and we are all hypocrites about something at sometime in our lives. We have to forgive and forget, try to set a good example and see others good traits too!

Answer 8

I think churches have their share of hypocrites yes but I would not say they are full of them. I am sure there are some bad churches that may have a majority of hypocrites but in general I would just say some people are at different levels of maturity in their Christian life. We all can not be spiritual giants.

Answer 9

I am not a Christian, and yes I know a lot of Christians who are hypocritical, but I also know some who I really think 'get it'.
They're not perfect, but their religion helps them be better people, and I think that's the idea.

I wonder sometimes if they aren't just good people to start with and would be just as good if they weren't religious. -They- sure don't think so. 8^)

I don't think it's necessary to go to church, though. People do it because they enjoy it. I guess there's nothing wrong with it. Jerks are going to be jerks anyway, right?

Answer 10

By hypocrite I imagine you mean people who go to worship service and/or bible class and then become like the rest of the secular world when they leave and do not even mention their beliefs or Jesus in their daily lives.

I would say many churches have them but most of them are probably people who come less often or do not tithe. Some even are very involved in certain church functions but in the outside world they put God last rather than first in their life.