Why is it that people who claim to be Christians are the most hypocritical people?

Question

I ask this because every single person I know who has claimed to be a "Christian" is a huge hypocrite. One group of Christians I knew would go out to eat and complain about everything to the waiter and manager to get free meals. Another group of "Christian" women at a church I went to were very cliquey and didn't like outsiders in their bible study. Another man who was Catholic would always make sexual comments and innuendos to me. There's also all these sexual abuse scandals within the Catholic church. It's pretty much a joke. Does anyone else notice the hypocrisy at all? I believe you don't need a religion to get by in this life.

Answer 1

The higher you place yourself, the further the fall.

Answer 2

It depends on your definition of Christian.

Over 80% of Americans claim to be Christians.

I saw a servay that broke it down farther (I am going to have to guess a little here).

If you spesify that they must go to church at least once a week, the percentage would drop to 45%.

God to church once a week and read the Bible every day - 22%.

Also go to Bible study - 18%.

And so on....

The lowest (most stringant) number was .7%.

As a guess, I would say that it is in the teens.

When the rapture happens then we will know the true number, all so-called Christians will be left behind.

If you want to know some "Chirstians" try going to a Pentecoasta or Apostolic church. Each church is different, so you may find one where they are not representing Jesus very well, and there will be churches in other denominations that will do a good job.

Answer 3

The same could be asked about the Pharisees. Jesus, Himself put them in their place and wasn't too nice about it.

People forget it's not about themselves. If truly a child of the King, these people will be dealt with BY the King. You see, they will either finally fall away from the church (as it's not entertaining enough) OR the Holy Spirit will get hold of them and convict them into repentance.

It's like any family. Some children rebel. Of those that rebel, some will return and repent and some will go on to die. Facts is facts, son.

Others on the outside of that family find it quite easy to point fingers until the day it happens to them.

So here's the facts. Christians are a family and a family with a Father. The same problems exist as in any family, in fact the human family is an example of the Christian family.

Answer 4

Here are the "fightin' words": every single, huge hypocrite, cliquey, sexual comments, innuendos, sexual abuse scandals, joke, hypocrisy. Who agrees that this person has a big chip on their shoulder and wants an argument, and slanders and exaggerates purely for contention.

Answer 5

lol.

because firstly , you need to know what they christians are taught to do by the bible. such as love your enemy and so on

then you need to know what jesus also taught how his follower should be.

then you must know that going to heaven means accepting jesus and to prove this to him , you have to repent and follow his teaching ( some may disagree here )

to repent sincerely is to stop doing those sin you are doing , and admiting to your past mistake , and not sinning now with intention to sin as much as repent later on , it doesnt work that way , because if it work that way , then there's no need for 10 commandment since all you need to do is just repent at the last second of your life.

but then look at how many christians actually do repent , and not lip service ?

and well sure .. there's the usual defense that nobody is perfect , but do you think they did try not to sin ? =)
so its wrong to scold another christian because they arent perfect thus the sin and poor behavior some exhibit.

but it is ok to scold and criticise a nice atheist who isnt perfect too as a human and thus didnt accept jesus ??

i don't know why , it always appear to me that a typical christians can always claim 6 sides of a dice

Answer 6

Some of them are very hypocritical. There are some though that are good people.

I find that the there is a direct relationship between religion and hypocrisy. The more religious a person is, the more likely they are to be hypocrites.

Answer 7

Friend there is such a thing as A TRUE CHRISTIAN, few they may be, there are still True Christians, Myself, I have been a Christian for over 37 yrs., I don't do these things, why, Because God put something in my soul that is real, Many of these people you mentioned are not really Christians, Satan himself is religious, & he tries to hide behind things as what you mentioned.

Answer 8

I TOTALLY agree, lots of false christians, and genuine ones who make mistakes. Remember though, that God is not impressed with their behavior. Read matthew 7:13-21. He describes false christians as wolves and says he disowns them, not because of their CLAIMS, but their BEHAVIOR. For the true christians that make mistakes, like we all do, God forgives.

Think of it this way, there are many really bad and dishonest mechanics out there, but is that going to stop you from getting your car fixed? No. You'll find a really good one and keep your business with him. Same with searching for God, don't let the bad eggs stop you from continuing the search.

Answer 9

People in the church or trying to live for God are just that. They are trying. No one gets rid of their habits overnight, but Jesus can help you if you read his word and through prayer. Some Christians are stubborn and don't really believe it is worth it to live right, but God is clear about what will happen to them because they are pushing people away from him. I encourage you to keep seeking a relationship with God, and he will bring friends that are true to the God they believe in.

Answer 10

I thought of it this way make sure you are right and then you can help others. also think of people as having one leg and you have to depend on the other to help you along.People make wrong choices and get themselves into into trouble. Peter denied Jesus three times what did he do he went away and wept bitterly and God forgave him. If we do something that is wrong we can come to God and ask him to forgive us and he will. Let us find peace with each other and walk in peace with God as our savior. God bless

Answer 11

As a Christian I've experienced all three of the examples you mentioned...Christians who treat other people with disrespect and contempt, Christians who are "cliquish" and keep strangers at arm's length and even Christians who practice various forms of sexuality immorality. Like you, I came to believe that "religion" (a product of man) is not necessary to get by in this life, but I've never doubted my need for Jesus.

My experiences didn't cause me to turn away from my faith in Jesus, they caused me to turn away from those people! And isn't that exactly what Jesus told us to do? Anyone can claim to be a follower of Christ, but Jesus commands us to judge other followers by their actions NOT by their words.

I stopped attending churches for years but I didn't reject God or Jesus, just the man-made product of religion. Too many people believe that if they follow a specific set of rules laid down by their church, that they are actually following Jesus. Instead, they are putting their trust in another man (or woman) to tell them what is important. Perhaps the Christians you mentioned haven't ever heard a sermon on why what they were doing was wrong (or they didn't listen when they heard one because it wasn't made personally relevant for them)?

After years of rejecting religion (and religious people), I finally realized that I wasn't following God's instructions. I realized that the true purpose of attending church (what some would call being "religious") is to learn more about God's will for ME and to fellowship with other people who are seeking the same thing. I finally found a church (and a pastor) who focuses on that goal and offers relevant teaching that helps me recognize AND change the hypocrisy in my own life. Instead of giving me answers, my pastor gives me questions...questions that I need to take to God and study in my own life to find the right answers.

I finally came to realize that not all hypocrisy is deliberate or even conscious. Hypocrisy is a natural human failing not limited to Christians or any other group of people. How many people teach their children not to lie and then lie to them about Santa Claus? How many people say that are concerned about the environment but still drive unnecessarily or don't do the work it takes to recycle or even properly dispose of all the products they use?

The fact that many Christians behave hypocritically doesn't mean that they aren't "good Christians" or they aren't "real Christians". Deciding to follow Jesus don't mean that God waves a wand and makes you instantly aware of the inconsistencies in your life...following Jesus is a lifelong process of of baby steps! Every week in church, I'm given something new to think about in my own life...and nearly every week I become aware of something in my own behavior/choices that isn't consistent with God's instructions...following Jesus means taking those steps as you become aware of them. Instead of condemning Christianity or even other Christians for their inconsistent behavior, I'm now more likely to see those inconsistencies as an opportunity to make other believers aware of an issue they need to address.

...perhaps the reason YOU (and I) encountered those Christians was to help them! Perhaps God put you there because he knew that you would be able to see the hypocrisy that they weren't even aware existed?