So what's YOUR definition of 'hypocrite'?

Question

So many of you LOVE to call Christians 'hypocrites', but I'm not convinced that label fits. MY dictionary says a hypocrite is someone who is PRETENDING to be something they are not. What makes YOU call someone a hypocrite?

Answer 1

"Shame on you for being judgmental."

That's my example of hypocrisy.

Answer 2

When I decided to break from the church (ok, any church) it was because of hypocrites.

I was sitting next to a guy that was screwing the neighbors wife, in front of the guy you beat his wife into the hospital and knew many more of the parishioners that were daily violating "god's" laws. Including the do unto others thing.

When I spoke to the priest he basically explained that as a Christian you have an out. Well, I might have only been 10 but it didn't take a genius to figure out the hypocrisy of it all.

Don't you think the whole not being punished for the sin, but for not saying your sorry and asking to be forgiven seems pretty hypocritical? It does in my book. And that is when I decided to do some research and come to my own conclusions.

I do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, not because I am afraid to face my inevitible death or because a book tells me to. I try to be moral because I believe you get what you give, to be forced into doing the right thing on the threat of damnation is one of the things I find to be the most hypocritical.

And when I am "damned to hell" ( I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, let alone someone that disagrees with me) or am called vile names I feel that is pretty darned hypocritical.

Answer 3

I like the one Shaw gave in "Major Barbara."

"It is expected that people do Evil and preach Good. But HE preaches Evil and does Good. And that is the worst form of hypocrisy."

In general, hypocrisy is about espousing and even attempting to enforce things one doesn't believe in. So when you look the word up in the Dictionary, the picture is Pat Robertson.

Christians claim to follow the teachings of Jesus. But Jesus said, "By the fruit shall ye know the tree."

The most vocal Christian Churches, the ones who have their own radio and tv stations are hate groups who totally reject the New Covenant. True Christians rarely have the courage to speak out against the phonies, so the whole Religion gets branded with the taint of the hypocrites.

Of course, there are True Followers of Christ who are also hypocrites, because they do speak out against the False while pretending or even deluding themselves that they are atheists and agnostics.

The Second chapter of the Gospel According to Mark should be preached more often and on the wall of every Christian home.

Answer 4

Earlier there was a question on here where someone criticized atheists, saying that if atheists haven't read the Bible, who do they think they are deciding that Christianity is incorrect? (Followed it up by calling them ignorant, and pea-brained.) Now, it was a fair enough *question* (if the atheist hadn't read the Bible) but the person who asked this had not read the Koran, or any other religious literature from any other religion, before deciding that THEY were incorrect.
That's a hypocrite.

Answer 5

Hypocrite comes from a Greek word means one who plays a part (for example an actor), so your dictionary definition fits.

In the vernacular, hypocrite has come to mean someone who says one thing and does another. An example is an alcoholic parent forbidding their children from drinking.

Answer 6

Some of the reasons I call christians hypocrites are:

Because they say that they believe in the bible and quote passages to me that they take literally in an attempt to convert me or whatever else their agenda is at the time, but then if i quote them a passage that contradicts them that passage is very conveniently metaphorical rather than literal. All christians pick and choose which passages of their supposed holy text to take literally or metaphorically.

Because they live their lives in contradiction to the bible, many commit adultery, many preach about how homosexuality is wrong yet submit themselves to greed which is mentioned right next to homosexuality as at least an equal sin. Many covet their neighbours possessions and wives, they purposefully live lives of sin and think nothing of it, yet profess to people of other beliefs that those same sins will send them to hell.

Answer 7

I am a Christian, but I would call my sister-in-law a "hypocrite". She "claims" to be a Christian (she is Catholic), but she lets her 14-year old daughter take birth control pills and lets her date men who are 25 years old. When my brother (who is not the girl's father) tries to put his foot down, my sister-in-law fights him on it. A hypocrite is a so-called "Christian" who smokes, drinks, does drugs, commits fornication and has abortions. That is NOT Christian behavior!

Answer 8

saying something is wrong but then doing it makes you a hypocrite. Like if I say smoking is wrong, and acting like im above smoking, but then lighting up when no one is looking. When christians preach peace and love, but then support war (Like vietnam or Iraq), that makes them a hypocrite.

Answer 9

I like Ambrose Bierce's definition of a Christian (really, a hypocritical Cristian) "One who follows the teachings of Christ insofar as they are not inconsistent with a life of sin".

Answer 10

a hypocrite is a person who says one thing but does another

Answer 11

In my opinion a hypocrite talks the talk but can't walk the walk.