WHY DO PEOPLE FIND HYPOCRITES SO REPUGNANT?
 

Why is hypocrisy so repulsive? If it is because people are doing what they forbid us to do then do we expect people to tell us to copy their bad example? Our condemnation of their hypocrisy is really about our jealousy. We are afraid they have enjoyed doing the wrong we didn’t do for it was banned.

Do hypocrites have a contempt for people who do the wrong that they do themselves? Not necessarily. Without that contempt, they are still hypocrites. We cannot say we hate hypocrites because they have contempt for us. If we hate them for hating us, we hate them for being haters not hypocrites.
 
Some believers say that Jesus tells you to love each other and that you must say nothing about another’s sin until you get rid of your own sin. They say he said that instead of saying you must love the sinner and hate the sin. Christians would say that would mean he wants you to be happy or not care if another sins. They say that we cannot always wait until we are perfect ourselves before we speak out against sin.
 
The hatred for hypocrites is based on jealousy. Jesus Christ ranted and raved about hypocrites constantly and directed his venom at the Jewish priesthood: the Scribes and the Pharisees. Enough said! This man was not God or the Son of God. The hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders though bad was no crime unlike the actions of the Romans whose infernal activities Jesus never even once condemned. It did not merit the vehemence it got from Jesus.
 
The view that religion should not be criticised as there is many in the Church who are good actually accuses them of being hypocrites. It implies that it is just their religion is keeping them good. Take away the faith or the Church and they will show their true colours.
 
Hypocrites reason that they that though it is bad to promote values one does not keep oneself, it is better than not promoting them at all. That is why many hypocrites are never exposed. That is why they seem to be so good. That is how they are such good actors. People find their performance so offensive because it makes them wonder if the good people are in fact hypocrites as well!
 
Hypocrisy enables evil in the sense that it gives a bad and very attractive example. It enables evil by destroying the credibility of a good and edifying message.
 
Society enables people to be hypocrites. Here is how.
 
Unless you make your bad side very obvious, people will overlook it or not notice it. For example, if Catholic priests stood up in the pulpit and said that whoever does not pay weekly to the Church is very evil there would be an uproar. But if the priests convey this message but in a camouflaged way, nobody is bothered. Too often, the respect we have for others is based on the error that evil is fine if presented in a certain way. This is not real respect for it is based on error. Real respect sees people as they are.



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