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.