Quick Challenge Answer: Are Christians Hypocrites?

This week’s quick challenge question is, Are Christians Hypocrites?  

In a sense, yes, we are. We promote a morality that we know we are unable to keep ourselves.  But this shouldn’t surprise us.  We are told right away in the Bible that men are no longer capable of keeping God’s moral laws.  God demands moral perfection from us, an impossible standard for fallen humans. That’s why we need a savior.  Jesus offers us a pardon for our moral sins.  

But looking a bit deeper, I think it’s easier to catch Christians in acts of hypocrisy than other groups.  The reason for this is quite simple.  We have our standard on display for all to see.  There are no secrets with Christianity. The standard is clear.  Moral perfection is what is required. 

It is also much more difficult to adhere to an outside standard than one you make up yourself.  If I were creating my own morality, you can be assured it would be one I knew I could keep. While this might help me escape the charge of hypocrisy, it might not produce a better moral system.   

How Do We Test A Moral System?

The test of a moral system is what it would produce if followed as intended, not how easy it is to follow.  Would the world be a better place if people were always honest, self-sacrificing, kind, loving and just?  Yes we would. Is that harder to follow than one that does not require such sacrifices?  Yes, but the end result is much greater.  

One final note.  Moral hypocrisy does not mean that a world view is false.  If so, Christianity would not be the only casualty of such a standard.  All world views, even atheism, have adherents that don’t meet the moral standards they promote.  This says nothing about the truth of their claim of reality.  It only speaks the character of the individual.  

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