A
Arizona_Mike
Guest
“Christians are all a bunch of hypocrites.”
An associate said this to me recently when explaining why he is no longer a Christian, no longer goes to his church, and why he no longer believes in God. I’ve often heard the sentiment expressed, usually in tones of anger.
As an argument for atheism, it’s not a very good one, but it is a very commonly expressed view, and can be very powerful to the person making it and the people to whom they express it, for reasons described below. It’s not a very good intellectual argument as one can, as a little reflection shows, act in a way that is contrary to one’s stated values, without invalidating the values themselves. But it is a very emotional argument, and those kinds of arguments carry a certain force that purely intellectual objections often don’t.
It also appeals to the very human appreciation for* irony*, the perception of the difference between what one professes and what one does, or what one expects and what one receives. Especially to the young (and the media), to be a hypocrite is numbered among the greatest of sins. One could live a completely dissipated, uncharitable, and immoral life with no observed code of morality, and if one is seen as “honest” about what one is doing, many will hold that person to be living a better life than a “hypocrite” who holds to a moral code but occasionally has moral failings.
The apologist could point to the many Christians who do try to live in accordance with their values, often quietly and without expecting or wanting public approval. This may not be fully successful as a response, however (in my limited apologetic experience), as the arguer will usually point out the many people he feels (or “knows”) are not part of this group, or he feels that the vocal minority of “hypocrites” are more worthy of condemnation than those who try to live their lives in accordance with their faith are worthy of praise.
Because this is an emotional objection, not an intellectual one, strongly-held emotional beliefs are among the hardest to turn around with a purely intellectual response. It is also important to recognize that many of the people who express this argument do so from a past experience of hurt. Often, they reached out for help at a time when they badly needed it (as did my associate), and did not receive it from the people they expected to offer help; or, they were condemned for a failing, causing them public pain and embarrassment, by people whom they knew or suspected were guilty of the same behavior.
If someone expresses this argument, I suspect that the following approach may be helpful.
An associate said this to me recently when explaining why he is no longer a Christian, no longer goes to his church, and why he no longer believes in God. I’ve often heard the sentiment expressed, usually in tones of anger.
As an argument for atheism, it’s not a very good one, but it is a very commonly expressed view, and can be very powerful to the person making it and the people to whom they express it, for reasons described below. It’s not a very good intellectual argument as one can, as a little reflection shows, act in a way that is contrary to one’s stated values, without invalidating the values themselves. But it is a very emotional argument, and those kinds of arguments carry a certain force that purely intellectual objections often don’t.
It also appeals to the very human appreciation for* irony*, the perception of the difference between what one professes and what one does, or what one expects and what one receives. Especially to the young (and the media), to be a hypocrite is numbered among the greatest of sins. One could live a completely dissipated, uncharitable, and immoral life with no observed code of morality, and if one is seen as “honest” about what one is doing, many will hold that person to be living a better life than a “hypocrite” who holds to a moral code but occasionally has moral failings.
The apologist could point to the many Christians who do try to live in accordance with their values, often quietly and without expecting or wanting public approval. This may not be fully successful as a response, however (in my limited apologetic experience), as the arguer will usually point out the many people he feels (or “knows”) are not part of this group, or he feels that the vocal minority of “hypocrites” are more worthy of condemnation than those who try to live their lives in accordance with their faith are worthy of praise.
Because this is an emotional objection, not an intellectual one, strongly-held emotional beliefs are among the hardest to turn around with a purely intellectual response. It is also important to recognize that many of the people who express this argument do so from a past experience of hurt. Often, they reached out for help at a time when they badly needed it (as did my associate), and did not receive it from the people they expected to offer help; or, they were condemned for a failing, causing them public pain and embarrassment, by people whom they knew or suspected were guilty of the same behavior.
If someone expresses this argument, I suspect that the following approach may be helpful.
- Apologize. It is surprising how often offering an apology defuses someone’s anger, in apologetics or in any other sphere. Simply stating, “I don’t doubt you probably have experienced some hurt and anger because of what you saw as hypocrisy by some of the people you knew. It may not mean much to you, but as a Christian and as a Catholic, can I offer you an apology for what others have done? I’m sorry that whatever happened made you feel the way you do, and that shouldn’t have happened. Is there a chance that anything at this time that I could do would help the situation?” This may bring the level of emotionalism down, as most people appreciate when someone accepts blame, all the more so when they did nothing to deserve it. It’s also probably the right thing to do. I probably wouldn’t ask what caused them to feel that way, unless they choose to bring it up, as it may still be a sore subject and one they may wish to keep private.
- Acknowledge that we as humans - not just as Catholics - often act in a way that is the opposite of our highest values and morals. As is often said, the Church isn’t a museum for saints, it’s a gym for the spiritually flabby. We all often are found wanting, but that isn’t an excuse for jettisoning our values, it’s a reason for trying harder to live up to our highest aspirations.
I wonder what would happen if he said, “Well, then you want to join? There’s always room for one more hypocrite.” 