Hypocrites in the Churches: Please describe

Hi bagarad, I have heard people say this too that they don't go to church because the churches are full of hypocrites. The biblical difinition of hypocrite, is someone whose words and heart (actions) don't agree. A hypocrite may act the part of a christian or talk like Christ, but he or she won't do both. Hyprocrisy, is when your motive for doing something is wrong and you're not genuinely seeking the welfare and benefit of others. Most people who say that are just making excuses. I go to church to worship and to serve God to learn His ways, to learn obedience and to do His will. Not to do what others do or to learn the ways of man.

this is just a guess because I am an outsider. I think many don't go because they see the clergy as the hypocrites and like many they assume All clergy are this or that Not seeing there are many good churches and clergy out there! Plus it isn't the hypocrites but the Holier Than Thou people that may keep them away.Let's face it, anyone who gives you this excuse , are not the people you Want to come to your church.This is what I see , I can be all wrong.

Hi Barb! I know a lot of people from my work who proclaims to be righteous, they go to church regularly and even members of religious groups. They preach what they hear in their church and scold people who commit sins but they themselves do not practice what they preach. They backstab other people, say bad things behind their back, they always complain about things, they put blame on others, they are fault finders, they break their promises, they manipulate people, they mess with other people's business, they are selfish, they gossip, they use their power and authority to oppress employees under them, and countless things I've seen them done. And yet, they go to church regularly and correct people when they make mistakes. They don't look at the mirror and see their own mistakes. They pretend to be holy but in fact, they are hypocrite.

Well... since you state here that everyone is a sinner and everyone does wrong, a hypocrite is anybody, anywhere who decides to ignore the fact that they are NO BETTER than another person (perhaps in a DIFFERENT way but NO BETTER nonetheless) and then they act all self-righteous and pious and as if they are somehow BETTER than someone else, holy, correct, RIGHT, etc and the other person is evil, wrong, etc etc. Let me give you a personal example. You'd think a pastor of a church would be a good example of a GOOD person in a church, correct? Not judging, not condemning, right? Not making ASSUMPTIONS about people? Not only did a pastor that I know hound a friend for piercing his ear, also this same pastor acted strangely when he called me and I answered the phone and he heard a baby crying. He asked me if it was MY baby. It wasn't.. btw, but I thought it was kind of rude to even ASK that, and the WAY he asked was what bothered me - as if there was something WRONG if it WAS. Anyway, these examples are just a few out of hundreds. Many many people in any church act like this, only it is mostly the congregation, not necessarily the pastor or other church leaders. I am not saying that EVERYBODY acts this way, but the rotten actions of the FEW poison everything. I really really dislike being around any people who act this way, whether they are part of a church or just encountered in daily life. I prefer all people to be tolerant of any differences and if they don't like them, just move on, walk away, don't listen, don't look, etc etc. There are many things I don't like but I don't have to confront the people and draw attention to them and make them feel horrible either - unless they put ME on the spot first. I'm not a mean confrontational person but if you are mean and confront me FIRST, I'll fight back. I've never appreciated having anybody assume anything and when people ACT on their assumptions, they are quite honestly 99.9% wrong and they shoudn't be surprised if the other person gets miffed or angry. Anyhow, since we have already determined that everyone is a sinner, then nobody is virtuous or pious and nobody ought to ever pretend to be. I know I am not, but I never pretend to be.

I think hypocrisy is in the eye of the beholder. How one person views an action and how the person who is directly involved views the action are different things? For example, there is a catholic priest that drives a BMW. Does that make him a hypocrite? This vehicle is almost 15 years old. Does that change your view? How about that it was a gift to the church when his old beat up station wagon was no longer drivable? Some people would view the priest as a hypocrite because he is driving a "luxury" car. He should have turned around and sold the BMW and gotten something less expensive and the rest of the money should have gone to the church, is what some people would say.

Hi Bagarad, St. Paul himself said 'because I do evil I don't want and no the good I want'. All of us are ever able to fall in sin. Thus we pray on Father Ours 'free us from evil'. There is always a fight between meat and spirit. There is not reason to end go hear mass because of the sinners. We should pray in order that we don't become sinner like them. God is the only judge.

I will have to say that I am among those who quit going due to what I felt was a lot of hypocrites in my church. I live in a small town, and attended that church up until my mid 20's. I have never in my life met so many people who gossipped so badly about their brethren! To me, gossip is something that hurts people, not helps them. There's a huge difference saying 'so and so's house burnt down', or 'needs surgery and can't afford the hosp bills' and saying 'I heard ** is cheating on their wife", "has a drinking problem", etc. etc, etc. Gossip makes the gossiper feel superior over somebody else, while the other helps them through their ordeal (like having a benefit to cover those hospital bills, or giving food clothing and shelter to someone who's luck has turned sour for whatever reason.) I've also seen a church organist (who, in her 50's, was at that church her whole life), complain about the brand new organ that a wealthy friend was contributing to the church, for free, with no expectations except that our little church enjoy it. (The problem with the organ? It wasn't the Hammond brand! lol talk about looking the expensive gift horse in the mouth!) I've seen ministers embarrass members of their flock while up on the pulpit, and even making a joke of knocking off this old woman's wig when she was being baptized. (She was so embarrassed I truly thought she was going to have a stroke!) I saw less compassion, and more 'holier than thou' attitudes there than I care to ever see again. I did try other churches, but evidently this seems to be all too common a thing. I still believe in God, say prayers of thanks, pray for others every day, and do what I can to help others. I would not ever be a part of a church that treats people that way! Sorry, lol, but can you tell I'm passionate in my attitude about the whole thing?!

Sadly, I have known of people who professed to be Christian, and have abandoned marriage vows to be with another person, or the other side of that relationship deliberately seeks after a married person whose spouse happens to be away because of work. A "pillar of the church" and a businessman, when my unsaved husband and myself had to consult him due to a terminal illness blasted the pastor (who had done nothing wrong) and my husband left that insurance office saying "You see why I do not want to be a Christian?" People I rode to work with who were a pastoral couple in my city, but swore at people of color and used bad language for the entire commute every day. On the other hand, in High School, one of my formerly unbelieving friends finally came to the conclusion, this is a quote "Better in church with the hypocrites than in h3!! with them." To be honest, I believe we all are hypocritical from time to time.

In my small town there are plenty of hypocrites....one gentleman a business owner went to church every Sunday....with his wife...turns out he had camera's in his business ladies room...watching the ladies....another business owner who was a church regular embezzeled over a million dollars out of her business to gamble, she just got sent to prison....and that is just the beginning....our former mayor...shoplifted clothes.....I have begun to think I need to write another book called walk the crooked road! Small town...big problems with our business people.

Okay, Bagarad, this is right up my ally..Yes I know one, he goes to church every Sunday, and goes there early now, but when he took his family, he didn't care if they were 5 minutes or even an hour late..But now that his family no longer goes, he goes early. This he does, for 2 hours a week, and then lives just like the rest of the world for the rest of the time, including making his family feels bad by making degrading remarks and when it is pointed out to him, he lies and denies it. He is controlling and not at all set free, and puts all blame on anyone, except himself. He talks it, but doesn't walk it..There is a difference between unwilling sin, (sin that every person on earth, including the one who is consider a saint, commits) Then there is willing sin, sin where one does what they want, then says sorry, knowing he or she will just do ti again and again, because they have "grace" Well excuse me, but Jesus didn't come so people can believe in Him, (satan believes in Him, big time) and then do what they want because G♥d forgives them. I am a believer and a follower of Y'shua, (Jesus) I have many friends, from different religions to no religion, and they know is they ask me, I will tell them the truth of what I believe and when I make a mistake, I confess it to them and ask for their forgiveness...I have a personal friend who actually turned atheist due to abuse from the "church" In the years he was this way, I stuck by him and I IMed him quite often, even when he talked about his unbelief. He has turned back to religion, but one I am weary of, but it is a start and he told me something that made me very humble. He said that during the time he was away from G♥d, I was the only one who stuck with him. I believe because I didn't "play church" with him, he turned back to G♥d...

A church hypocrite is a person who goes to church all the time and preaches things that people should not do,like go drinking at a bar. Then they turn around and are regulars at the local bars drinking! Those types of people are phones and have an anwser for everything when confronted! There is a city not to far from the city I live in. The whole city is full of those so called church goers who can do no wrong but the truth is they are just a bunch of hypercrites! This is one of the many reasons I don't do to church!

I know of a priest who preached of righteousness when he's really not worthy of preaching them. He's still serving the church. I don't really go to that church anymore knowing the priest is really a liar in a white gown.

People who do not go to church because of the reasons that there are full of hypocrites, these are the hypocrites when they enter the church, they judge others based on their experiences with them but sometimes based on the hearsay only. Church is a place where you communicate with God. It is between you and God other people cannot heard it. So how can you determine hypocrites inside the church? This person who is telling that he do not enter the church condemned an individual just because of what he/she thinks. There maybe person that did something bad or hurt you and saw him inside the church but it does not mean they are hypocrites. Only God can judge on that part. If they are only pretending God only knows. So if you are one of the person telling that you do not go to church because of hypocrites, evaluate yourself and ask more gift to God... the gift of faith...