Defeater Ethics: Hypocrisy
When Christians don't act like Christ.
We conclude our defeater ethics series with the moral objection lurking behind the other objections previously addressed. Though manifesting in different ways, the common theme has been the failure of Christians to faithfully represent their Christ. Let's discuss the issue of Christian hypocrisy.
This objection was famously summed up in one sentence by Mahatma Gandhi, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians." Repeatedly, this is the dilemma we have navigated. Perhaps our neighbors would like our Christ, but they do not like our (abusive, racist, misogynistic, name your moral objection) Christians.
First and foremost, the Bible itself would not shy away from the accusation. The Bible is one story of one history revealing the glory of Jesus. To do this, it must be honest. The gospel of Christ's salvation cannot be told while hiding humanity's desperate need for that salvation. Therefore, with, at times, uncomfortable honesty, the Scriptures tell the bitter truth of our depravity and desperation for a Savior. In some ways, I like your Christ, but not your Christians is the entire point of the Christian faith. Not that Christians should give up our quest for Christlike emulation, but we do so with the humble admission that Christ alone is our only boast.
If the presence of hypocrisy immediately disqualifies, then what is qualified? Every organization, institution, philosophy, and, yes, religion is replete with flawed and hypocritical membership. The difference is that all of them demand we hide our hypocrisy and fake competency. Except for Christianity, the unconventional faith tradition with an invitation everyone is longing to accept: Confession.
Confessing what you hide and deny is the entrance into the Christian faith. Every religion expects the opposite. Prove your worthiness. Jesus demands we confess our unworthiness. In this way, Christianity turns the notion of religious hypocrisy on its head. A basic definition of hypocrisy is failure to believe and practice the convictions we claim. But what if the conviction we claim is not worthiness but unworthiness? This means that hypocrites are now those unwilling to admit hypocrisy. If Christianity is a religion where only the unworthy are worthy, then those who present themselves as religiously worthy are the true hypocrites.
Aversion to Christian misbehavior is understandable, but is it a warranted objection to the Christian faith? Nothing is less Christian than self-righteous religious hypocrisy because it presents Christianity like every other religion where worthiness must be proven. Consider Matthew 23, a scathing rebuke from Jesus against religious hypocrites who "…are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness." In this, Jesus affirms your disdain for those who posture themselves as morally superior but, in reality, are no better than anyone.
But Jesus' agreement then becomes a challenge. He would agree that self-righteous hypocrisy is horrific, but that's not his religion, so why are you judging it as such? Ironically, the objection can easily become another form of religious self-righteousness. You may perceive yourself as morally superior to those terrible Christian hypocrites, but the gospel of Jesus confronts this as well. Are you willing to confess you are just as sinful as the Christians you condemn?
If you are strong, independent, self-sufficient, trusting in your moral superiority, perhaps even against all those religious people, then Christianity is not the religion for you. There are many religions that will affirm that self-reliant tendency, including secular new-age spirituality, which is merely therapeutic self-righteousness. Find myself, accept myself, love myself, my truth is my truth, my morality is my morality, and how dare you imply anything is wrong with me? Is this not merely self-righteous individualism?
There are plenty of religions and philosophies that will affirm the self-righteousness tendency within us all, but Christianity is not one of them. Christ demands we come clean and confess the truth of our profound unworthiness, and deep down, every single one of us longs to accept that demand. Aren't you exhausted? Aren't you so tired of hiding your flaws and faking your way through life? I believe you are dying to confess, and Jesus alone accepts that confession. It is our unworthiness that makes us worthy of Jesus. In this way, Jesus is offering the counterintuitive invitation to give up the charade of self-salvation and confess your need for his salvation.
Although Gandhi claimed to like our Christ, I'm not sure he fully understood our Christ. Gandhi was a student of Buddha's teachings, and Buddha's dying words were, "Strive without ceasing." If this is the nature of Gandhi's spirituality, then I doubt he would like a Christ whose foremost demand is that we give up our vain strivings. As for me, I'm all in on Jesus and his dying words, "It is finished."
With Jesus alone, your hypocrisies don't make you a hypocrite. Instead, they are your qualifications for a Savior and his finished salvation that can handle a flawed failure like me and, yes, like you.