The next time you hear someone say they are not a Christian because there are too many hypocrites in the church, here are a handful of tactful ways to respond:
- What do you mean by “hypocrite?” (You want to make the point that a hypocrite is not merely someone who is morally imperfect, but someone who says he believes X but purposely fails to practice X)
- Yes, there are hypocrites in the church. Jesus told us there would be. But Jesus wasn’t a hypocrite. What do you think about Jesus?
- Yes, there are hypocrites in the church. Jesus told us there would be. But there are also genuine Christians who are following Jesus. Why do you choose to let the hypocrites dictate your response to Christianity rather than the true followers of Jesus?
- What does that have to do with you? Couldn’t Christianity still be true even if a lot of confessing Christians are bad people? The question God is concerned with is not what others do, but what you believe and how you live.
- Are you saying that because other people fail to live up to their ideals you don’t have to even try?
- If you can’t tolerate all the hypocrites in church, why not follow Jesus independently of a local church body—to avoid all of those immoral Christians? (This will get them to tell you the real reasons they are not a Christian)
Do you have any more to add to the mix?
Thinking to Believe 
May 15, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Come on down! There’s always room for one more! 🙂
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May 15, 2012 at 12:19 pm
I normally reply, “There are hypocrites everywhere you go. That apparently doesn’t keep you from doing what you enjoy. I enjoy worshiping God with fellow believers. If you can put up with hypocrites at the park, you can surely put up with them at church.”
Explanation: Many folks take their children to the park who do not really want to be there. They are merely doing it because they feel they have to in order to look like a good parent. In that sense, they are being a hypocrite (an actor), but why should I avoid the park because of some hypocrites? In that sense, you can find “hypocrites” everywhere you go. Bottom line: the “hypocrite excuse” is a dishonest attempt to justify one’s unwillingness to go to church.
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May 15, 2012 at 12:36 pm
I’m guessing their hypocriteaphobia doesn’t kick in at the grocery store, or restaurants, or the movies, or work. Which is strange because I’m pretty sure people don’t stop being hypocrites when they leave the church on Sunday. In fact you don’t even need to be a church goer to be a hypocrite.
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May 18, 2012 at 8:48 am
[…] […]
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February 22, 2014 at 8:17 pm
Reblogged this on Kitwe Bible Study Fellowship and commented:
We all know people who claim to be Christians but when we observe their life it is clear that their talk does not match their walk. If we are honest, all too often we too are hypocritical in some area of our lives. It’s not that we want to be, but we find ourselves struggling to be consistent. If you are using the excuse: “There are too many hypocrites in the church” as your reason for not attending, consider these questions. If you would like to discuss further, please get in touch with me on 0976153466.
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September 27, 2014 at 1:22 pm
Oh come on. Thou shall not kill. How many Christians in the infantry bombing and shooting away? Pork is forbidden. How many Christians are having bacon for breakfast? How many Christians have had sex before marriage? It’s the way people are so casual about calling themselves Christians. They cheapen Christianity. That’s right, keep smiling and ignore everything around you. (there is a difference between faith and BLIND FAITH)They go to Church for the socializing instead. Oh it’s no big deal. Just accept Jesus in your heart and your forgiven! It’s either in your heart…OR NOT. Those who are weak in their soul grasp for the bible to have some sort of boundaries in their life, because if they don’t they are incapable of keeping themselves together. They are SINNERS through and trough. Basically what I am saying I’ve never seen to many self proclaimed Christians struggle SO HARD on things that really shouldn’t be that hard if you ACTUALLY loved Jesus to begin with. And then these same people preach until their face turns blue and then go cheat on their wives. So yes. I avoid the church functions or else I’d be flipping f*cking tables like Jesus did.
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June 18, 2017 at 8:57 pm
ES…..”How many Christians in the infantry bombing and shooting away? Jesus said “render unto caesar the things that are caesars” Did caesar (our commander and chief) say go fight? If so, they do. Pork? Can you point out in the New Testament where Christ said that pork wasn’t to be eaten? How many Christians have sex before marriage? Do those that have sex before marriage really Christians? I find it amusing that you say…..”those who are weak, in their soul grasp for the bible to have some sort of boundaries in their life because if they don’t they are incapable of keeping themselves together”. I suppose you never stopped and gave it a thought as to the real truth as to why we read the word of God. Could it be that we read the word of God because that is how God talks to us and we talk to him in prayer? Of course you never looked at it that way. Why? Because it is obvious that you, yourself are not a true Christian. As far as struggling so hard that we shouldn’t, as you say…it might be because God allows things to happen to us so we would depend upon him more. People that preach till their blue in the face then go out and cheat on their wives? Funny, but every Pastor, Teacher, Evangelist, Missionary, Deacon, Church Planter I know doesn’t “preach till they are blue in the face then go cheat on their wives. In your final sentence you say…”So yes, I avoid the church functions or else i’d be flipping f….k tables like Jesus did”. It’s obvious that you are avoiding church because of “hypocrites”. Am I correct? Let me put it to you this way…It’s better that you do get saved and get into church and serve beside hypocrites than to die lost and go to hell with them”. This mess of saying “I don’t wanna get saved because of the hypocrites in church” ain’t gonna hold water come judgment day. If you have no time for Christ in this life, Christ will have no time for you in the next life. ‘Nuff Said.
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June 18, 2017 at 9:08 pm
Tim Wolf:
I wonder why it has taken you almost 3 years(June 2017) to reply to ES’s comment; ES post went up September 27, 2014?
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June 18, 2017 at 9:20 pm
Could it be that, oh I don’t know that maybe I just found the post? Could it be that I just found this page?
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June 18, 2017 at 9:39 pm
Yeah that could be…welcome to the page.
I had to read two posts to see what you were talking about; a lot of many things have taken placed and changed in 3 years, some Christians have even converted to Common Sense-ism.
There are a lot of current posts and recent comments. if you check the Theosophical Ruminations site, there are a lot of topics related to Christianity.
Just scroll to the top of this page and click on any of the highlighted categories “Apologetics, Hamartiology, Tactics, Theology” showing a series of related topics, comments and current postings.
Looking forward to reading more of your viewpoints.
Take care.
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June 18, 2017 at 9:51 pm
Tim:
Personally I expound Jesus and therefore follow the teachings and messages and explanations of Jesus independently without a denomination; you might say I am a Jesusist or a Christist. I submit Jesus was a Common Senseist without a denomination who interpreted scriptures perfectly without being a “Supernaturalist” which all Christians I ever met are just that: “Supernaturalists”, essentially lacking the common senseism of Jesus for more perfect interpretation of scriptures, humanity, human rights and the messages of Jesus himself.
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June 18, 2017 at 10:23 pm
LeotheGreater:
Actually, as far as Christ “who interpreted the scriptures” we find in John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. What is being said here is Christ was the word, Christ was with God and he is also God. In genesis 1:26 we find “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth”. So we find that Christ was the word. From Christ grew scripture. He was actually scripture. I will get back with you tomorrow. I need to jump off of here and get some things done then get to bed. Bye for now and thank you for your time ^_^
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June 19, 2017 at 2:54 pm
Tim Wolf:
“Actually, as far as Christ “who interpreted the scriptures” we find in John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. What is being said here is Christ was the word, Christ was with God and he is also God.”
Actually this is a ridiculous talking point to support religious insanity.
Word in reality is part of language.
word (wûrd)
n.
1. A sound or a combination of sounds, or its representation in writing or printing, that symbolizes and communicates a meaning and may consist of a single morpheme or of a combination of morphemes.
To use a part of language as the definition of God is one thing and indeed the Word (language, that is) in the beginning may have simply have been expressed as the word and the word was with God (metaphorically as language) and the word WAS God (for example, when a sentence was pronounced by the religious court and attributed to God, it could be argued from that perspective.) But to transfer and project scriptural text as being a human person as designated by church dogma who showed up thousands of years after the text was chiseled in stone shows the reason why religion is falling by the wayside when it comes to anything resembling credibility.
Of course in the ancient days, disobedience to the clergy was certain death so disobey and die.
Even as few as 4 centuries back Galileo Galilee was charged as a heretic for denying that the scriptural pretext that the “earth is immovable” was inaccurate and forced to recant on “PAIN OF DEATH”; nevertheless, He was still sentenced, by God no doubt, to house arrest for the rest of his life. That may be characterized as the power of the word of God as language in a sentence decree from on high.
Now tell me this if you can:
In Genesis you say and it claims that “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth”.
Who heard what God said when nobody was around before man was created? Genesis was written by Moses it is alleged…..The first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) are collectively called the Books of the Law, or the Torah, or the Books of Moses. Those last four books have many verses that attribute them directly to Moses. But he’s not even mentioned anywhere in the book of Genesis.
Many pastors, writers, and even seminary professors rely on the “JEDP Documentary Hypothesis” to explain how the book of Genesis was originally written. This concept says that for many centuries the stories were passed down orally, usually with embellishments or deletions, and were not committed to writing until much later than the events they describe. Naturally, this idea doesn’t tend to inspire confidence in the literal accuracy of the account. Thus it’s favored by theologians of a liberal bent.
In contrast, the “Tablet Theory” suggests that portions of Genesis were originally written on clay tablets by men who personally experienced the events described. The tablets were later compiled by Moses. Since the original writers were said to be eye-witnesses, their accounts should be historically accurate. This article briefly describes the development and implications of these two theories.
The first theory makes some sense but the second makes no sense because when God said let us make man in our image there was no man around at that time so how can there be eyewitnesses? Religious insanity always finds a way mostly through a thing called supernaturalism which is exactly where I walk stage left and exit shaking the dust of ludicrity and nonsense off my feet and from my ears.
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June 19, 2017 at 6:25 pm
Tell you what, since you don’t want to believe what I have said, then it is obvious that you do not believe the word of God and with that said, since you do not believe the word of God then there is no way that you will enter the gates of heaven upon leaving this earth. The plan of salvation is clearly laid out according to the scriptures and as far as “religious insanity” goes, why do you even waste your time reading the word of God if you do not believe it? All I can say is, if you want to split hell wide open upon leaving this world, then so be it, but don’t be dragging others down with you.
‘Nuff said.
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June 19, 2017 at 8:57 pm
Tim Wolf:
First of all I will not condemn you to the blindness you obviously show. Jesus says not to be judgmental.
Second of all you would not recognize Jesus if you tripped over me on the street.
You talk about the word of God that you seem privileged to understand and the quote you previously mentioned was not said by Jesus because Jesus never had the New Testament from which you quote it.
It is not unusual for Christians to be addicted to the devil’s drug called Absolute Certainty but it is obvious that your are infected with this drug and think you know exactly what is needed.
Now if you think that Jesus was God then why do you think the group unto the word of God came was so enraptured to belittle Jesus, catch him, try to throw him off cliffs, whip him, mock him, arrest him, flog him and eventually crucify him.
Frankly they were exactly like you. They had already been indoctrinated by the very words you state and denied that anybody else could know or understand the word of God and what the word meant. Well, Jesus told them what it all meant and that was to love yourself and your neighbor as your self.
The God of Jesus was not the God of yours. You God is the supernatural invented God of the ruling religious order, the Pharisees who were the very group that dogged Jesus for 3 years in order to kill him.
Please don’t be deluded into thinking that what you believe today is any different from what your ancestors believed when Jesus was here to tell them and you that your were wrong then and as far as your words go now, are still in the same mode mindset of ignorance about the real Jesus whose message was to tell the religious masses to get out of the status quo of supernatural hogwash…forget the tyranny of religious insanity and understand that humanity and human rights belong to all the people and not just to the clergy who proceed around the world sporting their huge hats. All their deeds are done for men to see. They broaden their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love the places of honor at banquets, the chief seats in the synagogues.
You know nothing about communicating the word of God you think you know and all you do is regurgitate textual words without the ability to explain the scriptures you quote. These scriptures are none of your words so if you quote them please explain what they mean instead of relying on the ancients to explain them for you and you as a robot of protocol repeat that which you don’t understand.
You need to listen to my words if you want to know anything about Jesus.
Now remember, the Lord Jesus never preached from the New Testament, not because he didn’t like it, he just didn’t have it. Surprising how many Christians of long standing haven’t fully grasped the fact that the only bible the Lord Jesus ever had in his hand was the Old Testament. The only bible that the apostles used as they evangelized the then known world in one generation, Old Testament. The only bible the early church possessed, Old Testament. Let anybody undermine your confidence in the Old Testament scriptures and you’ve robbed the Lord Jesus and the early church of the only bible they ever possessed. So it was the Old Testament the Lord Jesus took in his hand and yet the amazing thing is this: though this was that book from which the others were accustomed to preaching, when they listened to the Lord Jesus they were astonished,. For it says in the last verse in that chapter that he taught them as one having authority. Not as the Scribes; in other words, when the Lord Jesus got up, he spoke as though he said what he meant and meant what he said and had the right to say it. Nothing apologetic; he didn’t throw out a few suggestions. He didn’t say “I suppose”, “Maybe”, “I think”. His was a proclamation, not like the Scribes. When the professional preachers got up congregationalists nestled in the corner of their pew and went for a quiet doze hoping they’d wake up just before the benediction and preferably after the offering. But when the Lord Jesus,; when he got up, everybody was on the edge of their seat wondering what AMAZING thing he’d say next. He was an astonishing preacher.
And not once did Jesus ever quote the most often quoted scripture from the bible that you quoted: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Not even one time..Not once did Jesus ever say what you quoted. Sao ask yourself what special connection do you have with Jesus…. I can easily tell you…NONE!
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June 20, 2017 at 8:21 am
Tim Wolf:
‘Nuff said ! !
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April 29, 2020 at 12:24 pm
[…] See also “I’m not a Christian because there are too many hypocrites in the church“ […]
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December 6, 2023 at 1:00 pm
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