Maybe you’ve heard the objection before against Christianity, or maybe you’ve said the objection before yourself, and it goes like this: “There are too many hypocrites in the church!
I’m not going back to that place!” I have been thinking about this objection lately because it was brought up in a conversation I’ve had recently. Let me share with you some ways to think about this “hypocrite” objection.
kAm`] (92E 5@ 9JA@4C:E6D :? E96 49FC49 92G6 E@ 5@ H:E9 D@>6@?6’D WDA64:7:42==J[ E96 @3;64E@C’DX :?5:G:5F2= C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 v@5n x 72:= E@ D66 9@H E92E @3;64E:@? 92D 2?J 362C:?8 H92ED@6G6C @? 9@H E92E A2CE:4F=2C :?5:G:5F2= DE2?5D 367@C6 v@5] (92E @E96C A6@A=6 5@ H:E9 v@5 D9@F=5 92G6 =:EE=6 362C:?8 @? H92E H6[ :?5:G:5F2==J[ 5@ H:E9 v@5] (6 D9@F=5 ?@E 2==@H H92E @E96C A6@A=6 5@ @C 5@?’E 5@ 27764E H92E H6 5@ H:E9 v@5] (6 H:== 2== DE2?5[ :?5:G:5F2==J[ 367@C6 v@5[ C682C5=6DD @7 H92E @E96CD 92G6 5@?6]k^Am
kAma] xD E92E 2? @3;64E:G6 >@C2= ;F586>6?E @C :D E92E ;FDE J@FC @A:?:@?n %96C6 2C6 D@>6 H9@ >2J ?@E 36=:6G6 :? v@5 2E 2== H9@ >2<6 E9:D @3;64E:@?] x H@F=5 H2?E E@ A@:?E @FE E92E E96J 42??@E 24EF2==J >62? E92E :E :D HC@?8 7@C r9C:DE:2?D E@ =:G6 282:?DE E96:C >@C2=D :7 E96C6 :D ?@ v@5 W7C@> E96 @3;64E@C’D A6CDA64E:G6X] x7 E96C6 :D ?@ v@5[ E96? H92E 5@6D :E >2EE6C E92E E96C6 2C6 9JA@4C:E6D :? E96 49FC49n (:E9@FE v@5[ E96C6 :D ?@E H2J E@ 8C@F?5 2?J @3;64E:@? :?E@ 2? @3;64E:G6[ >@C2= ECFE9j 6G6CJE9:?8 :D >6C6=J @A:?:@?] $@[ :? @C56C 7@C E96 @3;64E:@? E@ 9@=5[ E96C6 >FDE 36 2 v@5[ 2?5 :7 E96C6 :D 2 v@5[ E96? E92E A6CD@? H:== DE2?5 367@C6 E92E v@5 2?5 36 ;F5865[ C682C5=6DD @7 E96 G6C24:EJ @7 E92E @3;64E:@?]k^Am
kAmb] tG6CJ A6CD@? :? E96 49FC49 4@F=5 36 2 9JA@4C:E6 2?5 r9C:DE:2?:EJ W=@8:42==J DA62<:?8 E@ E96 @3;64E@CX 4@F=5 DE:== 36 ECF6] %96 G6C24:EJ @C 72=D:EJ @7 2?J H@C=5G:6H :D ?@E 56E6C>:?65 3J E96 24ED @7 :ED 2596C6?ED] ~7 4@FCD6[ x’> 8@:?8 E@ >2<6 E96 42D6 E92E r9C:DE:2?:EJ :D ECF6[ C682C5=6DD @7 9@H >2?J 9JA@4C:E6D 2C6 :? E96 49FC49] %96 @3;64E@C 92D E@ C62=:K6 E92E r9C:DE:2?:EJ :D ?@E =@8:42==J 72=D6 ;FDE 3642FD6 E96C6 2C6 D@>6 “325 r9C:DE:2?D]” $@\42==65 r9C:DE:2?D H9@ “24E FA” 5@6D ?@E 2FE@>2E:42==J >62? E92E E96C6 :D ?@ v@5[ E92E E96 q:3=6 :D 72=D6[ E92E y6DFD r9C:DE :D ?@E E96 $@? @C v@5[ 2?5 E92E y6DFD r9C:DE 5:5 ?@E C:D6 282:?] p== @7 E96D6 DE2E6>6?ED 2C6 ECF6 6G6? :7 ?@ r9C:DE:2? =:G65 =:<65 :E H2D]k^Am
kAmc] x E9:?< E9:D :D 2 8@@5 BF6DE:@? J@F 4@F=5 A@DD:3=J 2D< E96 @3;64E@Ci “x7 J@F[ @9 D<6AE:4[ <?6H E92E >@DE W@C 2==PX r9C:DE:2?D AC24E:465 E96:C 72:E9 86?F:?6=J 2?5 A6C764E=J[ H@F=5 J@F 36=:6G6 :? r9C:DE:2?:EJ E96?n” %9:D :D C6=2E65 E@ 2 D:>:=2C BF6DE:@? J@F 42? 2D< D@>6@?6 H9@ 5@6D?’E 36=:6G6k^Am
kAm:? r9C:DE:2?:EJi “x7 r9C:DE:2?:EJ H2D AC@G6? E@ 36 ECF6[ H@F=5 J@F 36=:6G6 :E E96?n”k^Am
kAmd] ~? D@>6 =6G6=[ 6G6CJ A6CD@? E92E 92D 6G6C 6I:DE65[ ?@ >2EE6C H92E E96J 36=:6G6[ :D 2 9JA@4C:E6]k^Am
kAm}@ @?6[ ?@E 6G6? E96 A6CD@? >2<:?8 E9:D “9JA@4C:E6” @3;64E:@?[ =:G6D A6C764E=J FA E@ 6G6CJ DE2?52C5 E96J D6E 7@C E96>D6=G6D] x 5@ ?@E 6IA64E r9C:DE:2?D E@ 36 A6C764Ej :? 724E[ E96 @?=J H2J E@ 36 2 r9C:DE:2? :D E@ C62=:K6 E92E 96^D96 :D }@E A6C764EP ~?=J D:??6CD 42? 4@>6 E@ r9C:DEj E9@D6 H9@ 2C6 D6=7\C:89E6@FD 2?5 4=2:> E@ “92G6 :E 2== E@86E96C[” H:== ?6G6C 4@>6 E@ r9C:DE 2D =@?8 2D E96J E9:?< E96J 2C6 36EE6C E92? 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6 2?5 42? D2G6 E96>D6=G6D] qC@<6?[ D:?7F=[ 2?5 HC6E4965 A6@A=6 4@>6 E@ r9C:DE 3642FD6 E96J C62=:K6 E92E E96J 42??@E D2G6 E96>D6=G6D] p5>:EE65=J[k^Am
kAmr9C:DE:2?D D9@F=5 36 DEC:G:?8 E@H2C5D 9@=:?6DD[ 3FE ?@ @?6 H:== 6G6C 7:?5 A6C764E:@? :? E96 49FC49j E92E :D C6D6CG65 @?=J 7@C E96 ?6H 962G6? 2?5 E96 ?6H 62CE9] x7 J@F H2?E 2 A6C764E 49FC49[ J@F H:== 5:6 367@C6 J@F 7:?5 @?6]k^Am
kAme] %96C6 :D 2 <6C?6= @7 =68:E:>24J E@ E9:D @3;64E:@? 23@FE E96C6 36:?8 “E@@ >2?J 9JA@4C:E6D :? E96 49FC49]” $@>6 D2J E92E E96 @=5 BF6DE:@? 23@FE r9C:DE:2?:EJ :D E9:Di “xD r9C:DE:2?:EJ ECF6n” %96 ?6H BF6DE:@? :D E9:Di “xD r9C:DE:2?:EJ 8@@5n” %96C6 :D D@>6 4C656?46 E@ E92E 724E E92E H6 “D>6== 2 C2E” H96? D@>6@?6 D2JD “) :D ECF6[” J6E E96:C =:76 C67=64ED E92E “) :D 72=D6]” r9C:DE:2?D D9@F=5 =:G6 E96:C =:G6D :? DF49 2 H2J E92E E96J 2C6 D9:?:?8 7@C v@5 2?5 E96:C H@C<D 2C6 8=:EE6C:?8 WD66 |2EE96H di`c\`eX] r9C:DE:2?D 42??@E D:>A=J “C@== @G6C” 2?5 564CJ “x 92G6 2 D:?7F= ?2EFC6” 2?5 ?@E DEC:G6 282:?DE D:?] (6 2C6 42==65 E@ 36 9@=J A6@A=6 2?5 D9@F=5 >2<6 49@:46D E@ E92E 6?5 WD66 ` !6E6C `i`c\`eX]k^Am
kAm$@[ H9:=6 E96C6 :D 2 <6C?6= @7 ECFE9 E@ E96 @3;64E:@?[ “%96 r9FC49 :D uF== @7 wJA@4C:E6DP” x H2?E E@ 6?4@FC286 J@F E@ E9:?< >@C6 23@FE E9:D @3;64E:@? 2?5 E@ :?E68C2E6 E96D6 A@:?ED :?E@ E96 4@?G6CD2E:@?D J@F 92G6 H:E9 @E96CD] x7 J@F[ J@FCD6=7[ 92G6 >256 E9:D @3;64E:@? ?@H[ E96? x H2?E E@ 492==6?86 J@F E@ E9:?< 2 =:EE=6 >@C6 566A=J 23@FE E96 7F== =68:E:>24J @7 E9:D @3;64E:@? 2?5 D66 E96C6 2C6 H62< =:?<D H:E9 E9:D @3;64E:@? 2D :==FDEC2E65 3J E96 A@:?ED 23@G6]k^Am
kAmq:==J #6:?92C5E :D 2 C68F=2C 72:E9 4@=F>?:DE 7@C %96 %C:3F?6]k^Am
