Are you a hypocrite?
 

This is the result of a recent discussion with my sister. Once again she was going off on how she hates organized religions (and yes, as many of you know, I'm married to an Anglican priest) because of the many hypocrites. I argued that any time you have a group with stated ideals, you have a prime ground for hypocrites. They are not restricted to organized religons.
I was set off when she said "The one thing no one can say about me is that I am a hypocrite." I cried foul, because while she says she is accepting of all religious and spiritual beliefs, she gives me nothing but crap about mine. So, essentially she's accepting of all beliefs except the ones she isn't accepting of - huh? But back to the topic at hand.
For the purposes of this discussion, let's say hypocrites are those who claim to hold certain standards, but who fail to live up to them all the time.
My argument is that EVERYONE is a bit of a hypocrite (I wish I could rewrite "Everyone's a little bit racist" from Ave. Q!) or, if they are not, their standards are too low. "A man's reach must exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for?" to quote Robert Browning.
As a Christian, I acknowledge that I am a sinner who is forgiven only through the Grace of God , not through my own merit. I profess to hold Jesus as my exemplar, but know full well I am not 100% in compliance with my ideals.
I think that the issue of whether or not someone is a hypocrite boils down to whether or not someone is honestly trying to live up to their self-professed standards. An occasional slip-up does not a hypocrite make - but a continuing pattern of failing to live up to your standards does.

So Elliot Spitzer - hypocrite.

Me saying unchristian things about the sports car that cut me off - ?

What qualifies someone as a hypocrite in your book?

At dinner a few weeks ago, my friend went on and on about how no way would she ever eat shark fin soup, or fois gras. She went on and on. I asked her-do you eat veal? Long pause, guilty look, and she said yes.

Ok then.

My aunt is constantly telling us how her neighbor constantly makes excuses so that she won't have to go with my aunt to church, and she hates it b/c her neighbor NEEDS to go to church. Yet, my aunt rarely goes to church and makes worse excuses than her neighbor (the whole "oh the kids slept in late, and I didn't want to wake them up just to go to church")

I think everyone is a hypocrite in their own way, but its the way they decide to act that determines whether I consider them truly a hypocrite or not. Does that make sense? lol

This is pretty much what I was going to post. Yeah, I agree with this statement.

Oui

A hypocrite here, and not a shame to say it. It's fun!!!!

We use judgment as a device to protect ourselves from what we feel harms us or what we fear... It is one of the most ancient of instincts we use.

The thing about hypocrisy is that when one develops policy against a group of people based against the doctrines taught by that group. IMO, hypocrisy also includes deception and lies to fit anyone's perspective.

To respond to judgment and alleviate hypocrisy is to be at a place of inner peace, divinity and love.

Personally, I would refuse to get into any discussion about my choice of religious values I hold. And if someone I loved challenged me, I would just say, well, I pray for you and K.I.M... Besides, I don't have to defend God, He can do that well enough alone... Be mindful... ;)

And to answer that question, am I a hypocrite. I try not to be. But I have had my moments.

And what's that supposed to mean!!!?

Oh, I am well past the point of trying to defend my beliefs (or certainly God!:)) to my sister (who is getting set for marriage number 4 . . .hmmmmmmmm, Coincidence?). At this point, I just don't want to hear it from her. I can repeat her little rant almost verbatim - not only is it rude, it's tiresome at this point. I was letting it go by until she snuck in that little self-congratulatory "At least I'm not a hypocrite" line. That, IMHO, was just a little too over the top.

It means, why denied it? Have fun with it.

I don't think that failing to live up to standards that you're trying to attain is being a hypocrite. I think that's being human.

I think it's hypocritical when you JUDGE others harshly by the standards that you've set for yourself but haven't reached.

Nicely worded - great point.

Being a normal human being.

I was going to say the same thing. To err is human...

There been an uproar recently about the desecration of the Eucharist in Minnesota. What I find troubling is CHRISTIANS who are calling for a religious war and childishly calling out other people (namely, Muslims) for their lack of persecution...yeah, I know. :rolleyes:

If I recall correctly, when the body and blood was originally desecrated, He said "forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do." Where do we get off, now, waging war against the world for our own persecution?

EVERYBODY is hypocritical at times. It is a self-defense mechanism. Ditto for lying. So accusing someone of being a liar and a hypocrite in order to make him or her look bad is pointless, since EVERYONE does that at times.

Having a double standard is another story. This may be the true problem that people are discussing regarding organized religions.

First question: How do you all line up in the family?
Second question: We are all being a little judgmental here, don't you think? And I feel a tinge of sibling rivalry and insecurity.

Last observation: You know siblings. I say shit to my brother all the time. He says some stuff to me. But in the end, you know you are going to love her, as I do my brother, so why not just accept her for what she says. Yeah, you know how happy or sad she is going to be because of her choices, but isn't that the point--her choices... You don't have to live her life, she does.

"Hypocrite" is your trigger word. For now mine is "expectations"... I was told that trigger words indicate something is unresolved in your life and/or mind. That what you have to do is take that unresolved issue and "make it your special project" and work at it for awhile.

Or sometimes you have to use it as a "GFO": something like a "UFO"--but a "get the fuck outta here" thinking... LOL...

When I fight with my brother and we say some hurtful things to each other, and then I feel extraordinarily guilty, I send him a "love card" letting him know I really love him and he will always be my brother... He almost always changes his tune. For a minute there, I guess he thought I did not love him... :eek: And it's because I love him too much that I just don't want to see him hurt...

The irony is your siblings know how to get to you and push your buttons... And turnabout is fair play. But what I do with my brother leave his choices where they need to be--his; and love him for what he is trying do, now. And if I don't understand, I ask him. Because he needs to know I am in his corner and I need to know he will always be my family... :)

My "trigger" is the lack of logic demonstrated by my sister - as I said, I try to just let her go on her little rant and ignore her, but the whole "being a hypocrite as I denounce hypocriscy" thing was just was too much. I don't feel guilty calling her on it, and yes, she knows I love her and would do anything in the world for her. Well, I won't let her pull the b.s. she does outside the family. That's the blessing and the curse of family - they know you inside and out. Yes, I love her like crazy. Yes, I have tired of the hearing the same old "I don't like organized religion" thing. It's not that I try to change her mind - she's a grown-up, so no need to do that. I just want her to back off on apparently trying to change MY mine.

No, the purpose of this thread is not to untangle the complexities of our relationship.;) Please note that I didn't try to change or criticize the way my sister is living her life - she feels a need (and yes, some of it is her black hole of insecurity) to be critical of something which is a big part of mine. I hesitated to put the whole drama in this thread, but thought it was necessary to frame the converstation.
It got me to thinking because I was trying to ascertain if I was being too hard on her. Also, there is currently a lot of throwing around of the word "hypocrite" in the political arena. So, I honestly wondered how other people thought and dealt with the concept.

eta - I think there's enough evidence here for you to decide - we come from a family of 4 siblings. How do you think we line up?:D