Do Atheists/Agnostics tend to view Christians as Hypocrites?

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There have been several threads on religions, the religious and religious beliefs as well as inane threads that ask whether Atheists and/or Agnostics celebrate Christmas.

However, has there been a thread that asked whether the automatic reaction of an agnostic or atheist to a Christian -- particularly the loud sort that pronounce Jesus not as two equally weighted syllables but either as JAY-sus or GEEE-sus -- is to doubt the Christian's sincerity? Or, to think the Christian is a hypocrite?

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Type: Discussion • Score: 6 • Views: 4,376 • Replies: 58

If I encounter a person who belongs to the Jesus group on Facebook, I assume he is a hypocrite. I am made uncomfortable with most statements offering prayers for me or anyone else unless I really know the speaker.

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Well, I was a strong catholic in my youth. As you know, that passed. I'd never assume that someone who wanted to pray for me is a hypocrite, have no tendency to do that.

If they got pushily repetitive, then I'd be plain old annoyed and would speak up.

But then I'm not even on facebook, much less the jesus group. Why do you go there to that group?

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I watch a while to see. Some Christians might be the salt of the Earth, while others are criminal in their hypocrisy. But I also watch everybody else in the same way. I believe a person ought to be judged by the content of their character, not by their perception of faith.

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Christians have no exclusive lock on hypocrisy. Atheists and agnostics can by hypocrites, too. If i encounter a christian and come to the conclusion that he or she is a hypocrite, i don't consider him or her to be a hypocrite because he or she is a christian.

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@plainoldme,

Do Atheists/Agnostics tend to view Christians as Hypocrites?

I hope not!

Quote:

has there been a thread that asked whether the automatic reaction of an agnostic or atheist to a Christian -- particularly the loud sort that pronounce Jesus not as two equally weighted syllables but either as JAY-sus or GEEE-sus -- is to doubt the Christian's sincerity?

I think few people would ever come up to me on the street or in my home and loudly proclaim their "Christian faith" if they didn't have it to begin to with. That would make about as much sense as going up to talk to someone about a fortune you didn't have or family you didn't have.

As far your other concern goes...

Quote:

I am made uncomfortable with most statements offering prayers for me or anyone else unless I really know the speaker.

I think the important point there is that the speaker's concern for you and yours is probably sincere, even if that person's belief in God isn't. It is quite likely many of them do believe in the power of prayer, while I'm sure there are others who see that you've had a bad break and just want to do something.

I remember watching a fraction of an episode of House, where this Spanish (?) guy risked life and limb to bring his dying wife halfway across the world to get House to diagnose and save her. The foreigner wasn't a Christian, but he prayed for his wife at the end, because there was nothing else left to do.

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@Setanta,

On the other hand, I feel many people choose to confess extreme forms of Christianity because they regard themselves as superior people and Christianity provides a platform for superiority. So, I suggest that reverse: that people choose to be extreme Christians -- the sort who put the emphasis on the first syllable of Jesus -- because they are hypocrites.

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@Oylok,

I think those who walk up to you on the street to proclaim their faith and to seek your company are the most likely to be, if not hypocrites, than troubled people at the end of their emotional ropes.

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@plainoldme,

If such people genuinely believe their creed to be superior, and that they themselves are therefore superior, there is no hypocrisy involved. Extreme self-delusion, undoubtedly--but not hypocrisy.

1 Reply

@plainoldme,

plainoldme wrote:

On the other hand, I feel many people choose to confess extreme forms of Christianity because they regard themselves as superior people and Christianity provides a platform for superiority. So, I suggest that reverse: that people choose to be extreme Christians -- the sort who put the emphasis on the first syllable of Jesus -- because they are hypocrites.

True Christianity will humble you. If there is someone regarding themselves as superior because they are Christian I would question the validity of their being a Christian.

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@plainoldme,

1. no

2. why does how they pronounce Jesus have anything to do with it? seems more than a bit condescending and judgmental to evaluate someone's sincerity by their accent

1 Reply

@Setanta,

You don't think it is hypocritical for a person to lie or cheat and then beg immunity from blame because of a profession of faith?

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@Arella Mae,

The key is "true" Christianity. And you made my point: I doubt the Christianity of anyone who says they are superior because they are Christian.

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@ehBeth,

The manner in which they pronounce Jesus is used here as an identifier, a descriptive term. Haven't you heard that sort of pronounciation?

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@Arella Mae,

Quote:

True Christianity will humble you.

I'm way more humble than you! Mr. Green

1 Reply

If the originating post on this thread isn't a fine example of "hate speech" I don't know what the term could possibly mean.

1 Reply

@plainoldme,

plainoldme wrote:

There have been several threads on religions, the religious and religious beliefs as well as inane threads that ask whether Atheists and/or Agnostics celebrate Christmas.

However, has there been a thread that asked whether the automatic reaction of an agnostic or atheist to a Christian -- particularly the loud sort that pronounce Jesus not as two equally weighted syllables but either as JAY-sus or GEEE-sus -- is to doubt the Christian's sincerity? Or, to think the Christian is a hypocrite?

No.

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@plainoldme,

plainoldme wrote:

You don't think it is hypocritical for a person to lie or cheat and then beg immunity from blame because of a profession of faith?

Yes.

Surely you are not saying all christians lie or cheat?

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@plainoldme,

No, i don't. If in the context of their belief that forgiveness is available, it is not hypocritical. As has already been pointed out to you, you seem to assume that all christians lie and cheat. In the middle ages, people called simoners would sell "indulgences"--simony meant you could get time off in purgatory by buying the indulgence. One might accuse church authority of hypocrisy, although even that would be tricky--but not the poor suckers who bought indulgences in good faith. On a few notable occasions, people purchased indulgences in advance, or were tempted to act for a secular or religious authority on a promise of immunity. Asking for forgiveness for one's sins is not asking for immunity. You're willfully casting this in terms of contempt, which is a despicable rhetorical technique.

That christians, or anyone else, are fallible, and find it difficult to constantly live up to the standard of what they believe is the most laudable behavior is not evidence of hypocrisy, it just means that they're human and therefore fallible. You must really hate christians.

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@hingehead,

Yeah, but i'm more humbler than any of you guys . . .

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Do Atheists/Agnostics tend to view Christians as Hypocrites?

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