Hypocrites?

What do you think?

Total Votes:

[ 0 ]

This poll closed on February 9, 2005.
No longer accepting new votes.

[Lilacs_and_Lolita]

As some of you might know, today is Ash Wednesday for the Christian faith. I was in Church today and I was listening to the Gospel reading(for once) when it said that we should practice our religion in secret and not publicly show our religion because God sees things in secret. It said that those that show their religion in the streets are Hypocrites, so then aren't all Christians Hypocrites? I contemplated this as I was having ashes put on my forehead, knowing that I was going to go out in public with the sign of the cross displayed in ash for everyone to see. If we are supposed to worship privately, then why is it that many Christians wear crosses, or thank God when something good happens, or in the case of today, have ashes put on their forehead, when supposedly it is hypocritical? Can anyone shed some light on this subject?

[kinky_neko]

Religion is public, prayer is private. Thats how I see it.

[samuraiasako]

I think trying to do "religious things" so people can see them is wrong. It is just trying to make yourself look good and holy. If you are doing these things with your whole heart and people just happen to see them, well, that's awesome. I pray everyday at the lunch table and people see me but I don't care. I just want to thank God for my food and for the day.

[SukariNinja]

yes. I agree with SamuraiAsako.... hypocrisy depends on one's motives and acts. Like, if u say one thing, and do another or if u have the wrong reason for doing things. Professing your faith publicly is not hyposcrisy. It says multiple times in the Bible to profess Christ publicly..how else would one do this? Matthew 28:19 'Go ye therefore and make disciples...'
One has to live their faith publicly to be able to do this. A relationship with Christ is not supposed to be a personal thing only.

Dictionary def. of hypocrisy: The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness.

keywords...'that one does not hold or possess'

smile

[Kade_maddness]

I myself am not a christian, but I once was, so I'm only putting my two sense in if you will allow me.
When I think of hypocirt I think of some one who goes to church, carries around a bible, wears their big gaudy crosses and tells everyone the will go to hell for such and such a reason, but only does so to make themselves look better, and does not actually follow the words they preach to others.
I look at those people walking about with the ashes upon their foreheads and then I look into their eyes. The ashes are but a symbol of their religion, burned from the palms the same as those that ushered Jesus into [can't remember the city] welcoming him. That symbol does not mean anything though if the person does not beleive in it, have faith in it, their God, and themselves. If they see it simply as a symbol of their righteousness, then that symbol might as well be nothing what so ever.
So as to privately or publicly worshiping, showing ones faith. I think, and this is only my interpration as an outsider, that it refers to keeping your worship true to yourself and God, but that is just me.

[Operation Shoestring]

Yay for reading comprehension! stare

It talk about prayer and fasting, which people do publicly to show off how "pious" they are.

Most Christains i know don't actually fast except under extraordinary circumstances.

And most pray to God in a personal and private way.

Publicly singing God's praises, unless done only to try to look pious, is not codemned.

[Squirrel Happy]

It's only hypocrisy if you say, "look at me! I have ashes on my head! I'm going to heaven and your not!" It really depends on the motive, if you know what I mean. It's hypocrisy to act like your better than every one else because your a Catholic.

[Pom Graines]

The practice in private. Was meant that you don't go on a street corner shouting "PRAISE JESUS OR YOUR GOING TO HELL!" It means that you must be humble of it. You Can practice and talk to other people about it publicly. The hypocrites are the ones that put on all the theatrics

[Fiddlers Green]

I believe the ban is more against people who make a huge performance out of their faith rather than those that don't hide their beliefs.

[Shinji-Katawane]

I think only prayers are ment to be completly private.

[Lilacs_and_Lolita]

Therefore, are all of the people that only go to church on the major holidays hypocrites. I think it would be hypocricy if someone only went to church on Christmas and Easter and holidays like that. I agree with the notion that it depends on the person's motives, I just found it ironic because after the Gospel reading, the father's Homily was about professing the faith to others. It confused me a little. I agree completely that it all depends on whether or not the person actually believes or if they are doing it just for show.

[jade_turtle]

depends truely on how you look at it..some might think it's that, but others might think differently

[DonVitoCorleone]

the Lord said that the Pharisees that did the right things in public already had their reward. people knew what they were doing. However if you do it in private the Lord acknowledges that too. I was in a public restaraunt and this guy came up to me and started talking to me. I didn't know him. He just said that the Lord had a message for me. I listened thinking what kind of a joke is this? This was before i became a christian. When he was talking to me he started telling me things that i have told nobody. Things about myself. As a result i am a born again christian. Do you think the Lord is not going to let him into heaven just because what he did, he did in public. I think not. However, if he had made a big show of it i don't know what the Lord would do.

[Lilacs_and_Lolita]

DonVitoCorleone

the Lord said that the Pharisees that did the right things in public already had their reward. people knew what they were doing. However if you do it in private the Lord acknowledges that too. I was in a public restaraunt and this guy came up to me and started talking to me. I didn't know him. He just said that the Lord had a message for me. I listened thinking what kind of a joke is this? This was before i became a christian. When he was talking to me he started telling me things that i have told nobody. Things about myself. As a result i am a born again christian. Do you think the Lord is not going to let him into heaven just because what he did, he did in public. I think not. However, if he had made a big show of it i don't know what the Lord would do.

He will probrably get into heaven if he is a true believer. This is more aimed at those who put on the big false show and only do things of that nature for attention or the wrong purposes.

[samuraiasako]

Lilacs_and_Lolita

Therefore, are all of the people that only go to church on the major holidays hypocrites. I think it would be hypocricy if someone only went to church on Christmas and Easter and holidays like that. I agree with the notion that it depends on the person's motives, I just found it ironic because after the Gospel reading, the father's Homily was about professing the faith to others. It confused me a little. I agree completely that it all depends on whether or not the person actually believes or if they are doing it just for show.

I don't think that we can truely know their hearts so we can't say if they are hypocrites. I would guess they were because I would think that if you truely know God, you would want to go to His house more than a couple times a year.