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Ask the Religion Experts: How do you account for hypocrites in your faith? Do they discount your beliefs?

This week, our religion experts answer: How do you account for hypocrites in your faith? Do they discount your beliefs?

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Rev. RAY INNEN PARCHELO is a novice Tendai priest and founder of the Red Maple Sangha, the first lay Buddhist community in Eastern Ontario.

Truth-seekers always will make honest mistakes along the way. They cling to teaching or practice which, as their wisdom grows, they abandon, recognizing it as immature. Faith leaders have an obligation to allow others to grow and to learn, without judgment or condemnation. Our faith is not harmed by spiritual “growing pains.”

This question points to those who know better, who gain some degree of wisdom or practice skill and, out of greed or stupidity, use it to deceive or to cheat others.

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In ancient times, the Buddha and early masters warned against such wilful misrepresentations of teaching. This was considered a misdeed of major consequence, harming seekers and causing disharmony. These people might, given serious circumstances, be banned from the community. This is not to say that new perspectives on the teaching were feared or punished. The opposite is true. Buddhist history embraced new, fresh and varied interpretations. What was then and now dangerous to our (and any) faith is the misuse of teaching for personal profit or to deliberately create discord in people’s lives.

It is regrettable these days to witness unscrupulous people acquiring enough Buddhist authority to market themselves or certain products or services intended to bypass personal effort and morality for some promised spiritual gain. We are told in the Brahma-net Sutra, in no vague terms, that the Buddha-teaching is not for sale. This selling of qualifications, status or “secret teachings” to misguided students and seekers, for personal profit or glorification, has only served to cheapen and dilute the precious teaching we have. I also find it discouraging the number of uninformed people who learn one or two basic meditation practices and go on to teach or to write as if these were some sufficient distillation of 2,500 years of teaching.

In the West, we are too quick to look for a “spiritual truth for dummies,” a crash course in spiritual growth. People who exploit this naivety or laziness are without benefit to themselves and our religious growth. True spiritual growth, like any kind of personal maturity comes over time, with effort, guidance and acquired wisdom.

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Rev. KEVIN FLYNN is an Anglican priest and director of the Anglican studies program at Saint Paul University.

The word “hypocrisy” comes from the Greek lexicon where it denotes someone who is playing a role in a play. In common usage, the word relates to people who play the part of being religious and virtuous while in fact, being nothing of the sort. Some might say all religious people are hypocrites insofar as none of us measures up to what we are called to be and do.

But Jesus’s warnings against hypocrisy are not about failures to live the good life. Healthy religion recognizes the gap between aspiration and realization, acknowledges failings, and seeks forgiveness and amendment of life. Jesus’s many criticisms of hypocrisy tend to flow in two directions. First, he denounces those who count their reputation among other people as more important than how they appear before God. Secondly, he castigates those whose religiosity is a screen for injustice and mistreatment of others. Common to both cases is the desire for a favourable image before others with no concern for God. Such folk are thus “playing a part.”

Why some people expend their energy on trying to look good before others without doing the work necessary to genuinely merit their esteem is likely tied up with deep psychological fears and failures of growth. From the religious perspective, they have never known the liberating love of the one Jesus called Father, one who knows the heart of every person, and who values the smallest, unsung act of virtue.

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To be sure, it can be painful as a person of faith, to see religious ideals and teachings misused, especially if this brings harm to people. But my heart goes out to the hypocrites who seem to have known nothing about being loved simply for who they are and must spend their lives chasing after the ephemera of public opinion.

Rev. RICK REED is senior pastor at the Metropolitan Bible Church in Ottawa.

Hypocrisy in the church is a nasty problem but not a new problem. In fact, the very first church in Jerusalem had a couple who became famous (or infamous) for their hypocrisy. Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, conspired to con the rest of the church about their charitable giving. They wanted to look more generous than they actually were.

Hypocrisy is what happens when we try to look better than we are. In fact, the Greek word for hypocrite originally was used to refer to actors in the theatre. We use the word to refer to anyone who puts on an act, pretending to be something they’re not.

Some say the presence of hypocrites in the church discounts the Christian faith. They see hypocrites as proof the whole church is phoney. But actually, it’s just the opposite. Hypocrisy shows there is something real worth imitating.

Think about it: we wouldn’t have fake Rolex watches if there weren’t real ones. There wouldn’t be counterfeit 20-dollar bills if there weren’t real 20-dollar bills. And there wouldn’t be hypocritical Christians if there weren’t authentic, genuine ones to imitate.

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That doesn’t mean God condones hypocrisy among Christians.

In fact, read the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5) and you’ll see that God dealt severely and quickly with them. They both died.

Thankfully, God doesn’t strike down all hypocrites immediately; even genuine Christians can act hypocritically at times (Galatians 2:13). However, Jesus promised that God ultimately will separate the weeds from the wheat, the hypocrites from genuine believers (Matthew 13:36-43).

There are still modern-day Ananias and Sapphiras in the church. I’m grieved by the black eye they give to Jesus and His church. But they are just the shadow side of something real and vibrant. Don’t let them keep you away from Jesus.

RADHIKA SEKAR holds a PhD in religious studies and taught Hinduism courses at Carleton and Ottawa universities. An aspiring Vedantin, she is a devotee of the Sri Ramakrishna Mission.

The Kathopanishad begins with the story of Vajashrava, a learned Brahman, who wishing to accumulate spiritual merit, decides to perform a great yagna (sacrifice). As part of the ceremony, he must give Dana (charity). But his son Nachiketa notices that things he gives away are those no longer useful to him: cows that were old, barren, blind, or lame, for example.

Nachiketa attempts to point out that this is not true Dana and will not bring merit, but his objections are ignored. Concerned for his father’s spiritual welfare, he steps forward and asks: “I too, am yours, to whom will you offer me?” Unable to ignore him anymore, an irritated Vajashrava answers; “I give you to Death.” (The story has a happy ending with Nachiketa learning the secret of immortality from the Lord of Death).

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The tale points out Vajrasaya’s hypocrisy. Although learned he obviously, was not wise. The dictionary defines a hypocrite as someone who “pretends to be better than he/she really is; i.e. saying one thing but doing the opposite. The main reason for double standards is the desire for the best of both worlds. Vajashrava however, does not impress his son, who rightly points out his hypocrisy.

Hypocrisy is a fundamental tendency inherent in most of us. As parents, most of us have had a “do as I say and not as I do” moment. It most certainly occurs in religious leaders who by the nature of their vocation, are set up as superior individuals. We rightly expect higher standards from them and judge them more severely when they do not live up to these standards.

But does their hypocrisy discount my beliefs? Absolutely not! The teachings themselves, are soundly based on perennial ethics: for example, the message of a closet alcoholic advocating temperance remains sound, even when he/she is exposed as an alcoholic. You may lose respect for the person and move away but discounting his/her message would be like throwing the baby out with the bath water.

JACK MCLEAN is a Bahá’í scholar, teacher, essayist and poet published in the fields of spirituality, Bahá’í theology and poetry.

I will take the question “Do they discount your beliefs?” to mean whether hypocrites undermine my beliefs.

First, let us have a clearer understanding of the strange phenomenon of hypocrisy. The Greek root of the word “hypocrite” denotes an individual who is acting or playing a part. A hypocrite is not just any believer who tries but fails to live up to the divine standard. If that meaning alone defined the word, then we should all of us deserve the epithet.

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A hypocrite is, rather, someone who lives by pretence, who deceitfully and knowingly assumes the appearance of virtue, but who in reality practises vice to feed the perverted appetites of the lower self or ego. The hypocrite is usually found in the company of the self-righteous. In its most extreme manifestations, hypocrisy is associated with such negative attributes as aggression, ambition, cupidity, lust, pride, self-love, treachery, vainglory, etc.

Using this extreme definition of hypocrisy, we may say that hypocrisy is a disease of the soul. Needless to say, the hypocrite wreaks havoc on genuine religion, which depends on credibility for its dynamism and moral authority. What the hypocrite lacks above all are two spiritual virtues that are absolutely essential to religion — sincerity and purity of heart.

The vast majority of all believers in all religions are happily sincere and purely motivated. In my now 50 years of association with those Bahá’ís with whom I have had more than a passing acquaintance, those persons who might fall into this strange category are happily very rare.

Did these few individuals disappoint me? Yes. Did they undermine my faith? No. The quality of our faith should not be determined by the words or deeds of other individuals. Bahá’u’lláh (1817-1892), the Prophet-Founder of our Faith, advises instead: “Fix your gaze upon Him Who is the Temple of God amongst men” (Gleanings, p. 315).

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Rev. GEOFFREY KERSLAKE is a priest of the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Ottawa.

Nobody is perfect and before we judge others, we need to examine our own words and actions to see how authentically we ourselves are living our purported beliefs.

Every parent, for example, is aware of the power of teaching the children how to behave by personal example. We reveal our own core beliefs to others by what we say and do and so it is very important that we model our faith’s beliefs well by our actions. Furthermore, because human beings sometimes struggle to live our faith authentically, we need to be forgiving of one another’s lapses. That does not mean that we excuse wrong or sinful behaviour. Sometimes we need others to point out to us the disconnection between our beliefs and our actions. As Christians, however, we must practise forgiveness. Forgiveness is one of Jesus’s most repeated themes in the Gospels; a quick search reveals that the term appears at least 39 times in different forms and contexts. Not only do we need to ask for God’s forgiveness for our sins, Jesus instructs us that we need to extend forgiveness to each other. At the end of the passage in St. Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus teaches his disciples the “Our Father” prayer, for example, he unfolds the full meaning of forgiveness: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Mtt 6:14-15).

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The best means for witnessing to our faith is through the integrity of our words and actions. That involves both examining our own words and actions, as well as learning to ask for and to extend forgiveness for our own and others’ failures to live our faith authentically.

Rabbi REUVEN BULKA is head of Congregation Machzikei Hadas in Ottawa and host of Sunday night with Rabbi Bulka on 580 CFRA.

You are not alone is somehow relating hypocrites with faith, and hypocrisy with religion. Even some dictionary definitions of these “h” words make that connection. But in real life, hypocrites come in all sizes and shapes. Yes, they can be found in every faith system, but also in every profession, in every institution; they can be found everywhere.

If we take your question to its logical conclusion, hypocrites discount everything that we value in life, because hypocrites are ubiquitous.

In actual fact, hypocrites compromise faith values no more than thieves discount honesty. We value honesty even though some people cheat; we value dedication even though some people are lazy; we value responsibility even though some people are negligent.

Let’s begin with the obvious. A conscious hypocrite is nothing less than a liar. A hypocrite pretends to be what one is not, for a vast range of reasons, including to gain an undeserved position, to achieve some form of acceptance or recognition, or to get away with a delinquent activity. Why would anyone accord a liar the credibility to compromise any type of value, be it faith values, moral values, or ethical values? Why would anyone even think that a hypocrite discounts beliefs?

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It is different if the faith system itself encourages or even advocates hypocrisy, but I know of no faith which admits to that. On the other hand, faith systems that allow representatives who speak for the faith to get away with unbecoming behaviour do thereby create major credibility issues. But even in these cases, fairness behooves us to separate the persons from the faith principles.

A viable society is predicated on some basic foundations. Trust and honesty are probably chief among these principles. When these principles are undermined, they threaten to destroy authentic, meaningful interaction. This is true not only of society; it is likewise true of all relationships.

For this alone, never mind other considerations, resorting to false pretence at any level is nothing short of contemptible. But it is the misrepresentation, the hypocrisy, that must be condemned. The faith system is the unwitting cover for the fraud, not the cause of it.

ABDUL RASHID is a member of the Ottawa Muslim community, the Christian-Muslim Dialogue and the Capital Region Interfaith Council.

Hypocrisy is a form of dishonesty. It is hypocritical to have double standards or to be consciously inconsistent between word and action. Hypocrisy in not restricted to faith; it can and does occur in all walks of life. It also is universally abhorred.

If by “account for” hypocrites in your faith, you mean “to justify,” then there is no justification, whatsoever. Hypocrites, like thieves, liars and cheaters, are found in every segment of society, with or without faith.

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Islam condemns hypocrisy unequivocally. The Holy Quran tells us that there is a disease in the hearts of hypocrites. They say: “We believe in God and the Last Day” but they do not (really) believe. They think they deceive God and those who believe but they only deceive themselves and do not realize (it)!” (2:8-10). Inconsistency between word and deed is indeed repugnant to God Almighty (63:3).

The Prophet of Islam said that a person is a hypocrite “even if he prays, fasts, performs pilgrimage and visits the Holy Ka’ba and says he is a Muslim; when he speaks, he lies, when he makes a promise, he breaks it and when he is a trustee, he misappropriates.”

He also said: “One of the worst people is a double-faced man, who comes to one group with one face and to another group with a totally different face.” Unfortunately, this type of hypocrisy is quite common among world nations when judgment and justice are often dominated by political expediency. We are advised to “keep clear of them but admonish them and speak to them a word to reach their very souls” (4:63).

As for the second part of the question, hypocrites cannot and do not “discount” my beliefs. However, when their fraudulent or criminal acts are linked to their faith, they do help further promote phobia against Islam.

KEVIN SMITH is on the board of directors for the Centre for Inquiry, Canada’s premier venue for humanists, skeptics and freethinkers.

As you know, I am an atheist, so it comes as no surprise that I have no faith, at least in the assorted gods many of my fellow humans worship. What I do have faith in is the common good of all, including those of many religious people.

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However, there are a group of people who claim to follow the teachings of Christ: that of unconditional acceptance. They call themselves the religious right. They are neither. I call them hypocrites.

It’s rare to see a public display of such false virtues in one room but it was evident at the recent Bill 13/14 Committee. Known as the anti-bullying Bill, it has become a flashpoint for differing religious values. At issue is allowing students to form afterschool clubs called gay straight alliances, if they so choose. It has been proven to be an important step toward reducing bullying of LGBTQ youth, a group who has the highest rate of teen suicides.

There they were, those faithful hypocrites, contorting and twisting their perception of morality into an assortment of positions. For me, it appeared as if they had successfully managed to place their homophobic heads straight into their derrieres.

They spewed venomous remarks that homosexuals are never bullied or students would be initiated into the sinful gay lifestyle by an alliance. One man feared that GSAs would spread positive messages about being gay.

It was Rev. Brent Hawkes and Deana Dudley of the Metropolitan Community Church in Toronto who reaffirmed my belief in humanity. They spoke eloquently about the need to protect students, regardless of their sexual orientation.

We atheists are sometimes too quick to discount the beliefs of people of faith. We need to embrace those who don’t use their God as an excuse to deny basic human rights.

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