The Hypocrisy of Atheism Pt. 1

We all know that Christians are hypocrites. This fact is well explained and parodied throughout modern media. Today, even with movements like "Intelligent Design" and books like "Darwin's Black Box" people who believe in God or at least acknowledge the possibility of a Creator are considered unintelligent to a degree. Let me put it another way with a dialogue that I heard a few years ago:

Woman 1: Do you believe in God?

Woman 2: Yes, I grew up Catholic. But my husband doesn't believe in Him.

Woman 1: Why?

Woman 2: Well,...He's a scientist.

Woman 1: OoooOOoooh. I see.

Woman 2: Yes.

Okay, before you think this is going to be another Evolution vs. Creation blog, don't worry. It's not. My thesis for this series is: Atheists criticize Christians for being hypocritical, when they themselves are hypocrites as well.

Before I go into my point for today, let me begin by saying that hypocracy, unfortunately, is simply a human trait. There is really no complete escaping of it. It's one of those "as soon as you realize that you are humble, you are proud" things. There are two reasons this is so unfortunate. First of all, Christians SHOULDN'T be hypocritical because they have "The Truth." Secondly, the rest of the world uses this hypocrasy to keep from becoming Christians. As long as they can find fault in the followers, they don't have to follow the Leader.

Today, atheism is considered the "smart man's philosophy." I am in Korea and there is a forum here for English teachers and one of the topics a few weeks ago was, "Why are Christians so stupid?" It was a forum created by a bunch of atheists...who quite obviously have it all together, because they are the experts on everything, because they KNOW for a fact that there is no God.

That said, one of the reasons that Atheists say that Christians are hypocritical is that we believe in a loving God who at the same time wants people to go to heaven, but also condemns people to hell. How could a loving God do such a thing? Well, immediately the well-taught Christian gets out his pocket Bible and starts quoting verses about how God is so perfect. But then the well-taught atheist....wait. Let me just do another dialogue:

Atheist: You are a hypcrit.

Christian: How so...this time?

A: Because you say your God is so loving, yet He condemns people to hell.

C: But He doesn't WANT to. II Pet. 3:9.

A: That's not the point. The point is that he DOES it.

C: Well...but God is perfect, and He cannot dwell with sin.

A: But...I don't do bad things. I've never robbed a bank and I've never killed anyone.

C: Have you ever lied or cheated? Have you ever hated?

A: Yes. So? I know what you are getting at, but I don't buy it.

C: What am I getting at?

A: You are going to tell me the old tired explanation that just a little bit of sin makes you worthy of hell, and I just can't accept that.

C: Why not?

A: Because it's terrible. Just because I cheated on a test in 10th grade doesn't mean I should burn for all eternity.

C: Okay, I get it. You are saying that the punishment should fit the crime, and that a life-time of torment is a huge price to pay for messing up once or twice.

A: Exactly.

Now...there are many ways of looking at this, and there are many other further explanations as to why this is actually the logistical fallacy of "Over Simplification." For one thing, none of us have only messed up once or twice. Rather, if we are honest with ourselves, we will realize that, yes, we mess up once or twice . . . every couple of hours. For another thing, the Bible tells us that "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" (Gal. 5:9). Or to coin an English cliche: "One bad apple ruins the whole bunch." In other words, all it takes to make purity no longer pure is to have one impurity. Jewel experts understand this or else they would never make a living. A pure diamond is priceless not only because it is so rare, but also because it--more than other diamonds--is actually 100% diamond. When a diamond is 90% pure, this is another way of saying that it is 90% diamond. It is 10% impurity. We were created to be 100% perfect by a 100% perfect God, therefore, for us to be ANY less is to go against our very basis of existing.

Atheists don't like this because it sounds so final and doesn't give them any choice. However, they are obviously given choice since they are allowed to refuse God. The fact that they aren't struck down by lightening for rejecting God is because God gives them a choice.

But that's not really my point today. My point is that Atheists say that Christianity is hypocritcal because God claims to be loving, yet cannot tolerate even a little bit of sin. However, they do the same exact thing. Let's go back to the dialogue:

A: Your religion is hypocritical because your "loving" God condemns people to hell even if they've tried to be good all their lives.

C: But you do the same thing.

A: How so?

C: Do you believe the Bible?

A: Absolutely not.

C: Absolutely not?

A: Yes.

C: So, the parts about loving your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18), or equality (Gal 3:28), or kindness (Eph. 4:32), or peace (Rom 12:18), or showing respect (Eph. 5:21), or protecting widows and orphans (Jms. 1:27)--

A: Okay stop quoting verses, that is driving me insane. I don't believe in the Bible, so you don't need to allude to it.

C: Okay, fine. Or justice, or safety, or honesty, or faithfulness, or integrity, or bravery, etc.--all that stuff is just a bunch of baloney, then.

A: No. We both know that stuff is good. What is your point?

C: But you just said you absolutely didn't believe the Bible.

A: Well, I believe those things are true, but I don't believe in the parts of the Bible where women are supposed to be repressed, or where it says that God created the world 6,000 years ago, or that I am going to hell because I don't believe Jesus was anything more than a man.

C: So because of a few verses you don't like, you are going to write off the entire book. You won't even let me quote from the verses you DO happen to agree with simply because of a few misrepresented verses taken out of context?

A: Yeah, so?

C: Nothing. It's just hypocritical. You have a problem with God condemning you for a few little sins, yet you reject the entire Bible because of a few little verses. You, more than me, should understand why God has a problem with "a few little things."