Religious Hypocrisy

In a complex society such as ours, it is inevitable to have problems. This society is plagued with drugs, violence, and hatred. In times such as these, blame gets passed onto different sources, anyone's fault but their own. With such chaos and accusation, people search for something sound and under control. They turn to their faith to try and find the answer to their problems. Religion is where everyone can share a bond. The place of worship is a place of peace where people can gather without fear of the problems which plague their society. They believe that they can find an escape from the problems they face in their place of worship, but it's just another escape from themselves. How sound is the religion which they follow? How far from the problems is their faith?

The three most common religions in the world are Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. All three share many beliefs and they differ very slightly. All three believe in one God who created all ("Judaism Elements" 1, "Origins" 1, "Islam" 1). Christianity is based upon Judaism itself, the only difference being the new testaments preached by Jesus Christ ("Origins" 1-2). Islam too is based on the same beliefs as Judaism and Christianity, with added beliefs of Muhammad ("Islam" 1). Most beliefs are shared by all three religions and yet wars have been fought amongst them. One religion has been persecuted by another during one time or another in history. A common belief among the three common religions is that it is a sin to kill, and yet that is a common problem which plagues the entire world. Christianity and Islam are both based on Judaism and in the Torah one of the ten commandments sent by God was "Thou shalt not kill", and yet followers of these faiths are still killing (Deuteronomy 5; vs.17). To not kill is preached in all religions, and yet wars are fought with those religious people as the ones killing. The people fighting believe that what they are fighting for is the right cause and that God will protect them over their enemy. Both sides feel the same way; both sides have a faith or might even share a faith, so what makes them think that God is on their side?

Holy wars have been fought throughout history; the statement itself can be considered an oxymoron. All faiths preach loving your fellow man, and preach against killing. Yet wars have been labeled as holy. The most unholy of things is described as being holy. Fighting and killing to get back the supposed "holy" land, this land just happens to be holy for three different religions. Murdering and thieving, and committing sin in the name of their religion, all with the sound belief that God is on their side.

The media stories are filled with violence and death. Much of it today is gang related. "Shoot 'em up" gangs who war with each other in the streets of America are the same individuals who attend Sunday mass faithfully and ask for forgiveness for all their sins. After they worship, they then go out into the streets and commit what's considered one of the greatest sins in most religions, killing a fellow human being. This same human being may have been worshiping at the same time, possibly in the same church. They both worship the same God, they both believe that He created them, and yet they don't have any problem with killing another person. They have no problem to commit a sin considered so horrible and the next week, or next day, or next hour go and worship that God who in their belief created that person they just killed. To say one thing and act another shows a great hypocrisy. These people would fight for their faith, they listen to their clergyman tell them to love thy neighbor, and to not kill. They preach their love, and then go out into the streets and act out their blind hate towards someone they may not even know.

History has shown religious hypocrisy and prejudices as being very common. The Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, the Holocaust, and numerous other religious persecutions fill our history books. During the Inquisition, people were put on trial purely upon heresy to get people to "confess their sins and repent," the people accused had no other choice but to admit (Burr 1). Even if they really didn't do it. During the Middle Ages, "the crime of heresy was defined as a deliberate denial of an article of truth of the Catholic faith, and a public and obstinate persistence in that alleged error,"("Historical" 1). The Inquisition which spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages was aggressive, and "hostile to Christianity itself, to the Mass, the sacraments, the ecclesiastical hierarchy and organization," and yet it was the church itself which formed these bodies that were so aggressive (Burr 7). Members of the church were the ones putting judgement upon accused people. Sentencing some to death, and viewing these judgements as being holy. Their hypocrisy caused some to lose their lives, much like in the Salem witch trials.

The Holocaust is another prime example. The Germans during World War II persecuted the Jewish race of Europe and more or less sentenced them to horrific deaths. Christianity being what the Germans faith was, persecuting Jewish people when they shared beliefs, and differed only barely. These supposed religious people sent fellow men to their deaths, these supposedly faithful people killed fellow men in war and in an effort to wipe out a scapegoat. The Holocaust is one of the most horrible examples of religious hypocrisy in history. It's another example of hate with blindness.

Religion has been a cause of conflicts and problems for centuries. Hatred resulting into violence around the world. To find an answer to the problems which our society faces we need to look to ourselves. We need to search our hearts and minds for the solutions, not blindly bestow all our faith and hope into a source of so many problems. To find honesty and truth in us and not rely on the source of such hypocrisy that has been evident for centuries. The answers can be found if the problems are addressed directly, rather than turning to establishments keen on preaching but not on acting.