People on the outside of the church think Christians are hypocritical. At least, according to one survey*, 72% of people who never attend church think those who do attend church are hypocrites.
Hypocrites! I've been called lots of names, but this one, for someone trying to follow God, would have to be the single worst name you could be called. I'm guessing you may have been called names as well. As insulting as any of them might have been, to be told that someone thinks you're not really doing what you say you are doing would be, should be, near the top.
So, take this stat for what it’s worth, but one study found 72% of people who don’t attend church believe there is a God, but the same 72% also believe the church is full of hypocrites. I know surveys can often be skewed, but let's follow the progression here. 7 out of every 10 people say they believe in God. It might be a good God, an angry God, a disengaged God or perhaps even a disinterested God.
But if these 72% of people are giving it any thought at all, they are acknowledging this God to be more powerful than anything else on Earth. This means they likely believe they should be doing something in connection to God; talking to Him, offering their first child as a sacrifice, giving Him money, etc. However skewed their views might be, some response would be necessary, right?
But they aren't. Why not? I'm just guessing here, but perhaps it's because the same 72% of non-church attenders believe the church is full of hypocrites. Think about this. If you were searching for a solution to the problem of what to do with God and you saw a bunch of other people who said they believed in God, said there were certain things they believed God wanted from them, then chose NOT to do those things...would you want to join them? Would you have any impulse whatsoever that what they were doing would benefit you?
It's like this. Say you were searching for methods to be more physically fit and healthy. Perhaps you found out there were other people also seeking to be physically fit. Maybe you hear about this place where they go. You hear about the habits they say are necessary to achieve physical fitness.
Then you visit their gym. All around you are people who look no different than you, most of them eating candy bars and not actually exercising. Are you going back? Are you joining them?
We say we want to see people come to know the love of Jesus. Maybe we need to be showing the love of Jesus.
* http://www.religionnewsblog.com/20397/survey
Hypocrites! I've been called lots of names, but this one, for someone trying to follow God, would have to be the single worst name you could be called. I'm guessing you may have been called names as well. As insulting as any of them might have been, to be told that someone thinks you're not really doing what you say you are doing would be, should be, near the top.
So, take this stat for what it’s worth, but one study found 72% of people who don’t attend church believe there is a God, but the same 72% also believe the church is full of hypocrites. I know surveys can often be skewed, but let's follow the progression here. 7 out of every 10 people say they believe in God. It might be a good God, an angry God, a disengaged God or perhaps even a disinterested God.
But if these 72% of people are giving it any thought at all, they are acknowledging this God to be more powerful than anything else on Earth. This means they likely believe they should be doing something in connection to God; talking to Him, offering their first child as a sacrifice, giving Him money, etc. However skewed their views might be, some response would be necessary, right?
But they aren't. Why not? I'm just guessing here, but perhaps it's because the same 72% of non-church attenders believe the church is full of hypocrites. Think about this. If you were searching for a solution to the problem of what to do with God and you saw a bunch of other people who said they believed in God, said there were certain things they believed God wanted from them, then chose NOT to do those things...would you want to join them? Would you have any impulse whatsoever that what they were doing would benefit you?
It's like this. Say you were searching for methods to be more physically fit and healthy. Perhaps you found out there were other people also seeking to be physically fit. Maybe you hear about this place where they go. You hear about the habits they say are necessary to achieve physical fitness.
Then you visit their gym. All around you are people who look no different than you, most of them eating candy bars and not actually exercising. Are you going back? Are you joining them?
We say we want to see people come to know the love of Jesus. Maybe we need to be showing the love of Jesus.
* http://www.religionnewsblog.com/20397/survey
Comments