A definition of hypocrisy is expressing preferences or opinions on a social issue, yet not acting to address the root cause when it’s within their power. Churches and Christians are uniquely positioned and commissioned to resolve the following issues, but typically prefer (religious-sounding) words over (biblically-based) actions…
1. Against Abortion
The main concern for women considering abortion is their (in)ability to provide for a child. It’s inconsistent at best (and hypocritical at worst) for churches and Christians to speak out against abortion without addressing its root cause, particularly since they’re best positioned to do so. A church “family” is ideally suited to provide support networks for women who fear no one will be there to help them navigate the challenging, yet joyful, road ahead. When Christian activists argue for preborn viability without doing what’s necessary for women to choose life for their unborn child, we’re not modeling the love of Jesus to a world desperately seeking the hope only He can provide. Now is the time for the Christian community to stand behind our commitment to the sanctity of human life, each preborn’s immeasurable value from the moment of conception, and the flourishing of every child.
2. Against Expanding Welfare Programs
Individuals experiencing poverty are not as vulnerable as an unborn child but are likewise made in God’s image – and therefore imbued with tremendous worth. Jesus’ mission and model – even His identity – prioritized the materially poor. He saw them as deserving of His attention, protection, and preservation. Churches throughout history followed Jesus’ example but have since ceded the lead role in poverty alleviation to government and parachurches. Yet Christians haven’t become commensurately less vocal about reducing welfare funding. In other words, if churches aren’t prepared to resume their biblical responsibility on the “front line”, they shouldn’t argue for cutting public welfare programs. Most Christians rightfully recognize the capabilities and strengths of those experiencing poverty and therefore advocate for work requirements. So now is the time for the Christian community to not only support families who lose benefits but also provide jobs (economic mobility) to foster self-sustainability.
3. Against Progressivism
Most churches and Christians combat progressivism in ways that promote it by misunderstanding its source. We’re all aware that ideology defines “progress” as removal of Christian influence from our culture, but we incorrectly associate it with politics, parties, and policies. Therefore, we protest, lobby, and vote against the “opposition” – leading to the division we see in America. What we don’t understand is that “progressive” is a worldview rooted in the mistaken belief that human nature is inherently good. The only explanation for holding a non-biblical position on every issue is their adoption of a fundamentally flawed premise. If human nature isn’t evil then we don’t need police, borders, abortion restrictions, genders – or Jesus. In that case, sin is irrelevant and virtue is doing whatever is best for oneself. Now is the time for the Christian community to Drop The Stone, bridging divides by performing acts of kindness to shine a brighter light on the depravity of mankind and our need for Jesus.
4. Against Limits on Prayer
Americans possess the increasingly rare privilege of praying publicly without restraint in the public square. Churches and Christians lament the presumed ban on prayer in public schools, but prayer can be offered and endorsed (although not forced) there now. However, even voluntary prayer, if it’s in the name of Jesus, is banned in certain venues in many other countries around the world, and not just those predominantly Muslim or Hindu. For example, in some Western European and Scandinavian nations, anyone praying inside a “buffer zone” of an abortion clinic can be arrested or fined. More restrictive governments and terror groups impose even harsher penalties (e.g. death) for prayer – private or public. Now is the time for the Christian community to value and take full advantage of the fragile right to pray at every available opportunity.
5. Against Restrictions on Evangelism
We’re also free in America to talk about Jesus. Yet only 52% of born-again believers have witnessed to someone at least once in the past year and 95% have never led someone to Christ. Equally concerning is the fact that over half see their faith as “private”. Those numbers would look dramatically different if churchgoers were confident in their ability to speak openly about what they believe no matter what rebuttals came their way. We’re seeing a revival among our youth, particularly Gen Z men, who are eager to share their newfound faith. However, churches aren’t providing them the apologetics training needed to convince and captivate the skeptics and cynics of their generation. Now is the time for the Christian community to fill that critical gap – so Meet The Need is building a Personal Apologist app with Apologetics, Inc. to teach believers how to respond to the typical questions non-Christians ask.
6. Against Persecution
Over 360 million Christians worldwide today suffer high levels of persecution. Yet the American Church’s silence on persecution is deafening. How must our persecuted brothers and sisters feel, given the vast resources we possess, when we direct less than 1% of our giving to help them? Most collections taken up for the poor in the New Testament were for the persecuted. Their poverty stemmed from a common form of oppression – the inability to work to earn income or denial of assistance. Ironically, ignoring persecution abroad may accelerate its arrival here. Advocating and contributing more for the persecuted would awaken fellow believers to the dangers awaiting us one day – and possibly convince legislators to invoke economic, political, or diplomatic measures against persecuting nations. Now is the time for the Christian community to unite with those imprisoned for what we do here with impunity.
7. Against Open Borders
Christians are foreigners and exiles on the earth, much like persecuted believers who are unwelcomed in countries hostile to our faith. So we should be empathetic with immigrants already in our nation, even if they’re here illegally. We send missionaries around the world but the world is coming to our shores – so it’s never been easier to take the Gospel to the nations. Non-believers advocating for open borders may have ulterior motives, but they have reason to criticize Christians if we’re anti-immigration and pro-deportation without taking care of those who are already here. At the same time, it can be argued that the Old Testament warns Israel repeatedly against open borders. Those in favor of mass immigration typically believe human nature is good, not concerned about who or what may be crossing the border. Now is the time for the Christian community to balance compassion with preserving our nation’s heritage.
8. Against Defunding the Police
Christ-followers see the need for law enforcement because we recognize the inclination of humans toward sin, particularly in the absence of accountability. One’s views on the need for police presence depends on our trust in citizens not to commit crimes. Similarly, opinions on military spending hinge on beliefs about the necessity of strength to deter aggression. Voicing our viewpoints won’t turn the tide of a culture that calls evil good and good evil. Churches and Christians must begin with the recommendations in this blog post – ending hypocrisy within the church. Now is the time for the Christian community to address our own immorality. It’s not our place to judge those outside the church. Our sole concern should be their eternal destiny.
9. Against the Breakdown of the Family
Fatherlessness is a national epidemic, with the highest proportion of single-parent households in the world – three times the global average. Of the approximately 24,000 adolescents aging out of the foster care system each year in America:
- 20% experience homelessness soon thereafter, without any family connections
- 75% of women receive government benefits and 70% become pregnant by 21
- 27% of male former foster youth are incarcerated within 2 years
- Far more likely to experience mental health and substance abuse challenges
Our culture will likely continue to undermine the “traditional” family unit and diminish the role of dads. Now is the time for the Christian community to leverage our untapped social capital and build support networks around the fatherless, while teaching men how to be biblical role models for their children.
10. Against Substance Abuse
Roughly 10% of Americans over the age of 12 are addicted to alcohol and only 8% seek treatment. Meanwhile, 22% of Americans over 12 years old use illicit drugs and 94% of addicts receive no treatment. Churches are in a unique position to provide them what no secular organization can – an answer to the hopelessness and loneliness behind the escapism that fuels substance abuse. Only the church can address all four (spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional) interrelated receptors that cause and cure addiction. Churches should reduce stigma, recognize signs, inform churchgoers, mitigate risk factors, and serve families whose mental and physical health are impacted by alcohol or drug use disorder. Now is the time for the Christian community to offer the hope found only in Jesus Christ and a supportive church family to assist in addiction prevention, intervention, and recovery.
It’s Your Turn…
Could you or your church be considered hypocritical on any of those issues?
