Is hypocrisy ever okay?

[rebel_conservative]

Al Gore and the bandwagon jumpers in Hollywood live in very large, unecological houses, drive huge gas-guzzling cars... etc etc etc, you know the schtick by now.

At the time he was lambasting Clinton for his extra-marital affair with Monica, Newt Gingrich was having his own "bit on the side."

Many people will find excuses for politicians they agree with, yet attack the other for hypocrisy and double standards as a way of shutting down debate and silencing the view that they disagree with.

This raises the question, do politicians need to practice what they preach? Discuss.

 

[Voegelin]

The "Everybody does it" excuse used to start a debate on hypocrisy. Priceless.

The answer is, of course, it is better to have standards and not live up to them than to have no standards.

Which means, of course, that "everybody" does not do it. Not exactly.

 

[Vylo]

Only when I do it .

 

[Yusuf Evans]

A wise Hindu Guru once said, "Never trust women, nor politicians."

 

[ews]

The answer is, of course, it is better to have standards and not live up to them than to have no standards.

That seems to be the order of the day around Washington, D.C.

 

[ParsonJefferson]

The Global Warming celebrities are making a mockery of what could actually be a real problem (not the perceived problem the alarmists are screaming about).

They're in it for the attention, not the environment.

Shame on them!

 

[KomissarSteve]

The "Everybody does it" excuse used to start a debate on hypocrisy. Priceless.

The answer is, of course, it is better to have standards and not live up to them than to have no standards.

Bull. If by not living up to those standards, one does harm to the ideology behind those standards (ie: when Christians drive non-Christians away from Christ through their own hypocrisy), it's considerably worse than if one were to exist in the neutral state of not having any standards.

 

[KomissarSteve]

The Global Warming celebrities are making a mockery of what could actually be a real problem (not the perceived problem the alarmists are screaming about).

They're in it for the attention, not the environment.

Shame on them!

You're ignoring the fact that folks like Al Gore do damage to the environment because they consider the limited damage they do to be a lesser evil than not raising awareness among the Western public. Shame on you for helping perpetuate ignorance.

 

[ParsonJefferson]

You're ignoring the fact that folks like Al Gore do damage to the environment because they consider the limited damage they do to be a lesser evil than not raising awareness among the Western public. Shame on you for helping perpetuate ignorance.

Wrong. Yet again.

If EVERYBODY lived the way these "environmentalists" live, the earth would be doomed.

Live green - don't just talk about it!

Al Gore is a shameless, lying, hypocritical attention-grubber.

 

[KomissarSteve]

Wrong. Yet again.

Live green - don't just talk about it!

Al Gore is a shameless, lying, hypocritical attention-grubber.

Where's your evidence that those are his motivations, and not what I said?

 

[ParsonJefferson]

Where's your evidence that those are his motivations, and not what I said?

His bank account.



By the way, how many thousand trees do you suppose were cut down to make the paper for that pathetic fairy-tale of a book he sort of wrote?

 

[vatuck]

Bull. If by not living up to those standards, one does harm to the ideology behind those standards (ie: when Christians drive non-Christians away from Christ through their own hypocrisy), it's considerably worse than if one were to exist in the neutral state of not having any standards.

Yea, but that raises the question, if we could live up to those standards, we wouldn't need Jesus, would we? I see what you are saying, though.

 

[KomissarSteve]

Yea, but that raises the question, if we could live up to those standards, we wouldn't need Jesus, would we? I see what you are saying, though.

Certainly, and I'm not saying it's a trend that humanity's ever going to escape. I just take issue with Voegelin pretending that hypocrisy is somehow less-damaging a sin than having no standards whatsoever.

 

[KomissarSteve]

His bank account.

That's an allegation, not evidence. Do you need for me to explain the difference to you, or do you think you can handle finding evidence on your own?

By the way, how many thousand trees do you suppose were cut down to make the paper for that pathetic fairy-tale of a book he sort of wrote?

Probably very few; a lot of publishers use recycled paper nowadays.

By the way, neither of these arguments are very compelling.

 

[silentreader]

Bull. If by not living up to those standards, one does harm to the ideology behind those standards (ie: when Christians drive non-Christians away from Christ through their own hypocrisy), it's considerably worse than if one were to exist in the neutral state of not having any standards.

scripture would tend to disagree with you. you have fallen into the legalism trap because now it is up to you to determine how imperfect someone can be before they do harm to Christ. Christ cannot be disparaged by man, though it is sin to attempt to disparage Christ. i think Christ would rather you worry about your relationship with Him then whether or not your neighbor is making Christ look bad.

 

[ParsonJefferson]

That's an allegation, not evidence. Do you need for me to explain the difference to you, or do you think you can handle finding evidence on your own?

Probably very few; a lot of publishers use recycled paper nowadays.

By the way, neither of these arguments are very compelling.

Al Gore is doing everything within his power to remain in the public eye. It is for political, and personal financial gain. To say otherwise is clear evidence of your head being buried too far up somewhere "Al Gore related..."

Were it not for that FACT, he would simply live his life in an environmentally friendly way - rather than being immersed in the hypocrisy that has now become synonymous with the name Al Gore.

Are you able to tell me what 1+1 equals?

 

[silentreader]

Certainly, and I'm not saying it's a trend that humanity's ever going to escape. I just take issue with Voegelin pretending that hypocrisy is somehow less-damaging a sin than having no standards whatsoever.

so you think it is better to life a godless life given over to debauchary then to live in Christ, albeit imperfectly?

 

[KomissarSteve]

scripture would tend to disagree with you.

I dunno; that part where Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites and "brood of vipers" tends to make me think otherwise.

You have fallen into the legalism trap because now it is up to you to determine how imperfect someone can be before they do harm to Christ.

And how, pray tell, is that up to me? Obviously, it varies from person to person; some people have had a bad enough overall experience with angry, judgmental racists or homophobes, that all it takes is a widely-publicized example of conservative Christian hypocrisy (ie: Gingrich's little fling) to convince them that Christianity is completely removed from Christ's message and an evil religion. For others, it takes more than that. But that hardly matters; social conservatives who claim loudly to be Christians will continue to rail against anything that disagrees with their extremely narrow view of morality, and then flaunt that morality themselves, until those non-Christians reject Christ as well.

i think Christ would rather you worry about your relationship with Him then whether or not your neighbor is making Christ look bad.

Well then, thank God I was born with the ability to multitask.

 

[KomissarSteve]

so you think it is better to life a godless life given over to debauchary then to live in Christ, albeit imperfectly?

Where did I say it was "better"?

 

[KomissarSteve]

Al Gore is doing everything within his power to remain in the public eye. It is for political, and personal financial gain.

I don't believe these are his goals. I'm waiting for you to convince me that they are.

To say otherwise is clear evidence of your head being buried too far up somewhere "Al Gore related..."

"To say otherwise is clear evidence of your head being bured too far up somewhere 'Sean Hannity related...'"

See, I can do it too.