Jesus and the "Christians are Hypocrites" Objection

I have always found the objection that "Christians are hypocrites" to be a strange one.  You've heard it before- "I wouldn't want to become a Christian.  Christians are hypocrites!"  (I appreciate what one speaker once said in regard to this: "We got room for one more!  Come on down!")

Jesus Himself objected to hypocrites and didn't mince words when dealing with them:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weighter matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness.  These you ought to have done, without neglecting others.  You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!  

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee!  First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.  So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Matthew 23:25-28; Emphasis mine).

For other verses where Jesus deals with hypocrisy, see here.

So, it would seem to me that the person offering up the hypocrite objection is attempting to argue something like this:

1. I think it is wrong to be a hypocrite.
2. Christians are hypocrites. (Keep in mind, this says nothing about the truth or falsehood of Christianity.)
3. Therefore, I reject Christianity.

However, in reality, they are arguing:

1. I think it is wrong to be a hypocrite.
2. Jesus also thinks it's wrong to be a hypocrite.
3. Therefore, I reject Jesus.

Clearly, this is fallacious.

One should accept or reject Christianity based upon the person and claims of Jesus Christ.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Comments

What I find most interesting of all, Chad, is the hypocrisy of those who claim to most disdain hypocrisy in others. For several hundred examples of such, help yourslef to ASND's main hyposcrity page...

http://anotherslownewsday.wordpress.com/hypocrisy/

... or any of the many additional, subtopical pages accessible from the branches of ASND's Politics / Hypocrisy menu tree.