Saturday, November 23, 2013

Hypocritical People


The hypocrisy of some people never ceases to amaze me, especially by those people who are religious hypocrites.  I know of many people who profess high religious ideals, but they have little charity or compassion.  They judge others, believing themselves morally superior to their fellow beings.  They gaze with disdain on those of us who are lowly sinners and proclaim their own superiority with booming authority.

I know several people who epitomize this hypocrisy.  When a local school sponsored a diaper drive to help women in crisis pregnancies, many responded with true charity and generosity; however, two people responded with judgmental cruelty.  One young teacher said, “No one had ever bought me diapers.” This comment comes from a woman whose husband makes a handsome salary as a pharmaceutical salesman.  Yet another said, “Those women bring it on themselves, and I never asked anyone for anything.” This same person has asked her administration for many breaks at her job as a result of ill health, and those in charge have been most generous.  Where would she be without someone’s generosity and charity?

Maybe these uncharitable comments derive from the frequent misconception that any poor people or “women in crisis” are derelicts who despise hard work, but that is stereotypical thinking and not always the case.  Most of us are not millionaires.  Many of us are poor, not because they don’t work, but because they have not achieved the education, opportunities, or simply the breaks others have obtained.  They are not all lazy welfare queens looking for handouts from rich women who teach Catholic school.  Ironically, one of these women also hails from a family of recent immigrants.  What would have happened to her family had some bigoted Americans shut the door on her family? Does she also not realize that some people would despise her for her Hispanic heritage just as she despises those women who are “in crisis”?

These calloused, cruel people also profess strong Catholic ideals and Christian spirit. I wonder if they would rather the woman in crisis abort her baby because she can’t afford them or drown her existing children in the bathtub. Then, these same women would condemn those women as foul murderers and unnatural mothers.  They condemn people who rely on food banks as “lazy,” but I wonder if they would rather those hungry, desperate people commit suicide rather than accept charity.  Aren’t such acts also sin? What some of these spoiled people don’t realize is that they one day may need help, and I’m sure they would condemn the people who turn a deaf ear. Some people just like to condemn others. 

2 comments:

  1. Charity comes from a giving heart, not necessarily from a religious background. Some have it, some don't. It's sad when people substitute judgment for kindness.

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  2. I quite agree. It's very wrong to judge people's motives when they simply want help or even to reach out to others and be friendly. Very good comment!

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