As is the literary custom on this site, what follows is a list of condensed independent clauses, designed to alert our spiritual and ethical awareness; when, at times, we may be descending into self-deception. Sliding into hypocritical thinking. The list functions as a steering wheel setting us back on the course of our ethical compass. To live our stated ideals - our values.
THE UNETHICAL RELIGIOUS MAN
"IF-I..., THEN-I-AM-A-HYPOCRITE " LIST
[11:37 AM 8/13/04]
If I claim to be a man of God;but, practice deficient religiosity;His views mine, valued only in church;His teachings irrelevant to my theology;believed an unrealistic impracticality, unincorporated in this life's reality;instead, my behavior guided by personal philosophy,then I am a hypocrite.
If I pronounce my religion the only authentic one,condemning others as erroneously misguided;my subjectivity rooted in ambiguous biblical passages;while, The Divine Message's totality is lost;in my life, spiritual principles are not evident,then I am a hypocrite.
If I enthusiastically worship, praise the Lord;consider religion performed only in church,synagogue or mosque;not observed in my daily ethics;in reality, my life venerates myself,then I am a hypocrite. If my politics, career and business transactionsare not governed by my religious/ethical values,then I am a hypocrite.
If a guilty man is imprisoned;but, I do not visit him, lessen his burden;instead, castigate him for his crime;demand not for others the compassion,leniency I would request as mine;instead, advocate brutal chastisement;indifferently, ignore pleas for mercy;my intent not justice,but infliction of blood-thirsty revenge,then I am a hypocrite.
If I hate Ralph Nader and Michael Moore,their views are not my values;accusing them of anti-Americanism,disrespect their communication of beliefs as a right;then, I am a hypocrite.
However: if I hate Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity(God says that's ok.);But, I can't hate Billy O'reilly(the Lord makes exceptions to the rules);then [I am just kidding]If my business dealings reflect my convictionfair play, ethics and integrity to me have no application;I instruct my employees to treat the customeras always wrong, never right;then I am a hypocrite
If I profess to be a man of Faith;yet, cook the booksfor corrupt corporate crooks,then I am a hypocrite.If my god is not God;but, is the god of gold,money, materialism, possessions,[not people],then I am a hypocrite.
If I misuse business,not to generate a living,but, to make a killing exploiting others;charging prices exponential beyond cost;do not intend to earn a reasonable profit;rather, to profiteer gouging others;legally stealing, but labeling it commerce;then I am a hypocrite.
If I pursue abundant prosperity;but, deny others their opportunity;generously enrich myself and family,consider my employees a business expense;do not compensate them with a living-wage to provide for their families;do not pay what I would want for the same job,then I am a hypocrite.
If I am the millionaire;but, dare cash my social security check;not donating it to charity,not returning it to government;avoiding paying my fair share of taxes,transferring the burden to the less-privileged;gifts to charity for a tax deduction;then I am a hypocrite.
THE CORPORATE PATRIOT:
If I declare my devotion to my country.pledge my allegiance, proclaim my patriotism;exuberantly, wave the flag on Independence Day;advantage myself in my Homeland's fertile soil,its birthright benefits requested, abundantly bestowed;blessing my parents with generous opportunity,a job, a chance to become prosperous;so, I might be educated, cultivated for success;BUT WHEN,my people were in desperate economic need,their summons to assist I did not heed;from responsibility of duty, I did rapidly flee;unconcerned, I offered them nothing in return;not investing capital, so others may earn;planting it elsewhere for gains short-term;expertly playing the global corporate game;now, an American only in name;forsaking my country,forgetting from whence I came;selfishly progressing, but leaving others behind;
MY LEGACY:
disservice to my fellow Americans;my childhood vow, empty words of allegiance, now; repute of a man guilty, morally convicted of disloyalty;to wealth my only true loyalty;ending my days, a man without a home, distressed by my betrayal, all alone;ill at ease with myself, no longer tranquil;man who dishonors his heritage;squanders any entitlement to citizenship;Passing away, but compelled to acknowledge.No No .. I was not a patriot!Oh, no not I, I am a hypocrite."The Cynic"
THE OUTSOURCER:
If I take more from my countrythan my fair share;while, denying others theirs;move my corporation offshore,avoid payment of my just taxes;operate my corporation at my country's expense;profit by disadvantaging others;do not compete for profit,but to gain a monopoly by my competitors' defeat;betray my country's economy, disloyal economics;promote fallacious values to the populace,the nation state's demise of its industrial base,retailed as truth, but counterfeit mass pseudo-reality;advocate unreasonable outsourcing of American jobs;export means of production to slave-waged sweatshops;destroying the US ability to compete;that America's best days are past;in the its economic dismemberment I participate;others Americans jobs not my concern;my omission to invest kills the American Dream;I got mine, so too my family;now, it is every man for himself, my deluded reality;my global multinational, now my country;my loyalty to wealth career money;America no longer a player in the global game;no longer a US citizen; except in name;I am guilty, no one else to blame;not really a success, but failure's shame;deserving the harshest critique,yes, I am a Gen. Benedict...I am a hypocrite."The Cynic
"If I pretend to be good and religious;but, I do not good;I say one thing, do another;serve mankind, not the divine,then I am a hypocrite.If I assert I am a religious man;but, I am not a good, virtuous, ethical man,then I am a hypocrite.
If I am religious; but, not righteous, then I am a hypocrite.
If I believe I am special, chosen by God; regarding others as not; an elitist, convinced of a superior lot, then I am a hypocrite.
If I advise religious friends to do one thing; but, I do another, then I am a hypocrite. If I accuse another of hypocrisy; but, do not publicly indict myself of mine, then I am a hypocrite.
If I condemn my fellow man of sin; yet, I have forgotten the multitude of my sins, then I am a hypocrite.
If I articulate words of friendship to a man's face; but, thrust a verbal dagger behind his back, then I am a hypocrite.
If I declare myself an honest man; but, articulate partial truths riddled with half-untruths, then I am a hypocrite.
If I commit evil, a wrong or a sin; and, deny any responsibility, then I am a hypocrite. If I pretend to serve my fellow man; but, manipulate the doctrines of faith as a ruse to rule others, then I am a hypocrite.
If I teach a doctrine of a frightful God of wrath, judgment and punishment; not the God of love; use fear and intimidation [condemnation to Hell] to coerce others to follow Him, then I am a hypocrite.
If I declare God created all in His image, with free intellect and will, allowing each to choose, the road to heaven or the highway to hell; yet, I disrespect their birthright, obstruct their free will choices; arrogantly, impose my rigid self-righteous dogmas, then I am a hypocrite.
If the streets are populated with the homeless; but, I do not invite them to shelter in my residence; or, find them a dwelling; instead, condemn them as parasites, lazy bums and ne'er-do-wells, then I am a hypocrite.
If I see the mentally ill in distress, seeking compassion, needing care; but, I do not comfort them, then I am a hypocrite.
If I see ill strangers suffering, incapable of affording health-care costs; and, I do not provide that care, then I am a hypocrite. If I see a stranger on the street [especially a black man]; ignore by avoiding contact with him; consider him a potential criminal, refuse to make his acquaintance, then I am a hypocrite. If I judge person by their race, ethnicity and appearance; not by the content of the character, then I am a hypocrite. If I expect tolerance for myself; but, inflict narrow-mindedness self-righteous judgment upon others, then I am a hypocrite.
If I castigate my fellow man, rebuking him for sexual immorality; yet, I conveniently ignore my sexual improprieties, then I am a hypocrite. If I create convenient moral exceptions for myself; commit adultery in disloyalty to my wife and children; initiating my marriage's demise, the disintegration of my family, then I am a hypocrite.
If I am eager to hear of another's sins; but reticent to examine my own; prefer to believe the nastiest rumor, gossip and slander, without substantiating the facts, giving them the benefit of the doubt, Then I am a hypocrite
If I publicize another's embarrassing secrets, past mis-behavior, or trusted confidences entrusted to me; but, angered at my private life's publication; demanding my privacy be honored, while invading another's, then I am a hypocrite.
If I rightly appeal to a pregnant unmarried woman not to abort, [plead bringing the child to term]; but, neglect substantial financial contribution to the child's support, then I am a hypocrite.
If I demand another sins be legislated a crime; insisting upon, the strictest sanctions of law, incarceration for the lengthiest time, then I am a hypocrite.
If I vehemently oppose abortion, am rightly pro-life; but, enthusiastically, advocate the capital punishment of another, then I am a hypocrite.
If I advocate my brother go to war, to lay his life on the line; instead, of peacemaking, nor volunteering myself and family, then I am a hypocrite.
If I see women and children without any means of sustenance; but I do not provide for them, then I am a hypocrite. If I abuse the Name of the Lord to promote my political ideology, then I am a hypocrite.
If I am convinced I am always right, those disagreeing with me, always wrong; certain God is always on my side, never occupied as my opponent's guide, then I am a hypocrite.
If I judge a person by his beliefs, contrary to mine; condemn a liberal or conservative because their philosophy does not conform with mine; consider he who disagrees with me, my enemy, then I am a hypocrite.
If I am a teacher of the Faith; but, I preach a doctrine of materialism, [or some other false doctrine]; based upon misleading, vague biblical references, passages only understood by The Divine, then I am a hypocrite.
If I pledge allegiance to the Lord; but, serve money first, as my God; then I am a hypocrite.
If I pronounce the opinion: One should not combine principles of religion with politics and business, then I am a hypocrite.
If I was once poor, and now wealthy; but, tell the poor to be self-reliant, do not provide from my excess largess, then I am a hypocrite.
If I am blessed by the Lord with wealth's prosperity; but, do not share with those suffering the miseries of poverty, then I am a hypocrite.
If I exploit God and religion; prospering my business, enriching only myself, then I am a hypocrite.
WHY AM I A HYPOCRITE IN ALL THESE THINGS?
BECAUSE I WOULD NOT WANT ALL THESE THINGS DONE UNTO ME!
THEREFORE
If I think all these things;
If I believe all these things; If I politically support all these things; If I advocate all these things; If I teach [especially, my children] all these things; If I do all these things; THEN:
I am not only a hypocrite; but, an intolerable religious hypocrite; a Judas, deserving condemnation of all men; my name defamed, synonymous with shame; to get back that given, in disservice to religion; to receive, not my Creator's blessings; but, His Wrath's infliction.
MAY IT BE, MY CREATOR STRIKES ME DOWN;
UNLESS,
I TURN MY LIFE AROUND!
The Theologian with The Cynic et al
Headline "All things in The Father's Time, not mine. All by His Plan's Design; not mine. To the Patient, goes the Prize."
The Theologian
"A young man prayed for Knowledge to understand life. After he understood, he regretted his prayer. No more asylum in Ignorance. No more contentment in Bliss. No more retreating to excuses. Knowledge ascertained cannot be forgotten. With Knowledge is attached the command to The Father's service, through service to ones fellow man."
The Theologian
Prologue Jesus never promised us a Bed of Roses, rather a Crown of Thorns. To deny ourselves, pick up our cross in this life, and follow His Way back to Paradise.
"Anyone who declares they love the Lord, yet sins, is a liar. Worse yet, a hypocrite. Myself included." The Theologian
