What Christian denomination are you part of? As you know Christians are not all the same.
We live in a fallen world that’s wounded by original sin so it’s a sad reality that Christian hypocrisy and heresy will be things that we constantly need to fight against.
Adam - I like all of your stuff and your writing is uniformly excellent. Its usually so excellent that I don't comment much now and only give you a like. I love your writing most because unlike many writers you don't write to impress yourself or others, you write to effectively and clearly communicate a message and your thoughts. Your focus is on communication and the message, the substance, or as we would say in the military you are "mission focused." But this one was particularly excellent so it deserved a comment. It is very compelling and effective.
The Christians you describe would have been referred to, again in the US Army and particularly the 82d Airborne Division, as "All show and no go," or in other circles as "form over substance." I am personally only concerned with performance, substance, and I think you write like you agree with that sentiment. One's credentials, pedigree, and appearance are not important in most things and Christianity is particularly one of them. Thanks for sharing this. Its true and accurate in every respect.
That's why I don't listen to any so-called Christians who have multiple mansions and jets, the ones who fleece their followers into tithing to them every month. Jesus would have wanted people to help the poor and less fortunate, not mega-millionaires with churches the size of small cities.
Dennis Prager pointed out that the Third Commandment “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Has several meanings…
• “Take…in vain”: The Hebrew phrase nasa shem lashav literally means “to lift/carry the name to emptiness” or “for nothingness.” It implies using God’s name:
• Lightly or carelessly (e.g., as an exclamation like “Oh my God!” in casual frustration).
• Falsely (e.g., swearing oaths by God’s name while lying).
• Irreverently (e.g., in curses, jokes, or profanity that invokes God without reverence).
• Hypocritically (e.g., claiming to speak for God while acting contrary to His character).
I believe the last meaning “Hypocritically” covers what you write about.
There was a Lutheran pastor who tried to tell me that vain had two meanings but the related commandment just couldn't mean anything other than just not giving Him the middle initial H if you hit your thumb with a hammer (kinda thing). There are the people who know that whatever it takes to get somebody to argue ("troll" you).
Somebody brought up a three verses to me that instructed to obey authority. (The topic was immigration.) Two verses were out of Romans and dumb me tried to point out that the author, Paul, was educated so would've known of philosophy which probably included Aristotle. He covered the idea of extremes and laws need to be applicable for people in general, but there'd still be exceptions. He emphasized the need to be reasonable, basically.
Suddenly it dawned on me that the simplest retort is that Abraham was instructed to do something drastic but then that was contradicted by lower authority. (What I shoulda said.)
1st Timothy 4 and 2 Peter 2 speak to this. I follow a guy who’s calling out the cover up culture within the church when leaders flagrantly sin. I have said that it would be a hard time to be a new Christian a there are so many false teachers, false doctrines and false movements. How do you know if you’re a baby Christian? The most important thing Christians can do is read their Bible and pray for discernment.
Thank you for bringing this up, people like this turned me off religion for good. Sad because Christianity is actually a very interesting ideology. I actually have finally met some great Christians but I am not interested now.
I would like to add that there are just as many atheists and agnostics that are terrible, narcissistic people. What is in one's soul is a choice no matter what one professes to believe or not believe. A good church community nourishes the soul. I have a relative that has never been a believer and joined a church for community and volunteer work, and it has done wonders for her.
You are correct I have found way more creeps in the atheist circles I have run across in life but I wasn't expecting them to be something they weren't, which is why I was so disappointed in people of faith being the complete opposite of what they were selling themselves to be, I dodged a few bullets among them. I know some people join churches for social connections, if it helps them great but I personally would not like to do this because I would feel like I wasn't being honest with myself, or them. Just a personal thing. I do defend people of faith since I have run across all number of secular churches who believe in their own myths these days & they don't seem to respect anyone's perspectives. If they get to believe is what they do so does everyone else but I am happy to stay out of all of it. I am sure there is something but I don't think we are smart enough to really understand it.
The biggest thing that helped me navigate false Christians or people that ended up being frauds is this. I remember that my ultimate is in Christ, who will never let me down; it’s not in any other person or in a denomination, so when they turn out to be fake, that’s ultimately not my problem.
This is sadly true. It is so frustrating that, often when I share my faith the response is to point to the "Christian Narcissist" as the reason they will not accept Christianity or God. Those people will one day be held accountable, but in the meanwhile, they distract from the message.
It amazes me how people can define Christianity by every social construct, except by the holy Word of God; line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and they are little. Man’s definitions are supposed to be rejected, not infused into God‘s standard for Holiness.
Great ‘heads up’ for Christian’s Adam.
Like anything good, it will also attract bad actors looking for their own gain.
The worst are the ads using Christianity to sell you something with the absolute worst the ones using Charlie Kirk's death. Ugh.
Agreed
What Christian denomination are you part of? As you know Christians are not all the same.
We live in a fallen world that’s wounded by original sin so it’s a sad reality that Christian hypocrisy and heresy will be things that we constantly need to fight against.
No denomination
Adam, this is terrific
Adam - I like all of your stuff and your writing is uniformly excellent. Its usually so excellent that I don't comment much now and only give you a like. I love your writing most because unlike many writers you don't write to impress yourself or others, you write to effectively and clearly communicate a message and your thoughts. Your focus is on communication and the message, the substance, or as we would say in the military you are "mission focused." But this one was particularly excellent so it deserved a comment. It is very compelling and effective.
The Christians you describe would have been referred to, again in the US Army and particularly the 82d Airborne Division, as "All show and no go," or in other circles as "form over substance." I am personally only concerned with performance, substance, and I think you write like you agree with that sentiment. One's credentials, pedigree, and appearance are not important in most things and Christianity is particularly one of them. Thanks for sharing this. Its true and accurate in every respect.
I do agree with your statement. I do appreciate your compliments.
As a side note, I'm definitely talking about someone in particular. Someone who knows a ton of bible verses but selectively lives by them.
That's why I don't listen to any so-called Christians who have multiple mansions and jets, the ones who fleece their followers into tithing to them every month. Jesus would have wanted people to help the poor and less fortunate, not mega-millionaires with churches the size of small cities.
Dennis Prager pointed out that the Third Commandment “Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” Has several meanings…
• “Take…in vain”: The Hebrew phrase nasa shem lashav literally means “to lift/carry the name to emptiness” or “for nothingness.” It implies using God’s name:
• Lightly or carelessly (e.g., as an exclamation like “Oh my God!” in casual frustration).
• Falsely (e.g., swearing oaths by God’s name while lying).
• Irreverently (e.g., in curses, jokes, or profanity that invokes God without reverence).
• Hypocritically (e.g., claiming to speak for God while acting contrary to His character).
I believe the last meaning “Hypocritically” covers what you write about.
Rest assured, God has this behavior covered! 🙏
Excellent article Adam!
Thank you
I've dealt with a few like you describe, and they enjoyed inflicting much misery. I remind myself that we all meet the Creator in the end.
There was a Lutheran pastor who tried to tell me that vain had two meanings but the related commandment just couldn't mean anything other than just not giving Him the middle initial H if you hit your thumb with a hammer (kinda thing). There are the people who know that whatever it takes to get somebody to argue ("troll" you).
Somebody brought up a three verses to me that instructed to obey authority. (The topic was immigration.) Two verses were out of Romans and dumb me tried to point out that the author, Paul, was educated so would've known of philosophy which probably included Aristotle. He covered the idea of extremes and laws need to be applicable for people in general, but there'd still be exceptions. He emphasized the need to be reasonable, basically.
Suddenly it dawned on me that the simplest retort is that Abraham was instructed to do something drastic but then that was contradicted by lower authority. (What I shoulda said.)
1st Timothy 4 and 2 Peter 2 speak to this. I follow a guy who’s calling out the cover up culture within the church when leaders flagrantly sin. I have said that it would be a hard time to be a new Christian a there are so many false teachers, false doctrines and false movements. How do you know if you’re a baby Christian? The most important thing Christians can do is read their Bible and pray for discernment.
Amen
True. 😢🙏🏻
Very convicting. I don’t feel like I am a narcissist though. May God bless you and your family!
Thank you for bringing this up, people like this turned me off religion for good. Sad because Christianity is actually a very interesting ideology. I actually have finally met some great Christians but I am not interested now.
I would like to add that there are just as many atheists and agnostics that are terrible, narcissistic people. What is in one's soul is a choice no matter what one professes to believe or not believe. A good church community nourishes the soul. I have a relative that has never been a believer and joined a church for community and volunteer work, and it has done wonders for her.
You are correct I have found way more creeps in the atheist circles I have run across in life but I wasn't expecting them to be something they weren't, which is why I was so disappointed in people of faith being the complete opposite of what they were selling themselves to be, I dodged a few bullets among them. I know some people join churches for social connections, if it helps them great but I personally would not like to do this because I would feel like I wasn't being honest with myself, or them. Just a personal thing. I do defend people of faith since I have run across all number of secular churches who believe in their own myths these days & they don't seem to respect anyone's perspectives. If they get to believe is what they do so does everyone else but I am happy to stay out of all of it. I am sure there is something but I don't think we are smart enough to really understand it.
The biggest thing that helped me navigate false Christians or people that ended up being frauds is this. I remember that my ultimate is in Christ, who will never let me down; it’s not in any other person or in a denomination, so when they turn out to be fake, that’s ultimately not my problem.
This is sadly true. It is so frustrating that, often when I share my faith the response is to point to the "Christian Narcissist" as the reason they will not accept Christianity or God. Those people will one day be held accountable, but in the meanwhile, they distract from the message.
It amazes me how people can define Christianity by every social construct, except by the holy Word of God; line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and they are little. Man’s definitions are supposed to be rejected, not infused into God‘s standard for Holiness.
Something to think about…