Murmurings and Hypocrites, Religion and Politics

I'm going to preach a sermon here. I've done it many times in pagan (Wiccan) terms but today i'm pulling my Bible out, dusting it off and pulling from my Southern Baptist upbringing to say what I have to say today. I figured all that hell-fire and brimstone, guilt and fear would come in handy ONE day. Well this is one of those days.

I have a problem with hypocrites. I always have. Not the everyday slip-ups of people who usually do what they say and make a mistake. I mean the full-fledged, soaked in the Blood, "look at me, how great am I" flaming HYPOCRITES.
Luke 12:2

2For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.
3Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

You see, people who talk behind the backs of others think they are smart and beyond reproach. If they really have God in mind, premeditated cruelty is hypocrisy. It will come out and be seen. and those smug people will be seen for what they are.

The people I refer to attempt to make others think they "enlightened", full of "grace" and love, but if you disagree, watch out. Mathew 23 comes to mind....

5But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
6And love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
7And greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
8But be not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

I'm talking about pride here, people, a listing of the good things they do for charity, for people, for organizations. Not once but over and over and OVER.

25Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
26Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
28Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
29Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

They love to say"We do good things, we love, we accept, we KNOW...... really...

I was taught, way back when, that love was supposed to be unconditional. I have suspected for a while now that these new "progressive" people in this group were too good to be true. Yes, there are a few that mean what they say, and I wish no ill to them. But when these "grace-filled" people deliberately murmur behind the back of one of their OWN, much less a lay person, that's when I cry "FOUL!".

Why are they hypocrites? You can't love and set someone up to read things that hurt them. You can't cry "GRACE!" and then laugh at the person in pain. You can't claim God and turn on the people who dis-agree with out even a decent conversation. You just can't.

I have news for these people. i will take a direct, honest approach from someone much easier than a snarky, secretive, "hit-and-run" from a supposed "enlightened" group. Egos run amuck, me thinks, and you know it. It seems you are so full of "the group", the "family" and patting each other on the back that you can't see you are defeating the very purpose you claim. To love, to accept, to discuss, to encourage, what the hell are you people?

Many people could list the things they do to help people. But it's the people that help everyday, unseen, unheard, unencouraged that matter. The ones that are willing to get in the trenches and do it without praise or light being cast on their efforts. My God, the hypocrisy. It's sickening. And people are seeing you for what you are and falling away from you. You see it, I know you do.

How about practice what you fucking preach for a change. You are becoming the MAINSTREAM. Does it matter to you? I don't think it does.....as long as another of your group is patting you on the back.