Playing the Hypocrite

All of us sometimes play the hypocrite. We criticize someone when we ourselves are doing the same, or we allow for ourselves something that we would not allow for others.

In this article, "Catholics shouldn't sue one another: Cardinal Burke comments on Fr. Rosica's lawsuit against blogger, a certain priest, Father Thomas Rosica, has threatened to sue a Catholic Blogger, David Domet, because the blogger criticized him. Fr Rosica is "the English language press officer for the Vatican and founder of the Toronto-based Salt and Light Television network" according to this article. The blogger is a Roman Catholic and a part-time blogger on the Rorate Caeli blog. The criticisms deal with some statements from "Fr. Rosica of perceptions of departure from Catholic orthodoxy." Fr Rosica sent a letter threatening legal action against blogger David Domet "to remove nine separate items from his blog and apologize, but added that this would not necessarily remove the threat of the civil action."

A quote from the article explains it well.

"Though Rosica publicly defends the right to freedom of speech and press, he is attempting to silence the blogger who has criticized him," Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, wrote for Breitbart.

Thus my use of the word "hypocrite."

Fr Rosica should take the words of the Apostle when he refers to Jesus seriously—"…who, being verbally abused, did not return verbal insults, when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously." (1 Peter 2:23, EMTV). One example of this reviling of the Lord Jesus being "And those passing by were blaspheming Him, shaking their heads and saying, "Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!" Likewise the chief priests also, mocking Him to each other with the scribes said, "He saved others; Himself He is not able to save. Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross, so that we may see and believe." Even those who were crucified with Him were reviling Him." (Mark 15:29-32, EMTV).

It's time to take up the truth, face it, and repent. Even just thinking in a secular way Fr Rosica's response is not logical or reasonable. If he has a problem with the blogger's comments, he should address those points. Instead, Fr Rosica takes the approach of a bully to try and shut Mr. Domet up.

Another point is that we should not go to secular courts before we go to the brethren. "Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to court before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you incompetent to judge even the smallest matters? Do you not know that we will judge angels? Let alone ordinary matters! If then you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint those who are disdained within the church to judge? I say this to your shame. So is there not among you a wise man, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brother and another? But brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers! Actually then, it is already a defeat for you that you have lawsuits against one another. Why not rather accept wrong? Why not rather accept being defrauded? But you wrong and defraud, and these things to your own brothers!" (1 Corinthians 6:1-8, EMTV).

Cardinal Burke's interview is found here.

David Domet's blog is here.

A report on You Tube from "Church Militant TV is here.

According to Cyclopedia there are 4 types of hypocrites. There is 1 way to treat it.

Hypocrites have been divided into four sorts:

1. The worldly hypocrite, who makes a profession of religion, and pretends to be religious merely from worldly considerations (Mat 23:5);

2. The legal hypocrite, who relinquishes his vicious practices in order thereby to merit heaven, while at the same time he has no real love to God (Rom 10:3);

3. The evangelical hypocrite, whose religion is nothing more than a bare conviction of sin; who rejoices under the idea that Christ died for him, and yet has no desire to live a holy life (Mat 13:20; 2Pe 2:20);

4. The enthusiastic hypocrite, who has an imaginary sight of his sin and of Christ; talks of remarkable impulses and high feelings; and thinks himself very wise and good while he lives in the most scandalous practices (Mat 13:39; 2Co 11:14). — Robinson, Theol. Dictionary; Buck, Theol. Dictionary; Warner, System of Morality, 3, 323; Grove, Moral Philosophy, 2, 253; Gilfillan, Essays on Hypocrisy (1825); Ellis, Sef Deceiver discovered (1731); Edwards, Worls (see Index). (Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature by James Strong; John McClintock.

The best way to deal with our hypocrisy is found here when the Lord Jesus says, ""Judge not, lest you be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with what measure you measure, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not notice the plank in your own eye? Or how will you say to your brother, 'Permit me to remove the speck from your eye'; and look, there is a plank in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:1-5, EMTV).

The conviction that we are playing the hypocrite is from God. He may use others or open our understanding of what we have done. We must not then be proud but repent. Repentance is this case would be to tell the truth and apologize (confess our wrong).

I might mention about confession.

1. If only God knows, confess to God.
   
2. If only one or two know, confess to God and them.
   
3. If more or even the whole world knows, then confess to God and the whole world (a public confession).
   

Let us be wise.