As frequent visitors to this site know, I have a tendency to focus quite a lot on the hypocrisy that religion generates. Recent stories in the news, as well as recent correspondence from Attic visitors, has brought to mind one of the most obvious forms of hypocrisy common to theists...
I'm sure everyone has noticed that many theists are very much into the idea of punishment. Sins are to be punished, we're told. That's what hell is for, they say. That's God's punishment awaiting those of us who sin just a bit too much for the infinitely forgiving God to forgive.
Now, a sin, as I understand it, is something that offends or angers God. Thus, God should be the one to mete out the punishment, yes? You know... "judgement day" and all that.
Why is it, then, that so many theists are willing (or eager) to take the punishing into their own hands? Why do they feel it is their duty to kill abortion doctors, or beat the crap out of homosexuals, or taunt and tease young Wiccans so much that they commit suicide?
These theists appear to consider themselves as doing God's work. They take it upon themselves to carry out divine vengeance for whatever imaginary "crime" these victims have committed.
Of course, the hypocrisy of this always eludes them. It never occurs to them that their actions in executing the punishments against sinners are sins themselves, by definition of their holy book. Ah, but of course, sinning is okay, if you're sinning in the name of the Lord, isn't it?
These egotists are so full of themselves that they believe God is using them for his own divine purposes. They are so conceited that they think themselves above reproach for crimes a "normal" person would be tossed in jail for. They think they are above the law... not only the law of our society, but even above "God's Law," in which they so fervently claim to believe.
