5 Nov 1998
Hypocrisy
Dear Friends,
I love reading your posts. I almost feel like standing back and letting the group do all the talking. But right or wrong, I’ll add my two cents once in a while. Here’s another thought to run by you.
Hypocrisy. Rob wrote me a letter that he accidentally sent to the mailing list telling me that he felt uncomfortable teaching my writings since he did not know they were true for sure. He was worried that this would make him a hypocrite… But does it???
This word “hypocrite” has been thrown around very loosely because of the great controversy surrounding President Clinton. In fact its use has been twisted around so much that the long standing definition of the word is in danger of being redefined.
I, for one, hope this does not happen because the current definition is very useful and fair. By the new standards being bandied around we are all hypocrites. This type of thinking is repulsive to me.
For this letter, let us go by the current dictionary definition, which is: “A person who pretends to be what he is not. One who pretends to be better than he is. One who teaches one thing and does another.”
Until one receives a powerful soul confirmation on a principle or teaching, it is entirely possible that he or she is seeing or understanding with illusion and imperfection. Does this mean he is a hypocrite if he teaches the highest good he can embrace?
Of course not!
He would indeed be a hypocrite if he claims to be more than he is.
For instance: if he claimed to be teaching from a point of knowing, but does not know; or claims to embrace but does not embrace; or to follow but does not follow. On the other hand, if a person sees something he likes and loves and hopes to be true; then feels like sharing it and passes it on, this can only be a good thing. This is especially true if this seeker does not try and manipulate another into believing the teachings.
So my advice to all whom read The Immortal or any other book or system of teachings is to pass them on with your sincere comments and opinion.
An important key to staying in harmony with your soul is to always follow the highest that you know and to make sure that every word that you speak is true to the best of your knowledge. You do not have to reveal all you know, but what you do reveal should be literally true as you portray it. In Proverbs it is written: “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing.” Surely God is not a hypocrite because He does not reveal all of what He knows.
The smoker or drinker who quit smoking years ago can teach against these acts with no hypocrisy because he has made a change in his life. The true hypocrite would be the one who smokes or drinks in secret and pretends he does not do these things, yet teaches others to avoid them.
In the New Testament the only ones that Jesus really got angry at were the true hypocrites. Read Matthew chapter 23 and you see a very gutsy Jesus attacking leaders who had power to take his life.
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Copyright By J J Dewey