When Christians Fail: Does Christianity Fail?
I once had a conversation with a coworker to which I had no real answer at the time. He told me that he did not believe in Christianity or God because his parents were “so-called Christians” and were hypocrites. All I could do at the time was listen and nod. As I learned more about Christianity and philosophy, I realized that my coworker’s claim committed the genetic fallacy[1]: it judged the truth of a belief by its source or association—in this case, the behavior of its followers—rather than by examining Christianity’s claims.
This type of faulty reasoning is everywhere, and it seems that the more popular or outspoken the speaker is, the more people tend to accept the argument. For instance, I saw a video on Facebook from The Young Turks by Francis Maxwell titled “Biggest Hypocrites in America Exposed—Evangelical Christians.” Maxwell begins with the bold claim:
“Ahh, Christianity in America—or should I say, the biggest cause of atheism today? You know what I’m talking about, right? The type of people who acknowledge Jesus with their words . . . and then deny him by their lifestyle.” [2]
He then provides the example of Roy Moore, a politician who served as the chief justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama. Moore is known for his controversial, very conservative views and has faced several allegations of sexual misconduct. In the same video, Maxwell says:
“. . . And now even more so, with the stern defense of alleged child molester Roy Moore. Moore has been an icon for the evangelical Christian community from his refusal to remove the Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Judicial Building, to his his staunch opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.” [3]
This is great fodder for Maxwell’s video, but besides committing the genetic fallacy, he also commits a hasty generalization[4] by drawing a conclusion about all Christians from an insufficient sample. But none of this is new and I am surprised that he did not come up with a better example since Moore was never convicted of those allegations. I can think of one, the scandal involving Jim Bakker in the 1980s. Jim and Tammy Faye
Bakker hosted the Praise the Lord (PTL) Club, a Christian television program that ran from 1974 to 1989. The scandal came to light when “Jim Bakker was indicted in 1988 on eight counts of mail fraud, fifteen counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy.”[5] Why not use that example instead?
But even if Maxwell came up with many more examples, his logic is still flawed. For instance, no one would blame Beethoven for a ‘bad symphony’ simply because a child who had just learned to play the violin performed a terrible rendition of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and thought it was excellent. It simply does not work that way.
Do not get me wrong: I am not defending Roy Moore or Jim Bakker. I am sure there are many more examples of hypocrisy in action. Nor am I defending Christian hypocrisy. It is wrong. Jesus criticized religious leaders who “preach, but do not practice,” placing burdens on others that they themselves were unwilling to bear (Matthew 23:1–12). The apostle Paul also challenged people who taught others but failed to practice what they taught, saying that God’s name was dishonored when believers’ conduct contradicted their message (Romans 2:21–24).
If we are following Christ as our example, we should not be hypocritical. Paul tells us that “we are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). However, none of us is perfect, and as sinners, we will falter from time to time. That is why Jesus warned us not to judge others hypocritically when he said, “First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:5).
Christian hypocrisy is a legitimate moral failure and can be a serious stumbling block, but it is not a logical refutation of Christianity. In fact, Christianity itself teaches that human beings are sinful and often fail to live according to the truth they profess. Therefore, Christianity should be judged by the truth of its central claims—especially its claims about God, Jesus Christ, and the resurrection—not merely by the failures of those who claim to follow it.
We should also distinguish between ideological or political attacks on Christianity and the genuine anger of someone who has been hurt, disappointed, or turned away by the hypocrisy of a Christian. The first may involve faulty reasoning or unfair generalizations, while the second may reflect a real personal wound that deserves compassion rather than dismissal. There is much media coverage and public criticism of Christianity, but Christians should respond with humility and respect. As Paul writes:
“A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth” (2 Timothy 2:24–25).
One especially important improvement is the distinction between a logical argument and a personal experience. Someone who says, “A Christian hurt me, so I no longer trust Christianity,” may be reasoning incorrectly if they intend that as a proof that Christianity is false. However, their hurt is still real and should be addressed compassionately. That distinction makes your conclusion more persuasive and more consistent with the Christian emphasis on humility, grace, and gentle correction.
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