Last week at a Bible Study, an elderly lady shared her story. Her son refused to go to church because his boss, who claimed to be a devout Christian, behaved coldly and without compassion at work. This stark contrast led him to conclude that many in the church were simply hypocrites wearing the mask of faith. As I listened, I found myself resonating with his frustration. In recent years, my impression of some Christians has also been far from positive. Take Donald Trump and his supporters, for example: they often proclaim a steadfast faith, yet his arrogance, greed, and obsession with power make me doubt the sincerity of such “labelled Christians.” And so, a question naturally arises: if religious communities truly contain hypocrisy, cruelty, and even corruption, should we still pursue our faith?
Indeed, as Lincoln once said: “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God and each invokes His aid against the other. … let us judge not that we be not judged.” We should not be too quick to label those we dislike as outright villains. After all, the human heart is complex, and the practice of faith is often entangled with personal weakness and the constraints of circumstance. Yet, it is undeniable that throughout the history of Christianity—and the histories of other religions as well—corrupt figures have never been in short supply.
The medieval church, for instance, was rife with corruption. From the sale of indulgences to the abuse of power by certain clergy, the institution often strayed far from the teachings of Christ. Furthermore, the Church held exclusive authority over the meaning of the Bible, leaving ordinary believers with little access to the text itself. At that generation, it was not merely that there were corrupt figures within the church; rather, the church itself had been largely overtaken by them.
Futhermore, in my country, China, Buddhism is the majority religion, also faced similar challenges. For example, Shi Yongxin, the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, was embroiled in scandal over corruption and luxury. Before the official news broke, he has faced the public suspected and criticism. However, the behaivour of Shi Yongxin could not affect the pure of Buddhism itself, and they are the result of individuals exploiting religion for personal gain. Therefore, from the sale of indulgences in medieval to the corruption in Shaolin temple, these stories reminders us that human weakness and institutional corruption cannot invalidate the truth and value of faith itself.
For me, my fascination with Christian civilization lies primarily in the legacy of the Renaissance, which gave birth to modern civilization. That era was not only a revival of art and science but also the very cradle of the modern world. There, humanism and faith intertwined to shape the values and intellectual foundations we still live by today. As someone who believes in the existence of God, I do not see the achievements of modern civilization born from the Renaissance as mere historical coincidence. Rather, I view them as the fruit of God’s work in human history—His imprint on culture, art, and knowledge. The flourishing of the arts, the breakthroughs in science, and the rise of humanism all affirm to me that faith and civilization are deeply intertwined. For this reason, going to church, in my view, is only a form of pursuit, not the entirety of faith.
Although I am not a devout Christian, I agree with the Christian teaching on original sin: the human heart is inherently marked by sin, and even without external instruction, it naturally drifts toward selfishness, envy, and hatred. As a result, when I do not meet some people I do not like or those I would rather not associate with, I would not suspect my faith. Faith, therefore, is not about following some authority, but about walking a unique journey between each person and God. History has shown again and again that corruption and hypocrisy may cause people to stumble, but they cannot destroy faith itself. For this reason, even if there are bad people in the church, I still choose to pursue my faith.
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