Opinions of Thursday, 26 February 2015

Columnist: Akwah, Nana

Hypocrisy is a detriment to progress!

Deceit, deceit, deceit! Hypocrites will continue to prowl around looking for people to devour.

Deceitful means insincere, hypocritical, underhanded, false, dishonest, treacherous, sneaking, double-dealing, tricky, cunning, and crafty. Such a person is altogether untrustworthy.

It is stated in Jeremiah 17:9 which say, our heart is desperately sick or weak - implying it knows better but deceives anyway. Who can fathom its corruption, manifested in the incessant transgression of this commandment?

The only misconduct or misdeeds that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy. Even the repentance of a hypocrite is itself hypocrisy. In cautioning ourselves, we must appreciate that "Liberty" is the right of every man to be honest, to think and to speak without hypocrisy.

The hypocrisy Kwesi Pratt was Uncloaked on February 20, 2015, on the Kokrookoo morning show. Those who did it were John Boadu, the NPP National Organizer and Anthony Abeyifa Karbo a former Youth Organizer.

A nervy Pratt could not stand the onslaught upon his prattles and prattling as John and Tony ripped him open as they subjected Mr. Pratt to his own dose of deceits.

His own inconsequential talk, about the NPP demonstration was in his view "fraudulent". His beef was, in his view, the government has put measures in place to curb the recurring effect of dumsor. Therefore going on a demonstration was to score political point.

To many, a hypocrite is someone other than us! From such a viewpoint, it seems to be a good working definition for most of us. Yes of course the sanctimonious are already distancing themselves from my definition! But take it or leave it, they are all a pack of hypocrites.

Seldom, if ever, do we pair the word hypocrite with a first-person pronoun. We all know that we are not the hypocrites in the room. It is those other people over there. Look at those people . . . what a pack of hypocrites.

Very often however, Jesus used the word hypocrite in reference to leaders. Leaders took notice of this reference and immediately used hypocrite as a synonym for the word opponent. Without excuses our world is full of hypocrites.

Just ask the Political Parties or the Politician or the Non-Card bearing voter to point out all the hypocrites. You will pretty much find everyone is covered. Yes, even those who perceive themselves as non participants finds themselves covered.

It is rather difficult to discuss about hypocrisy. The subject lacks relevance. Everyone believes the message is for someone else.

Oh, I wish Kwame were here today . . . he really needs to hear this. . . . I hope my wife is listening . . . perhaps I’ll give her a nudge. Why doesn’t the pastor practice what he preaches . . . he could use a dose of his own medicine?

For me, the most involved statement that indicted everyone was pronounced by Jesus, when He said hypocrites love to look at the speck in other people’s eyes, while avoiding the log in their own.

In other words, we are quick to point out the failings of others while justifying the excessive belief in one's own abilities, which interferes with others freedom, losing sight to the fact that we carry a backpack of incorrigible shortcomings.

Hypocrites are champions of virtuous causes, even though they lack the moral base they are championing.

The pain with which some of us view social platform is nerve-racking. The media world is inundated with hypocrites.

Sometimes I click on the blogs or articles that get the most comments. The trend appears universal. If a post has a lot of comments, most of those comments are going to be downright nasty.

It seems the internet was created so we could tear apart every last enemy! A twenty-four hours a day platform to prove our rightness at the expense of human decency. When is the last time you read a posting such as, “Thanks for the blog, it helped me realize I was wrong!”

I can hear the reply of the irritated and defensive. Well, you didn’t admit to doing anything wrong, why should I. Well you got me on that one.

I guess we will just have to stay in this wonderful stalemate, where the only thing progressing is the creative ways we tear each other apart. Or maybe we could actually spend a prolonged season focusing on our own failings!

There is no farce about it, we are all hypocrites! And so are you! The quicker we embrace this reality, the better chance we have of healing our country.

Human nature is a reflection of the spirit of the prince of the power of the air, whom Jesus identified as the father or generator of lies (John 8:44). Satan had so deceived himself; he thought he could overcome his Creator!

The Good Books says, "The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the virtuous will be delivered."

The father or generator of lies is a destroyer who passes this carnal attribute along to those who will follow him. Unless the hypocrite repents which in many instances not possible, he destroys himself.

John Boadu and Tony Karbo were spot on where they pointed out to Mr. Pratt to stop prattling about his inconsistency and hypocrisy.

The fact of the matter is that, the reality of truth and time caught up with Kwesi Pratt on that fateful day.

Over the years he spoke of people as being deceitful. His prattles ended when the hour of truth finally arrived, to be given a dose of medicine he prescribes for others.

The recent prattle or prattling is nothing compared to some of the vituperous invective that Mr. Pratt and supporters have thrown at the NPP family in the past. Notwithstanding, the response to it was a welcome event.

It is about time for him to get a way to get himself to look at himself and learn to hold on to some truth as it would do him a measure of face saving.

There are three things in the world that deserves no mercy - hypocrisy, fraud and tyranny.

Hypocrisy is a detriment to progress. There is always a hidden agenda.