On another board I got a lot of negative responses to something I said about The Andy Griffith Show. This was that, even though I like the show, the characters sometimes go too far in their hypocrisy to 'keep from hurting someone's feelings.' This was in response to a latter season's episode in which a couple of phone messages are confused and Andy, having already had a spaghetti dinner, goes to accept an invitation to dinner which had not been offered. When the hosts realized there was some kind of mixup they cook another dinner (spaghetti). Then Andy gets the word that it was not they that invited him to dinner, but his 'girlfriend,' who had still another spaghetti dinner prepared, for which he is way late, to her indignation, and then she angrily admonishes him, "Eat!" when he appears uninterested.
Other posters derisively replied with "So you're not a fan?" and "You don't enjoy the show, do you?" and "That's the great thing about Mayberry-- people try not to hurt each others' feelings!"
It has come to mind to make a post like this on this board before, and now I finally had a little spurring on. Should we go to such an extent to please different people? (and there's no need to remind me it's 'only a show'). But, more significantly to me, is hypocrisy always a sin, even if it's meant to spare someone's feelings? Jesus certainly attacked hypocrisy, including under such circumstances-- such as when he accepted an Pharisee's invitation to a meal, didn't do the expected ceremonial handwashing, and directly insulted him for that practice. And TAGS does present lying in a justified way, such as the sheriff and deputy saying they like Aunt Bee's homemade pickles, which they really think are awful.
How far do you go hypocritically, dishonestly, to please people, or how far do you think is acceptable?
Other posters derisively replied with "So you're not a fan?" and "You don't enjoy the show, do you?" and "That's the great thing about Mayberry-- people try not to hurt each others' feelings!"
It has come to mind to make a post like this on this board before, and now I finally had a little spurring on. Should we go to such an extent to please different people? (and there's no need to remind me it's 'only a show'). But, more significantly to me, is hypocrisy always a sin, even if it's meant to spare someone's feelings? Jesus certainly attacked hypocrisy, including under such circumstances-- such as when he accepted an Pharisee's invitation to a meal, didn't do the expected ceremonial handwashing, and directly insulted him for that practice. And TAGS does present lying in a justified way, such as the sheriff and deputy saying they like Aunt Bee's homemade pickles, which they really think are awful.
How far do you go hypocritically, dishonestly, to please people, or how far do you think is acceptable?
