re: #682 iceweasel

I would argue that case 2 is worse, because it isn’t merely a matter of some jerk making a show of outward piety while being a prick in self serving ways. (your case 1)

2, as you’ve outlined it, is about someone who is being an “total arrogant jerk who thinks they know it all about the religion and say all manner of hateful things about it, even though they never really learned it and don’t know a damn thing about it. They project all manner of falsehoods onto it.”

That’s someone who is corrupting the faith.
Case 1 is some selfserving prick; case 2 is someone who is harming the faith by corrupting its doctrines and projecting their corrupted twisted version as true.

Short version.

That is true. However, the one who makes an outward show of being a part of the faith while acting contrary toit, not only corrupts the faith but drives even more people away and gives ammunition for the people in case two.

Further, the people in case two have the excuse of not knowing any better. They should have the humility to know what they do not know, however, the one in case one does not even have that excuse.

I am going to have to go with case one being the worst. The outwardly righteous who leads others astray from the inside is always more harshly judged than the ignorant one who does not know better.