Is cynicism a sin, and if so, how do I avoid it?
People constantly let us down. Sooner or later, almost everyone suffers the pain of betrayal, whether by a spouse, friend, co-worker, or boss. We discover that institutions we respect are not all they seem. Our heroes turn out to be deeply flawed. We learn to take everything with a grain of salt. We become cynical, or “contemptuously distrustful of human nature and motives” (Merriam-Webster).
Skepticism regarding human nature is certainly warranted, and even wise. As Romans 3:12 puts it, quoting Psalm 14:3, “There is no one who does good, not even one.” The Heidelberg Catechism summarizes this teaching as “I have a natural tendency to hate God and my neighbor. … We are all conceived and born in a sinful condition” (Q&A 5; 7).
The problem with cynicism is the “contemptuous” part. All too often cynicism betrays a thinly disguised disdain for our neighbors, as if sin makes them even worse than they really are. Yet as Scripture also teaches, God works not only to sanctify believers, but to display common grace toward all human beings, enabling them to practice what John Calvin called “civil righteousness.”
Consider Genesis 20, in which the pagan king Abimelek rebukes Abraham for lying to him about his wife’s identity. Abraham’s lie was motivated by his cynicism, having reasoned, “There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife” (20:11). Yet, as the narrative reveals, Abimelek had acted with a “clear conscience,” and God kept him from sinning (20:6). It was Abraham who fell into sin because of his cynicism.
Because it fails to recognize God’s grace in others, cynicism is actually directed toward God, and therein lies the problem. How might we avoid it? We can start by meditating on God’s work in sinful humanity, trusting in his promises to continue that work, and praying that God might enable us to love our neighbors. Such love is incompatible with cynicism, for, as the apostle Paul says, love “always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Cor. 13:7).
About the Author
Matthew J. Tuininga is professor of Christian ethics and the history of Christianity at Calvin Theological Seminary. He lives in Wyoming, Mich. He is the author of The Wars of the Lord: The Puritan Conquest of America’s First People.
