History Main / HidingBehindReligion

* Reverend Lovejoy from ''TheSimpsons''. When [[ChurchOfHappyology the Movementarians]] gain popular momentum, Lovejoy is so quick to give up on trying to promote Christianity that when Marge shows up at his church, he is soaking it in gasoline, presumably to cash in on insurance fraud. He also seems not to be that good at preaching moral decency to his own family, if his [[GossipyHens gossipy wife]] and [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative daughter]] are anything to go by, and when the latter reminds him of past misdeeds of her own, he just plugs his ears and pretends not to hear anything. He blames it on years of having to put up with Ned Flanders, which put him off his job more than off his faith and made him, in his own words, "stop caring."

* In the ''{{Community}}'' episode "Foosball and Nocturnal Vigilantism", Jeff lays this accusation on Shirley [[spoiler: after he learns that she was his childhood bully]]. While the accusation isn't ''entirely'' fair -- Jeff's clearly overwrought at the time (not entirely without reason) and Shirley is a genuinely religious person -- it's also not entirely unjustified either; Shirley does have a tendency to use her religious beliefs as a way of feeling superior to other people, manipulating them to do what she wants through guilt and self-righteousness and avoiding having to self-examine her own faults and less savoury aspects.

* Reverend Lovejoy from ''TheSimpsons''. When [[ChurchOfHappyology the Movementarians]] gain popular momentum, Lovejoy is so quick to give up on trying to promote Christianity that when Marge shows up at his church, he is soaking it in gasoline, presumably to cash in on insurance fraud. He also seems not to be that good at preaching moral decency to his own family, if his [[GossipyHens gossipy wife]] and [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative daughter]] are anything to go by, and when the latter reminds him of past misdeeds of her own, he just plugs his ears and pretends not to hear anything. He blames it on years of having to put up with Ned Flanders, which put him off his job more than off his faith.

* Reverend Lovejoy from ''TheSimpsons''. Though he is the [[CaptainObvious local reverend]], he seems to be faking his religious beliefs. When [[ChurchOfHappyology the Movementarians]] gain popular momentum, Lovejoy is so quick to give up on trying to promote Christianity that when Marge shows up at his church, he is soaking it in gasoline. He also seems not to be that good at preaching moral decency to his own family, if his [[GossipyHens gossipy wife]] and [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative daughter]] are anything to go by. (When the latter reminds him of past misdeeds of her own, he just plugs his ears and pretends not to hear anything.)
** Lovejoy is genuine, he is just fairly miserable. He blames it on years of having to put up with Ned Flanders, but this put him off his job more than off his faith. The church was pretty much empty because the Movementarians had stolen all of the Christians and he was probably going to burn it down as an act of insurance fraud, but that was more a sign of his desperation. While he's not as religious as he used to be, or would like to be, he still acts like a proper minister more often than not.
*** Still not exactly a virtuous reaction to such circumstances, though.

* Vorbis from ''Discworld/SmallGods'': a CompleteMonster who justifies himself as doing the will of the Great God Om... but Om knows there's only one person left who even believes he exists, and it's not Vorbis.

* [[CompleteMonster Rodrigo Borgia]] (aka [[ThePope Alexander VI]]) from ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedII'' [[spoiler: is an atheist who only became Pope so he would have access to the Staff of Eden and the Vatican Vault.]]

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* Reverend Noah Howerton from ''HonorableHogwarts'' -- an OmnicidalManiac who is using religion to make his followers help him eliminate all other magic-users so that he's the only wizard left and no others can challenge him. He doesn't really believe in God.
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* Judge Claude Frollo from the Disney adaptation of ''[[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame The Hunchback of Notre Dame]]'' is initially HolierThanThou, until his lust for Esmeralda becomes an obsession, and he decides forcing her into a "be mine or you will burn" ScarpiaUltimatum would be worth going to hell over. In public, he still maintains a KnightTemplar image, and uses that to try to achieve his goals.

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* Theatre/{{Tartuffe}} of {{Moliere}}'s homonymous play is one of the most famous example in francophone country, in which his name is a synonym for that trope; practically equivalent to being a TropeNamer.

* The church in ''BreathOfFire 2''. They were affiliated with the BigBad, and [[MindControl led your hometown to make everyone think the prologue never happened]] and get you thrown out.
* "His Holiness" Sanctus from ''DevilMayCry 4'', who is anything ''but'' a devout worshipper of Sparda, and mainly wants his power. It's noted that his aim ([[spoiler: unleashing a plague of demons upon the world so that his forces can kill them and be seen as the bringers of a new utopia]]) is something Sparda would very much have opposed were he still alive.

* Done ''literally'' in ''MassEffect3''; [[spoiler: the Asari have secretly been concealing the only intact, undamaged Prothean Beacon in the universe on their homeworld at the heart of their oldest religious site, distributing the data from it as "messages from the goddess" and even disguising one of ''the last living Protheans'' as a ''messiah figure''!]]

'''Note:''' Who may be considered to be doing this fallacy in RealLife often relies on personal interpretation which can result in heated arguments. As such, '''NoRealLifeExamplesPlease.'''

[[quoteright:350:[[TheSimpsons http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reverend_1719.jpg]]]]

* Most of the characters from the film, ''{{Saved}}''.

Not to be confused with TheFundamentalist, who really DOES believe in said fanatically religious ideas, hiding behind religion implies some level of insincerity. One CAN be both, however; one can be a [[TheFundamentalist fundamentalist]] while not being QUITE as religious as one pretends to be.

* Mr. Brocklehurst from ''Jane Eyes''. He tries to teach his school humility by starving them and providing them with low quality clothing as his daughters and wife stand by wearing silk finery.

A SubTrope of {{Hypocrite}}. See also LightIsNotGood, which can be this on a more fantastical level.

* [[CompleteMonster Rodrigo Borgia]] (aka [[ThePope Alexander VI]]) from ''AssassinsCreedII'' [[spoiler: is an atheist who only became Pope so he would have access to the Staff of Eden and the Vatican Vault.]]

* {{Tartuffe}} from ''Moliere'' is one of the most famous example in francophone country, in which his name is a synonym for that trope; practically equivalent to being a TropeNamer.

* Father Cornelio of ''FullmetalAlchemist''.

* The song "Jesus He Knows Me" by {{Genesis}} is a TakeThat to people like this. Specifically, those who use religion for self-enrichment.

* Judge Claude Frollo from the Disney adaptation of [[Disney/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame The Hunchback of Notre Dame]] is initially HolierThanThou, until his lust for Esmeralda becomes an obsession, and he decides forcing her into a "be mine or you will burn" ScarpiaUltimatum would be worth going to hell over. In public, he still maintains a KnightTemplar image, and uses that to try to achieve his goals.

* Vorbis from ''Discworld/SmallGods'' might be a good example; a CompleteMonster who justifies himself as doing the will of the Great God Om ... but Om knows there's only one person left who even believes he exists, and it's not Vorbis.

* Machiavelli recommends this in ThePrince.
-->"Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated, but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious, and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.

* The song ''Jesus He Knows Me'' by Genesis is a TakeThat to people like this. Specifically, those who use religion for self-enrichment.

* {{Tartuffe}} from Moliere is one of the most famous example in francophone country, in which his name is a synonym for that trope; practically equivalent to being a TropeNamer.
* The inkeeper and his wife in LesMiserables are prime examples.
* Generally unsympathetic Mormon [[GayConservative closet case]] Joe Pitt in AngelsInAmerica. Specifically, when he tries to draw attention away from his "failings" by putting the blame on his addict agoraphobic wife Harper for not being the ideal Mormon wife (ie, he would prefer her to be a StepfordSmiler).

* The church in BreathOfFire 2. They were affiliated with the BigBad, and {{Mind Control}}led your hometown to make everyone think the prologue never happened and get you thrown out.
* "His Holiness" Sanctus from DevilMayCry 4, who is anything ''but'' a devout worshipper of Sparda, and mainly wants his power. It's noted that his aim ([[spoiler:unleashing a plague of demons upon the world so that his forces can kill them and be seen as the bringers of a new utopia]]) is something Sparda would very much have opposed were he still alive.
* [[CompleteMonster Rodrigo Borgia]] (aka [[ThePope Alexander VI]]) from AssassinsCreedII [[spoiler: is an atheist who only became Pope so he would have access to the Staff of Eden and the Vatican Vault.]]

* As implied by the quotation and pic, Reverend Lovejoy from ''TheSimpsons''. Though he is the [[CaptainObvious local reverend]], he seems to be faking his religious beliefs. When [[ChurchOfHappyology the Movementarians]] gain popular momentum, Lovejoy is so quick to give up on trying to promote Christianity that when Marge shows up at his church, he is soaking it in gasoline. He also seems not to be that good at preaching moral decency to his own family, if his [[GossipyHens gossipy wife]] and [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative daughter]] are anything to go by. (When the latter reminds him of past misdeeds of her own, he just plugs his ears and pretends not to hear anything.)

* As implied by the quotation and pic, Reverend Lovejoy from ''TheSimpsons''. Though he is the [[CaptainObvious local reverend]], he seems to be faking his religious beliefs. When [[ChurchOfHappyology the Movementarians]] gain popular momentum, Lovejoy is so quick to give up on trying to promote Christianity that when Marge shows up at his church, he is soaking it in gasoline. [[FridgeHorror It is strongly implied that he was about to burn down his own church.]] He also seems not to be that good at preaching moral decency to his own family, if his [[GossipyHens gossipy wife]] and [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative daughter]] are anything to go by. (When the latter reminds him of past misdeeds of her own, he just plugs his ears and pretends not to hear anything.)

*** Still not exactly a Christian reaction to such circumstances, though.

* Alec D'Ubervilles is hinted to be this from ''Tess of the D'Ubervilles.

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** Lovejoy is genuine, he is just fairly miserable. He blames it on years of having to put up with Ned Flanders, but this put him off his job more than off his faith. The church was pretty much empty because the Movementarians had stolen all of the Christians and he was probably going to burn it down as an act of insurance fraud, but that was more a sign of his desperation. While he's not as religious as he used to be, or would like to be, he still acts like a proper minister more often than not.
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