Basic Trope: A villainous character who purports to be a good person of faith.
- Straight: Bob goes to the Church of Saint Genericus every Sunday. But every Monday morning, he embezzles money from work.
- Exaggerated:
- Bob is actually the pastor at the Church of Saint Genericus. He embezzles funds from the church, his wife died under suspicious circumstances (and before that, he was beating her bloody on a regular basis and cheating on her with several women), he rapes his 12-year-old daughter every night (and has gotten her pregnant twice, both times sending her away to have an abortion while telling everyone that she went on a Bible retreat), and he doesn't pick up after his dog. Everyone in town knows him as a Good Shepherd.
- Bob genuinely believes that going to church gives him carte blanche to do whatever immoral things he wants: as long as he confesses on Sundays, it's all good, and he'll go to heaven when he dies! What a deal!
- Downplayed:
- Bob is The Fundamentalist.
- Bob, who is running for mayor of Troperville, claims to be a Christian, when in fact he's secretly a Hollywood Atheist.
- Justified:
- Bob is using the performance of religious faith and practice to be perceived as a good person.
- Bob like other people, believe in God.
- Inverted:
- Bob is an atheist who is a bad person.
- Bob is a genuinely good person.
- Subverted:
- Bob had a bad past as a drug dealer, but had a Heel–Faith Turn in Prison.
- Bob emphasizes the importance of fidelity during a wedding he officiates.
- Bob's son Charlie comes out of the closet, and Bob tells him that he accepts him and loves him, no matter what anyone in their church thinks.
- Double Subverted:
- After his release from prison, Bob goes to church every Sunday... and continues selling drugs every other day of the week.
- He is on his third wife, and the last two marriages ended because he cheated. And yes, he's cheating on his current wife, too.
- His wife, Alice, isn't so accepting, and he caves to pressure from her to kick Charlie out of the house with no resources, or turns a blind eye while Alice gives Charlie a Defenestrate and Berate.
- Parodied:
- Bob, a wolf, comes up to the pulpit wearing a sheepskin suit.
- The new pastor is introduced as Louis Cypher.
- Bob goes to church with blood splattered all over his shoes and suit. No-one bats an eye.
- Zig Zagged: ???
- Averted:
- Bob is a genuinely good person.
- Bob isn't religious. (He may be spiritual, or he may be an atheist or agnostic.)
- Enforced:
- Let's tell a story that's Ripped from the Headlines.
- Religious Horror
- Writer on Board with the idea that Religion Is Wrong or that Belief Makes You Stupid.
- Lampshaded: ???
- Invoked: Bob doesn't make much money as a minister, but being one is a full-time job. He needs money to pay the electric bill, and notices the collection plate.
- Exploited: Bob starts a "religion" in order to get people to donate to his "ministries".
- Defied: Bob knows that stealing that money would be wrong, so he simply calls up the electric company and tells them he might be late with the payment this month and needs an extension, or asks if there's a way he can lower his bill.
- Discussed: ???
- Conversed: ???
Back to Churchgoing Villain
