hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the act of pretending to have beliefs, virtues and feelings that one does not truly possess. The word derives from the late Latin hypocrisis and Greek hupokrisis both meaning play-acting or pretence. The word is arguably derived from hypo- meaning small, + krinein meaning to decide/to dispute. A classic example of a hypocritical act is to denounce another for carrying out some action whilst carrying out the same action oneself.
The term hypocrisy is also commonly used (some would say misused) in a way which would be more specifically termed a double standard, bias, or inconsistency. An example would be when one honestly believes that one group of individuals should be held to a different set of morals than another group.
Very often, religions are used in this context. One could quote Jesus who says: "Let the one who is totally guiltless throw the first stone," pointing out that one must first be sinless in order to judge someone else for their sin. This is often used as an argument by some Christian denominations against capital punishment, pointing it out as a hypocrisy: You kill the man for killing a man.
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