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The title above is admittedly ambiguous. It can mean “Christians who express hatred,” or it can mean “those who hate Christianity.” The latter meaning describes a growing “norm” of attitude and behavior. A broad-based coalition would banish every vestige of “Christianity” from our national identity. Politicians, entertainers, educators, major news media persons, and others have revealed themselves as haters of the Christian religion, especially its moral requirements and its exclusive message.
History revisionists tell us our nation never possessed a general, unabashed belief in the Bible and in Jesus Christ. However, merely viewing movies up to the 1960s (especially those relating to WW II) tells a far different tale. Almost without exception, when the element of religion appears in these movies (e.g., prayer, worship, funerals, weddings), the Bible is the Book that is referenced/read, and prayers (even before each meal!) are lifted to God the Father in the name of Jesus—because it was the norm in our nation. The enemies of Christ have gradually eroded this precious national faith.
The Bible-haters charge that it teaches hatred, and therefore, Christianity is a religion of haters (is it not a bit ironic to hate a religion because its adherents are haters?). But we freely admit that true Christians are indeed “haters,” but not in the way their accusers allege. In fact, one cannot be faithful to the Christ without hating the things God and His Son hate, among them:
- Evil: Those who love Jehovah hate evil (Psa. 97:10). Contrary to the belief of some, practitioners of wickedness, villainy, and malignant evil are abroad in the world. These are vicious, merciless, destructive, and power-mad. Only the hopelessly naïve deny the existence of evil. God despises it!
- Error: Those who love God hate every false way of life because He does (Psa. 119:104). All Biblical warnings about false prophets/teachers and all exhortations to adhere to revealed Truth emphasize God’s hatred of error. His Word alone is the unbiased, objective standard of religious and moral Truth (John 17:17). Only it will make men free (8:32).
- Immorality: Those who love God must hate all ungodliness and unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18; Tit. 2:12). Christians therefore hate theft, drunkenness, murder, sexual sins (i.e., fornication, adultery, and homosexual behavior), and all such like (Rom. 1:29–31; 1 Cor. 6:9–10)—because God hates them.
Yes, we are haters—haters of all of those things that destroy, demean, and debase humankind. However, we love the souls of those who are destroying themselves, their families, and our nation, by behavior that God and rational men and women abhor.
[Note: I wrote this article for and it appeared in the Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton, TX, October 21, 2016.]
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
Thank you for taking my question brother: At my congregation (a church of Christ congregation), we have been in a discussion. Some brethren assert that God “hates” in the very sense that He “hates” people – the very man himself – who sins, not just the behavior or action of sin. In other words, God hates the individual person as well as the behavior or transgression. Some further purport that God hates the man, yet the Christian cannot hate the man himself. If such be the case, it would be a “do as I say not as I do theology.” I contend, however, God abhors the transgression, not the man per se. And since He is fully just, He will rightfully punish the unrepentant sinner for the sin/transgression. That is not hate of a man; it’s justice for transgression or sin. Thank you for addressing me inquiry.
Dear Philip,
Thank you for visiting The Scripture Cache and for submitting your question. I believe that John 3:16 contains the answer to the question being discussed there: “God so loved….” He loves every individual so much that He gave Jesus to make it possible for every human being to be saved. However, John 3:16 also demonstrates the degree to which God hates sin. As the Lord hung on the cross, He did not even hate the evil men who crucified Him, but rather, prayed for them. Furthermore, God has never commanded or allowed (with His approval) men to do that which is contrary to His own nature, will, and behavior. To argue otherwise is absurd as well as unscriptural. I hope you will visit The Scripture Cache often.
Yours in the Cause,
Dub McClish