Hatred

I for one am not clean of ever having hated another human being. It's not a pleasant feeling, but it certainly is a powerful and even exhilirating one. Here's the query:

Is it ever ok to hate another child of God i.e. another human? if it's not, why have we (and by we, I mean any of us, not just "other people") succumbed to it anyway?

I don't mean this to be preachy or self-righteous. Like I said, I've been there, but I'm curious to see what everyone's opinion is on hate, which is awfully close to the deadly sin of wrath (fury).

Is it ok to hate anything?

Tags: God, hate, love

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Khail on November 20, 2011 at 5:52pm

Oh, I uh, was hoping to open up some philosophical debate over the meaning of "hate" and such. For instance, when does an emotion or feeling get officially defined as "hate"... or "love" for that matter. I know it's wrong to hate people, perhaps I worded this poorly.

Permalink Reply by Aleksandra Gieralt on November 20, 2011 at 8:28pm

JUST wrote back :D

Permalink Reply by Aleksandra Gieralt on November 20, 2011 at 9:50pm

That's beautiful :D I do agree that its right to hate sin and all things evil, but not the PEOPLE that do the evil (since I myself am a sinner - Jesus said "he who is without sin throw the first stone," and I am most definately NOT "he who is without sin"). I hate the sin that is within me, but not myself, since I am a child of Christ. Likewise, I hate the sin done by my family and friends, and yet I love those people.

But what impressed me the most in your answer is your ability to quote the Bible just like that!!! OMG WOW! Great job! :D Wish I knew the quote references . . . I am terrible at memorizing numbers . . .

Permalink Reply by Aleksandra Gieralt on November 20, 2011 at 8:27pm

Actually, hate is a bit worse than fury/anger. I take hate to be anger driven to the extreme (wrath is a deadly sin because It LEADS to hatred. I heard that the deadly sins aren't "deadly" because they are the worst, but because they LEAD to other sins, all sin springs from those seven. They are the most dangerous because they are the first). Anger at a person (at least, to me) is when they do something that bothers you, and you wish they would change their behaviour. Hatred is when you don't express your anger in a good way (ie tell the person what's bothering you) or whatever you hoped to change stays the same. I don't think its an emotion that comes from God.

As to whether I have felt hate - yes, of course I have, though never for a person (I've had brief moments of hatred for . . . the people I love most, actually *blushes* but that goes away quickly - there is no person in this world whom I hate). Its a normal part of being human. An emotion itself is not a sin. What IS a sin is nurturing a negative emotion and/or acting on a negative emotion (ie getting revenge/hurting those you hate).

And I agree that it can be exhilirating. I guess that's part of what tempts you to succumb to it. It can be a strong driving force. Though, in the long run, its a huge distraction and the rest of your life (such as your academic, work and social life) can suffer if you give in

Permalink Reply by Lindsey Jane on November 21, 2011 at 1:26pm

This is a bit off topic, so I apologize, but I would argue that all sin springs from just ONE deadly, original sin: Pride. I know I can attribute all of my sins to this. Pride is putting yourself and your needs above others and above God. You lie because you consider yourself more important than the person you're lying to. You steal because your desires are more important than others' property rights, etc. All seven of the deadly sins stem from putting yourself above other people and above God's commandments.

Sorry again, I know it is off topic, but this is something I realized awhile ago and it has helped me recognize when I am sinning in small ways I might not otherwise pick up on.

Permalink Reply by Kristoffer Grimsley on November 21, 2011 at 1:55pm

Makes sense to me, seeing as pride is the only "Deadly Sin" that is actually in the Bible under the list of "Things God detest." The rest were more or less made up by the Roman Catholic Church

Permalink Reply by Aleksandra Gieralt on November 22, 2011 at 7:12pm

I totally agree. Many Christians refer to Pride as the deadliest of all the 7, and it IS the original sin (the serpant/devil tempted Adam and Eve by telling them that they would be like God if they sinned, and they wanted to be - their pride lies in their desire to be more than God)

Permalink Reply by Bryan Rosander, FL on November 20, 2011 at 9:39pm

First of all, not all people are children of God, only Christians are. All people are created in the image of God, however, which is different.

Second, we are commanded to love God so much that our love for our family and friends seems like hate.

From Luke 14:26, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple."

You also need to take into account the imprecatory Psalms. I think that they are still relevant and compatible with all of the new Testament, though that page mentions that some disagree.

http://www.theopedia.com/Imprecatory_Psalms

In some contexts, God "hates" those he sends to hell, which we see because he did not save them. He also says, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I hated." I am not sure what our role would be here though, in that I don't know if it is ok to hate somebody that God hates. It is also not clear to me that love and hate are mutually exclusive.

I agree that in general, hate is very dangerous and needs to be guarded against.

Permalink Reply by Aleksandra Gieralt on November 20, 2011 at 9:47pm

I have to disagree. I think all people are children of God, and I don't think God "hates" anyone. I see non-Christians as the "lost sheep." They either haven't received the grace to see the truth, or are unable to recognize God calling them to come to him, and yet, He DOES call everyone. He wants all His sheep to become members of his flock. The people who go to hell are those who have rejected God's mercy and are choosing hell. Jesus died for every single person, he suffered the pain of every single sin, not so that he could send us to hell, but so that He could see us with Him in heaven. If a large number of people were to go to hell than 1) it would be like Jesus loosing the battle for our souls and 2) it would be like him suffering for nothing. Jesus WINS in the end, or at least so says the Bible, the church, and my personal beliefs. Also, even if God does "hate," God is the ONLY judge, and it's not up to us to usurp his power. We don't know whose going to Heaven and whose going to hell, but we do know that its God's call to make.

Permalink Reply by Bryan Rosander, FL on November 22, 2011 at 7:00pm

What do you think of John 8:31-47?

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?"

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have heard from your father."

They answered him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham’s children, you would be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did." They said to him, "We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God." Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me? Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."

Or Romans 8:12-16?

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

Only Christians are children of God and it is by "adoption". Through this adoption, we inherit God's blessings and fellowship.

Jesus does win in the end, but he also cautions that few will be saved. It is not for nothing because it buys him exactly what he paid for, the souls of those who would believe.

Permalink Reply by Aleksandra Gieralt on November 22, 2011 at 7:15pm

I don't think he said "few" will be saved - in John's Apocalypse it describes a huge multitude of people praising The Lamb in Heaven, however I don't think that ALL will be saved. Still, I believe that to be damned one must consciously REJECT God and His mercy (ex I believe all unborn children (I am pro life), insane people, and newborns go to Heaven, since they cannot reject God and his love)

Permalink Reply by Bryan Rosander, FL on November 22, 2011 at 7:35pm

By few, I am referring to verses like Matthew 7:13-14,

"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few."

What do you think of Lordship Salvation? What about people who are capable of rejecting God but it isn't clear whether they do or not? Can someone freely sin and still be a Christian?