Our culture has done a successful job of defining the word “hate” in such a way that if you believe someone is committing a sin, your belief in that sin is included into their definition of hate. For example, “Christians hate gay people” is an often-used shorthand for, “Christians think it’s morally wrong to date, marry, and have sex with people of the same gender.” The same goes for “Christians hate Muslims” and several other sentences.
However, it’s not true. That’s a faulty definition of the word hate. And I guess it’s going to be up to us Christians to fix this definition, over time, by the way we speak and act.
Here’s an example of how I can prove the cultural definition of hate doesn’t really stand up: I think my children do things that are sins. I think it happens every week. I think my wife sins, too. I also believe that I sin fairly regularly (in the sense that I repent and ask for forgiveness multiple times per week.)
Now, having admitted that, I don’t think the majority of people would say that I hate my children, my wife, and myself. Therefore, there is a clear carve-out that we all understand. One must be able to believe that someone is “in sin” or “committing a sin” and yet still not hate that person.
All of that applies to “Christians hate trans people” and “Christians hate Buddhists” and similar things that people say. And we need to be clear on this.
Do I think Muslims are wrong about their views of Allah? Yes, I do. Does that mean I want something bad to happen to them? Not at all. I want good to happen to them.
Do I think gay people are wrong about their views on human sexuality? Yes, I do. Does that mean I want something bad to happen to them? Not at all. I want good to happen to them.
So while we cannot embrace our culture’s values (ie: saying that certain sins aren’t wrong) we also cannot embrace our culture’s definitions (ie: declaring that Christians do hate sinners.) It seems to me neither of those approaches are going to work, nor are they biblically faithful.
Therefore, we are going to have to fight for the proper definitions of certain words. And it’s probably going to take a while, but I think we are going to have to reclaim some linguistic territory that we’ve lost over the last 20 years. As best as I can tell, that’s the path forward.
However, it’s not true. That’s a faulty definition of the word hate. And I guess it’s going to be up to us Christians to fix this definition, over time, by the way we speak and act.
Here’s an example of how I can prove the cultural definition of hate doesn’t really stand up: I think my children do things that are sins. I think it happens every week. I think my wife sins, too. I also believe that I sin fairly regularly (in the sense that I repent and ask for forgiveness multiple times per week.)
Now, having admitted that, I don’t think the majority of people would say that I hate my children, my wife, and myself. Therefore, there is a clear carve-out that we all understand. One must be able to believe that someone is “in sin” or “committing a sin” and yet still not hate that person.
All of that applies to “Christians hate trans people” and “Christians hate Buddhists” and similar things that people say. And we need to be clear on this.
Do I think Muslims are wrong about their views of Allah? Yes, I do. Does that mean I want something bad to happen to them? Not at all. I want good to happen to them.
Do I think gay people are wrong about their views on human sexuality? Yes, I do. Does that mean I want something bad to happen to them? Not at all. I want good to happen to them.
So while we cannot embrace our culture’s values (ie: saying that certain sins aren’t wrong) we also cannot embrace our culture’s definitions (ie: declaring that Christians do hate sinners.) It seems to me neither of those approaches are going to work, nor are they biblically faithful.
Therefore, we are going to have to fight for the proper definitions of certain words. And it’s probably going to take a while, but I think we are going to have to reclaim some linguistic territory that we’ve lost over the last 20 years. As best as I can tell, that’s the path forward.
