toldailytopic: Hate the sin, love the sinner. What are your thoughts on that common s

[Nathon Detroit]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for December 6th, 2011 09:49 AM

toldailytopic: Hate the sin, love the sinner. What are your thoughts on that common saying?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
If you want to make suggestions for the Topic of the Day send a Tweet to @toldailytopic or @theologyonline or send it to us via Facebook.

 

[PureX]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for December 6th, 2011 09:49 AM

toldailytopic: Hate the sin, love the sinner. What are your thoughts on that common saying?

I'd say we should worry about our own sins, and hate no one.

 

[bybee]

The TheologyOnline.com TOPIC OF THE DAY for December 6th, 2011 09:49 AM

toldailytopic: Hate the sin, love the sinner. What are your thoughts on that common saying?

Take the topic above and run with it! Slice it, dice it, give us your general thoughts about it. Everyday there will be a new TOL Topic of the Day.
If you want to make suggestions for the Topic of the Day send a Tweet to @toldailytopic or @theologyonline or send it to us via Facebook.

It is just about unworkable for me! I can't quite bring myself to believe that it is a good thing.
Because it takes a sinner to produce sin. Unless the sinner sincerely asks for forgiveness, is willing to make restitution and amends and take his consequences without whining and sniveling, whyyyyy he needs a good kick in the pants!
And if all you Casper Milquetoasts out there think I am being harsh and hard-hearted, you are correct.
I was raised on right and wrong and if isn't yours don't touch it, if you break it replace it, don't take more than your share and lend a hand when you can.

 

[zippy2006]

Should I hate myself? :think: Does the Lord hate sin? Does the Lord love sinners? Did He not give Himself for them? It is sound advice.

 

[Sherman]

toldailytopic: Hate the sin, love the sinner. What are your thoughts on that common saying?

Going out on a limb here: This is just a whiny half hearted saying that allows Christians to just sit on their hands instead of calling people to task on their sinful behavior. A fellow my church says this line all the time, then he goes and gives money to PFLAG. It's a favorite line of enablers.

 

[zippy2006]

Going out on a limb here: This is just a whiny half hearted saying that allows Christians to just sit on their hands instead of calling people to task on their sinful behavior. A fellow my church says this line all the time, then he goes and gives money to PFLAG. It's a favorite line of enablers.

You're right at home on TOL then. But the problem isn't with the saying, it's with a misunderstanding of what love is. We are not at all called to hate our enemies or sinners, etc.

 

[steko]

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Two-thousand years ago, Christ died for me, at the same time knowing all that mankind would do in the future, including myself. He chose to die for me anyway.

 

[Lighthouse]

You're right at home on TOL then. But the problem isn't with the saying, it's with a misunderstanding of what love is. We are not at all called to hate our enemies or sinners, etc.

For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil dwell with You.
The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
-Psalm 5:4-6

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Two-thousand years ago, Christ died for me, at the same time knowing all that mankind would do in the future, including myself. He chose to die for me anyway.

You forgot the first part: see above.

 

[some other dude]

Hate the sin? Of course.

Hate the sinner?

Depends.

An unrepentant sinner who intends to continue in his sin and seeks societal approval of it?

Or a repentant sinner who wrestles with his sin, regrets it and begs forgiveness?

 

[zippy2006]

Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

You forgot the first part: see above.

Steko voiced the new part, not the old part. What joins them? This:

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

 

[Selaphiel]

I'm busy working on my own sin. Something about a speck and a plank if I remember correctly. And if God himself came to mankind to save them rather than destroy them in judgment, then who are we to sit in judgment of sinners?
When we sit in judgment over the sins of others we are like the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14.

Besides, hateful judgment never called anyone to repentance. Love and forgiveness is the only way. It is loving the enemy that disarms and confuses him, hating the enemy only feeds him.

 

[Lighthouse]

Steko voiced the new part, not the old part. What joins them? This:

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

They are all currently true.

Hate the sin? Of course.

Hate the sinner?

Depends.

An unrepentant sinner who intends to continue in his sin and seeks societal approval of it?

Or a repentant sinner who wrestles with his sin, regrets it and begs forgiveness?

Why beg for that which you already have?

I'm busy working on my own sin. Something about a speck and a plank if I remember correctly. And if God himself came to mankind to save them rather than destroy them in judgment, then who are we to sit in judgment of sinners?
When we sit in judgment over the sins of others we are like the Pharisee in Luke 18:9-14.

Besides, hateful judgment never called anyone to repentance. Love and forgiveness is the only way. It is loving the enemy that disarms and confuses him, hating the enemy only feeds him.

If that plank is no longer in your eye [you have been crucified with Christ and no longer under the law] then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brothers' eye. Why would you not want to help your brother?

 

[zippy2006]

They are all currently true.

Not in a literal sense:

1. God hates all workers of iniquity
2. God loves sinners and died for them

Those can't both be true.

 

[Lighthouse]

Not in a literal sense:

1. God hates all workers of iniquity
2. God loves sinners and died for them

Those can't both be true.

Yes they can.

One must know the meaning of hate and love in order to know this.

 

[Selaphiel]

Not in a literal sense:

1. God hates all workers of iniquity
2. God loves sinners and died for them

Those can't both be true.

Last time I checked Lighthouse claimed that love and hate are the same thing or that they are not opposites. Makes you wonder what Jesus meant when he clearly contrasted hating your enemy with loving your enemy in Matt 5:43-44.

I believe the story of the prodigal son is a good illustration for Gods love for everyone. Does the father ever hate the son? Or is it the son that does not know the fathers love and thus fear him?

 

[Lighthouse]

Last time I checked Lighthouse claimed that love and hate are the same thing or that they are not opposites. Makes you wonder what Jesus meant when he clearly contrasted hating your enemy with loving your enemy in Matt 5:43-44.

He wasn't contrasting. He was commanding us to do both.

I believe the story of the prodigal son is a good illustration for Gods love for everyone. Does the father ever hate the son? Or is it the son that does not know the fathers love and thus fear him?

Are you arguing that God changed?

 

[Selaphiel]

He wasn't contrasting. He was commanding us to do both.

He said paint the kitchen red, but I say paint it blue.

Not sure I want to see what you would do when faced with that command.

Are you arguing that God changed?

No, Christ is the one that fully reveals the nature of God which is love. We are the son in the prodigal son story, it is our perception that was wrong. God always loved, he never started to love and he never ceases to love, He IS love. Everything must be understood in light of Christ, it is Christ that is the Christian revelation.

 

[kmoney]

Last time I checked Lighthouse claimed that love and hate are the same thing or that they are not opposites. Makes you wonder what Jesus meant when he clearly contrasted hating your enemy with loving your enemy in Matt 5:43-44.

I believe the story of the prodigal son is a good illustration for Gods love for everyone. Does the father ever hate the son? Or is it the son that does not know the fathers love and thus fear him?

:thumb: I don't know how you can read that in a way that Jesus isn't saying love and hate are contradictory.

 

[zippy2006]

He wasn't contrasting. He was commanding us to do both.

Lighthouse, would you give us your definitions for love and hate? Also note that if you believe we are called to do both then the OP statement should be just fine for you.

 

[The Horn]

I'm always wary when I hear Christians talking about "hating the sin but loving the sinner ". First of all, it usually refers to homosexuality, and homosexuality is no more a sin than heterosexuality . What is wrong is sexual promiscuity , whether gay or straight .
And many of those Christians who claim to "hate the sin but love the sinner" are
nothing but self-righteous busybodies who think they have the right to sit in judgment of others based upon what they do in private in their bedrooms.
But this is none of their business, or any one else's . And many of these "hate the sin" Christians don't want gay people to have equal rights .
Again ,don't assume that I'm gay myself just because I speak out against homophobia . I'm not - just disgusted by intolerance and bigotry of any kind .