What do we mean by "hate"?

[Ken]

What does the Bible say?

It says a lot of things. For example, Ecclesiastes says

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: . . .
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

[Bootstrap]

Where does the Bible teach we are supposed to worry about “hate in my own identity group?”

We could start with what Jesus said about loving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, his example in showing love to groups the Pharisees hated, and work out from there. I think it's pretty central to what Jesus taught. For instance:

Retaliation

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

That's assuming, of course, that Jesus and the Kingdom of God are our identity group, and not some political faction or something.

[Sudsy]

"Hate evil, and love good, and establish judgment in the gate"
-- Amos 5:15

Members of modern culture are evil, so I hate them.

But to be like Jesus is to love them. We are to hate sin but love the sinner. Since we are all sinners we are to love everyone. To do this requires a power far greater than any of us has in themselves. That is why Jesus gave the Holy Spirit to not only be with us but to be in us to empower us to love everybody in the way Jesus did.

Hating evil is not to hate those who do evil. Reminds me of Jesus just before He died saying 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do'.

[Josh]

Where does the Bible teach we are supposed to worry about “hate in my own identity group?”

We could start with what Jesus said about loving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, his example in showing love to groups the Pharisees hated, and work out from there. I think it's pretty central to what Jesus taught. For instance:

Retaliation

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

That's assuming, of course, that Jesus and the Kingdom of God are our identity group, and not some political faction or something.

I agree. But I don’t think the Bible teaches a definition of “hate” or “identity group” anything close to modern political concepts of them, particularly left wing identity politics.

Just as it’s important for the Christian to reject right wing political concepts, we must also reject these identity politics political concepts.

[Ken]

Where does the Bible teach we are supposed to worry about “hate in my own identity group?”

We could start with what Jesus said about loving our enemies, praying for those who persecute us, his example in showing love to groups the Pharisees hated, and work out from there. I think it's pretty central to what Jesus taught. For instance:

Retaliation

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.

Love Your Enemies

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

That's assuming, of course, that Jesus and the Kingdom of God are our identity group, and not some political faction or something.

I agree. But I don’t think the Bible teaches a definition of “hate” or “identity group” anything close to modern political concepts of them, particularly left wing identity politics.

Just as it’s important for the Christian to reject right wing political concepts, we must also reject these identity politics political concepts.

Go ahead and give your theological argument about how Jesus commanded us to love one another EXCEPT for people in “identity groups”

This should be interesting.

[Bootstrap]

That's assuming, of course, that Jesus and the Kingdom of God are our identity group, and not some political faction or something.

I agree. But I don’t think the Bible teaches a definition of “hate” or “identity group” anything close to modern political concepts of them, particularly left wing identity politics.

Just as it’s important for the Christian to reject right wing political concepts, we must also reject these identity politics political concepts.

I haven't mentioned "hate groups", and they are not the subject of this thread. I think we agree that our primary identity is in Christ and the Kingdom of God. I think we agree that Christianity is not a hate group, that Christians must not hate. So I'm asking what that means.

Starting with the original post, I asked what the Bible says about hate, and how that applies to us as Christians. Maybe we also agree that some people who call themselves Christians do hate, and that there's a lot of hate flying around on the Internet.

So this thread is about us, as Christians, and how we avoid getting sucked up into that.

[Franklin]

We are to hate sin but love the sinner.

I did some more research on this and found these:

"You hate all evildoers."
-- Psalm 5:5

"The LORD examines the righteous and the wicked. He hates the lover of violence."
-- Psalm 11:5

"“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” This is the LORD’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”"
-- Malachi 1:2-3

[Ken]

That's assuming, of course, that Jesus and the Kingdom of God are our identity group, and not some political faction or something.

I agree. But I don’t think the Bible teaches a definition of “hate” or “identity group” anything close to modern political concepts of them, particularly left wing identity politics.

Just as it’s important for the Christian to reject right wing political concepts, we must also reject these identity politics political concepts.

I haven't mentioned "hate groups", and they are not the subject of this thread. I think we agree that our primary identity is in Christ and the Kingdom of God. I think we agree that Christianity is not a hate group, that Christians must not hate. So I'm asking what that means.

Starting with the original post, I asked what the Bible says about hate, and how that applies to us as Christians. Maybe we also agree that some people who call themselves Christians do hate, and that there's a lot of hate flying around on the Internet.

So this thread is about us, as Christians, and how we avoid getting sucked up into that.

“Identity group” is a meaninglessly broad term. All of the following are identity groups in 2023

Jews
Farmers
Christians
Republicans
Democrats
LGBT folks
Ukrainians
College students
Rotarians
Shriners
Masons
Mormons
Mennonites
Amish
Mexican-Americans

All of the following were identity groups during the time of Christ

Samaritans
Gentiles
Jews
Greeks
Romans
Barbarians
Fishermen
Shepherds
Merchants
Zealots
Legionaries
Carpenters
Sadducees
Pharisees
Essenes
Philistines

[Sudsy]

We are to hate sin but love the sinner.

I did some more research on this and found these:

"You hate all evildoers."
-- Psalm 5:5

"The LORD examines the righteous and the wicked. He hates the lover of violence."
-- Psalm 11:5

"“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” This is the LORD’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”"
-- Malachi 1:2-3

My view - in whatever sense it is that the scriptures say God hates someone, according to Jesus example and words we don't have this right. We love sinners by showing them respect (1 Peter 2:17), praying for them (1 Timothy 2:1), and witnessing to them of Christ in love (Ephesians 4:15) .

[Ken]

We are to hate sin but love the sinner.

I did some more research on this and found these:

"You hate all evildoers."
-- Psalm 5:5

"The LORD examines the righteous and the wicked. He hates the lover of violence."
-- Psalm 11:5

"“Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” This is the LORD’s declaration. “Even so, I loved Jacob, but I hated Esau.”"
-- Malachi 1:2-3

My view - in whatever sense it is that the scriptures say God hates someone, according to Jesus example and words we don't have this right. We love sinners by showing them respect (1 Peter 2:17), praying for them (1 Timothy 2:1), and witnessing to them of Christ in love (Ephesians 4:15) .

Franklin is quoting Old Testament verses. Sudsy is quoting New Testament verses.

That is your difference right there.