How can you "love the sinner but hate the sin. . . .?"?

Question

and not be a hypocrite? Isn't this also going against the "judge not" part of your belief system, and the admonition to treat others as you would like to be treated?

It seems very two-faced to me. Shouldn't true Christians work for justice, tolerance, peace and equality? WWJD?

Please reply with your own thoughts. Cutting and pasting, although expedient, demonstrates laziness and a lack of rational logic. You're smarter than that, aren't you? :o) Besides, I've read the bible - so have most of the folks in this posting category.

Answer 1

I thought the concept made sense when I first heard it. Twenty years on, I'm appalled by what I've seen it used to justify.

Way too often it's used to excuse plain old hate. Even when it's not, it's a way of saying that the 'Christian' way is right and us 'sinners' are wrong.

So why not drop this hate altogether? Most people are doing their best to live their lives as they see fit. Why do you get to judge? And yes, that is what you're doing when you 'hate the sin.' Face up to it.

Answer 2

There are several forms of love in the greek language. Agape is the one used there. It has nothing to do with sex.

Your Mother probably didn't like many things you did when you were growing up and punished you for doing them when she caught you. But that didn't mean she didn't care for you when she did. What she didn't care for was the things you were doing wrong. Was your Mother a hypocrit?

Most of the time I hear the 'judge not' thing brought up it's because the person who feels they are being judged doesn't like the heat for actions they are doing generate. And they are looking for ways to divert attention from themselves.

If someone is molesting a child is that not something that should be judged? I think so. What other actions should also be judged? True Christians will still care for someone who is doing wrong. But that DOES NOT mean they will like the action being done.

WWJD? Jesus has little to do with half of these factors of life. Justice is the provence of the government. Tolerance is a social aspect. Peace is something to be found by understanding you can't control the actions of others only the actions of your self. Equality doesn't mean everyone is equal. But that YOU should treat everyone equally.

Answer 3

It's not hard for me to do that. I understand exactly what it means. Like if someone does something sinful, does hating the person help anything? We all have to realize that everyone is human and we all make mistakes, and there is no reason why you should stop loving someone because they've done something wrong. We all sin. If we all hate each other, this world would be over by now. But a great gift that people have is to forgive. Love people, despite their faults. To tell you the truth, your question doesn't make sense to me. How is loving people despite their fauls being hypocritical? When you love the person but hate the sin, it isn't being two faced in any way, and I don't understand what you mean, sorry... I know that me, as a Christian, I try to help anyone I come acroos who needs advice or help, and I never judge people. I hate what murder, rape, etc, but I love everyone because I understand they are sick and have problems, so how does that make me two faced? Email me, I'm afraid I don't understand...

Answer 4

It's a favorite fundie catch-all phrase that means diddly squat. It's the perfect answer for those who are accused of judging others. It still allows them to feel self-righteous while laying down the fire and brimstone as though they were God Himself. IMO it's a nearly impossible quest to separate the sinner from the sin. If you hate the sin you aren't going to be real fond of the person committing that perceived sin. Only a totally objective person could do such a thing, and how many over-the-top Christians do you know that could fill that bill? I have never met one, online or off.

There are true Christians who work for justice, tolerence, etc. Unfortunately, they aren't usually the Christians we hear from on sites like this. I think they are too busy with their objectives to be taking up their time judging others.

Answer 5

I'm not xtian, but I used to be. To me, to love the sinner means to realize that they are a person with feelings, struggles, hopes and something that they can bring to the world. Treating them as a person worthy of dignity. To hate the sin means the behavior only.

Here's a tough example: A rapist. To look beyond what he/she is at this moment back to the little child who was twisted and hurt. To see that this is a person desperately in need of help. Deserving of punishment, but also pity. To see the behavior as a poor choice based on a warped mindset.

It's hard....but doable. Plus I believe when the bible says "judge not", it means people, not actions. However, I'm not an xtian so my opinion means very little to those who are.

Answer 6

This phrase is a rephrase of something St. Augustine said. His premise was that we can care for the person, but not like what they do. I can, for example, care for alcoholics. I have often picked up people at bars when they were slobbering drunk and have taken them home. I have picked them up off the ground after they have puked and helped them inside. I may not agree with what they are doing, but in the process, I loved them.

On the otherhand, Judging a person involves two things: Pointing out sin, and then in self righteousness condemning that person for the sin. Pointing out sin without condemnation is rebuke. It's is often hard to do and Jesus and Paul warned about doing this out of pride and self righteousness. Every Christian has to deal with personal sin and be cogniscent of his or her place before God and in relation to others sinners before he or she can rebuke another. If I am going to point out sin, I need to admit that I too have sin, and rebuke others with the intent on helping a person out, rather than with the intent to make myself look better.

You are right-- Christians should work for justice, toleration, peace, and equality. Part of justice is making sure that those who commit crimes are dealt with accordingly and helping them learn from it. Tolerence put aside barriers which seperate people such as race, economics, language, and things of that nature. Christians should promote peace, true. But sometime in order to have peace, we have to have war. For example, if a tribe is practicing genocide against another tribe, then sometimes we may have to step in and fight to protect the victims. Such wars will bring about peace when no other way can be found. In doing so, we help promote equality and dignity of every person.

Answer 7

I have plenty of un-saved friends who I love with a passion and if anything ever happened to them, I would be hurt and mourn the loss, because I love them. What I don't love, is the fact that they have sin in their lives and I do not approve or condone the sin that is in their lives.

It's a logical concept. Not just Christians experience this.

Take for example that maybe your spouse, or father or mother...they begin to have an extra-marital affair...you do not condone this action. In fact, morally in America this is not smiled upon, but instead, as Americans, most normal people would frown upon this. You don't completely turn your back upon them, but instead you still care for them and love them and show them love, but at the same time make it apparent they have done something wrong and you would like them to fix it.

I don't think a single person in that situation would say they didn't care.

Answer 8

I would have to say that it is very hard to do but it can be done. Many sinners don't want us to tell them that they are wrong. The bible does tell us not to judge, but I think He expects us to be fruit inspectors. We should be able to determine good fruit from bad fruit. Some people say that they are not prejudiced. I heard a black preacher say, and I am white by the way, that we are all racist. It's just that some of us are recovering racists.

Answer 9

Does that saying come out of the Bible?
Is that a saying that the religiosity came up with?
I don't believe it came out of the Bible.
I think it is religiosity.

Do you have the ability to separate a sinner from their sin?
I don't think so.
Do you have the ability to know that they are sinners?
Again I don't think so.
What is sin?
It is not believing God.
If it is possible to know a person is sinning how do you love the sinner and hate the sin?
ARE YOU GOD??????
Paul turned a sinner over to Satan, that he should be taught not to sin. That his body be destroyed and his soul saved. Can you do this?????
Do you have the POWER????

Answer 10

[Sir 17:20] Return to the LORD and give up sin, pray to him and make your offenses few.
[Sir 17:21] Turn again to the Most High and away from sin, hate intensely what he loathes;

We are told to hate sin because the Lord hates it. On the other hand...

[Lev 19:18] Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

We have the capacity to do both, love our neighbor and hate the sin that perils his eternal soul.