Witchcraft is a sin too, but, the Church is not commanding us to go on a witch hunt and burn them at the stakes. Our Lord Jesus does command us to evangelize and to LOVE our neighbors as ourselves.
CCC 2124: The name “atheism” covers many very different phenomena. One common form is the practical materialism which restricts its needs and aspirations to space and time. Atheistic humanism falsely considers man to be "an end to himself, and the sole maker, with supreme control, of his own history."59 Another form of contemporary atheism looks for the liberation of man through economic and social liberation. "It holds that religion, of its very nature, thwarts such emancipation by raising man’s hopes in a future life, thus both deceiving him and discouraging him from working for a better form of life on earth."60 Since it rejects or denies the existence of God, atheism is a sin against the virtue of religion.61 The imputability of this offense can be significantly diminished in virtue of the intentions and the circumstances. "Believers can have more than a little to do with the rise of atheism. To the extent that they are careless about their instruction in the faith, or present its teaching falsely, or even fail in their religious, moral, or social life, they must be said to conceal rather than to reveal the true nature of God and of religion."62
CCC 588: Jesus scandalized the Pharisees by eating with tax collectors and sinners as familiarly as with themselves.364 Against those among them “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others”, Jesus affirmed: "I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."365 He went further by proclaiming before the Pharisees that, since sin is universal, those who pretend not to need salvation are blind to themselves.366
[/INDENT]I’ll side with the Church. Hate the sin, love the sinner.
Yes, this phrase is very popular it’s become a cliche’. But, can you read it again? Are you hating the sin and LOVING the sinners? There is no instead, it’s a matter of not cherry picking the teachings of the Church to justify our abusive, hatred provoking uncharitable behavior.
On the other hand, while rejecting atheism, the Church “strives to detect in the atheistic mind the hidden causes for the denial of God; conscious of how weighty are the questions which atheism raises, and motivated by love for all men, she believes these questions ought to be examined seriously and more profoundly” (GS 21). In particular, she is concerned to make progress “led by the Holy Spirit who renews and purifies her ceaselessly” (GS 21), in order to remove from her life whatever might unjustly hurt those who do not believe.
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19850612en.html#tocA2
PRAYER
Jesus, friend of sinners and tax collectors (Mt 9:11; 11:19: Lk 15:1-2),
you have come to save not the just, but sinners (Mt 9:13)
and wished to give us a proof of your great love (Eph 2:4)
and of the abundance of your mercy,
by accepting to die for us while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:8).
Look upon us with your kindness
and after we have tasted the purifying bitterness of humiliation,
take us into your arms, strong with fatherly mercy,
and transform with your forgiveness
the mud of sin into a garment of glory.
Lets rock