Hate the Sin and Not the Sinner?

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mike182d:
It would seem to be a logical conclusion then, when the converse is phrased, that God loves the good works, not the worker.

. 🙂
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Although this conclusion seems logical it is not because it is looking at the structure of the language and not at the attributes of God. We’re trying to fit opposite words in to the same parts of speech. We are afraid to move words around.

However, if we look at this as an analogy you would have to ask yourself, “what are God’s feelings towards works & humans?” God always loves people. Works are neutral & dependent on the attitude behind them. Therefore, the sayings should read, “God hates the sin and not the sinner; God loves the worker and not the works”.
 
I’ve decided this phrase is probably more a problem than a solution.

If a sin has already taken place, what good does it do to hate it? Accept it as part of the past, over which you have zero control.

Avoiding sins is smart. Hating a sin binds you to it by tying up your emotional well being to the past. You can never change the fact that it was done, but you can eat up all your emotions being angry about the fact that it happened.

My tentative conclusion: Hating the sin is stupid, and does not likely drive Christian behavior. It binds our spirit to the past, like driving a stake into it so it may not progress. Even if the sin happened only five minutes ago, you can roar with anger and indignation that this sin happened, but can you roar loud enough to turn the clock backwards and actually do something to avoid it having happened? If no, then get over it and play the cards you’re dealt in peace and in love, confident that no matter what the sin of the past, God can heal us and use its effects to further our own spiritual growth…

Alan
 
Sin gives birth to redemption.

Redemption is a good thing.

Sin does not need to frighten us.

Sin cannot separate us from God unless we let it. That is the Good News that Christ brought us and died to implement.

Do not fear sin, or it will control you. Walk in faith with Christ and you will be safe.
 
I just read about this last night in CS Lewis, Mere Christianity (a book I highly recommend, if you haven’t read it!)

Lewis says that “hate the sin not the sinner” comes from “love your neighbor as yourself”. You don’t actually “love” yourself. As Lewis pointed out, I often hate the things that I do. I sin, and I loathe the fact that I do it and continue to do it. But I always go on loving myself and pray that I can improve and be better and closer to Christ. That’s exactly the same standard that Lewis says we should apply to others. We all agree that the sins Hitler and bin Laden have committed are horrible, despicable acts. But we need to pray for them that God will help them and that they will accept Jesus into their lives-- that is Christian love. But we don’t have to love them in the sense of “like them”. That’s the way that Jesus loves them and loves us.

I know I didn’t do CS Lewis any justice-- if you haven’t read him, please check it out because it will be crystal clear. And his thinking all around this issue is absolutely brilliant. I think it’s in the chapter about Pride or the one on Forgiveness… somewhere around there in the book.

Pete
 
I just want to say that you all have very excellent points. I’m very pleased with how this discussion panned out. Very good.

However, I pose the following question: are we to hate satan’s sins and not satan?
 
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Pete2:
I just read about this last night in CS Lewis, Mere Christianity (a book I highly recommend, if you haven’t read it!)

Lewis says that “hate the sin not the sinner” comes from “love your neighbor as yourself”.
Pete
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Excuse my historical time period ignorance, but when did CS Lewis live & write? Like I said before, I saw this saying on a list of quotes by Ghandi. Who first coined the phrase?
 
To diverge into the Bible for a moment, remember the stories of Lot and his family in Sodom? Abraham’s conversation with God? God said that if there were ten righteous people in Sodom, for their sake he would spare the whole darn city. If that isn’t a case of “hate the sin, love the sinner” what is?

Now that takes love.
 
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AServantofGod:
Excuse my historical time period ignorance, but when did CS Lewis live & write? Like I said before, I saw this saying on a list of quotes by Ghandi. Who first coined the phrase?
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Lewis’s book Mere Christianity was a compiliation of radio broadcasts that he did during World War II. He died in the early 1960’s.

He wasn’t taking credit for the quote, he just mentioned it in his discussion of “love your neighbor as you love yourself”.

Pete
 
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The_Angelus:
To diverge into the Bible for a moment, remember the stories of Lot and his family in Sodom? Abraham’s conversation with God? God said that if there were ten righteous people in Sodom, for their sake he would spare the whole darn city. If that isn’t a case of “hate the sin, love the sinner” what is?

Now that takes love.
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You mean, “love” in that God wanted to destroy every sinner there, or “love” in that God would not destroy a city of sinners because he did not want to kill the 10 faithful men in the city with them?

I don’t think Sodom and Gamora was a good example for “hating the sin and not the sinner” 🙂
 
I will have to work on that one…I’m getting to the point where the sinfulness of myself and other sinners is getting on my nerves and I just don’t want to be around any of us.
 
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