Hatred?

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I’ve came across this website which I think is a good list of Mortal Sins (saintaquinas.com/mortal_sin.html). However, one of the grave sins, Hatred, confuses me.

First off, the definition is “Hatred of a neighbor is to deliberately wish him evil, and is thus a grave sin (CCC 2303 and Galatians 5:19-20)”

What is evil? Wishing a person death? Or something as little as falling down for comedic value? Are still accountable for Hatred if it’s against higher beings (like, would it be a grave sin if I wished a potted plant, video game character, etc. evil?) If hatred is even something minor, wouldn’t that mean Anger is a mortal sin, because I know it’s not unless gets too extreme.

Is that a good list in general?
 
It seems simple enough to me: to hate a person would be to lack any kind of care for them whatsoever, be it empathetic, sympathetic, etc. It would be a cold and heartless recognition of their existence and the hatred would prompt you to desire their suffering without any precondition or limit and to be blind to any redeeming features that the subject of the hatred would have. It would disconnect you from their humanity.

I doubt that simply wishing that an irritating person would just fall over the next bump in the sidewalk counts as pure hatred, albeit it certainly isn’t a loving thing to do and wishing someone ill, even in a limited way, certainly is sinful.

I must admit that hatred also confuses me in that I can’t imagine being in such a condition: I simply can’t empathise with that emotion. I understand it intellectually but I just don’t have an emotional connection to it. I think that’s a good thing!

I suppose it also comes down to idiomatic usage of the term ‘hate’. We tend to use the word as synonymous with ‘don’t like’, which is very different. I don’t literally “hate” strawberries, for example, even though I’d use the word. I just dislike the taste.

I think I’m rambling now. I ‘hate’ it when that happens…
 
wworld said:
I’ve came across this website which I think is a good list of Mortal Sins (saintaquinas.com/mortal_sin.html). However, one of the grave sins, Hatred, confuses me.

First off, the definition is “Hatred of a neighbor is to deliberately wish him evil, and is thus a grave sin (CCC 2303 and Galatians 5:19-20)”

What is evil? Wishing a person death? Or something as little as falling down for comedic value? Are still accountable for Hatred if it’s against higher beings (like, would it be a grave sin if I wished a potted plant, video game character, etc. evil?) If hatred is even something minor, wouldn’t that mean Anger is a mortal sin, because I know it’s not unless gets too extreme.

Is that a good list in general?
Click to expand...
that is not really a list of grave sins, but sins that can be grave, for example, gluttony can be grave, but it rarely is, lying can be grave, but not always, stealing can be grave, but in certain cases it’s not…here is a list of mortal and venial sins, with explanations, and counsels and remedies - gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=18604915

as for your question about hatred,
hatred is really only mortal when deliberately acted upon, or willfully and purposefully contemplated on, and just as love is an act of the will, so is hatred, so even if you feel detest for someone, it isn’t a grave sin unless you willingly desire to harm them, and act upon it, and to harm doesn’t only mean physically, like beating them up, but also hurting them in any way at all, body, soul, reputation, etc,
well, that link i gave you gives a good list of mortal and venial sins of hatred, listed under “LOVE OF NEIGHBOR(Negative Obligations)” so i think that will help you understand it alot more,
if you have a weakness to being hateful towards your neighbor, or anything similar to that, don’t let it upset you, but instead check out the remedies for overcoming those vices, and just pray on it and do what you can,

and what is evil? it is to wish someone harm(in any way)…

alright, hope this helps, take care.
 
You know, I took my hatred for an individual to confession, the priest told me…do you wish to love this person, do you wish to forgive this person, yet you can not ? My answer was “Yes, I wish that I could do those things, but I can not”… his answer, “This is good enough for now, this is all you can do for now, just pray for yourself to be released of this hatred. In time it will diminish”

So, take your hatred of someone to confession and be done.

I didn’t read your link or anything, this just came to my mind as I was reading your post.

This is one area I struggle with.
 
I’ve been reading Jewish Bible commentaries for two years and have now run into a couple books on Jewish spirituality.

I find value in these as far as they give a deep Old Testament view of spirituality, at the very least.

Jewish sages also believe in using God-given intelligence to increase our spirituality, that is to get closer to God by doing His will.

They are very particular about rooting out hatred in life, and give many practical tips (to use one word), commands or imperatives would be closer to their meaning.

Aside: a great insight to me is that by reading the Old Testament, you get to know the Person and Character of Jesus Christ, to love God and to love our neighbor. A classic work in Judaism is The Path of the Just, which reads like an examination of conscience, if you read it one way. As written, it is a guidepost for growing in spirituality, closer to God. It goes deeply into interpersonal relationships, about forgving and what it means to love.

So, you would agree, that the path to being closest with God is rooting out all the hatred for others in our life? Injuries from another must not be mentioned or brought up – ever. (You don’t see that always in Judaism, I don’t think.) You must spiritually embrace that person as you would God, as much as is possible. Yes, it’s very hard. We’re just not built that way.

Judaism talks about our animal instincts that we must overcome, and the “evil impulse” that lurks around us all the time, to make us stumble on the path. When you know what to look for in yourself (for example) you will recognize the things you must “toss overboard” to develop a relationship with God.

We don’t do that because it feels good or because we expect anything in return. We do it first and foremost because it is commanded. That is enough.

to love our neighbor as ourself is a mitzvah, a command, which also means connection – with God. Idiomatically, mitzvah is a “blessing” because we are blessed to perform a command.

Jesus told His disciples to teach all nations to observe all He had commanded. “Observe” is a particular word – and I’m no expert here, believe me – that refers to not just blindly or shallowly obeying a command but to perform them with “observance” – with all our mind, to be diligant about obeying them and performing them.

IT would have been great to be trained so well before we got into a mess with somebody, before we had passed the point of no apparent return.
 
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