What is "hate"?

[Pugsly]

The Bible says that God hates evil. Therefore, is hate evil?

I believe that “hate” can be described as a “spiritual desire to destroy”.

A materialist worldview can reduce humanity to animals and work to erradicate all “differences” in men and women, children and parents. animals and people…etc…etc.

Materialism is, ofcourse, non-spiritual and precludes “hate” as a physical disorder of some individuals who happened to think in certain patterns–religious types.

As our society becomes more materialist in its overarching philosophy…those who acknowledge “differences” are more and more marginalized as “haters”.

How would you describe “hate” so that it does not portray God as evil?

 

[jonathan_hili]

I would say “hate” is what you put your self spiritually and mentally opposite to, that which you oppose. Of course, it has an emotional connotation that implies you are thoroughly, violently and destructively opposed to x.

This does not mean God is evil, since He hates justly.

 

[Pugsly]

I would say “hate” is what you put your self spiritually and mentally opposite to, that which you oppose. Of course, it has an emotional connotation that implies you are thoroughly, violently and destructively opposed to x.

This does not mean God is evil, since He hates justly.

I like your answer. Opposition with emotion.
In that case...."God hates evil" would be something of a poetic way of saying God is thoroughly opposed....an anthropomorphism.

 

[Christy_Beth]

We must be careful of hate. It’s one thing to hate sin or an action, but something else to hate a person.

 

[michaelmas]

Hate - the total absence of God?

 

[J_Peterson]

I would say “hate” is what you put your self spiritually and mentally opposite to, that which you oppose. Of course, it has an emotional connotation that implies you are thoroughly, violently and destructively opposed to x.

This does not mean God is evil, since He hates justly.

I like that answer.

Anybody know how Aquinas defined hate?

 

[Pugsly]

We must be careful of hate. It’s one thing to hate sin or an action, but something else to hate a person.

The Bible says…“God opposes the proud”…and…“God hates evil”.

I think God has blessed you with that distinction because it fits His Word.

We are completely justified in “opposition” to a person…but not in “hating” a person.

Therefore, there is apparently a difference between “hate” and “opposition”. I think “opposition” that would desire to “utterly destroy” is hate.

 

[Elizabeth502]

The Bible says that God hates evil. Therefore, is hate evil?

Hate means something very different biblically than it means non-biblically.

Depending on the Scriptural context/location, sometimes hate meant merely ‘making a clear distinction between,’ ‘making a moral decision preferring one thing to another,’ engaging in commitment of will.

This was and is particularly true with regard to moral decision-making, in which straddling two fences is not possible.

In other instances, “hate” is merely an English translation which doesn’t do sufficient service to the ancient language. In some cases, God “hating” something can mean “repudiate,” “disapprove,” or even “has nothing in common with.”

 

[Pugsly]

Hate means something very different biblically than it means non-biblically.

Depending on the Scriptural context/location, sometimes hate meant merely ‘making a clear distinction between,’ ‘making a moral decision preferring one thing to another,’ engaging in commitment of will.

This was and is particularly true with regard to moral decision-making, in which straddling two fences is not possible.

In other instances, “hate” is merely an English translation which doesn’t do sufficient service to the ancient language. In some cases, God “hating” something can mean “repudiate,” “disapprove,” or even “has nothing in common with.”

Thank you Elizabeth (house of God)…I agree that translations can reveal different aspects of God’s Word…and it can also take us into the tall weeds of nuanced interpretation. For the sake of simplicity, I am going to continue with English comparisons of “hate” with English translations in Scripture of "hate’.

I believe that “hate” is always used in Scripture for a very serious opposition to SOMETHING (by God) and not SOMEONE…unless you count the Psalms where David is pouring out real anger to his enemies…wanting to see their baby children dashed on
the rocks.

 

[svid2]

Hate - the total absence of God?

Bingo! Hell is the place with no love, and as far from God as you can be.

When you want someone to like you and be your friend, but that person hates you, you don’t hate them back, but you ‘hate’ the fact that this person hates you. This does not put you on par with the person.

To love love is to hate hate.

 

[aemcpa]

Thank you Elizabeth (house of God)…I agree that translations can reveal different aspects of God’s Word…and it can also take us into the tall weeds of nuanced interpretation. For the sake of simplicity, I am going to continue with English comparisons of “hate” with English translations in Scripture of "hate’.

I believe that “hate” is always used in Scripture for a very serious opposition to SOMETHING (by God) and not SOMEONE…unless you count the Psalms where David is pouring out real anger to his enemies…wanting to see their baby children dashed on the rocks.

“Jacob have I loved; Esau have I hated.”

 

[Regina_Love]

The Bible says that God hates evil. Therefore, is hate evil?

How would you describe “hate” so that it does not portray God as evil?

Hate is a strong emotional, intellilectual, negative response to some thing, or some one. Hate is not evil. It just is. How we choose to use hate can be evil. God tells us not to hate people, we are to love them, which means pray for God’s best for them.

God is incapable of evil. It is the opposite of his essence, so if he hates, it is for good reason. It teaches us what to value, and what to hate.

Of course God hates evil. Evil is the exact opposit of God. It lacks every good quality of God, but even worse it glories in all that is disgusting, destructive, hurtful, and unacceptable.

God hates evil precisely because it harms, and kills his children! This is the only power evil has to hurt God. We live in an era of time where each person must choose God, or evil. Once everyone has chosen this era will pass a way, and only then will the perfect Kingdom of God come. At this time the Kingdom of God still exists imperfectly with us, until he comes again!

 

[TimothyIgnatius]

God is allowed to hate. We are not (at least not supposed to). Humans cannot espouse love and hate something simultaneously, it is not possible. Also, our interpretation/understanding/perception of hate is extremely limited compared to God’s perfect knowledge.

 

[Pugsly]

“Jacob have I loved; Esau have I hated.”

You’ve got me there…I forgot about that one

???

 

[Pugsly]

Hate is a strong emotional, intellilectual, negative response to some thing, or some one. Hate is not evil. It just is. How we choose to use hate can be evil. God tells us not to hate people, we are to love them, which means pray for God’s best for them.

God is incapable of evil. It is the opposite of his essence, so if he hates, it is for good reason. It teaches us what to value, and what to hate.

Of course God hates evil. Evil is the exact opposit of God. It lacks every good quality of God, but even worse it glories in all that is disgusting, destructive, hurtful, and unacceptable.

God hates evil precisely because it harms, and kills his children! This is the only power evil has to hurt God. We live in an era of time where each person must choose God, or evil. Once everyone has chosen this era will pass a way, and only then will the perfect Kingdom of God come. At this time the Kingdom of God still exists imperfectly with us, until he comes again!

This idea that “hate” is the exact opposite of Love and of God and of all that is good…I believe is wrong. Hate might be something…like “judgment”…that ONLY God can do right.

 

[Pugsly]

God is allowed to hate. We are not (at least not supposed to). Humans cannot espouse love and hate something simultaneously, it is not possible. Also, our interpretation/understanding/perception of hate is extremely limited compared to God’s perfect knowledge.

“Humans cannot espouse love and hate simultaneously”…?

You are obviously not married.

Your post hit on something important…That God does things in relation to humanity that we might not be “allowed” to do just now…like judging souls or hating.

 

[Pugsly]

Our modern culture is loath to distinguish between anything (for fear of making a judgment) hence those who see the world as hierarchical (theists) are considered “judgmental”…and those same people who observe differences between MEN and WOMEN, CHILDREN and PARENTS, ANIMALS and PEOPLE…etc…are “haters”.