Which is more important: Loving the Sinner or Hating the Sin?

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Wollie

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So, I know its a silly question. Sometimes hating the sin is the same as loving the sinner. But for the sake of argument, if you had to choose, which would it be: Love the Sinner? Hate the Sin?
 
Sorry the poll says “Hate the Sinner” lol.
i meant hate the sin… can i change it?
 
I voted for Love the sinner. Outside of loving God, loving our neighbor is one of the most important things we’re called to do.
 
Sorry the poll says “Hate the Sinner” lol.
i meant hate the sin… can i change it?
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oooops, but it did make me laugh.

Love the sinner, it is only by loving the sinner, that you will have any impact on him/her.

It is possible to “love the sinner” and “hate the sin”

Do not we do this with all people in our lives? I thought we all classified as sinners.
 
This is a false choice. We are required to do both.
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Ditto.

The two go, I think, hand in hand. You could say, however, that loving the sinner comes first. It is because we love the sinner that we hate the sin.

Bear in mind, though, that this applies more specifically. We hate sin for what it does to the individual soul, but also on more general terms for the objective wrong it is, whether or not anyone is doing it.
 
Practically, I can love the sinner all day and night. Are we supposed to set aside time every day to sit and hate some sin? LOL. So logic dictates that it is more important to love the sinner. Jesus got angry once or twice, and loved dozens times dozens of times. I think he set the example quite clearly.
 
rpp said:
This is a false choice. We are required to do both.
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Yes, in some ways it is a false choice however whichever we put first can have large behavioural consequences for us, others involved and whether they are likely to change their behaviour.

If we put loving the sinner first we are much more likely to deal with the person involved in a much more loving and considerate way and maintain the relationship.

If we put hating the sinner first we are much more likely to attack the sinner, maybe destroy the relationship and any chance of influencing their actions or views.

And if we become hateful (hate filled) as a result of putting hating the sinner first would we prefer the people who challenge our behaviour to put first love the sinner or hate the sin?
 
Wollie said:
Sometimes hating the sin is the same as loving the sinner.
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I would say that one cannot love someone without hating their sins.

It’s part of the very definition of love, you desire what is best for someone, and sin is never ‘the best’ you can wish for someone.
 
Since the outcome is usually punishment in some way, small or big, I see no real difference. And when the criticism is the same in both cases, there really is no difference.

It’s just a form of splitting hairs to justify one’s judgemental stance.
 
For me, I would say hating sin is a form of loving God, because it is exactly the opposite of what He is; but loving your neigbor is also the most important commandment He gives us therefore I would say that both are weighted equally.
 
Hey
So i know you can’t really do one with out the other… I said that in the OP. But the question is merely hypothetical. Just want peoples opinions!

really i wanted to address the concerns some of our non-catholic brothers and sisters have that us Catholics revel in admonishing the sinner more than loving them.
 
really i wanted to address the concerns some of our non-catholic brothers and sisters have that us Catholics revel in admonishing the sinner more than loving them.
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Seems to me that over zealously admonishing people and brow beating them to death is a sin itself, a sin of pride. Because in that particular circumstances, it’s more about control and being right more than anything else.
 
SpiritMeadow said:
Practically, I can love the sinner all day and night. Are we supposed to set aside time every day to sit and hate some sin? LOL. So logic dictates that it is more important to love the sinner. Jesus got angry once or twice, and loved dozens times dozens of times. I think he set the example quite clearly.
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Don’t forget God.

Practically I can love God all day and night, which means I don’t need to set time aside to hate the sin. I hate sin because it is contrary to my very love for Him, and contrary to Him. And it doesn’t only mean hating sin in others; it applies to me, as well.

Hating the sin doesn’t necessarily equate anger, either. Jesus loved the sinner infinitely, but it didn’t mean that He ignored their sins. To the woman who was to be stoned He was compassionate and forgiving, but still He said go and sin no more. It was part of His love for her.
 
Starwynd said:
Since the outcome is usually punishment in some way, small or big, I see no real difference. And when the criticism is the same in both cases, there really is no difference.

It’s just a form of splitting hairs to justify one’s judgemental stance.
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I tend to agree. It’s another buzz phrase used to justify what one wants to say about the behavior of another. As such it’s truly a statement given about the person as well, but guised in the prettier language.
 
Wollie said:
Hey
So i know you can’t really do one with out the other… I said that in the OP. But the question is merely hypothetical. Just want peoples opinions!

really i wanted to address the concerns some of our non-catholic brothers and sisters have that us Catholics revel in admonishing the sinner more than loving them.
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I think their point is well made. I don’t think Catholics at large do this at all, and it is not the way I was taught certainly, but it is the guiding principle enunciated at CAF certainly. I’d say close to half the threads deal with sin, usually that of others.
 
Mamselle_Duroc said:
Don’t forget God.

Practically I can love God all day and night, which means I don’t need to set time aside to hate the sin. I hate sin because it is contrary to my very love for Him, and contrary to Him. And it doesn’t only mean hating sin in others; it applies to me, as well.

Hating the sin doesn’t necessarily equate anger, either. Jesus loved the sinner infinitely, but it didn’t mean that He ignored their sins. To the woman who was to be stoned He was compassionate and forgiving, but still He said go and sin no more. It was part of His love for her.
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I was attempting to make a point, (not very well it seems) that there is no really active thing as hating sin. Love is our directive from God by his example in Jesus Christ. We hate sin simply by not engaging in it to the best of our ability.
 
What is the hatred of sin if not the love of Truth, applied? We should love the sinner as much as we love the Truth, and vice versa.
 
SpiritMeadow said:
I was attempting to make a point, (not very well it seems) that there is no really active thing as hating sin. Love is our directive from God by his example in Jesus Christ. We hate sin simply by not engaging in it to the best of our ability.
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Ah, yes, I see what you were getting at. Our hatred of sin springs from our love of God. I quite agree with you.

It’s because we love God that we hate sin as general thing, and because we love both God and our neighbor that we hate specific sins… for the offense against God and the damage it does to the individual sinner’s soul.
 
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