Floyd Rogers

Do Christians hate people who reject the Bible?  This may sound like a strange question, but there are people who would have you believe that Christians hate anyone who doesn’t follow God’s teachings. Is this a fair way to portray all who believe disobeying God’s word is harmful? Could what they see as hate be a sign of something quite the opposite? Think about this as we consider something that has nothing to do with religion.

I know a few health-food nuts. They eat a very restrictive diet and they are convinced that anyone who doesn’t do the same is harming themselves. At times they seem very motivated to warn their friends about what they perceive as self-destructive behavior. If one of them told you that you were putting yourself in danger by eating a cheeseburger, would your first thought be that they must hate you? Would you assume they hate anyone else who consumes junk food? Would it be rational to refer to promoters of healthy eating as a hate group? The point I’m making with this analogy is that warning someone about a hazard is a sign of love, not hate. It doesn’t matter if you are talking about health food or sin.

History has taught us that hate is often disguised as protection.  Governments have hidden their oppressive policies under this banner. Because of this, it’s important to question anyone who asks for help enforcing protective actions. But there is a very important difference between forcing others to be safe and warning others about potential dangers caused by the choices they make. It’s easy for those who are eager to find malice in their opponents to overlook this distinction. It’s also something that can be purposely ignored by anyone motivated to deceive. Consider that some who spend an excessive amount of their time, money and resources trying to convince you that people of faith are hateful, just might be the ones who need to check some of their own hate at the door.

Deception is not a sign of love. Warning others of danger is not a sign of hate.

What are your thoughts?