Asked what he thought of the governor’s explanation that he “hates the sin” but “loves the sinner,” Todd Green said, “I have always hated that phrase. I think it’s impossible and you show it by action. If you love the sinner, whatever that means, your policy should reflect that I think, but in the end, I don’t understand the logic behind that at all.”

“Hate the sin, but love the sinner” is one of the worst thoughts to come out of Christianity, not only useless but harmful as well.

There is no room in a Christian for hate.  Hate is not a virtue.  Hate is not a Christian value.  Hate is not a family value.  Hate harms the hated, and it harms the hater even more.  Hate is based on fear, which is not only the opposite of faith, but the rejection of faith.

One of the only two new things that Jesus said was this:

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.

He even repeats it: Love one another as I have loved you.

Did Jesus hate sin?  No.  Sin frustrated Jesus, made Jesus feel pity or sadness.  But hate?  No way.  The love Jesus showed was so complete, so merciful, so infinite and scandalous that it had no room in it for hate.  To love one another as Jesus loves us is to try to see each person we encounter as God’s beloved child, to give anything — even our freedom, our bodies, our lives — so that other persons can have life.

This is the yardstick by which Christians should be measured.  We are not called to hate sin; rather, we are commanded to love all persons, to love as Jesus loves us, to pray for our enemies, to love those who hate us, to forgive infinitely.  You cannot do these things and still have room in your heart for hatred. 

So stop hiding behind this deceitful language: it is impossible to hate the sin but love the sinner. Drop the hate. Just love.

(Source: ryking)