Thou Shalt Not Hate?

Years ago, when our Internet access was limited and before the days of Facebook, we would spend a few years overseas and then head back to the US and begin the process of relearning the English language. New words would have popped up, and old words would have been assigned new meanings. These days we are able to keep up with new, trendy slang words at about the same pace as everybody else. One of those new, trendy slang words that I see a lot of lately is "hater".

The dictionary definition of hate is pretty clear: to feel extreme enmity toward; to have a strong aversion to; to find very distasteful. However, a Google search of the word hater gives a different impression. If you're jealous of me, you're a hater. If you disagree with me, you're a hater. If you criticize me, you're a hater. If you disapprove of anything I do, you're a hater. Even professing Christians are beginning to use the term hater in reference to other professing Christians.

We all know, Christian or not, that it's wrong to hate people. It's one of the earliest things we learned as little children. Now, it's certainly true that some of the current definitions of hatred include some things that are wrong. But by redefining hatred, people are also redefining some other things. If hatred is wrong, and disagreeing with me is hatred, then disagreeing with me is wrong.

The Bible has quite a bit to say about hating, being hated, and how to treat haters. Once we understand hatred as God sees it, then we can use the word hater correctly.

More later. . .