Hate the sin and flambé the sinner?

I would like to preface this post with the following disclaimer:

This is not intended as another "bash the christians" thread. I have no problem with christianity in general. I have a problem with extremists, fanatics, zealots, and hypocrites. Christianity is not alone in having these types of people. Every religion has them. This post happens to be about the christian sort. You can be sure that I will post about others in the future.

With that said, I will now proceed with my inflammatory remarks.

The "hate the sin, but love the sinner" ideology has long been one of the primary teachings of christianity. It's a beautiful sentiment and I endorse it whole heartedly. However, if this is one of the prime tennets, and so many people will claim to believe in it, why is it not actually practiced by more christian groups? Mind you, I understand that it's only the more sensational and fringe groups that make the papers most of the time, but even so, how can they say "hate the sin, but love the sinner" while actively hating the sinner? Take, for example, homeosexuality. Many churches will not allow openly gay people, some make it an actual rule, others use social pressure to keep them out. If they hates the sin but loved the sinner, would they not want to invite the "sinners" into the church, and try to "save" them? Jesus taught love, why do so many churches preach hate?

I could go on about this for days, but I'm sure you get the general idea.

reply to post by PsychoHazard


Easy answer. It's called discipline. The most loving thing to do is confront sin in the Church. The Bible tells Christians to do so.

If you live an openly sinful lifestyle and are not even trying to repent it is not very loving for a church to approve of that. Approving of sin is not loving the sinner.

Originally posted by PsychoHazard
The "hate the sin, but love the sinner" ideology has long been one of the primary teachings of christianity.

Or is it a crafty way to sin by singling out the "sinner" and declaring them a lesser thing than one's self?

Hmm, now that aside. Is sin a singular thing or a plural thing, as in sin(s)?

If all men are sinners falling short of the glory of GOD. How then is this phrase anything less than self righteousness clothed in deception? Unless of course they are speaking of themselves also.


If all men are sinners as in commit sin(s), then the only way around that is for the righteousness of GOD to cover their sins. If they receive it.

If one rejected the righteousness of GOD and went about attempting to establish a righteousness of their own, would that then not make them an enemy of the gospel, rather than a friend?

Wouldn't they then be making themselves out to be a greater sinner than the sinner?

Originally posted by PsychoHazard
Take, for example, homeosexuality. Many churches will not allow openly gay people, some make it an actual rule, others use social pressure to keep them out.

Think about this. If one has had a homosexual thought in their lifetime, they are equal to the homosexual. Even if their sins are forgiven and they are completely pardoned. They are still equal.

Originally posted by PsychoHazard
If they hates the sin but loved the sinner, would they not want to invite the "sinners" into the church, and try to "save" them? Jesus taught love, why do so many churches preach hate?

What people say is useless, it's what they do.

Men don't save anyone. Jesus said HE will build his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it, and he is.



You may have heard it said, the gospel, the good news is the righteousness of GOD revealed.

The gospel is not the self righteousness of man revealed. That is another gospel. Men perverting the grace of GOD. Which is a trap that I indeed have been sucked into in the past.

The gospel reveals that only Jesus Christ is righteous and man is not.

The gospel(s) reveal Jesus Christ who is the glory of GOD that we all fall short of. To say that the glory of GOD is the law of moses is a massive misunderstanding.

If any man is made righteous, he is made righteous in Jesus Christ, even in the old covenant. Man NOT having righteousness of his own, which is by the law, but rather righteousness which is by faith. The faith of Jesus, not man.

If any man says he has no sin, he is in effect saying Jesus Christ is a liar.