Tuesday, March 6, 2018

The Motivating Nature Of Hatred

Why is hatred so demonized by some?  Perhaps in some cases this is because it is fallaciously believed that one cannot love and hate a person at the same time, though this is entirely logically possible.  Another possibility is that some think it leads to injustice and cruelty, despite such a position mistaking hatred for malice.  Or it could be that people simply have been told by others that hatred is something to be avoided.

Biblically, it is rather asinine to demonize hatred, considering that God himself is said to hate sinners--not just sin--multiple times [1].  Even if the Bible said nothing about God's hatred, however, hate, being a strong dislike, is not logically incompatible with love, a concern for someone's wellbeing.  And then there is the fact that Ecclesiastes 3:8 explicitly states that there is a time for love and also a time for hate (many Christians won't object to the first part but will to the latter).  Hatred that is not without basis, when handled rightly without engaging in abusive or unjust actions or the entertaining of malice, is not an immoral thing.

But not only is it not intrinsically immoral, it can also be an extremely potent motivator.  Just like anger, which is not inherently destructive but inherently powerful [2] (although hatred and anger are distinct), hatred can provide a strength, a resolve, and an energy that is otherwise inaccessible.  When one channels hatred properly, it can be a very empowering thing.  I know from experience just how deep my well of energy can run when hatred for irrationality and evil bursts forth inside me.

Any Christian  who says hatred is an intrinsically sinful motivator has either not read the Bible accurately or does not want to live consistently with what it teaches.  Similarly, anyone who says that hatred is not one of the most powerful motivators either has not rationally considered what he or she is saying or has never experienced hatred's energizing effects.  I don't know why some people attempt to minimize the power of hatred, when reason and experience both reveal that it can be immensely useful in fueling a person.

One can be motivated by both hatred and love, by both an intense dislike for people who reject reality and a concern for their ultimate spiritual wellbeing.  There is no contradiction here, conceptually or in terms of Biblical ethics.  Hate has proven one of the most powerful motivators in my entire life.  And I am not suppressing it for the sake of someone's feelings.


[1].  See here:
A.  https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2017/04/does-god-hate.html
B.  https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2018/01/gods-hatred.html

[2].  https://thechristianrationalist.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-power-of-anger.html

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