We are hearing a lot over the past few years using the word “hate”. It has become almost impossible in this country to have a conversation where two or more people disagree without someone accusing another of being hateful.
Sometimes, I wonder if people really know what the word “hate” actually means. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as, “intense hostility and aversion usually deriving from fear, anger, or sense of injury; extreme dislike or disgust.”
So, how does a verbal disagreement on policy or position equal hate?
When I was in high school, we had a debate team. Two groups of people debating different aspects of a topic, position or action. The meaning of debate is defined as, “a discussion, examination, comparison, deliberating, questioning”—and the list goes on. Note, that all of these words that define it are with words—not actions.
Today, the word “hate” is being applied in many ways different than defined in the dictionary. Nowadays, a person or organization that holds to a specific view, may now be categorized as hateful and accused of espousing hate.
In recent weeks, we have seen online social media giants who have taken to banning organizations that disagree with their left-leaning policies. Now, we are seeing credit card services, banks and other financial services under pressure to do the same.
Case in point: Online payments platform Patreon says that in 2018, MasterCard asked it to withdraw service from Robert Spencer, founder of JihadWatch.org, an author, speaker and critic of Islamic practices.
Or imagine, waking up one day to find your PayPal account shut down for doing business with organizations that they have determined by their definition to be “extremist” in nature. “Ridiculous” you say? Recent articles reveal that the CEO of PayPal has revealed that the multi-billion-dollar service has joined with the leftist organization Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) to decide who should be blacklisted from their company. Using “company corporate values” as their criteria, PayPal has taken intentional steps to deny access to conservatives.
The problem with this stems from the fact that SPLC has taken an anti-Christian slant in recent years, targeting groups like the Family Research Council and other groups because they hold Biblical views about sexuality and life.
A close look and you will see with respect to world religions, only Christianity is being challenged legally. Only Christians and their belief in the One True God and His Son, Jesus Christ, are being ostracized and being accused of “hate”.
The present-day culture in our nation is not only redefining “hate” but also the words “love” and “tolerance”. Love and tolerance have come to mean agreement with their position, or you are hateful.
In a way, this should not be surprising to those that believe the Bible to be truth. The Bible in the Book of Revelations clearly speaks of a time coming when there will be a merging of commerce, religion and politics. It is happening already; slowly and subtly and it has begun with the re-defining of hate.
Maybe it’s for that reason that Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:35) He also spoke of “turning the other cheek” and other responses when ostracized. (Matthew 5:38-40)
The early Church was persecuted and ostracized by the mainstream religious and secular culture. As it was in the beginning, so shall it be in the end.
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