If you’ll allow me a soapbox moment, I think one of the biggest problems we have today is the idea that if someone holds a differing view, hatred is the appropriate response. Hatred toward PEOPLE is never God’s chosen response. Yes, He hates sin. He hates sin because of the damage it causes. He hates sin because it prevents His beloved creation from finding the joy of His will. But God loves the sinner. As Christians, we are to emulate Christ. Jesus desperately loves sinners, just as His Father does, but He loves them too much to leave them in their sin. We must learn to hate the pathway sinners have taken but never, never, ever cast hatred at the person trapped in sin. They need our compassion and our prayers. They need a touch of God’s love. (To clarify, since we live in such a politically touchy climate, this is not a political post. My heart is burdened over the way PEOPLE treat other PEOPLE. The reasons don’t matter.)