I had cause to do some serious introspection recently. A visitor to the Attic sent me an email in which he stated that I hated Christians. I wrote back and assured him that this was not so. Virtually everyone in my family is Christian, and I don't hate any of them. Many of my dearest friends are Christian. So no… I don't hate Christians.
I hate Christianity, I told him. As a concept. As an institution. But I don't hate Christians.
Then I stopped for a minute to think about that. Isn't that an awful lot like "hate the sin, love the sinner"?
I've heard quite a few theists spout that particular saying, usually in reference to homosexuals. And every time I've heard it, I've rolled my eyes. Who were these people kidding? It was obvious that they didn't love the sinners. They regarded them as vile, disgusting, sick, and a host of other insulting adjectives. Not just the sin, mind you, but the sinner, too. Of course, if one of those sinners turned out to be a friend or family member, then there was typically some serious backpedaling, and the saying took on a whole new semi-truthful life.
But not always.
I can relate one incident in my own family that went contrary to this. A cousin of mine was disowned (yes, literally disowned) by her very religious parents because of her "sin." And what was it? She married outside of their faith.
How horrid.
I believe today they are reconciled, but for over a decade, my aunt and uncle acted as if they did not have that particular child. It was obscene. I lost a lot of respect for the two of them after this.
As I look back on years of dealing with theists, I think of the times when I've known people to say that they "hate the sin but love the sinner." Have their actions ever supported that statement? Speaking only from personal experience, the answer is a resounding "no." Not once.
Does this surprise me? Not really. I've spoken before about the hypocrisy of many religious people. This is just another example.
And what about me? Do I secretly hate Christians?
No. Not even when I see them do really stupid and hurtful things, as my aunt and uncle did. I lost respect for them. I didn't like them much, as people. But I didn't hate them.
I hate what certain aspects of religious belief do to people. And I'm sure if I were to meet someone repulsive enough, my emotions might turn sufficiently negative to be called hate.
But blanket statements such as the one made by my email correspondent are simply untrue. Not just for me, but for just about any atheist you're likely to meet, I'd wager. Generally speaking, atheism doesn't promote that kind of mindset. Unlike religion.
