I’ve just reached the tipping point with our culture's use of
the word “hate.”
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTypJ911Xw-irl2uXWWSKG1qcEM63vXk-Cv70-JTqhKdaHXxa2Go_gQNtAgC-yKWX4ewiUdwgXbQNoNvX0bLOau8oOfxScX5pR17-T2oJMzA1LzgP_xK8WKROpqUcpU9r9Q_F5nP5lGXaD/s1600/Joni+Eareckson+Tada+JoniEarecksonTada.jpg)
For those who don’t know who she is, Joni is a quadriplegic,
paralyzed from the shoulders down, and is confined to a wheelchair. She has become an accomplished painter using
a paintbrush with her teeth, and has authored more than forty books.
She is also a Christian.
She is also a Christian.
Gasp!
The nomination has received numerous negative reactions that
have nothing to do with the song. It has
to do with the fact that she is a believer and the song is tied to a
faith-based film.
Film.com immediately said the film was being endorsed by “anti-gay
hate group activists.” The Boston Globe
chimed in with a headline, “The Oscar that Stinks to Heaven.”
As I said, this was my tipping point.
The word hate used to mean just that – hate! Nowadays it means
anyone who disagrees. Even worse, it
means anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ.
I must say that the using the word “hate” or “hater” in this
way is shrewd. It brings to bear every volatile
emotion against those who have been labeled “haters” – even if they're not such,
but just simply disagree.
It’s a shrewd move, but it’s also a false move. Here’s why:
It cuts-off at the knees the word “admonishment” – which means
to address, to confront, to challenge, to
stir.
I don’t hate someone just because I disagree with them. Actually, it might be a demonstration of my
concern.
To label someone a “hater” (just because they disagree) is to take a very powerful word and dilute it, then misapply it.
To label someone a “hater” (just because they disagree) is to take a very powerful word and dilute it, then misapply it.
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