Is America Full of Hate? The Conversation We're Not Having

 

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Biblically speaking, there are positive and negative aspects to hatred. It is acceptable to hate those things that God hates; indeed, this is very much proof of right standing with God. “Let those who love the Lord hate evil” (Psalm 97:10a). Indeed, the closer our walk with the Lord and the more we fellowship with Him, the more conscious we will be of sin, both within and without. Do we not grieve and burn with anger when God’s name is maligned, when we see spiritual hypocrisy when we see blatant unbelief and godless behavior? The more we understand God’s attributes and love His character, the more we will be like Him, and the more we will hate those things that are contrary to His Word and nature.

Is America full of hate? That’s the question many are asking after a recent spate of high-profile and disturbing incidents. In just one week in late September, a man armed with an automatic rifle murdered 22 people at a restaurant in suburban Denver; a man sent explosive devices to prominent critics of President Trump, including several Jewish leaders and former Vice President Joe Biden; and, in response to these events, the president tweeted a video of him beating up another person with the face of CNN labeled as “Fraud News Network.” If you think we’re living in a particularly hateful moment — one highlighted by divisive rhetoric from our leaders — you’re not alone. But the answer isn’t as simple as that. There is ample evidence to support this claim, but this phenomenon is not new. This type of hate has always existed in America but recurs cyclically throughout history. It’s an essential distinction because figuring out why these events continue to repeat themselves is the key to resolving them. So let’s explore what is driving this current resurgence of hate and what we can do about it.

 

A Brief History of Hate in America

That America has a long history of hate is not news. It’s in our DNA. We were founded as a nation on the principle that certain people aren’t worthy of being part of our collective “we” — that they’re “others” who don’t deserve to be treated like “we” do. Given this, it makes sense that there have been several cyclical upsurges of hate in American history. The first significant one was in the early 19th century when a movement of “nativism” — or fear of cultural or racial change — was directed against newly arrived Irish and German immigrants. In the 1850s and 1860s, during the era of western expansion and the Civil War, there were two more violent upsurges: one against Native Americans and another against African-American slaves and freedmen. Each of these movements featured the signs of modern hate: false propaganda, dehumanization, and the use of violence. They culminated in a tragedy: the Native American population in the U.S. declined by about 90% in the 19th century, and black people were terrorized and subjected to the Jim Crow system of segregation and discrimination until the mid-20th century. During these eras, many people of conscience tried to speak out against the hate and warn of the tragic consequences it would bring. But they were ignored.

However, the hatred that is negative indeed has to be that which is directed against others. The Lord mentions hatred in the Sermon on the Mount: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:22). The Lord commands that not only should we be reconciled with our brother before we go before the Lord, but also that we do it quickly (Matthew 5:23-26). The act of murder itself was certainly condemned, but hatred is a “heart” sin, and any hateful thought or act is an act of murder in God’s eyes for which justice will be demanded, possibly not in this