Haters, haters ...they eat taters!!   "You are what you eat."   What does it all mean.  The Irish and the Chinese were helping with the transcontinental railroad in our country.   Some didn't get along, some did.  But it only takes a few to create an attitude.  Was it because they ate taters?   I doubt that!   How about the Hatfields and the McCoys?  How many generations went by continuing a feud that few remembered what it was about?  It wasn't about angry birds and green pigs, but that may be close. 

Of course, today we pride ourselves on more sophistication ...an intellectual ideology.

What is a hater?  I worked in a prison, and saw some bitter people ...who appeared to hate everyone.  And they particularly despised those who they called "cheese-eaters" ...or more commonly referred to as rats.   But the definition has changed somewhat.   Like in the small towns they once depicted on television, such as Mayberry, they referred to children without proper upbringing as spoiled...dare we say, brats.  Whether rats or brats, the true reference is on the one who was ratted on, or the spoiled one who suddenly protests being confronted with some responsibility and accountability.  Childish behavior or comments are not defined by one's age.   Instead of a young man taking on responsibility, you occasionally heard, "You just hate me!"  This evolved to:  "You just can't stand seeing another person happy!"   "You are just jealous and envious, so you try to belittle me to be big you!"  (and the acronym for H.A.T.E.R.S.)  Having Anger Towards Everyone Reaching Success  ....or Hating Anyone That Enjoys Recreational Sex; success could refer to Wall Street, or being happy could refer to the latter, inclusive of promiscuity of opposite or like genders.

I have another version:  Having Awareness Towards Everyone Rationalizing Sin ...and much depends on how we approach it. Are we envious of those who have more than us?  This could lead to hate.  Envy usually means we are not against something, we just would like to trade places with that person.  This is usually heaped with empty rhetoric, is very disingenuous, and very dangerous to our spiritual life.   The poor should never hate the rich, and the rich should never despise the poor. 

Another thing we should watch out for: we should never be accused of being envious of those who have a present struggle with sin, or as some would define "fun".  There is much clean fun in life.  I don't consider deception, and living contrary to God's Word as "fun".  I would be deceiving myself if I considered defacing a public statue as fun.  I'd soon be facing more than I'd want to, and may not consider the statute as fun.

Some people claim that those who are correctly representing God's Word are haters.   I read that they are hated, as John 15:18 quotes Jesus, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you."  Yet, there are those who claim to represent God's Word ...who do not represent God's Word, and they are hate groups.  Those of you who are aware of the Westboro Baptist Church, can see how groups of people can claim to do things in God's name, but are far removed from how you and I think.  This weekend they say they are protesting Glenn Beck's Restoring Love.  I can't imagine what they have against that!  Most of you remember when they protested at the funeral of young man who served in our military.  The grieving parents tried to get the court to rule in their favor, to prevent this kind of heartless action from happening again, but a federal appeals court overruled what was initially in their favor.  Then the Supreme Court stands 8-1, to not stand, to see true hate by its name, but not to rule against it.  

God hates sin, but not the sinner.  If my beliefs are similar to the owner of Chick-fil-A ...and I say I treat others with respect, though I feel homosexuality is wrong, I'm not a hater, I'm a reader.  I am literate, and I can read!  I read the Word of God, and I comprehend what I read.   If I hate sin, don't call me a hater ...it's the sin that is being exposed, not the person.  If I promote a healthy lifestyle that I believe is God's standard, not my interpretation of it ...please don't rule 8-1 against me.  God is not concerned with numbers, He is concerned with us getting it right!   God wants the best for us.   So, if I think well of you, I want the best for you too.   

As adults, we all are expected to make our grand entrance into life.  We make a home for ourselves.  We make our home our castle.   Each castle has many rooms.   Deception fills many rooms.  Those rooms may be appealing, but they are not the most healthy to live in.   Try to make some room for God.