On these final Sundays of the Easter season, our Scripture readings are focused on love. Love, not surprisingly, is one of the most frequently used words in the English language. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most misused (and abused) words in the modern English lexicon.
In fact, to many Americans in 2018, love has become little more than a synonym for “approval.” Hence, if you claim to love someone, you must give approval to their actions — even to those that are sinful. Otherwise, you are very quickly labeled a “hater.” If you don’t approve of abortion, for example, they will accuse you of hating women. (That’s why a lot of good pro-life organizations in this country have been unjustly labeled “hate groups”). If you don’t approve of homosexual activity, you will be accused of hating homosexuals. If you support securing the border with Mexico and don’t approve of illegal immigration, they will say you hate immigrants. If you don’t approve of people mutilating themselves and taking potentially harmful drugs in order to deal with their gender dysphoria, then it will be said that you hate transgendered people.
If you don’t approve of certain sins — certain socially-acceptable sins — you are immediately called “a hater” in 2018. That’s an illogical position to hold: hatred does NOT necessarily follow from disapproval — but an awful lot of people have bought into the lie that it does. And many of those who’ve bought into the lie are teaching in schools and universities all over this country.
Catholic parents, clergy and educators need to address this issue directly with the children in their care, lest they also embrace this pernicious falsehood.
