God’s hate speech

When I was young there was a children’s rhyme: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names (words) will never hurt me”. We must have been more resilient and tougher then because now the Australian government wants to legislate against hate speech! This could lead to discrimination against Christians and the censorship of Christian views.

Imagine God being put on trial under hate speech legislation.

The charge: God hates sin.

The evidence: According to the Bible, God hates:

• Idol worship (Dt. 12:31; 16:22; Hos. 9:15).
• Pride (Prov. 6:16).
• Lying (dishonesty) (Prov. 6:16).
• Murder (Prov. 6:16).
• Plotting evil (Prov. 6:16).
• Eagerness to do evil (Prov. 6:16).
• False testimony in court (Prov. 6:16).
• Troublemaking (Prov. 6:16).
• Violence (Prov. 11:5).
• Stealing (Isa. 61:8).
• Hypocrisy (Amos 5:21).

The verdict: Guilty. And many people want to punish God for being so dogmatic and intolerant.

The problem

So, we have a problem. God hates sin and we are all sinners by choice and by practice (see Appendix). Our problem is sin, which is rebellion against God. But fortunately, God is also guilty of love speech!

The solution

The Bible says that God loves the people of this world so much that He gave His only Son (Jesus), so that everyone who trusts in Him will have eternal life and never really die. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent Him to save them (Jn. 3:16-17).

God provided the solution when He sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sin. Jesus died to save us from the spiritual condition of mankind. He took the punishment for human rebellion against God and for humanity’s sin. He died in our place as a substitute to satisfy divine justice, reconcile people to God, and offer forgiveness and eternal life.

The Bible says, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved” (Rom. 10:9-10NLT).

Appendix: Everyone has sinned

According to the Bible, everyone has sinned:

“Well then, should we conclude that we Jews are better than others? No, not at all, for we have already shown that all people, whether Jews or Gentiles, are under the power of sin” (Rom. 3:9).

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Rom. 3:23).

Written, January 2026

Also see: Is the Bible “hate speech” because it’s not inclusive?