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# The Virtue of Hating Evil
- URL: https://www.smoothpebbles.org/the-virtue-of-hating-evil/
- Published: 2025-10-12T04:34:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-04T04:35:27.000Z
- Author: Richard Flanders

Finally I understand the root cause of the political hatred in our modern culture. The secret is to view this through a moral (or spiritual) lens rather than a political one.

Do people (media) wake up every morning looking for something hateful to say? No. In their own minds, they are on the side of good, fighting injustice.

But why?

Because it is virtuous to hate evil. Simple as that.

In the minds of activists, agitators, and even political assassins, they think they are doing good by hating (or eliminating) evil.

This is biblical:

- Amos 5:15: “Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts…”
- Romans 12:9: “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”

So what is the problem?

The problem is that their virtue isn’t real. Their love is not genuine. Promoting one’s own virtue is just a way to score moral points, rather than helping anyone.

But why?

Because in their own minds they need to deposit morality points in their moral bank accounts in order to feel better about themselves .

Upping one’s moral score is at the root of all religions, except true Christianity which is about grace.

That is why all this moralism is inherently religious, not political. Humanity is inherently moralistic, judging each other according to our inward conscience. (Romans 2:15)

This moral jockeying isn’t real of course. Virtue signaling is not actual virtue.

How can we tell?

Because moralism that applies only to others is fake. Principles which cannot pass the “shoe on the other foot” test are not principles at all.

But why go through all this trouble?

Because humans are moralistic. We have an inward need of redemption, alleviating guilt, covering over our sins (i.e. atonement).

So how do we find atonement?

There are only two options: God’s way or man’s way.

This goes back to the story of Cain and Abel. Rejecting God’s righteousness, most people prefer establishing their own (Romans 10:3). Overlooking Christ’s redemption, they seek to redeem themselves.

And so they develop something that looks like redemption, but without God.

This idea is at the heart of communism, socialism, fascism, utopianism, wanting to create the perfect society, heaven on earth, just without God.

So in order to score moral points, social justice warriors go around inventing new atrocities to fight.

A favorite evil is one’s political opposite. Make them out to be Hitler or a Nazi, then proclaim your virtue by showing how vocal you can be in opposition.

What happens though, when the person you hate does good? What to do now? You could agree with them. But that is usually too jarring of an ideological discontinuity. Group think forces them to be swept along with the mob.

The hatred for their opponent is so strong that they end up hating good and promoting evil. The ends justify the means. This explains the mass psychosis of our political culture.

Even though the absurdity of this is continually exposed, it is impossible for those who seek redemption without God to break the cycle.

They fight on blindly, looking for something new to hate every morning to soothe their aching souls.

That is where political hate comes from. It’s about peace and love.