Okay to hate X group of people?

A friend of a friend of mine who is a retired priest has often said that sex offenders are the modern world's lepers --the people that decent people (e.g. not psycho killers) believe it's okay to hate: the people who are society's outcasts, the scorned, the rejects.  In Biblical times people with leprosy, a highly contagious skin disease, were the lowest of the low.  People spit on them and ignored them and were not embarrassed by the disgust towards them that festered in their hearts.  It was just the socially-sanctioned thing to do and feel: one did not talk to, look at, touch or in any way associate with lepers.  Period.  (On the other hand Lot, who slept with his own daughters, was a pillar of ancient Hebrew society.  Go figure.)  No one cared about lepers; they were non-humans.  (Well Jesus did.  He'd walk right up, sit down and have a conversation.  He'd even touch them without gloves on!  The radical!  No wonder they crucified the guy!)

But I don't want to talk about Jesus in this post.  I want to talk about the phenomena of socially-sanctioned hate-- when it's socially acceptable to hate an entire group of people.  Who are today's lepers?  Why is it that still today we have people that otherwise decent, compassionate individuals are not ashamed to admit they detest.  This quote comes from a story in today's local paper:

"She said people don't want to [go to this place] because of all the ________  people there."

What kind of people do you think she's talking about?  Lepers?  Sex offenders?  People of color?  Which group of people is it okay to publically admit that you hate?  Thirty years ago a woman like this might have said without hesitation that, "[her kind of] people don't want to go to [the place she's referring to] because of all the black people there".  The racism of thirty years ago was socially sanctioned.  She's not now (and wouldn't have been then) mortified to be quoted in the daily paper saying something like this. 

In this case, the people's she's talking about are homeless.

Since she's not at all ashamed of her prejudice, I'll print her name here to be attached to her words.  Her name is Linda McGurn.   She's a rich downtown developer and she is proud to be a paragon of one of the worst characteristics of human nature: that part of us that fears and despises and dehumanizes large segments of the human population based on random biases within our culture.  Ms. McGurn, when your life is over and you lie looking back on all you've accomplished rest assured of one thing: No one will ever confuse you with a big-hearted person.

Comments

[Dana John Hill]

Something that bothers me to no end is when people refer to the homeless as "bums". To me, "bum" is a derogatory word, a judgmental word. A bum is someone who isn't merely a loser, but a dishonest, unscrupulous person.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but the word "homeless", to me, provokes empathy. I am fortunate enough to have a home to go to every day, and I know what a blessing it is. Those who are without the luxury ought to inspire compassion.

[Sarah]

..."What kind of people do you think she's talking about? Lepers? Sex offenders? People of color?..."

i'm sorry, but equating sex offenders with lepers and people of colour is absolutly rediculous and practially insulting! i do believe sex offenders should get help though.

[barb]

"Lepers? Sex offenders? People of color?..." are all groups of people who have been hated and reviled by other groups of people. Jews should be in the list as well. And "immigrants".

[TJIC]

Speaking of Jesus and sex offenders - He did say that it would be better for someone to tie a millstone around their neck and jump into the ocean than to face God after hurting a child.

[barb]

That's true TJ. I'm not saying that sex offenders are not seriously sick people. I'm just saying that there is no single group of people in society that is more hated and reviled than they currently are. You can definitely argue that they deserve that hatred but I tend more towards the Quaker belief that everyone is worth more than their worst act. Jesus also said hate the sin and love the sinner.