As a defense against an accusation of homophobia, someone was quoted as saying “We hate the sin.  We are all sinners.” 

I am quite sure this is a conflation of the longer, oft heard explanation “We do not hate homosexuals.  We hate the sin of homosexuality.  Hate the sin, love the sinner.  We are all sinners.” 

Those who are the object of this kind of discussion can tell you that “love the sinner” is not a reality from those who use this reasoning.  Personally, I don’t think “love the sinner” is applied to the one who uses this reasoning either. There will always be a core of self-hatred in one who says we are all sinners and we should hate sin. 

The good news is that we do not have to accept the hatred that is projected onto us from others.  We can love ourselves.  Only then can we learn to love others as we love ourselves. 

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