Some of Jesus' harshest words were directed toward the hypocritical religious leaders of His day. (Read Matthew 23 and Matthew 3:7.) Jesus, in fact, tells Christians to "judge righteous judgment." (John. 7:24) and Leviticus 19:15 says, "...in righteousness shall thou judge thy neighbor. Isaiah 61:8 says, "For I the Lord love judgment..." Proverbs 21:15 says, "It is a joy to the just to do judgment." Judging is more of a discernment, looking at a situation with God's perspective and seeing what is truth from what is false.

Those inside controlling groups love verses like Matthew 7:1-2 because they like to use them to shut down any and all criticism against them. But Christians are indeed to judge. A through study of the verses 3-5 of Matthew 7 shows that it is the hypocrite who is to refrain from judging, until he has cleaned up his own act. Those who try to divide these verses and make them say something else are condemning themselves as hypocrites.

Christians are not violating Matthew 7 when they expose wrong for what it is and warn others. We are doing exactly what the Word of God tells us to do. And when someone has escaped an evil system or wrong way, they have a responsibility to expose that system. In addition, it is always right to come to the defense of those who have been hurt. If someone is going to use Matthew 7, then they must use it all. Those in bondage to any evil system should stay silent until they, too, come out of it. To not speak up about false prophets, false teachers and false gospels (which are an enemy of the truth) would be disobedience to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

It is common for others, especially those in the Worldwide Church of God (or an authoritarian offshoot such as Philadelphia Church of God, Restored Church of God, or Living Church of God) to feel that exiters who were betrayed, abused and exploited at the hands of fraudulent, totalistic leaders are being "hateful" if they talk or write about it. To deceive someone in a spiritual sense is one of the most wicked things anyone can ever do to another. Telling what was done and even naming the perpetrator is not about hate, but about truth, and it can serve the purpose of warning others. Abuse is always about revealing the abuser's heart, not the victim's. 

If we love what is right, we are going to hate what is wrong. Ecclesiastes 3:8 says there is "a time to hate." The Bible is clear that are certain things we should hate and not compromise with:

"The fear of the Lord is to hate evil" (Prov. 8:13).

"Ye that love the Lord, hate evil..." (Ps. 97:10).

"Hate the evil, and love the good..." (Amos 5:15)

"I will set no wicked thing before my eyes, I hate the work of them that turn aside..." (Ps. 101:3).

"...I hate every false way" (Ps. 119:104).

"I hate and abhor lying..." (Ps. 119:163).

"A righteous man hateth lying" (Prov. 13:5).

"I have hated the congregation of evildoers; and will not sit with the wicked" (Psalm 26:5).

"...thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate" (Rev. 2:6).

The Bible reveals that God hates certain things: 

"Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity" (Hebrews 1:9

"Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:" (Ps. 45:7)

"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him" (Prov. 6:16). 

One of these things that God hates is:

"A false witness that speaketh lies" (Proverbs 6:19).

God is a God of truth: 

"a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he" (Deut. 32:4).

"thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth" (Psalm 31:5).

"..he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth"; (Isaiah 65:16). 

Love to others is to always be expressed with discernment and judgment. We see that Jesus was at all times merciful and compassionate with individual sinners; i.e., the woman at the well, the multitudes (i.e., Matthew 9:36) and others, but he was upfront with the false religious leaders who were hypocrites and liars, severely rebuking them. God has never told us that we are to love those who are an enemy of God: "Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the Lord?" (II Chronicles 19:2) We are to hate evil ways and deeds that harm others and bring to light (expose) their works of darkness. 

Most leaders of high demand groups will say that exiters are "filled with hate" If this does not bring the desired results, then they will often resort to saying that the former member or exiter has "psychological problems" and are "failing to heal." These are tactics that religious cults have always used to try and silence their critics.

By D. W.
Exit & Support Network™
March 1, 2004

Do Exiters Need an "Attitude Adjustment"? (by a child survivor)

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