Addressing the issue of self-hatred in Christianity. Part 1

(In 3 parts)

Addressing the issue of self-hatred in Christianity

Part 1: A firm foundation

I notice in my devotional language that I use words that suggest a degree of self-hatred: eg “I detest my failures and am not worthy to even look at you”. Yet my self-understanding is that I go through life with robust good humour and an almost unfailing positive outlook on life (apart from those occasional low moments that everyone has). What is going on here? In particular, I would like to defend Christian faith against charges of being negative, and I certainly wouldn’t want anyone reading my prayers to take on board negative outlooks on life or on themselves. What can I discover?

The central foundation of Christianity is the greatest good news that anyone could take to heart: that God loves each one of us with an unconditional, never failing, perfect love. As John put it in his gospel, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life”. This is an ever-green foundation for new hope and new life. Of course, we have now introduced the idea of human failure, and Christianity gets enormous criticism from some quarters for being intensely negative and pessimistic by endlessly harping on about sin. Yet, Christians do not see this as pessimistic but supremely realistic. It is the modern tendency to try and side-step the reality of human moral failure that is false and destructive. Christians are facing up to the reality of life and doing something supremely positive about it. In essence, the work of Jesus and the gospel of the Church is a rescue mission to save us. Given that we are in a mess and have a continual tendency to make more messes of life, we need to be rescued from it and so this emphasis in Christianity is completely positive and the ultimate sign of God’s love for us, in that he did not leave us wallowing around helplessly, both suffering ourselves and harming others. So, in this respect, it is the modern secular desire to reject the notion of sin, and that human beings could be transformed for the better, that is so dreary and destructive. In comparison, Christianity proclaims a joyful freedom to live in union with the God of love.