Insert Title Here

I haven't been doing much writing of any kind, but I've still got a few things in the "to be posted" folder, so I probably should post one of them. *rummages through folder* Ahh, here we go: the perfect post for right before I go read the latest critical post over on slacktivist.

I've seen, a few times—not often, I admit, but often enough that it's stuck with me—people express the notion that harsh critique or denouncement is hypocritical for Christians. "Love thy neighbor" gets brought up in conjunction with this notion.

Now, to these people, it might appear a bit strange that a Christian could simultaneously believe that "love thy neighbor" is a very important part of their faith, yet criticize and/or denounce others. But the thing is... it says "love thy neighbor". Not "agree with everything thy neighbor says and does, even when thou art certain it is wrong".

You can love someone and think they're behaving badly. You can love someone and know they're doing wrong. You can love someone even as they're hurting you, let alone hurting others. You can love someone, but still know that they're saying and doing things that are very much not things you can stomach or support.

And if you love them, you'll speak up, sooner or later. It's why people stage interventions for alcoholics, or why people confront friends about cheating, or lying, or any number of other examples most people probably are familiar with.

So if one truly believes in "love thy neighbor", I think it's logical that it follows you should apply the same standard and practice to people who are, more or less, strangers. Staying silent would seem to violate the principle far worse than speaking up, no matter how harsh the words may turn out. It may not always be the right choice, but it's surely consistent.