Idolatry = Hatred Part 2

I was asked if hatred toward God in the realm of idolatry and disbelief is witting or unwitting, the following was my answer:

I think in a general sense, it is unwitting; general disbelief or other religions that someone might be raised to believe. But I think there are specific actions that are wittingly hateful toward God and His law, repetition of sin that deep down we know is wrong or intentional rebellion against things we naturally perceive to be wrong (ie: lying, stealing, etc.)

Ultimately it is all hateful because it is the opposite of love. When a child disobeys their parents because they get caught up in the excitement of eating a cookie because it is their favorite, they aren’t actively hating their parents, it is more passive, but hate is still present. In that moment their love for their parents isn’t as strong as their longing for the cookie. But when a child intentionally does something because they want to disobey and the cookie is just a means to disobey, that is active hatred. In other words, something can entice you to disobey, but a lot of the time the act of disobedience itself is what’s enticing. The two are different in the realm of passive vs active, but they are both carried out in the absence of love. If someone is enticed by disobedience, they are being tempted to stand in opposition to the law maker. What could be more hateful?