Is it right to refer to some Christian organizations as hate groups?

Response

In 2022, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama, published its roster of “hate groups,” which included certain Christian organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), D. James Kenney Ministries, and Family Research Council, as well as conservative organizations such as the American College of Pediatricians (source, accessed 9/19/23). Are these and other Christian organizations truly considered hate groups?

The SPLC’s classification of Christian groups as “hate groups” ignited significant controversy, drawing the attention of national media. Many of the listed organizations reacted, with several choosing legal recourse. Being categorized as a “hate group” alongside the Ku Klux Klan exposes Christian organizations to potential animosity and even hostility.

According to the SPLC, a hate group is described as “an organization or group of individuals that—based on its official declarations or principles, the statements of its leaders, or its actions—upholds beliefs or practices that denigrate or malign an entire group of people, usually due to their inherent characteristics. An organization does not necessarily have to engage in criminal behavior or accompany their speech with actual illegal acts to be branded a hate group” (as cited in a Washington Post article, accessed 9/19/23).

The aforementioned definition appears unbiased until one delves into what constitutes “declarations” or “principles” as hateful. For example, if an organization adheres to the biblical perspective of marriage as a union between one man and one woman, is that deemed hateful? According to the standards of many progressive groups today, this could be the case. Indeed, the SPLC frequently brands Christian groups as “anti-gay” and thus “hateful.” The ambiguity in defining hate has led to widespread debate.

It has significant implications for Christians who adhere to biblical teachings.

The application of the “hate group” label should not be surprising. Jesus Himself stated in John 15:18–20,

If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.