Romans 9:13

[Murray]

What does this mean, and why the heck is WBC using this verse to claim that god hates homosexuals.

[Tevko]

http://www.gotquestions.org/Jacob-Esau-love-hate.html

[zacchaeus]

Not sure the ref to homosexuality, but do you not believe homosexuality is a sin, and do you believe their are Christian homosexuals?

Matthew Henry Concise Commentary...

..."God foresaw both Esau and Jacob as born in sin, by nature children of wrath even as others. If left to themselves they would have continued in sin through life; but for wise and holy reasons, not made known to us, he purposed to change Jacob's heart, and to leave Esau to his perverseness. This instance of Esau and Jacob throws light upon the Divine conduct to the fallen race of man. The whole Scripture shows the difference between the professed Christian and the real believer..."

[jlay]

I think they are attempting to use this in their defense that God hates. And that because of such they are right to write, "God hates [homosexuals]," on their signs.

Of course this misses a fundamental issue. God is angry with the wicked everyday. But I would categorize Westboro as wicked. They are not righteously indignant. They are bigoted, haters of people. As far as I can see and hear, there is no love in what they are doing. None. God's anger and hatred of evil is simply a reality of His loving nature.

The context of Paul using this verse is to prove that God is perfectly just in redeeming the Gentiles, and cutting off his chosen people. Anytime we read something such as God hated, we are tempted to proof text it, infuse it with our own understanding, and then abuse it to suit our needs. Paul also used the word ginosko to indicate knowing God. It is the same word that matthew used to state that Joseph had not has sex with Mary. Would we be right to think that God wants a sexual relationship with us? No. Because we hate, does not mean that our hate is consistent with Gods. No more than our ideas of love are consistent with Gods.