"You will find in reading this book that God's love is unconditional, but He does not have to love what we do."
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God Loves People But He Hates Sin by Mark S Allen Trafford Publishing
book review by Barbara Bamberger Scott
Mark S Allen is a Christian who seeks to share what he views as a very important message about the difference between God's love for humanity and God's refusal to accept sinful actions. Drawing copious quotations from the Bible as his only source of proof, Allen seeks to define sins and the people who commit them, and provide Biblical substantiation for God's probable attitude toward such people. For example, "revilers are people who speak with contemptuous, abusive, disgraceful or shameful language." He notes that, "having a foul mouth is a sin," and quotes the Bible on this subject: "Evil communications corrupt good manners." Idolatry, adultery, theft, and extortion are among the other sins he lists and explains.
The author devotes a rather large portion of the book (9 of the 63 pages) to his analysis of homosexuality and its innate sinfulness. "You are what God designed you to be – a man or a woman". The author believes that God hates homosexuality (comparing homosexual acts to rape or murder), though not, he makes clear, people who are homosexual who are willing to refrain from their "perverted sinful lifestyles." He also takes the view that Jesus never drank alcohol, only fermented fruit juice, and that this is proof that God hates the sin of drunkenness and will punish those who are defiant. The Biblical basis for this is God's order to Aaron, "Do not drink wine or strong drink… lest ye die". In each case, Allen makes it clear that it doesn't matter what human beings may wish or may think about these issues; it's what God wants that matters, and if humans don't obey God they will end up in hell for all eternity. The author warns, "Don't let your flesh control the destination of your soul into eternity."
This short book is clearly written and has been well edited. There is no doubt that Allen feels a spiritual obligation to help people by publishing his sincerely held beliefs. He has genuine sympathy for those who are trying to choose to do the right thing and dire warnings for those who choose to ignore scripture. This book could be inspiring to some for whom these ideas are new, or who have not given them sufficient thought heretofore or yet reached the same conclusions as the author. God Loves People But He Hates Sin is tied to a fundamentalist strain of Christianity and may be appreciated by those of this particular branch of Christianity.