It's easy to assume things about other people full stop. One doesn't need to quote scripture to do that.

"and yet, people like yourself still use it as an excuse to focus on others."

Says the man who is bending over backwards to imply that he's NOT doing any of that.

I dunno Cam. It seems to me that your particular malady is apparent to pretty much everyone else while you seem rather oblivious to it.

Not that many would really care, as evidenced by participation in this thread.

But as to making assumptions, I think that I am, as I suspect you are, simply drawing certain conclusions based on my (your) reading of the comments here.

What does become apparent, assumptions aside, is attitude.

It's seems unfortunate to me that you took the opportunity of this thread to elevate yourself, pronounce judgment on anyone else who even appeared to disagree with your view, and then, in an almost obnoxious manner, proceeded to lecture others here.

It's a shame, because to some extent, interaction with you in this area presents itself to me as requiring the same sort of effort plus the same lack of fruit that engaging with a troll does. Because your comments give evidence to the fact that you are not here to develop or engage in order to improve your own understanding, but rather to lecture and pronounce. The lack of humility is astonishing in one who professes to be Christian.

Of course, it's entirely possible that in reality, you are not the personality that your comments here give impression to. Internet forum commentary, after all, is extremely limited and the opportunities for miscommunication and cross-wiring abound. But again, what does manifest is attitude. Whether there is any disagreement on how we understand scripture or practice thereof is almost besides the point, because your attitude comes across in spades.

What I find a bit ironic is that to a very large extent, with some discussion I would be in a lot of agreement with your expressed interpretation/understanding of the 'hate' scripture. It's a powerful teaching, and one that is, in my opinion, not widely enough understood. People who have had to sacrifice their families, their 'lives', their communities and nations in order to follow and unite with Christ will understand it better than most.

However, your particular attitude seems to me to be so overly rigid, so doggedly self-absorbed, that it's hard to share or offer any other views or possible insights. You certainly do not appear open to any discussion other than pontification of your own view (which you have assured us by many implied comments that you think is essentially infallible).

One hopes (and I believe it is entirely possibly, if not likely) that you are more of a practicing Christian in your daily, local life than you are on this internet forum. Here, you simply sound like a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal to me.

I take some measure of comfort in the conviction that it's very unlikely that you will care HOW you sound, such that it's that much easier to simply ignore what you write from this point on.

Well, my troll work is done. I hope you find your way, which is not to assert that you aren't on the way God wants you to go, but that's about as much blessing as I can muster at the given moment.

But I misspoke above. In hindsight, after re-reading my comments here, I find real and pervasing comfort in the fact that Christ's love is above all.

So peace be to you.