One of the saddest things about at least some forms of protestantism is that so many of it’s adherents really believe that God “hates”. The origin of this notion is the thoroughly pagan concept that God, like the pagan gods, is compelled and ruled by an implacable Necessity and like them is subject to even the most base of human emotions.
“Love never hates anyone, never reproves anyone, never condemns anyone, never grieves anyone, never abhors anyone, neither faithful nor infidel nor stranger nor sinner nor fornicator, nor anyone impure, but instead it is precisely sinners, and weak and negligent souls that it loves more, and feels pain for them and grieves and laments, and it feels sympathy for the wicked and sinners, more than for the good, imitating Christ Who called sinners, and ate and drank with them. For this reason, showing what real love is, He taught saying, ‘Become good and merciful like your Father in Heaven,’ and as He rains on bad and good and makes the sun to rise on just and unjust alike, so also is the one who has real love, and has compassion, and prays for all.” Abba Ammonas
That is certainly the orthodox understanding of God of the Church, yet it doesn't correspond to the God of the Old Testament, who is—as you say—ruled by an implacable Necessity, and exhibits the most base of human emotions, such as jealousy, anger, even hate—a true Zeus-like pagan god indeed.
I know the Church spent much of her talent marrying up the two views of God, and +Irenaeus was the first among early apologists to do so, but it remains an awkward reconciliation if for no reasn other than because the Old Testament is so darn clear and direct when it comes to God's emotions.
Philo of Alexandria (the Alexandrian Jews who was so influential in forming the basis for the Christian Hellenization of Jesus, aka "St. Philo" in Eusebius' words!) did much to convince early Christians that that the Old Testament—despite its language to the contrary—is really an allegorical story not to be taken literally. Only viewed in that light can one begin to reason the Old Testament God as "no different" that the Christian God.
But allegorical reading is also problematic because it reduces the certainly of some vital verses to symbolism which is subject to interpretation when literalism is actually needed!
The biggest problem, then, is when to read something allegorically and when to read it literally. And that's when the human factor comes in, and corrupts everything, because an individual will tend to interpret controversial or unbelievable statements as allegorical and those which agree with a particular doctrine as literal.
And then there is what I call selective verse avoidance. The church can find Pauline verses which completely agree with the orthodox theology, and reads only those in its reading cycle, which the Protestants never quote because they don't agree with their theology, but rather read only those that do.
Ultimately, people believe what they want to believe because that is what gives them comfort (isn't that what faith is all about?). No one seems to believe in a God who is not their friend, imaginary or not. Everyone seems to believe in a God who loved them for whatever reason they can come up with, usually those who believe and try to imitate him.
But if God is not moved by human emotions then God would not insist that man believe in him, or become like him in order to save him.
It really amazes me that it is only "Protestants" who are pitied because they actually believe that "God hates". Gee, I wonder where we could have gotten that from??? I didn't think the EO scratched out words in their Bibles, too. God is most definitely said to "hate" IN SCRIPTURE. And I think what may get missed is that there is a pure and righteous form of hate. To say God hates is just agreeing with his word. It has no origin in paganism because paganism certainly did not exist before God revealed himself to man. We are told to hate as well. Jesus himself in Luke 14:26 says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.". Certainly there can be a "Godly" form of hate and should not be a word we should necessarily shy away from.
Paul in Romans 12:9 says, "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.". Sorry, if it makes some people feel weird to admit that our God has a righteous hatred for some things, but, like I said, I see no contradiction at all with God being a God of love, who also has a Godly hate. It is not being anthropomorphic to ascribe these two emotions because HE SAID IT HIMSELF! If he did not say these things, then you may have a valid gripe, but then again, "Protestants" wouldn't believe it if it wasn't in Scripture.
And all believe that God lies to them, when, for example, James 2:24 or Luke 22:19 is spun away as saying the opposite of what the text says.