The answer
There is no contradiction between avoiding bad company, and loving them. For example, people avoid someone with a contagious disease. They do so not because they hate them; but because they do not want to catch their diseases. The same applies to bad company. They are not avoided out of hatred. Our duty is to pray for them that they get healed from their sin. Once they are healed, they will be accepted with love. In the case of hatred, rejection would still continue even after their being healed.Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)