"The World"

"friendship with the world is enmity with God" (James 4:4)
"the world hates you" (John 15:19)
"you will be hated by all" (Matthew 10:22)

In Sodom (of "and Gomorrah" fame), the townspeople wanted to butt-rape visitors to their fair city.  No real reason; probably just out of boredom.  I think we can all agree: that's not cool.  That kind of hospitality probably deserved the whole fire-and-brimstone response it got.

That's the kind of "the world" I think of when the Bible says "they're going to hate us and we're doomed if we associate with them."  The kind that's so far gone down the path of depravity that they're unreachable.  That even basic standards of non-religiously-affiliated morality can't influence them.

When it comes to my fellow countrymen and countrywomen (countrypeople?), I think of this:

"For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." (John 3:17)

I've seen so many Christians barricade themselves behind church doors, afraid that they might get a little "world" on their sleeves.  I've seen Christians who believe there's a spiritual war going on, us versus them, and the front line includes pointing out people's flaws, informing non-Christians that they need to get their lives straightened out, and generally feeling self-righteous while helping no one.

We are not fighting a war with the people Jesus died for.  We have no right to scorn those whom God loves. We are not inherently better just because we've accepted Christ's sacrifice.

Get out.  Meet people.  Understand that just because we're different doesn't make us enemies.  We are all loved by God, and that's a starting point right there.