Hate

     Seems to me we use certain words rather freely, and sometimes without a full comprehension of what it is we really mean to convey.  I have been more than a little troubled with the current unrest in the Muslim world over some jackass making a "made for the Internet" movie insulting the prophet Mohamed.  Seems like every semi-devout Muslim is somehow now required to defend violently a prophet that at the core of his message preached love.  I know for many that last statement is a bit of a surprise, but it is true none the less.  The individual who is at the center of Islam preached love.  The fact that almost all our exposure to Islam is centered around individuals that are making international news because of some act of hatred might well lead one to believe otherwise.  Historically, under scrutiny I am not sure any other religion would present itself any better. 

    Truth is, all of the great prophets/teachers universally teach love as their primary message.  How many acts of aggression have been, are still, and are yet to be carried out in the name of God?  Do Muslims have the market cornered on bending a great message into something justifying the most repugnant of actions?  History suggests that as a species we are just not adept at accepting the simple loving instructions God has, and continues, to send.  Over and over the message to love and cherish is commanded/requested, and is seemingly repetitively ignored.  Why is that? 

     History is full of examples of atrocity after atrocity being committed in "Gods name".  How much blood before it is enough?  Currently a large portion of us (last I checked Muslims are people too) feel the need to defend "their faith".  Does any man of God need defending?  If someone says something off color about whomever is at the center of your belief system would you feel a need to protect your faith?  In your heart do you believe the Christ would support someone causing hurt to another in his name?  Nahhh...... me either. 

      I think truth is like science.... it is what it is whether you believe and accept it or not.  Does it matter if someone else sees God differently, or hears a different message?  If God loved them so much as to give them life, are they any less worthy of Gods love (or Gods message to them) than you or me?  Do you not have a right to expect respect as much as anyone else?

    This whole idea that to somehow protect God or his messengers from any perceived insult with violence is an even greater insult to God and his messengers........ perhaps even the greatest of insults.  Well, at least in my humble opinion.

    I will admit that my first visceral response to such behavior is to want to lash out.  Violence does in fact cause violence.  Hate is all to often the cause of only more hate.  I suspect hate is a cancer to ones soul.  To hate another does nothing to the object of our hatred, but slowly diminishes us.  I imagine besides any number of religious texts, there is more than a little medical proof of just such a proposition. 

    What about the things we all agree we should hate?  Should we not all hate the ideas and practices of the Nazi's?  Is there not some things that should be condemned so strongly that we can comfortably say "I hate that...."?  Maybe we should "hate" the hatred, but love the hater?

    I guess I am just a little wary of the term "hate".  It seems to carry a conviction that goes further than just "I am against this".  To "abhor" something is even a lesser position than to "hate".  To hate seems to carry a conviction that something should be destroyed.  To hate someone or something is to say it is beyond worthless, it is vile and in need of destruction by most any means.  I am especially wary of using the word hate when referring to people.....  I am of the opinion the first step in justifying genocide is to make someone else "less". 

    When we say we "hate" something, do we really mean it should be destroyed?  I can comfortably say that there are people I love that regularly demonstrate behavior that I wish could be illuminated.  I truly despise, and can not in anyway support those actions................  but I do not desire the smallest ill thing to befall them.  I guess I can say I "hate" the actions, but deeply love the perpetrator. 

     After all, it is the things we are against, as much as the things we support that define who we are.  Still, it seems a backward way of giving thanks for the "buttheads" in life.