Hate and hatred.

[MamaJunebug]

I think that in another semi-active topic, somebody wrote something to the effect that there are people we FJians "hate."

That's got me thinking: Do I hate anybody? I hate a lot of ideas that get discussed here. I get extremely frustrated with, and angry at people like Jim Bob Duggar and Doug Phillips, but do I hate them? I don't think I do. No, I don't. .... I'm almost sure of that.

Do we hate people, here? Or do we hate ideas that have terrible results?

[formergothardite]

I am pretty sure I hate those people who beat their kids to death by following the pearls. The rest of the folks, I usually just hate their ideas. Or some of them it isn't even hate, I just think their beliefs are stupid.

[terranova]

I don't hate individual fundies, mostly I feel sad they live such deluded lives. I DO hate the religion that blinds and binds them and dumbs them down.

[Austin]

I am pretty sure I hate those people who beat their kids to death by following the pearls. The rest of the folks, I usually just hate their ideas. Or some of them it isn't even hate, I just think their beliefs are stupid.

Pretty much this. I might hate Emma, too, even though she didn't actually kill any of her children. But, no, I generally hate ideas and feel like you kind of need to know a person to "hate" them.

[debrand]

I am pretty sure I hate those people who beat their kids to death by following the pearls. The rest of the folks, I usually just hate their ideas. Or some of them it isn't even hate, I just think their beliefs are stupid.

I have a strong aversion for the Pearls but beyond that, I don't hate most fundies. Their ideas disturb me. When kids or very young adults express hateful ideas, I feel saddened.

An optimistic part of my nature wants to believe that everyone can change but some of these people seem determined to leave the blinders up.

[keeperrox]

I don't hate anyone we discuss here, but I've never been invested in them, either. I also don't come from a fundy background, although my mother has been involved with pretty conservative churches most of my life (yet votes Democrat 95% of the time; cognitive dissonance, much?). I do, however, hate many of their lifestyles, and worry (at little too much at some times) what they could (and would) do with a little bit of political power.

[Koala]

I am pretty sure I hate those people who beat their kids to death by following the pearls. The rest of the folks, I usually just hate their ideas. Or some of them it isn't even hate, I just think their beliefs are stupid.

I agree. But I'm not real stingy with the word "hate" either. I hate people like Steve Maxwell for what they do to their children too.

[JesusFightClub]

I hate fascists. Not ex fascists, but people living the life, coming to our cities, telling our citizens that they don't belong in their own country because they aren't white enough or "Christian" enough or whatever arbitrary stupid shit. People who follow you at night with baseball bats, who chant "Allah is a paedo", who do Hitler salutes, who try to attack mosques. People who say casually " I used to be a teacher but it was pissing me off having to teach the little immi subhumans. Everyone knows that their IQs are below 70 anyway, so what's the point?"

They hate me and my family. I would not only be stupid not to hate them, I'd be criminally reckless.

[ChunkyBarbie]

I hate the Pearls, but other than that I can't say I hate anyone. Well, except the rest of the child abusers, and their ilk. Mostly, the ideals and narrow mindedness of the fundies we read and talk about make me frustrated, sad and yes, angry at times. I hate the life that Steve Maxwell is forcing on his family. If I met him in person I would probably strongly dislike him. Hate takes a lot of energy and emotional toll and frankly, I don't think most people are worth it. I hate that they think that my husband and I are going to Hell. I hate that so many hate Catholics, I most of my friends and some of my family are Catholic. I hate that they are so willfully ignorant and arrogant about it. Mainly though, I just am so grateful that I am not one of them!

Riffles

[Guest Anonymous]

Taking a dictionary definition of hatred as 'an intense dislike for' then yeah, I feel hatred towards some of the fundies we discuss on here - the Pearls, Lady Lydia and the Thinking Housewife spring to mind. But I don't think it is a big deal to feel that way.

"Hatred" was a very emotive word in the Christian circles I used to belong to, and one of the great reliefs to me of being no longer Christian, is having the freedom to use words like "hatred" without guilt. In a Christian context, it seemed to me if God hated someone or something then it meant they were really, really bad, but if I hated someone it meant that I was really, really bad. :? And there was always the old copout about "Hate the sin, love the sinner" thrown in to add to the confusion. It was usually applied to gays and the outcome for the gay person was just as bad wherever the hatred was said to be directed, so messing around with the terminology always seemed pretty pointless and disingenuous to me.

So yeah, it's just not a big deal to me anymore. For sure, I don't think it would be particularly healthy if I spent my days feeling twisted up inside by dwelling on the wrongdoings of Michael Pearl, but I don't feel that I have to dance around semantics when describing my feelings towards him when I read the shit on his website. I think in that context, hatred can be very healthy and a useful prompt to action, when faced with such complete vileness.