Frank Discussion on Hate

[tackattack]

But does that really require hatred... I don't believe it does. I would defend my family with my life, but It wouldn't stem from a hatred toward the other person. You can feel threatened and your natural defensive responce would just be a response with no emotional attachment whatsoever.
Let's try a scenario. Guy comes to rob me and my family, threatens the death of my wife and kids. I instantly react out of a percieved threat to key aspects of my life. I then defend my family with violence to protect them, no thought or emotion involved. After, I have guilt over taking a life, but not for hating that person.

If on the other hand a kidnapper stole my family and held them ransom upon threat of death, I'd still feel that initial reaction to a loss, but over the course of an hour or so could easily see myself thinking of different ways to torture this person out of hate. After, I have a tremendous sense of guilt (or righteousness.. another topic) due mostly in part because of the amount of hatred I had in killing them.

I think I can best describe hate as fruits out of the seeds of fear. If we dwell in that fear (voluntary or not) that breeds resentment who's fruit is hate. I guess then the question would be is the earlier "stages" of hate stopable or reversible? That's my major problem with the war on terror as well. People who live in fear of suicide bombers blowing up the wendy's they're eating at are the same type who regularly practice intolerance, bigotry and hatred of other cultures. I'm not saying that some threats aren't real, but the percieved reality of a threat and living in fear is so easily manipulated in today's society it sickens me sometimes.