WDWHound
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2000
- Messages
- 5,895
Hate is a very powerful word, with very powerful meaning. To hate something is to detest it and, in some cases, to want to destroy it. It is the exact opposite of love. It is an all consuming passion akin to rage. True hate is destructive both to the person who hates and the person being hated. Hate is driven by anger and often is accompanied by fear.
Recently, I have seen many references on the DIS and on other sites to "hate speak" and being "hateful" and it concerns me a great deal. In my opinion, being against something does not imply being hateful of that something. It may be disrespectful, but doesn't mean its hateful.
For example, many folks on th DIS speak openly about their dislike of organized religion, some going so far as to say they find it to be destructive. I am a participant in an organized religion, but I don't find such comments hateful, even when they openly attack something I find valuable and deeply meaningful. In some cases they are disrespectful, but disrespect is not hate. Even if they sought to outlaw religion (as once was proposed on the Debate board), I wouldn't find that hateful. Such and effort might be misguided, ignorant and disrespectful, but that is very different from hateful.
On a recent locked thread, some equated believing homosexuality is a sin to "hate speech". While their are certainly those who hate gay people (anger and fear probably play a huge role in this case), not all of the people who believe homosexuality is a sin are driven by hatred any more than all of those who are against organized religion hate its participants.
My point here is that that the taking of any given position does not implie hatred unless that position includes something directly angry or destructive. For example, to say that all Basset Hounds should be put to death because they look funny is a hateful statement, to say that breeding Basset Hounds should not be legal is not.
Hate is a strong work which represents a very dark and destructive emotion. This is why society seeks to root out and destroy it wherever it is found. I think we should be careful to not us the word where it does not apply, as the consequence of being accused of hatred can be very extreme. Many opinions that are labeled as hate that may simply be wrong, ignorant, disrespectful or sometimes just very different that the accepted norm (the worst thing of all). I personally feel we use this, one of the most powerful words in the English language, in too many cases where it does not apply.
Recently, I have seen many references on the DIS and on other sites to "hate speak" and being "hateful" and it concerns me a great deal. In my opinion, being against something does not imply being hateful of that something. It may be disrespectful, but doesn't mean its hateful.
For example, many folks on th DIS speak openly about their dislike of organized religion, some going so far as to say they find it to be destructive. I am a participant in an organized religion, but I don't find such comments hateful, even when they openly attack something I find valuable and deeply meaningful. In some cases they are disrespectful, but disrespect is not hate. Even if they sought to outlaw religion (as once was proposed on the Debate board), I wouldn't find that hateful. Such and effort might be misguided, ignorant and disrespectful, but that is very different from hateful.
On a recent locked thread, some equated believing homosexuality is a sin to "hate speech". While their are certainly those who hate gay people (anger and fear probably play a huge role in this case), not all of the people who believe homosexuality is a sin are driven by hatred any more than all of those who are against organized religion hate its participants.
My point here is that that the taking of any given position does not implie hatred unless that position includes something directly angry or destructive. For example, to say that all Basset Hounds should be put to death because they look funny is a hateful statement, to say that breeding Basset Hounds should not be legal is not.
Hate is a strong work which represents a very dark and destructive emotion. This is why society seeks to root out and destroy it wherever it is found. I think we should be careful to not us the word where it does not apply, as the consequence of being accused of hatred can be very extreme. Many opinions that are labeled as hate that may simply be wrong, ignorant, disrespectful or sometimes just very different that the accepted norm (the worst thing of all). I personally feel we use this, one of the most powerful words in the English language, in too many cases where it does not apply.
