Comments on: Are all hatreds alike?–becoming “just like them”

By: Sergey

Sergey — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 16:01:56 +0000

There is a powerful impulse to bend and redress Christianity in hippie style. Leo Tolstoy tried it in Russia. That is true that Christianity (not Islam, as Pope recently demonstrated) IS religion of peace; but it is not religion of peaceniks! “Not peace I brought, but sword”. It also does not reject capital punishment. Jesus said about child molesters: “It would be better for them to tie millstone on their neck and throw them in water”. It includes such conceptions as just war — and Armageddon. For recent examples, see William J. Bennett’s Why We Fight: Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism or modern Catholic theologian George Weigel, “Moral Clarity in a Time of War.

By: a guy in pajamas

a guy in pajamas — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 08:46:29 +0000

stumbley and Ariel: I see what stumbley means, but I still think indifference doesn’t produce murder (though it wouldn’t prevent murder, either). Ariel’s distinction seems pretty reasonable; dehumanized hatred vs. personal hatred makes sense. I do think dehumanized hatred is still a strong motivation, not a form of indifference. The killer (to take the extreme example) still has a tremendous desire to cause pain / suffering / death, but the specific object doesn’t matter as long as he / she belongs to the class of targets.

Thanks, guys.

By: Lee

Lee — Sat, 10 Feb 2007 00:41:53 +0000

Said with thick French accent: “Now, go away, or I shall taunt you a second time!”.

By: stumbley

stumbley — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 23:47:48 +0000

PJ: I postulate that to "hate" someone, you must have deep feeling for them, you must care what happens to them—otherwise, why would you spend the time and effort to criticize/post blog entries/send hate mail/call in the middle of the night/slash tires/attempt to murder/actually murder—see where I'm going? Beheading someone is much like what Ariel describes, the dispatching of an obstacle, an object. There's a certain amount of indifference to suffering and/or humanity there. Hate is a powerful emotion; indifference is lack of emotion. I submit that jihadists are indifferent to those they murder; the victims are just objects or pawns in a larger game.

By: Captain Hoo-Hah

Captain Hoo-Hah — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 19:58:06 +0000

No, because this is an act against the French, whom Captain Hoo-Hah does not approve of, since they consider Jerry Lewis funny.

(Captain Hoo-Hah, as demi-god of slapstick humor, does not approve of Jerry, whom he considers terminally unfunny.)

By: Ariel

Ariel — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 12:18:50 +0000

I will likely put this clumsily but here goes: personal hatred, the kind we feel for someone specific does involve stumbley’s knot, but dehumanized hatred does not have this tie. Hatred for those dehumanized is cold, methodical, and cruel, you have no deep care or attachment to them, they are simply symbolic obstacles which must be removed to further your goals. The only thought spent on them is to continue their dehumanization.

By: a guy in pajamas

a guy in pajamas — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 09:49:02 +0000

me: “I don’t buy this. Do you have supporting evidence?”

stumbley: You’re kidding, right? But if not, I offer up Ahab:

I don’t consider literary characters that representative of humanity. I made it clear I was exploring the topic. You may be right, but I’m unconvinced at the moment.

Also, indifference isn’t nearly that bad. There must be some motivation for beheading someone; even the random killer has a reason for killing, though not necessarily a reason for killing that specific person. Utter indifference would mean they don’t care if you die, not that they would kill you.

By: Lee

Lee — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 05:56:10 +0000

Victory Cabbage, maybe?

By: Ymarsakar

Ymarsakar — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 04:56:58 +0000

I don’t eat Freedom Fries, Talkin. Does that count as hating freedom?

By: Good Ole Charlie

Good Ole Charlie — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 02:01:12 +0000

A. Nony Moose:

So you’re “in the profession” so to speak? May I inquire which seminary was graced by your presence?

My wife was a research librarian at Harvard Divinity School when I first met her. So I have a mild interest…

Ever hear of Arthur Darby Knox? Just curious on that one…