Hi Ed, I don't perceive hate in the Christians I know. I do perceive dislike / distrust in a lot of people who identify with Christianity against eg Muslims. Hate in committed Christians is something I'm aware of happening: in the Mediaeval Crusades, in the guy in the US who recently wanted to have a 'burn the Koran' day.
I perceive hate in a Christian email I got which highlighted all the negative aspects of Muslim behaviour (Muslim extremists, who are not the average Muslim). The email was basically a cry to arms for Christians to resist Muslims in every area of life for fear of ... everything. The email informed me that if I wanted civilisation to continue, I had to resist Islam, promote Christian values and forward the email to everyone I know. I perceive these things as hate. In the email you were answering, I would suggest that this qualifies as 'recognising / believing you recognise that other people are feeling hate towards certain people / groups of people'. If I didn't come from a Judeo/Christian tradition, how would I perceive these things? (Perhaps the idea is that I shouldn't perceive them at all?) :-) Beverley. ________________________________ From: ED <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, 27 May, 2011 17:14:09 Subject: Re: [Zen] Newbie - hello & question Hi Beverley, In your two quotes below, do you perceive 'hate' in some others, or not? --ED --- In [email protected], Beverley Huish <beverley.huish@...> wrote: > Hi Ed, When you say 'seeing hate in others', do you mean projecting your inner sh*t (for want of a better word) onto other people so that you feel you hate them; or recognising / believing you recognise that other people are feeling hate towards certain people / groups of people? :-) Beverley. Hi Beverley, I think that seeing hate in others is a traditional Judeo-Christian obsession. G-d himself in the Old Testament has set an example and mentions hate sixty times. He was awfully scared of humans that he thought hated him. Attitudes in relationships are usually driven by action/reaction, tit-for-tat, you scratch my back, I scratch yours. Generally speaking, humans hate when others are perceived to have done grievous harm to themselves, to their families and to groups they identify with. In this sense, "hate" or aversion in varying degrees is a normal and natural human reactive behavior. Buddhists may want to eradicate aversion. Good luck to them! --ED > Hi Mayka, > > What you say is true about changing anything through idealism merely being > like >changing a dog's collar.‚ I've never been part of the Christian tradition >(except insofar as all Western European culture is heavily influenced by it). > I know some lovely people who are committed Christians and I know they don't >feel hatred for other people in the way I mentioned before. >As for other religions, I know less about them than Christianity and there's >so >much disrespect, hatred and mistrust around at the moment about other world >religions that I don't want to add to it (especially considering my level of >ignorance about them). I am thankful I live in a country where I am free to >have >my own opinions. > > :-) > > Beverley > I know some lovely people who are committed Christians and I know they don't >feel hatred for other people in the way I mentioned before. >As for other religions, I know less about them than Christianity and there's >so >much disrespect, hatred and mistrust around at the moment about other world >religions that I don't want to add to it (especially considering my level of >ignorance about them). I am thankful I live in a country where I am free to >have >my own opinions.
