God hates fags. Burn the Qur'an. The president is a Muslim socialist.
Jews control the media. Immigrants are invading America...
Hate is as American as apple pie. A sentiment stitched into the fabric
of national life from the early stirrings of Revolution in the
colonies (they hated the old rulers across the Atlantic) to
contemporary feelings about the government (we hate the rulers in
Congress). What's most striking about this embedded and endemic force
circulating through the body politic for all these years is just how
valuable hatred can be for some segments of our culture; so valuable
that hatred can be sacred for some.
Perhaps religion itself, at some early evolutionary point in human
history, emerged not as an outgrowth of altruism or loving bonds
between community members, but rather as a result of hateful
differences between groups. Religion has a rich history of promoting
hate and gaining rewards from this hatred: more faithful adherents for
sure, but also at times material wealth, political power, and social
authority. The notion that religion contributes to the social emphasis
on hate and plays a role in the effervescent energies devoted to
stirring up hateful sentiment is elementary to many students and
observers on the subject. In the U.S., hate is a driver constantly
shaping and reshaping the religious landscape.
Case in point: Just look at how hate brought the religious margins
directly into the mainstream, as was recently evident with the planned
Qur'an burning in North Florida. While the church itself came from the
fringe, it certainly resonated throughout American culture due, most
likely, to a much larger and more widespread fear and hatred of
Muslims. Hate can also bring the religious mainstream out into the
convoluted lives of marginal characters who can inflict awful harm on
those singled out as objects of hatred; as is the case in the recent
brutal attacks on gays. The culture of hate emanating from many in the
mainstream religious right—hatred of "Obamacare," of government,
Muslims, abortion, or gays—will continue to spur individuals to action
bent on destroying the enemy in the name of… some higher principle, a
sacred law, God?
Politics thrives on hate as well, though politicians get value-added,
religious-tinged benefits from naming an enemy who is not simply one
who disagrees with a point of view, but is identified as the most
vital threat to public order, the moral good, and national life. What
are the values added? Fear, a tried and true ingredient for
consolidating social power and sharpening the line between insiders
and outsiders; a scapegoat—if not for the sins of the community, then
at least as a useful distraction from community failures and sins; and
retaliatory possibilities—every crowd worked into a frenzy over whom
to hate wants to be simultaneously protective and aggressive, while
our gun-crazy, militarized culture points the way (in the name of God,
blow 'em up!).
Hasn't it always been this way? Pick any decade from American history
and you can find political leaders encouraging hate—both to protect
American values and interests and to strengthen the civil religious
ties that are supposed to bind us all together. Hate the English, hate
the French, hate the Spanish, hate the Japanese, hate the Germans,
hate the Koreans, hate the Vietnamese, hate the Russians, hate the
Iraqis, and so on for the so-called "foreign" enemies to fear. On the
domestic side, the list comes too easily: hate Indians, hate blacks,
hate Jews, hate anarchists, hate war protestors, hate government, hate
the North, hate the South, hate the gays….
Aside from the raw political value of hate, think of the potential for
media exposure when you are a religious hater. When the Dalai Lama
comes to town (to start with a counter-example) with monks, cultural
activities, and lectures, the fundamental core of his
teaching—compassion—is a media buzzkill. Even with Richard Gere in
tow, his visits are mostly ignored by journalists, bloggers, and news
celebrities, as well as their audiences. Love for your fellow man and
kindness to your neighbor just isn't as appealing as calling your
opponent Hitler or burning the sacred text from a different faith. Why
is that? Maybe we should take a survey.
The media, of course, is not the only culprit in promoting a culture
that values hate; though its unofficial motto, if it bleeds it leads,
does suggest some degree of culpability. A brief glance across news
shows and sites suggests that hate stories—not just hate crimes, a
relatively new legal designation, but also stories that focus on
conflict and hostility based on passionate dislike for the other—are
staples in news media. Additionally and beyond the news, so much of
popular culture is fueled by depictions of hate and difference
overcome by cruel violence. Whether it's the cowboys killing the
savage Indians, the space hero destroying the ruthless aliens, or the
soldier slicing the enemy's throat, hate is elemental in the
entertainment industry. Do we even need to bring up shooter video
games like Bioshock, Resistance: Fall of Man, and Crysis in a
discussion of the value of hate in media?
Though all this talk of hate and what seems like constant fighting and
warfare has left me at a loss for words, these Clash lyrics seem to
capture the essence quite nicely:
Hate and War, the only things we got today
And if I close my eyes
They will not go away
You have to deal with it
It is the currency
Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate...
More:
http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/atheologies/3650/hate,_an_american_voter_value
--
Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time.
Have a great day,
Tommy
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