Serious question: Why do we have the ability to feel hatred? What does it do that is positive?

Question

Most of our emotions have a positive reason for existing. The only positive reason I can see for hatred and hating is if we hate violence, bigotry, intolerance, and ignorance. What are your thoughts on this? I believe hatred for the most part is taught to us by others.

Answer 1

I haven't figured that one out yet. I mean, I understand the evolutionary basis for happiness, love, fear, suspicion, etc... but I still don't get hatred. It doesn't serve any useful purpose and is usually completely irrational and destructive. I don't know if "hate" properly describes what I feel for violence, bigotry, intolerance and ignorance... I don't know what WOULD properly describe my feelings, but I'm not sure it's hate.

Someone else suggested that "hate" is a kind of "fear". I've heard this before and I don't subscribe to it. I don't "fear" seafood anymore than I "fear" waiting in traffic for an hour. I don't "fear" coming across ignorance and bigotry... I just feel... possibly something close to hate but possibly not quite.

Answer 2

Don't know if it is taught to us. One can hate an inanimate object or action (I hate heights, I hate spinach, I hate the rollercoaster). First and third examples of hate are borne of healthy fear while the second is a deep personal preference. None are wrong.

But applying hatred to our emotions which are directed toward another human being comes from, ahem *satan*. It's not of God in this sense. And of course hatred breeds such children as jealousy, intolerance, and bigotry towards others.

Answer 3

Good question, Deb. Hatred is just one of our many emotions. Fortunately, one who believes Jesus is no longer tied, or a slave, to this or any emotion and may choose to not wallow in it's toxic effects.

Hatred is also an attribute of God. Yes, there are things that the loving God hates. So our hatred is based of our being created in His image. Unfortunately, this also has been corrupted by sin so that we don't often use hatred as it was intended to be used. Most human hatred is spawned by not getting our own way.

Here is a brief example of things God hates from Proverbs 6:

16These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him:

17A proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others], a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

18A heart that manufactures wicked thoughts and plans, feet that are swift in running to evil,

19A false witness who breathes out lies [even under oath], and he who sows discord among his brethren.

SO hate does have a positive side, it does serve a Holy purpose. TO understand it better we must study what God/Jesus does with His hatred.

Answer 4

Hatred is also a defense mechanism develop by the human mind. It is the instinct to destroy ones enemy in order to survive. It should be noted that hatred is also observed among other forms of animals such as dogs and elephants. There are instances wherein dogs and elephants never forget those that they perceive cause them harm.

Hatred is not per se harmful or evil. Christians hate satan. Is it wrong? Have you ever prayed for satan to find his way back to your God? Hatred in this instance is self preservation, the preservation of your belief.

Answer 5

Your can make a pretty long list of things to hate; pedophiles, mass murderers, bullies, rapists, thieves, drug peddlers, cursers, animal abusers, child neglecters, thieves, ....... and pretty soon your mind is full of and crippled with hate. Knowing that something is wrong is not the same as hatred. Hatred only makes the person with the hate feel bad and, like a drug, keeps them from clearly seeing all of their options to try to correct things that are not right. People being hated usually don't care.

Answer 6

Can we know good without evil? Is there faith without doubt? Does love exist in the absence of hatred?

If only we had the answers. I do know this. In God's world, we get the Yin with the Yang. And some days, that's hard to take.

Dreams of no anger,
a safe little dolly house,
those dreams went away.

Answer 7

I think hatred is a left over, instinctual response from when we all lived in tight knit insular communities or tribes. When that was true, anyone who was a stranger or who was different, could be a danger to the very existence of the group. Such threats were dealt with quickly and violently. Fortunately, we don't need those responses anymore, and many, many people are growing out of them.

Answer 8

Hatred or anger?

Anger can be unhealthy if supressed or lashed out. It hurts us and those around us.
Anger usually comes about when:
-we are hurt
-something we can't control is in the equation
-someone else is being hurt (a wrong being done)

So, how we deal with this anger is very important. We need to confront others gently when the time comes.

Answer 9

I see hatred as one of the defilements that come from the heart that Jesus spoke of at Matthew 15:

18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.

As He also taught, good fruit comes from a good tree; bad fruit from a bad tree. Those who hate are "bad trees" and cannot produce the fruit of the spirit.

Peace.

Answer 10

The Delphic Oracle is right. Hate is fear and we have fear as a natural self-protection just like any animal. If we would like to be something more than mere animals, we have to be able to control many of our natural self-protective tendencies by seeing our own tendencies for what they are and consciously deciding how much to be influenced by them. Being fearless doesn't mean walking over a cliff. It means being able to approach a danger by using knowledge- not fear- to keep yourself safe.
And some hate is indeed taught by others, but people who teach hate are not maximizing their potential as human beings and are trying to keep other stuck (because misery loves company) in animal-level thought. So as strange as it seems, if you are able to rise above hate, it is best to refuse to hate people who are hateful because hating them only reinforces their instinctual ideas. Hate cannot be conquered by hate any more than fire can be extinguished by more fire.
Thanks for a nice question, Debra.