HATRED

Hate can do strange things to people!

Visualize if you can the twisted minds of the terrorist we now have in custody. These individuals have known nothing but the fanatical teachings of their religious mentors from their earliest childhood and little of what we say or do will ever change their warped outlook on life.

They have been brainwashed from birth by their religious leaders, force-fed lies, half-truths, and twisted views. All they seek now is death and the paradise that death will supposedly bring to them.

It has been drilled into them that we, the America people, wash ourselves in sinful lust and gluttony, that we pretend to be Disciples of Christ yet spend our days seeking to dominate and enslave others.

They believe we have everything, they have nothing. They believe we think the world is our playground and we take what we want without asking that we live in luxury while their sons and daughters starve and that we support the evil Jews who are just like us.

They say we place evil dictators over them who share our lust for wealth and power and that we pretend to do good in the eyes of others but our hearts are as black as the night sky.

But most of all, they believe we sin against the laws of God and seek to destroy the true word of the Prophet, that we eat unclean food, drink alcohol, work on the holy day of rest, allow our women to shamefully display themselves in public, and that our list of evil is endless.

How do we deal with an enemy who will not listen, who is eaten up inside with hatred, who would rather die and take others into death with them than go against what they have been taught from birth?

Their Imams (everywhere) teach them that they must hate and kill us in order to secure a place in heaven. Jesus teaches us that we should love our enemies. Which do you prefer?

How does such extreme hatred begin; what ferments and spreads it?

I have personally experienced how hatred can eat one up inside, can numb ones mind with thoughts of vengeance, force a person into doing things they would normally consider repulsive, repugnant, even incomprehensible.

In Vietnam, after the sudden death of my best friend, and subsequent deaths of many other friends, I was consumed, completely overwhelmed with hatred. I had one of those twisted minds. I was so obsessed with hateful revenge I went on a lengthy killing spree.

Often, after I settled my platoon into their ambush site many miles from friendly territory, I would sneak away leaving them without a leader, in search of enemy prey. Unfortunately, I was very successful in that grisly and morbid endeavor.

I continued this hate filled quest time after time, until my commander learned of my ugly secret; learned that I had continually placed my men in dire jeopardy, that I had an uncontrollable and insatiable appetite for revenge.

His stern warnings ended my dereliction of duty but did not quench my hatred and addictive urge to kill. It took many years to purge my system of that demon called hate, but true relief did not come until I fully accepted Jesus Christ.

Yes! I know first-hand what bitter depths of despair hate can produce, but how to effectively deal with it is another question.

Yes! It is easy to generate hated but very difficult to overcome it!

My salvation is the teachings of one who taught piece, love, and forgiveness.