What's With All The Religious Hate?
An informal word-count turns a feeling into a 3-to-1 fact, and a challenge to anyone who leads with the smaller number.
It’s astonishing how much religious hate exists in the world today. The idea of hating evil is understandable; most people agree that pure evil should be hated. But even if we assume every ounce of it is justified, a question remains: where is the love?
Curious about the imbalance, I ran an informal search of a digital library of texts accepted as “authentic” by Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. The results were telling: the word “love” returned 1,145 results where “hate” returned 338, roughly a 3-to-1 imbalance.
“Love” appears 1,145 times. “Hate,” 338. Roughly a 3-to-1 imbalance, in the text itself. Informal word-count · Jewish, Christian and Islamic texts
The emphasis on hate doesn’t hold water. Even where righteous disdain is justified, the question stands: are we as zealous about loving our neighbor as we are about what we oppose? How are we showing up for the vulnerable, the different, and the less fortunate?
For a believing person, it all begins with loving yourself, acknowledging that you were created in the image of God. Self-love isn’t narcissism; it’s recognizing your inherent worth. Once you truly embrace this, love spreads. Love is infectious.
(From a Kabbalistic viewpoint, our prayers and good deeds hold significantly less value when performed without love, analogous to a body without a soul. See Tanya, Likkutei Amarim, Chapters 38 & 39, and Tikunei Zohar 25b.)
What if we committed to loving everything else three times as much as we hate? Imagine the impact if love, not hate, were the guiding force.
10 Verses on Love from the Tanach
- Leviticus 19:18: “Love your fellow as yourself.”
- Leviticus 19:34: The strangers who reside with you shall be to you as your citizens; you shall love each one as yourself.
- Exodus 34:6: The Lord, the Lord, mighty, merciful and gracious, abundant in love and truth.
- Deuteronomy 11:13: Love YHWH your God and serve Him with all your heart.
- Psalms 23:6: Only goodness and steadfast love shall pursue me all the days of my life.
- Psalms 130:7: With the Lord is steadfast love and great power to redeem.
- Psalms 89:3: Your steadfast love is confirmed forever.
- Song of Songs 1:4: Let us delight and rejoice in your love.
- Jeremiah 2:2: Your love as a bride, how you followed Me in the wilderness.
- Psalms 119:97: O how I love Your teaching! It is my study all day long.
