We live in a world of lust and hate.

Okay, this was kind of taken from Peter's Schilling's World of Lust and Crime but it fits. So many of the issues we have in this world today stem from two points (okay, I'm sure it really stems from all of the seven deadly sins but just work with me here): lust and hate. Lust has made it so that all things that should be innocent are seen as dirty and hate is what I see so much these days from those who constantly judge, who constantly want others brought down to their level or lower, who say hateful things to others and make assumptions about people instead of taking the time to learn and walk a mile in someone else's shoes. Hate is something I see so much of but there's a lot of lust too and I think the one feeds off the other because lust is not love, lust will never be love because lust sees people as objects and hate does too. Hate fails to look beyond the surface because if you look below the surface, how can you continue to hate? If you try to emphasize, how can that hate continue to burn hotly?

I just don't understand how people can be SO hateful!

I'm struggling with religion right now, struggling with the idea that there is even a god (especially when I see those who profess to believe in god being so hateful themselves) so I can't really say what I believe and don't believe but I do think that there is some sense to the idea that we need to love others, love our neighbors, love our enemies. We need to love because hate is so deadly and so vile. Hate is evil, the very core of evilness. Peace will NEVER exist in this world as long as hate exists.

We can't just love SOME people. We can't pick and choose who to treat with kindness. We must treat ALL with kindness and decency and not judge on what we see on the surface. We should not make assumptions about a person because of age or race or weight or sex or whether that person is on food stamps or any number of these things. We should look at all and try to understand that they may be fighting a battle we cannot see. They may have their own demons that are haunting them. They may have mental problems. We don't know. And what may come easily for us may not come so easily for others. Our experiences may not be theirs and we need to remember that. We can't be looking down on others from our high horses but offer them a ride with us whenever possible.

As for lust, our bodies should not be for sale to be used as objects to be sold for gold. Our children should not be used to invoke emotion, provoke anger. Our children should be seen as innocent because they are CHILDREN. Our girls should not be sold this idea that their only worth is as sexual beings. They should be celebrated for their intelligence and their character, not how pretty they are. A woman's worth should not be based on how skinny she is or how big her breasts are or what size dress she can wear or on her hair/make-up. That is lust, not love. Love is innocent, lust is not. Lust is not love but hate, hatred for love and innocence.

I'm probably not making much sense but just seems that lately all I read is hate, hate and lust, lust and hate and there's no love, no sympathy, no empathy. We are becoming soulless and black and without a thread to anything, just drifting...