Hate...I don't get it

I have been paying a great deal of attention to politics lately. Not that I didn't pay attention before, I just seem to spend more time examining the issues and the various points of view as we approach a presidential election. The thing that strikes me the most is the hate.

You see this in religion. I was once told that the primary difference between different branches of Judaism is how the view they Torah. Some say it was literally written by God. Some say it was written by men as God dictated it to them and some say it was written by men who were inspired by God. So what seems like a relatively slight difference is actually the cause of an enormous schism. This is apparent when Evangelicals say Romney is not Christian because he believes in additional scripture and has a different view of the relationship between Jesus Christ and God the father. Both say Christ is the Savior of the world but because they are not in complete agreement on all things they hate.

The same thing seems to be happening in politics. The voices we hear on the news and the people who comment on news stories are filled with hate toward anyone with an opposing point of view. It is almost like the political parties have become the Israelis and the Palestinians. If a Republican said it then a Democrat won't even consider any merits of the comment and vice versa. I just don't understand that.

I think understanding the perspective of others makes life richer. Even if you disagree with their view point you at least gain understanding into how they think and, more likely than not, how others perceive things. Just because someone has differing opinions from you does not mean they are evil and you should hate them.

Too often conversation devolves into insults with each calling the other an idiot. I suspect this is because most people would rather be right than be educated. It may also be that they place no value on the other person so do not take the time to understand them.

I have found that some of the most enriching conversations I have had were with people who had a differing point of view, but only when there is genuine interest to understand and learn from each other. What most frequently happens in those conversations is that both parties learn new facts that slightly alter their perspective so that both are better for having had the conversation. Even when one person has all the facts and the other does not, the person with all the facts learns how missing one piece of information can change perceptions. It is enriching, but only if it remains civil.

I simply do not understand relying on hate rather than measured conversation and debate when there is so much at stake.