whether you're a christian, atheist, or something else... are you really that surprised?

If I don't get hate mail, then I'm doing something wrong.

Giz

When anyone starts throwing out insults over the internet their comments are probably be read by not only people who are offended, but by people who have some mental health problems. When the comments are about subjects like religion, abortion, politics, gay rights, etc. they can strike very deeply into the very core of many people.

Personally, I believe in karmic law. If you throw it out, it comes back for you.

Now when other people ask questions, I do not think it is so much what they ask, but how they word the question that cause people to react in various ways.

As a whole, I think most people respond politely when a question is structured well. I know that when I ask a question on a sensitive subject I am much more careful with my wording than I would normally be. Of course, you still have people who see certain words and their emotions trigger words that get typed into their computers before being filtered through their brain.

It's stupid when people send hate mail just based on my response to a question when I am just giving my honest opinion. I am a Jedi Unitarian Universalist. Others can believe whatever they want.

As far as the person you are referring to, I am not surprised that scamming people resulted in hate mail and death threats.

However, I suppose it is like when the Dixie Chicks said they were against the war - they received death threats just for their opinions. Ridiculous.

Eh, I don't know. I'm not terribly surprised when I get a random email from someone who disagrees with me but I don't consider that "hate mail."

When I get email that is threatening or just filled with nothing but profanity and really nasty name calling I'm a little surprised. I say things here that I'm sure people don't agree with but I can't think of anything I've ever said that would justify physical threats (towards me and my family) and just really ugly name calling. I don't do that to other people and I can't even put myself in a frame of mind where I would do something like that. I think it's a special kind of person that does that.

Yeah, I'm a little surprised and I don't want to get all that comfortable with it.

I almost like hate-mail because I love debates, so I always reply back. Of course, I don't get much hate mail, and the only I do get is because I just have that kind of personality - I just don't notice when i'm being horrible!

the issues discussed on this section of YA are usually hot button issues or controversial, so people like to pick sides

so of course you're going to offend 50% of the people who read your question

i just think most people are arrogant and demand to prove to everyone that they have the "right" answers

well, i believe what i want to believe and i'm going to live my life that way no matter what someone tells me in an email. in the end, i think we'll all be subjected to judgment and then decisions will be made

but as for now, i'm just chillin

No. I'm surprised when I get hate mail for no apparent reason. It's so unnecessary. I mean, I certainly don't hate anyone *nearly* that much.

I allow IM and email and I have never gotten hate mail or anything like that.

People who doesn't believe in Christ hates me a lot. Im a Christian and i always will fight for what i believe in. Some tries to bring me down others insults me but I dont get surprised and no one can ever shake my faith in the Lord.

John 15:19 "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

I believe in this verse so much.

I haven't received hate mail (yet), but then I do try to be reasonable in my answers on Y!A.