18.4.2025

Background

On Good Friday, the Christian religions commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. According to Christian belief, God became human in Jesus Christ and atoned for the sins of humanity with his death. On Good Friday, his suffering is recalled, from his arrest, his interrogation, his conviction, his journey to the place of execution, to his execution on the cross, the gallows of that time.

This was preceded by a life spanning his mid-thirties, during the last two years of which he appeared in public and spread his teachings, which were the starting point of the Christian world religion. These teachings of love, humanity, mercy, understanding, gentleness, and concern for the poor and marginalized differed from those of the religious and political leadership at the time, but found growing popular support and a rapidly growing number of followers.

This growing popularity and the teachings he spread were perceived by the ruling officials, with growing concern and hatred, as competition and a threat that had to be eliminated. After a brief show trial, he was flogged, nailed to a cross by his hands and feet, and died a few hours later.

Hate is always and everywhere

Hatred, in all its forms, has permeated world history. In more recent history, some eighty years ago, hatred against Jews culminated in the systematic murder of six million of them. Some eighty years later, hatred against Jews has experienced a renaissance, fueled by extreme political voices, by Islamists, and from many other sources, without any discernible rationale.

A Russian aggressor who hates freedom has been bombing a neighboring country to the ground for over three years, thereby ruining his own country as well. In America, a president filled with hatred for the entire world—except for subservient puppets and admired dictators—is dismantling the entire political and global economic order and security architecture. Right-wing populist forces are increasingly fueling aversion to migrants as a whole or general emotions such as envy, fear, or discontent. Conversely, predominantly Islamist organizations and individual perpetrators are venting their hatred of non-believers, "the system," or whatever in mass attacks. Countless broken relationships have turned former love into, at times, unspeakable hatred. Hate speech, shitstorms, and—as the little sister of hate—indignation have spread in social media and in political and economic discussions.

Why hate?

Hate is human. Hate feeds on numerous different sources. It arises from real or perceived threats, stress, money, disappointments, isolation and loneliness, anxiety and fear, pressure, misinformation, conspiracy theories, radicalization, envy, dissatisfaction, and many more. Times of crisis like the coronavirus pandemic are accelerators of hate. The reach and speed of social media further fuel it.

But hate is not rational. Hate blocks the mind and blinds. Facts are no longer recognizable, reason is switched off. Hate magnifies its target and the negative as if with a magnifying glass, pushing the positive out of sight. Hate grows rapidly when exchanged exclusively with like-minded people. Hate is a major target, but also the result of propaganda and disinformation. And hate has already ended or destroyed countless lives, including own ones.

And hate knows no winners. The hated experiences aggression and suffers harm. The one who hates isn't really doing well either. Hate isn't a pleasant feeling. Hate is never constructive, never builds anything, but can only destroy.

Good Friday is followed by Easter, which, according to Christian belief, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and thus the victory over evil. One could counter this by saying that even after hundreds of Easter celebrations, hate and evil still have a broad place in reality. But Easter can be a reminder that it is up to each individual to decide to what extent one embraces hate and thereby make it even more powerful—or not.

We wish you all a happy Easter celebration.