Obviously, I understand that human beings are not robots. We have our passions, we have our feelings, and we don't take kindly to having those things disturbed. However, I believe there is a time in every child's life when they should learn certain vital life lessons. For example, if you leave primary school continuing to think that if someone disagrees with you, that automatically means they hate you, you messed up.
How is it, then, that so many adults not only continue this childish mindset, but insist on basing their arguments upon it? Why, for example, did I just see a physically mature woman respond to a scientist discussing the mythical gay gene by saying "he probably hates gay people"?
The irony is, arguing from emotion is the best way to flare mine up. It makes me angry to a nigh uncontrollable degree when people do this. I even have a "special" reason for this when it comes to the LGBT discussion, for I myself am an ex-gay. In other words, not only do I very much not hate gay people, I can actually empathise with them. So tell me, what sense does it make to say I hate gay people? Transphobic, homophobic, surely you can understand, given my history, why these stupid labels make me angry? It infuriates me to the point where my Christian faith is the one and only thing that keeps me controlled. I certainly do not hate gay people, but it takes all the faith I have to not hate people who call me homophobic.
And that's just the LGBT issue. It seems to me there isn't a single issue on this earth where some idiot won't accuse dissenting voices of some form of hatred and bigotry. The modern world just seems incapable of grasping the concept that even if some people are wrong, they may nevertheless be both sincere in their reasoning, and compassionate towards those who disagree. It is the height of childishness to believe everyone who disagrees with you is hateful, and the irony is this pathetic mindset stems from hatred. You are the one who hates dissenters.
We live in a diverse world. As of March 2020, the human population has reached nearly 8 billion. I guarantee you, whether you're in a minority, or a majority, many people disagree with you on every opinion you hold. Some of them are bigots. I've met a fair few of them in my life. Suffice to say, when a man's response to losing a debate with you is to find out what college you go to and threaten to show up and attack you, he probably hates you. But not everyone who disagrees with you hates you. It is 100% possible, and even likely, that people disagree with you for intellectual reasons. You don't have to hate gay people to disagree with gay "marriage". You don't have to hate trans people to believe gender is a binary biological norm. You don't have to hate women to believe abortion is murder. You don't have to hate black people to support voter ID (!!!). But you do have to be a rational adult to discuss these issues.
And unfortunately, that's where all the problems come from. The most vocal and passionate individuals in these discussions tend to be those who aren't mature enough to have them. If you do not know how to disagree with people in a civilised manner, which includes not attributing their beliefs to some hidden malice you have no business assuming they have, you should not be having these discussions, because that is not a discussion you're having. Frankly, it's really just bullying. You're not using reason to change people's opinions, you're using pressure to force them to act like they agree with you, even if they don't. Accusing people of hatred when they disagree with you isn't constructive, it's childish and pathetic. It adds nothing to the conversation, and so if that's what you have to bring, go away. Leave the room, go sit in the sand box, and don't come back until you've learned some basic reasoning skills.