I was sitting on my couch on a recent Saturday evening and Dan's comment to this blog (an old one that had been hanging out on the internet, not bothering anyone or attracting any particular attention for more than a year) showed up on my computer. I have a policy against obscenity, so I erased it.

Dan had it out for Christians and George Bush (odd, I thought, since no one mentioned him). Something in him had been violated by some evangelical Christian somewhere, and he was taking it out on the blog, calling us a variety of vulgar names.

I actually appreciated Dan chiming in. We get too insular as Christians. We need to experience the written or verbal lash of those who violently disagree with us. My first instinct was to respond in kind, but after settling myself down, I wrote him this in response:

"Hey Dan - are you normally this angry in your emails? You throw stones at random people you don't even know. Whatever belief you're preaching, consider whether this kind of random anger is what you'd want in a friend. Maybe it's what you get from your friends, but it isn't cool.

"I'm not some religious freak. I'm a normal guy with five kids trying to figure out life down here on earth. All of us are in the same boat that way - I hope that humility comes thru in the blog. If it doesn't, I apologize. If you knew me you'd see that I don't shove stuff down people's throats. - seth"

Interestingly, Dan didn't respond.

So, my question to you, my gentle reader, is: Did you ever have anyone hate you? How did you respond and how are you responding even today?