What is love? as defined in the article "Why We Should Love Osama Bin Laden" (see below)?

Question

http://www.near-death.com/experiences/editorial03.html

Please actually read the article.
I agree that Osama Bin Laden is just ignorant, and not evil.

Thank you for your answers so far.

Answer 1

I completely agree with the essence of this article. One of the fundamental themes that weaves through every major religion is "love your enemy." When Osama engages in violence against the West, he's violating Muslim tenets. And when Christians look to murder Osama, they're violating Jesus' teachings. It's as simple as that.

The article, as far as I can see, doesn't define love. But it's talking about the kind of love that involves perceiving others as oneself. Most of us, myself included, aren't capable of that kind of love. But I think the purpose of religion - and life, really - is to strive toward that kind of loving perception that embraces everyone, even the Osamas of the world.

Some people are going to think this is idealistic and impractical. But I believe that nothing is more practical than this kind of idealism. When we hate those who hate us, we only strengthen their hatred. When we love those who hate us, there's a possibility of transformation. Jesus, Buddha, Lao-Tzu, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., every great philosopher and psychologist has been in agreement on this.

And by the way, the kind of love I'm talking about doesn't mean that you need to feel warm and fuzzy feelings towards terrorists, or that you should keep letting your husband beat you. It has more to do with how you perceive yourself in relation to others, how you treat people, and how you respond when someone harms you.

Not trying to lecture anyone. That's just how I look at it.

Answer 2

I think Kevin Williams has an abnormal view of love and hate. You can't hate a person unless you love him first? That's a complete non-sequitur. He also claims that true evil doesn't exist, that it's only distorted goodness. Such sophistry simply dilutes the meaning of these words until they're meaningless.

And I strongly disagree with his baseless assertion that all people should be loved unconditionally. I think it would be nice if love were the default position we show toward strangers, but it's unhealthy and downright dangerous to love a person who hates you and means you harm, whether that person is a terrorist or an abusive spouse.

It's hard to say what love is as defined by Mr. Williams, because he's diluted the word to meaninglessness. If you're looking for a definition of love, I suggest you look elsewhere.

Answer 3

You guys just don't get it. I at least understand the point of the
article. and from a certain perspective it is correct. I just don't
hold with that point of view.

I need to address something at this point.

Killing someone is not necessarily murder. In simpke terms, if
you kill an innocent (people in the twin towers) it is murder.
If on the other hand you kill a mad dog killer (Osama) you are merely ridding the world of a mad dog.

But it is necessary to understand one thing, when you kill.
everything EVERYTHINGM changes You come out the other side a different person.

By the common usage, not the dictionary definition, love and hate
can exist seperately.

I myself, never use the word hate. Its to strong a word. I can,
however, dislike someone intensly.

Answer 4

when a dog attackers a human being and causes great damage do we think the dogs evil ,NO! But for our own safety we have it put down , following the philosophers chain of thought we should leave him in our midst with the constant danger to us all . Philosophers often spouted rubbish partly because they wished to seam enlightened and above the general crowd , but of course most of them were rich with heavy private guards not so for the normal human beings who had to suffer for there benevolence
It is easy to quote so called enlightened people but for every quote there is a counter quote.AN EYE FOR AN EYE , The bible,Old testiment

Answer 5

I think Osama has been dead for a while. I doubt if he survived long after the invasion of Afghanistan. Moving and mantaining the medical equipment he needed to keep his blood flushed out (he had kidney failure) would have made him to easy to locate.

Answer 6

You do keep in mind that Bin encumbered worked for the CIA do not you? There in lies the conspiracy connection for them. there is no "love" of Bin encumbered. you really did not make the relationship of what they have been putting forward all alongside. BTW, i do not unavoidably purchase into it. although in fact that they don't love OBL both.

Answer 7

Human nature is all about love because out of love God created human kind. So, it is logical for all mankind to love one another as the Creator loves us first. As Osama is a human person, we should also love him.

Answer 8

The guy who wrote that should put down his crackpipe and understand that Osama ibn Laden is a terrorist. Period.

Answer 9

no, I don't love osama man. I don't fuckin know osama, he probably smells bad and is a gay homosexual who has a lot of hang ups with toilet paper, not least due to the fact, BECAUSE HE WAS THE GUY WHO TOLD IDIOTS TO SMASH PLANES INTO A BUILDING. I don't love people like that--their not lovable. Their just creepy and fucked up. It has nothing to do with hate, or whether I hate him for his actions, I am indifferent to him, and if I met him, I would beat the **** out of him as DUTY for my country...(that is, if no repercutions came on me--such as death--only man to man fight), otherwise I would just report where he was to authorities. Don't you gay fascists realize THAT IF YOU LOVE EVERYBODY LIKE THAT--even the smelly people you don't even know on EARTH...love becomes MEANINGLESS...

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH "QUELCHING" HATRED---IT HAS TO DO THAT YOU DON'T LOVE A SMELLY GAY *** HOMOSEXUAL NAMED OSAMA BIN LADEN...its the equivalent of making friends with a guy who lives in a basement and has no life and all he speaks is about like star trek...I am not going to befriend that guy, as much as a mass murderer, or yes, Osama bin ladin, its just fuckin gay, and a waste of my time. I get no "bonding" from people like that---only people that are good and casual--people who beleive allah is like telling others to kill, I have no frienken connectioin with..DO YOU GET IT?

do you FEEL love for osama? or for the homeless guy around the corner? do you HONESTLY FEEL--love, for a mass murderer you have never met? NO, then you don't love him. Otherwise, your just a hypocritical gay homosexual and should not warrant love but be castrated and you don't prize love and therefore make it meaningless..also due to the fact, that you are a stupid gay homosexual.

read this answer, and you will see my REASONABLE meaning of love

*****

Ok, I felt, like getting phylosophicalon your *** now, I thought it was so obvious that it was SELF-EVIDENT, but apparently not, there are many retards taht walk this Earth (so I am actually, going to give you a serious explanatio for once)::

lets put it this way...if you REALLY don't hate osama...then why do you feel compelled to have to "love him"-a random person-- you have to categorize him as enemy right? but is he YOUR enemy, no, you never met him...so why would you LOVE a random idiot extremist arab, you CANNOT EVEN UNDERSTAND, who probably smells bad, that you don't relate to at all? why? why, unless, you had some inner hang up like say, hatred? because, as you just admitted (the article), he is your enemy?"love your ENEMY"

are you not an inner hypocrit then?



so are you not being hypocritical by categorizing him as your enemy? he has not done anything to you personally, so:

let me drop some logic on you

if
(a), you don't know him
(b) has not done anything personally to you
(c) only thing you have seen him do is crash planes that killed other people
(d) you categorize him as YOUR enemy

then, there must be SOME reason why you have something AGAINST HIM for him to be YOUR enemy, other than the 4 reasons (a-d)..

therefore, it seems that the very fact of your acknoledgement of "loving enemy" --means you acknoledge there is a reason for him being your enemy...

such as inner resentment, dislike, or hatred...in such a case...why don't you just get rid of this hang up, and you will see that loving a dirty gay homosexual called Osama is not necessary..?

furthermore, if you REALLY want to love him, then it makes sense, you just get rid of this flawed hang up and then you will have no compulsion to love a random guy you don't even know.

I hope someone understands this time. jesus christ.

Answer 10

LOVE is how u love ur self. With respect and dignity. and not counting errors