Isn't that part of the preaching, to love all, to love thy enemis too. Can you love everyone would be the realist question here. By loving everyone including your enemies, wouldn't that in turn make you a very poor judge of character. By loving everyone, wouldn't that make the word Love just a word and not a deep feeling. By loving everyone wouldn't that make you one and the same with everyone else leaving you raped of your individuality.
2006-12-22 04:14:48 · 12 answers · asked by Enterrador 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Its a good question, and well thought out, which made me think. An enemy according to me can be defined as someone who
1. Does not like us ( because we are bad or they are jealous of us)
2. Does not make us feel good (constantly demeaning, back biting etc)
3. Is harmful to our very existance (wants to kill us)
4. Jeopadizes our own growth.
add any thing you want,
To love them needs knowledge on why they behave the way they behave, understanding is important because knowledge is light. Based on this we can be proactive and not reactive. When we react we are dealing with out emotions, and when we proact we are studying them with the available knowledge.
Doing this is an act of love, we are reaching out to them, helping them understand there are ways to resolve issues, when we use this approach they will feel respected and accepted. Loving the enemy is an art, needs patience, and knowledge. If the enemy is destructive, it is our duty to safe guard ourselves and not behave the way they behave. Why would we be a threat to the enemy, he is going to over react to this and cause more distruction. When you make your enemy your friend this is surely an act of love, the enemy feels accepted, you clear his thinking by improving communication and relationship. We give him respect and he inturn wants to give us respect. I think it is easy!
2006-12-22 04:38:41 · answer #1 · answered by thachu5 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is true that the scriptures teach us to love our enemies. Most people, however, have an imperfect understanding of what this means. The Greek language (that is to say, Koine Greek - the language in which the so-called New Testament was written) has four different words for love and the one here rendered in the phrase “love your enemies” is agape - it is love based on principle. It may or may not be accompanied by affection. This is the same love we are to show in obedience to the commandment “you must love your neighbor as yourself.” Think of the so-called Good Samaritan. He showed love of neighbor. He had absolutely no affection for the man to whom he showed love – indeed the man was a total stranger. But the Samaritan showed principled love to not only a total stranger but one who was a Jew. And he did this even though he knew how Jews felt about Samaritans.
Loving our enemies does not make us a poor judge of character, no. And our showing principled love for everyone does not rob us of our individuality in the least. Showing hostility to our enemies however does rob us of our individuality because we only follow the crowd in this behavior. And following the crowd never underscores individuality – on the contrary, it destroys it, yes?
Hannah
2006-12-22 12:24:49 · answer #2 · answered by Hannah J Paul 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Loving someone does not mean you no longer have common sense. You still must judge a persons character for the safety of yourself and your loved ones. Other people are no different than you in that we are all sinners. Loving others will never "rape" you of your individuality it can only enhance it!
2006-12-22 12:29:34 · answer #3 · answered by gtahvfaith 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You really have a way of twisting things around. I will give you credit for that. Whether you want to believe it or not, we are all children of God, which makes us all brothers and sisters. You can love someone but hate the things they do. A parent loves their child, but still punishes them when they are wrong. Love doesn't mean you should be blindly tolerant of another person's actions or beliefs.
God Bless you and Merry Christmas.
2006-12-22 12:25:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You learn to have compassion for your "enemy", not "love" in the sense that you give them free leave to commit whatever harm they want to. You have compassion in the sense that you understand the causes and conditions that make them who they are and what they're doing and you work diligently, according to your ability, to get them to stop doing harm, even if it's towards you. That's true compassion.
2006-12-22 12:20:19 · answer #5 · answered by vinslave 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Whenever I hear this, I always picture President Bush giving Osama Bin Laden a Christmas present and a hug.
2006-12-22 12:17:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
i can love my enemy. when you reciprocate the same loathe from your enemy, it entices them. i have learned to kill people with kindness. somehow when you are kind to them when they hate you, it affects them more. though i have no tolerance for people who are purposely devilish (lie, cause pain or hurt). i just distance myself. at the same time, you have to think about why they are the way they are. Past childhood abuse, they are not saved, drugs, whatever the cause.
2006-12-22 12:20:25 · answer #7 · answered by ♣DreamDancer♣ 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Didn't God love the firstborn Sons of Egypt when he murdered them?
I guess you love your enemies in that "special" kind of way...
2006-12-22 12:18:31 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Difficult but I try my best with the grace of God .
2006-12-22 12:20:38 · answer #9 · answered by Mummy is not at home 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Only if I put a bag over his head and he talks dirty to me...
2006-12-22 12:20:37 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋