If Jesus said 'love your enemies, by doing this you will heap burning coals into their lap' then shouldn't we try to love even Osama Bin Laden?
This doesn't seem a big deal, since he forgave those who killed him, i.e. those who killed God himself in the flesh - the worse thing imaginable
According to Jesus this would sap all his power and he would in fact be the loser since his hate filled message would be nullified by our love
Doesn't this make the war on terror anti-Christian since it is the opposite of loving your enemy?
and If this is so then was Jesus right or wrong considering the situation today where hating the enemy only seems to make them stronger?
2007-03-07 09:26:49 · 19 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I agree with you. Jesus wouldn't allow His disciples to fight for Him and what nobler cause can we think of but to save a good man from being murdered. Holy wars were for the old testament only. Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." Sorry Jehovah's Witnesses. God is going to destroy the world by fire someday. He is letting man take over the planet and reek havok until then. As Christians we shouldn't get involved. We are only here as a stop over. Our real home is in heaven.
2007-03-07 09:39:20 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, we are to love everyone. Or at least try. We aren't perfect. Some crimes are more than we can bear to forgive. For those, we ask God's mercy and trust in Him to right what has gone wrong. He will avenge according to His word and His law. As for the "war on terror"- well, that seems to be just a political slogan. Notice how quickly Bin Laden was forgotten by the Bush administration when they decided to take out Hussein.
2007-03-07 17:40:06 · answer #2 · answered by Amalthea 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
By the way that's heaping burning coals on their head. In Biblical times if your fire went out there was a local place where you could go and get hot coals and carry them (in a jar of some type) and take them home so you could start your fire.
I think war is the opposite of loving your enemy. But you still need to stand firm and not let him walk all over you.
2007-03-07 17:34:24 · answer #3 · answered by Jan P 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes,Jesus did say that. the point he was trying to convey was that when you show love to your enemies, ie returning kindness for evil, it would be worse for your enemy than heaping burning coals onto their head. Imagine this...lets say you hated someone, and got into a fist fight with them. And every time you smashed them in the face, the smiled and told you that they loved you. I for one wouldn't be able to continue hurting that person. this is the love that Jesus is trying to convey. While i may or may not agree with the war on terror that's going on, I feel that your taking verse out of context.
2007-03-07 17:34:54 · answer #4 · answered by Underdog 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, He said- You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbour and hate your enemy but i tell you Love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you. that you may be sons of your father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous, and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even the Pagans do that? Be perfect therefore, as your heavenly father is perfect.
Praying for your enemies, brings them closer to the love of god, so they would hopefully be saved, this is a strength that everyone would be better for.
2007-03-07 17:47:42 · answer #5 · answered by holdontowhatyouhave 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Jesus is always right. We should love our enemies.
However, when you relate this to the war on terror being anti-Christian, I also must say that in the Bible it says that we are to live according to the law of the land.. I don't think in all of the US there is a law saying that it's okay for foreigners to purposefully fly planes into the sides of our buildings..
2007-03-07 17:33:27 · answer #6 · answered by Miranda 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Jesus said to love your enemies. However this may not mean exactly love their actions. Yes we must realize that everyone is a human being and a son or daughter or god. Jesus also taught that it is okay to fight back, however only when certain conditions are met. If a man is to strike you, you must forgive him and offer peace. If he strikes you again, you must forgive him and offer peace. If he strikes you again, you must forgive him and offer peace. If he strikes you a fourth time, you may defend yourself only if your cause is just and righteous.
Although I do not agree with the war in Iraq, I do think that a war against terrorism is not anti-christian because we are now defending ourselves.
2007-03-07 17:36:51 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Listen up boy...
God is a God of WRATH.
He is going to be ANGRY when He comes back for the ones that REFUSE to REPENT.
He will personally put them in a wine CRUSH machine that is in the BOOK of Revelations...six chapter I think..
When God tell us to Love our enemy's..he does not mean for us to hug and kiss them and slobber over them...or put up with all their BS...all that means is
that we are to be concerned where they spend eternity.
That is ALL that means....get it.
That's why Christan's pray for the LOST.
And it isn't heap burning coals on their lap.
It says be KIND to your enemy's.....that it WILL heap
coal of FIRE on their HEAD....now figure what what that means...
2007-03-07 17:44:44 · answer #8 · answered by Bobbie4u 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In an ideal Christian world we will give the other cheek to Bin Laden but in the real world, things are different.
2007-03-07 18:19:55 · answer #9 · answered by cynical 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think that Jesus is implying that we should treat our enemies good now cause their A$$es are smoldering coal after this life *****!
2007-03-07 17:42:21 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋