Christians: Jesus commanded that we love our enemies?

Question

and pray for them and be glad when we are persecuted.

Tell me honestly, how do you feel about the Islamic terrorists? Do you love them? Do you pray for them?

Why or why not.

this is not a 'slam Christians' post. And it's wonderful to see so many living by this commandment. The question is intended to prove that hate is easy, love can be much more difficult because Christ commands us to love and love unconditionally.

Answer 1

It is hard to love people when they hate all that you love but Jesus commanded so i MUST love them.
I definitely do not pray for them as i should, with a genuine love for them. But, with the help of God, i know i can do this.
God Bless

Answer 2

I pray that may God be merciful on their soul, because the US Army is comming to kick their turban.

Where did you hear that as a Christian I am suppossed to seek martyrdom? You may have me confussed with Ahmed the Suicide bomber. Christians are God loving people who seek to share and love one another. What is my purpose as a Christian if I committ suicide by letting the enemy kill me at will?

The fact is, anyone who does not understand or has never read the Bible does not understand the full concept of what God's purpose is. People take one verse and attack others without fully understanding the 1000 other verses.

And all those idiots that pray for the world, go read the Bible more and see that Jesus asks that you never do any good to pray for things in general. If you truly mean it, then you'd pray for someone in particular by their name.

Loving someone unconditionally like you say, is unattainable. We should strive for that, but please don't tell me you love murderers unconditionally when you're don't even know your neighbors name!

Answer 3

The bible also says love your neighbor. If you were in your cute little fancy house and looked out your window and watched your neighbor beating his wife. What would you do? Close the curtains? Call the police? What if the police said they weren't going to do anything about? Then what would you do? Our troops are over there to help our neighbors. I feel sorry for islamic terrorists. I don't love them for their actions. They were raised to do terrible things. The only one that should be judging them is God not you or anyone else.

Answer 4

I do not love what they DO. But I try to love them.....and I positively do pray for them.

But I find it hard to forget that the 7/7 terrorists took the focus away from Gleneagles and let the G8 off the hook to some degree.
Many thousands will die because of that (including many Muslims)

Answer 5

I am not a Chrstian, I am an Agnostic.
(I will not call them 'Islamic' Terrorists', as that is a contradiction in terms, as true Muslims are not terrorists).

I believe to understand terrorists or anyone who inflicts cruelty onto others, is to realize that there is nothing to forgive.

Our personalities are made up largely of things we had no control in, some people do not recognize that what they are doing is morally wrong, as to them it may not be. These people can be cruel to others, but they are also unfortunate that they put such a low value on life.
This doesn't mean that I disagree that society needs to project the vulnerable from such people.

Answer 6

Hello, Blessings and Peace.

Yeshua indeed not commanded but teached that we shall love each over and others. If we have an enemy we must have sympathy on him for his violence and transgressions, shower him with compassion just as Yeshua had compassion on the many who seeked after Him. Being persecuted gives me the felling that even with harsh words and degoratory speach, I am still saved and that in the world Christians of all dominations will be persecuted. I will pray for my enemies as I have prayed for my brother, my brother is violent and makes unfounded accusations upon me, accusations of thinking I am spiritual and religious when I am not and saying that I am pretending to be someone that I am not. Well, in his case, he is both my enemy and my prosecuter always looking for ways to get to me. He is satisfied when I am down and beaten by his endless harming words. Yeshua; has compassion on both of us, but my brother knows not of this. He is too busy being self-righteous and arrogent, even accusing Christian Theology as being wrong and incorrect. I read from the New Testament and he has even spoke against it, I have seen this and he thinks that he has not done such a thing. Islamic terrorists are in no way muslims, they forsake Islam when they partake in terrorism. I have no pity for them, how can a man pity men who commit themselfs to murder and terrorism. They are not muslims but pseudo-Muslims and not worthy in God Most High's eyes. I love all man and I will love all men beside me, but I will pray for extremists when I am in the need to do so, for the meantime I will leave them as they are. They are not mine to be bothered with- leave them for The Lord Wisdom.

Seeker of God Most High.
A Nazorean Gnostic.

Answer 7

Love is the complete opposite of hate. Love is a positive emotion, hate is a negative one. In order for us to make the most of this crazy world we should only keep posititive thoughts in our minds. This is what Jesus wanted for us - it is only through love that we can reach out to those with a screwed version of what life is. Its damn hard but by loving those (and not necessarily with a stupid grin and a patronising approach) can Christians change the world. Jesus prayed for his enemies from the cross 'Father forgive them for they know not what they do' - what an example! Yes, we should forgive, but understand and pray daily for the victims of persecution and violence and for those whose misguided actions lead them to commit such atrocities.

Answer 8

I feel that they have hope, some of them. As long as they are still alive, they can become a truster of God through faith in Jesus Christ. I hope that many of them do, and I have seen some that have already. Love those that are currently fighting against us? I really need to trust God for that in me if that is at all possible. I pray for those that are to be his. I do this because it is the right thing to do.

Answer 9

You can love someone's soul and not wish it to perish. And you can be thankful for the persecution that at least you know which way to pray. That God's glory can be revealed somehow.

I don't like the things that they do, I feel that they are horrible. In my opinion they are cowards fighting a cowards battle. But I am called to pray for peace and for the lost.

I think that this command is for our growth, and maturity.

Answer 10

It's one of the hardest things to do. I do pray for the children of the terrorists and to console those that love them, but quite honestly, I can't bring myself to pray for the terrorists themselves.