Do you think when Jesus said, "Love your enemies" that he meant that we shouldn't kill them?

Answer 1

He meant for us not to hate them. Most of the worlds problems come from some form of hatred. The underlying cause of all war is hatred. Hatred just wastes time and energy and ends up destroying the hater as well as the hated in the end. Forgive your enemies and get on with your life and you will be a happier person. Even a non-believer should be able to accept that.

Answer 2

Very good question. I beleive the answer is yes. However, the bible also says "What God has established, let no man cast down" David killed Goliath for threatening the army of Israel. This was the right thing to do. When Jesus sais love your enemies, he didn't mean to allow them to walk all over you. Remember that Jesus turned over tables when people were gambling in the church and chased them away using chords as whips! Jesus said love your enemies as a foreshadowing of him willingly dying for a crowd of people screaming "Crusify him!" and spitting at him. All sinners are enemies of Christ, and he loves us nonetheless.

Alex

Answer 3

Jesus was speaking to individuals about how they should treat other people. He was not talking about how a nation should act towards an enemy nation. The teachings of Jesus are practical as well as wise. No where in the Bible does it tell a nation to allow invaders to come in and murder and pillage or for an individual to allow sinners to break into their house, kill their children and rape their wife.

Answer 4

He also said that when someone hits you, you should invite him/her to hit you again, and he never abrogated the commandment not to commit murder. On an individual level, then, killing out of anger, hatred, or even self-defense is inconsistent with His message.

The degree to which this applies to rulers and governments when acting on behalf of the people is an open question. To allow those under one's care to come to harm through deliberate inaction seems irresponsible to me, but Christ's Teachings deal largely with individual behavior. The one time that He is reported to have mentioned government, it was to make a distinction between Man's duty to the state and to God, and the whole "Render unto Caesar" thing is open to a wide range of interpretation.

If I had to make these decisions in light of His teachings, I'd take what actions were needed to protect the people under my care while remaining free from anger or hatred. I'd never harm someone just because he/she is an "enemy."

Answer 5

Yes, this meant to love them as ourselves, following the Golden Rule. And we should kill no one, let alone our enemies. Life is the greatest gift; to take it from someone is terrible.

Answer 6

According to the New Testament; Jesus died for our sins that we had yet to commit. I think if Jesus could talk to us today he'd tell us, "The Father would rather you try to speak peace and love to all of humanity, even if it costs you your life..as it did mine." What I find quite strange though about Jesus and his final moments is his almost rebuking of God. "Father, why hath thou forsaken me?!" If we are to believe that the Trinity exists, then Jesus should have known why he was sacraficed...so those last words always make me wonder what was going on in his mind...maybe someone can elaborate for me?

Answer 7

No, friend, I do not. If a dog is hurt to the point where it cannot recover and will live the rest of its life full of pain before it finally dies after an agonizing end to its life, the right thing would be to put it out of its misery.

Or if a wolf attacks a sheep, your only choices are to drive it out or kill it.

Answer 8

You should love to kill your enemies

Answer 9

You can love your enemies- which they were not your enemy- but sometimes you have to kill them.

Answer 10

Yes, but we only have a total of four cheeks to turn, after that something must be done.