If you are a Christian, should you love your enemies?

Question

How do you do this? Are there exceptions?

Answer 1

You're allowed to hate sin, but not other people even if these people hate you and spit at you. Turn the other cheek, remember? I know it's a lot easier said than done, but love is what christianity is based on.

Answer 2

YES since the word LOVE is used frequently in the Holy Bible in GREEK the word love means several different things.
To love ones enemies does not mean the same as loving ones family or friends.
Love thy enemies means to have concern for, to care about their souls.
The only exceptions are those that refuse the truth time and time again, then we are to "shake the dust from our feet" and move on, but even then we do not hate, just continue to pray*

Answer 3

no, you 'shouldn't' love your enemies, you MUST love your enemies. Jesus commanded, not suggested, that behavior.

Once you learn to do this, you will advance so far, your life will take on an entire dimension.

But don't be afraid if you aren't there yet. Learning to 'love' involves separating the person from their behavior. You have to practice making a distinction between the physical world and the spiritual world. I'm certainly not where I want to be with this process, but I have made progress.


Hang in there baby.

Answer 4

I'm a christian, and yes Jesus said, "Love your enemies"...but it isn't always easy! It can even be impossible to have that 'loving feeling' for your enemies, I don't believe that's what He ment. I think He ment to treat them well and pray for them. The only exception to this(in my opinion) is war...we can't treat our enemies well in war can we? I'm not saying I think war is good, I DON'T, but there were many wars in the old testament so that God's will could be accomplished.

Answer 5

No-one loves their enemies!

Look at the Crusades - there was no love lost between the Crusading Christians & their Muslim foe. Still the same today.

If anyone is an enemy of mine I certainly wouldn't be showing any love to him/her.

Answer 6

Bible says love your enemies, and pray for them. didn't Jesus when dieing on the cross say "forgive them father for they no not what they do", you should turn the other cheek. You don't have to hang out with them, but try and remove the hate from your heart it will make you a better person

Answer 7

You should. I don't do this and most Christian ppl who have enemies don't as well. There are no exceptions according to the Bible. To do this you have to believe very much in God and have a strong will to do His will.

Answer 8

I don't know about that one. But then again I've never met any model Christians. My best suggestion is don't have any enemies. ERRROOF!

Answer 9

Jesus commands that we love our enemies "Love your enemies as yourself". John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that we would be saved". Love is the command here! Love your neighbours!

Answer 10

Please consider my answer as an impression aroused by the question itself.
if somebody hits you on your right cheek, turn him the left.
does that mean jesus christ expected the hitter as left-handed or he will hit you from behind.
I don;t recall any actual historical incident show the behaviour of the good christian, it's only written in holy books which intends to preach. (what about the red indians, the africans), not to mention the deeds of the spanish, english, and french emperialism, the serbs, afghanistan, Iraq are more examples.

Please don't consider my answer personally.