Love your enemies

[Nelka]

Jesus said to love your enemies. Does this mean that I must pray for the repose of the soul of Osama bin Ladin? I find this to be extraordinarily difficult but if I must do it to achieve everlasting life, I will.

Jesus’ Mercy is unfathomable but if they do not seek it they will not receive it.

You can pray for the Holy souls in Purgatory, just don’t sing and dance in the street because he is dead. This is not good for you and may infuriate the rest of the fanatics.

Also pray for the conversion of sinners.

 

[pira114]

There are basically three types of people in this world. Those with no capacity to violence. Those with a capacity for violence who do so with evil intent. And those with a capacity for violence with the intent to protect those who can or will not do it themselves. Were it not for the third group, there would be no first group. The world needs all kinds of people. Because someone is willing to face evil with a sword, does not make him evil. In my line of work, we call the third group Sheepdogs. Think about it.

 

[marica_mandic]

Jesus said to love your enemies. Does this mean that I must pray for the repose of the soul of Osama bin Ladin? I find this to be extraordinarily difficult but if I must do it to achieve everlasting life, I will.

Golden rule is that we should treat others like we want that others treat us.
Jesus said love your enemies.
Bless them that curse you.
Do Good to then that hate you.
Then can be children of Father, because he make the sun rise on the good and evil.
We are not Christians if we do not love enemies.
Forgive and you shall be forgiven.
I think that he had hard childhood.
Maybe his parents did not love him, maybe the worst.
maybe in that circumstance we will all be like him, with that genes, parents, environmental,

 

[pira114]

Golden rule is that we should treat others like we want that others treat us.
Jesus said love your enemies.
Bless them that curse you.
Do Good to then that hate you.
Then can be children of Father, because he make the sun rise on the good and evil.
We are not Christians if we do not love enemies.
Forgive and you shall be forgiven.
I think that he had hard childhood.
Maybe his parents did not love him, maybe the worst.
maybe in that circumstance we will all be like him, with that genes, parents, environmental,

That sounds all well and good. Till you smile and extend your hand to an evil person that decides to violate or kill you. Then, not so much. Where in Scripture does it say we HAVE to be victims???

 

[Lost_Sheep]

That sounds all well and good. Till you smile and extend your hand to an evil person that decides to violate or kill you. Then, not so much. Where in Scripture does it say we HAVE to be victims???

I think this whole notion works on the idea that we should follow God’s teaching by turning the other cheek and not retaliating. We may die as a result of our actions but at least we died as martyrs.

Personally, I would rather be a live sinner than a dead martyr. At least for the time being.

 

[phoage]

Even if you believe in self defense, and that it is rightious and honorable to oppose evil with deadly force, you can still say a sincere prayer for the soul of that person and beg God’s mercy. Celibration over the death of someone, unless you know they are going to heaven is not in accordance with God’s will.

 

[Rock_Happy]

Just a suggestion.

I am.

Then why does He not act in a more timely manner?

Job was a wuss.

Beg to differ. If you believe violence just begets more violence, then you aren’t using enough violence in the first place. If someone is committing violence against you and you commit violence back, yes it will go on forever. But if you kill him, there is no more violence.

Or think of Harry Truman. When he gave the orders to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he arguably committed the two most violent acts in the history of the world. But then the greatest war mankind has ever known was over in 5 days, wasn’t it?

Violence works.

Yes, violence works. No question about it. Too bad that it works so well that it is tempting as a first solution. In the case of those atom bombs, it was not the US who fired the first shot, and the use of the A-bomb ended the war without further loss of US life. Nobody has a crystal ball to know whether there was a net gain of loss of Japanese life. It’s use also illustrates the sad fact that WWII marked the beginning of the intentional killing of civilians on a massive scale in modern warfare.

I am a proponent of peaceful negotiation and resolution of differences, but sometimes violence is the best option to prevent more violence. Unfortunately, greed and men lacking wisdom or historic sense are often making the decisions, and violence is used inappropriately. In the case of Bin Laden, violence was used appropriately, IMHO.

 

[Rock_Happy]

God is also a God of Justice. Plz dont leave that out. I seem to remember him drowning pharoe and the egyptians that terrorized the Children of Israel. I seem to remember him having the cannanites destroyed because they were quite possibly infected with terrible diseases. Mercy to Bin Ladin, is Cruelty to his victims. Think on this. Oh, And like my sergeant says. Violence solves everything. At least in MY line of work. If it were not for violence you would be speaking Japanese, German, or Arabic right now. Very few stand between you and this outcome. If you wish to aid and abet the enemies of the free world with your prayers, feel free. And your welcome. I will pray for my commander in chief, all the innocent civilians affected by this conflict and my fellow soldiers and leadership. I wont waste my breath on a tyrant. Unless said tyrant is in my cross hairs.

Violence solves much, brother, but not everything. Here is a true story. A USMC unit was on foot on the street in Iraq. They are being stoned by the kids. These kids are not kidding around. Some of them are teens. I mean, those rocks really hurt after the first few you realize that you can actually be stoned to the point of being seriously injured, even in full battle rattle. As an MP, you probably already know what the solution was for this situ. The incident ended without a weapon being raised.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

it was not the US who fired the first shot, and the use of the A-bomb ended the war without further loss of US life.

It was not the U.S. that fired the first shot on 9/11 either.

 

[Robert_in_SD]

Jesus said to love your enemies. Does this mean that I must pray for the repose of the soul of Osama bin Ladin? I find this to be extraordinarily difficult but if I must do it to achieve everlasting life, I will.

Jesus also admonished Peter that, “…all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” (Mt 26:52) Perhaps Osama Bin Laden should have heeded the advice of our Lord. Having failed to put down the sword, he was consumed by the war he started. I pray only that God, in his infinite wisdom, justice and love for all of us, is OBL’s just judge.

Peace,
Robert

P.S. - Re the later post about “not wasting a breath” on a tyrant unless he’s in your “cross-hairs,” I get the joke. For those of you who may not; a relaxed exhalation steadies your aim for a better shot at the target.