Loving your enemy

In this time of war I think that the words of Dr. Martin Luther King are more relevant now that they were then. The only way to conquer hate is with love. I�m not talking about romantic love, but the unadulterated enduring type of love that God shows to all his creatures. I think that it is important not to demonize the people that our soldiers fight because after all they are human and just like our soldiers they are just trying to survive.

The following are parts of a letter written by Martian Luther King while he was in jail for committing nonviolent civil disobedience during the Montgomery bus boycott

Let us be practical and ask the question, How do we love our enemies?

Let us be practical: How do we love our enemies? First, we must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. It is impossible to love our enemies without the prior acceptance of the necessity, over and over again, of forgiving those who inflict evil and injury upon us. It is always up to the victim to forgive -- the one injured, tortured, oppressed. Forgiveness does not mean ignoring what has been done or putting a false label on an evil act. It means, rather, that the evil act no longer remains a barrier to the relationship. "I will forgive you, but I will never forget what you have done."

Second, we must realize that the evil thing of the enemy-neighbor, the thing that hurts, never quite expresses all that he is. An element of good can be found even in the worst enemy. Each of us is tragically divided against ourselves -- a persistent civil war rages within all of our lives.

Third, we must not seek to defeat or humiliate the enemy but to win his friendship and understanding. At times we are able to humiliate our worst enemy. Inevitably, his weak moments come and we are able to thrust in his side the spear of defeat. But this we must not do. Every word and deed must contribute to an understanding with the enemy and release those vast reservoirs of goodwill which have been blocked by impenetrable walls of hate.

The meaning of love is not to be confused with some sentimental outpouring. Love is something much deeper than emotional bosh. Jesus did not say "like your enemies." The form of love Jesus referred to, agape, means a level of love that is understanding and creative, redemptive goodwill for all persons. An overflowing love which seeks nothing in return, agape is the love of God operating in the human heart. This form of love allows us to love the person who does an evil deed, although despising the evil thing that the person does.

Why should we love our enemies? Let us move from the practical how to the theoretical why? The first reason is rather obvious -- returning hate for hate simply multiplies the darkness. Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a spiral of downward destruction. The chain reaction of evil -- hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.

Another reason is that hate scars the soul and distorts the personality. Mindful that hate is an evil and dangerous force, we too often think of what it does to the person hated. But hate is just as injurious to the one who does the hating. Hate divides the personality where love unites it.

Finally, love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. We never get rid of an enemy with hate; we rid them by getting rid of enmity. By its very nature, hate tears down. By its very nature love builds up. Love transforms with redemptive power.

There will be no permanent solution to oppression until the oppressed people develop the capacity to love their enemies. Of course, this is not practical. Life is a matter of getting even, hitting back. Am I saying that Jesus commands us to love those who hurt us and oppress us?

My friends, we have followed the so-called practical way for too long and it has led to deeper confusion and chaos. Time is cluttered with the wreckage of communities which have surrendered to hatred and violence. We must follow another way. We shall so appeal to your heart and conscience that we shall win you in the process, and our victory will be a double victory

God bless humanity

Truly, i agree one hundred percent...love is all. and if we realize that then war will be a pointless thing of the past.

Outside the Christian world, the doctrine of loving your enemy and turning the other cheek is own for it's stupidiy and it being non-realistic, especially in this world.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said what he said in favor of whites. He did more good for whites than he did for blacks.

Now, I totally agree that this war is useless and that we should have peace.

The main reason why blacks were treated like they were back then in the 60's was because they were non-violent and turning their other cheeks. They weren't standing up for themselves. Martin Luther King, Jr made whites back then look innocent, he made the KKK look innocent!

Malcolm X was the only true civil rights leader because he spoke logics, he was more REALISTIC. "How are we supposed to love our enemy? An enemy who bombs us, who shoots us, who lynches, who tortures us."

(No racial hatred was meant)

but hate only multplies hate. Let's say in the 60's that violent tatics did work and we did take control of this country. Then we would be just as bad as them and probably more corrupt. You should never let your enemy bring you to their level.

After 9/11 their was a lot of violence aganist arabs. Theses people had nothing to do with what happened yet they were targeted because of the negative energy that people feed off of.

I do believe that one has the right to protect themselves. But what bush is doing is wrong. That would be like me going out and shooting a cop because I might be a victim of police brutality. But the Bush doctrine is this "out of chaos come order" The olny reason order comes is because people get tried of fighting for long peroids of time.(i.e WWI and WWII) But as we see the peace dosn't last for that long.

by the way illmatic the panthers were inflitrated by the C.I.A and the Nation of Islam killed Malcom so that shows you right there that using negative energy to fight something or someone dosn't work

[Edited on 29-3-2003 by abstract_alao]

You're wrong.

They are herding woman and children to serve as human shields.

They are causing environmental damage with the lighting of oil well fires.

They are capitalizing on our mercy, by pretending to surrender, and then opening fire on those who would show them mercy.

They are executing prisoners of war.

We are not demonizing them...they are demonizing themselves. If they wish to be viewed as human, then they must act like it. If they instead choose to behave like animals, then they will be slaughtered like animals.

by the way illmatic the panthers were inflitrated by the C.I.A and the Nation of Islam killed Malcom so that shows you right there that using negative energy to fight something or someone dosn't work

The Nation of Islam killed Malcolm but they didnt act alone.

The FBI and the CIA also had a HUGE role in the assassination of Malcolm X.

truthfully, we don't know who killed Malcolm. it can't be proved either way. anyone in the Nation will tell you that the folk accused of killing Malcolm were part of Cointelpro FBI informants working inside the NOI to bring it down and that Malcolm's death was an effort to split the nation.

and the FBI and general law enforcement will say the The honorable Elijah Muhammad had Malcolm killed because he was no longer in the Nation and was set to form his own organization that would have eventually ended the NOI.

both are plauseable but neither can be proven to a certainity.

on topic--if no one loves their enemy because the world doesn't work that way; then how will the world ever evolve past this vicious violent phase... we'll always live in a world where evil deeds breed horror for folk who don't deserve it.

like in israel and palestine. civilians on both sides of the issue suffer because leaders can't lead the way to peace and away from violent reactions. that is the best example of the cycle of violence brought on by not loving your enemy. when you hate your enemy you are basically refusing to see his humanity, and that makes it easier to justify his death as means of getting your way.