Do you have to love your neighbor?

Christians act like you are suppose to love your neighbor. Do you have to love your neighbor, and is it realistic that you can actually feel love toward someone who is not lovable? It doesn't seem realistic to me that you can feel love toward a person who is mean and not lovable. Christians act like you have to do good deeds to everyone you know and meet. What if no one is doing good deeds to you, and the world is indifferent, do you have to do good deeds when you don't feel like doing good deeds? Are masks not a form of being fake? Would it be better not to do something you don't naturally feel then fake it?

Christians act like you are suppose to love your neighbor. Do you have to love your neighbor, and is it realistic that you can actually feel love toward someone who is not lovable? It doesn't seem realistic to me that you can feel love toward a person who is mean and not lovable. Christians act like you have to do good deeds to everyone you know and meet. What if no one is doing good deeds to you, and the world is indifferent, do you have to do good deeds when you don't feel like doing good deeds? Are masks not a form of being fake? Would it be better not to do something you don't naturally feel then fake it?

Hello Windy,

Yes, we are taught to love our neighbors and our enemies. Love in this context is not a 'feeling'. If your neighbor or enemy is hungry, naked, cold, etc. and you have the means then you should feed, cloth, help them. Also, if they ask, be ready with an answer about your love for God. In other words treat them like you would want to be treated in similar circumstances. It is called a-ga-pe love

Well that is if you are not part of a large religous community, then your objective is to accumulate as much wealth as you can and if any one questions your obligation you turn away. Huffing and puffing, muttering it is the governments problem.

Christians act like you are suppose to love your neighbor. Do you have to love your neighbor, and is it realistic that you can actually feel love toward someone who is not lovable? It doesn't seem realistic to me that you can feel love toward a person who is mean and not lovable. Christians act like you have to do good deeds to everyone you know and meet. What if no one is doing good deeds to you, and the world is indifferent, do you have to do good deeds when you don't feel like doing good deeds? Are masks not a form of being fake? Would it be better not to do something you don't naturally feel then fake it?

Hello Windy,

Yes, we are taught to love our neighbors and our enemies. Love in this context is not a 'feeling'. If your neighbor or enemy is hungry, naked, cold, etc. and you have the means then you should feed, cloth, help them. Also, if they ask, be ready with an answer about your love for God. In other words treat them like you would want to be treated in similar circumstances. It is called a-ga-pe love

I would never give my enemy anything if he was hungry, naked, or cold, etc. How my enemy fixes his problems is his responsiblity. I have a hard financial circumstance. I can barely afford food for myself. It doesn't make logical sense to say that love is not a feeling. Love is an action verb, so love would mean feeling. I would be more willing to help someone who is not my enemy if I could. Your enemy would never help you if you were in bad circumstances, so why would you help your enemy? Even when I was nice to my enemy it didn't work because my enemies end up walking all over me since most people who are your enemies for some reason do not want you to be nice to them. These people just want to be left alone, so now I am leaving them alone. I am mad they are that way. There is nothing I can do about something that is beyond my control. Plus I am not going to preach to people. Most people don't like being preach to, and most people don't even talk about God nowadays. People want people to speak words through actions not being preached to.

-- Updated Sat Apr 07, 2012 12:19 pm to add the following --

Well that is if you are not part of a large religous community, then your objective is to accumulate as much wealth as you can and if any one questions your obligation you turn away. Huffing and puffing, muttering it is the governments problem.

My discussion has nothing to do with my political viewpoint. I am not discussing politics in this topic. What made you think this was a political discussion?

So how is my post political?

Hello all;

Based on the evidence since Jesus first spoke these words: "No, we do not "have to".

Speaking as one with many faults, flaws, and shortcomings myself, learning "how to" might be a lifelong lesson, just in itself.

Best wishes and best regards, I am most sincerely yours;

Mr. Brian Leslie Engler

Jesus preached that we should love our neighbour as we love ourselves. That means that we should treat our neighbour as we would like to be treated. I don't think that he preached we should love our enemies as we love ourselves, but that we should pray for our enemies. You have to remember, that Jesus was trying to teach mankind how to be perfect in the eyes of God. Therefore, his teachings were of an extremely high standard of morality - a standard of morality and good conduct which everyone may not be capable of. Personally, I advocate loving my neighbour as I love myself (in a brotherly sense), but I would not love / treat my enemy as I would like to be treated. I might pray that my enemy has the understanding to stop what they are doing which makes them my enemy, but that's as far as I could go.

With regards to doing "good deeds" I think that the moral inclination of someones character will automatically lead them to do good or evil deeds. However, I think that even if we do not strive to do good deeds, that we should abstain from doing evil deeds. Ultimately it is up to you if you want to behave in way which demonstrates love for your neighbour - that is treating your neighbour as you would like to be treated. Personally I would advocate doing so, because Jesus stated that it was one of the two most important commandments. I don't think that God expects us to love or to be kind to our enemies, the old testament is certainly a reflection of that, but I believe that one should show even our enemies respect.

Jesus preached that we should love our neighbour as we love ourselves. That means that we should treat our neighbour as we would like to be treated. I don't think that he preached we should love our enemies as we love ourselves, but that we should pray for our enemies. You have to remember, that Jesus was trying to teach mankind how to be perfect in the eyes of God. Therefore, his teachings were of an extremely high standard of morality - a standard of morality and good conduct which everyone may not be capable of. Personally, I advocate loving my neighbour as I love myself (in a brotherly sense), but I would not love / treat my enemy as I would like to be treated. I might pray that my enemy has the understanding to stop what they are doing which makes them my enemy, but that's as far as I could go.

With regards to doing "good deeds" I think that the moral inclination of someones character will automatically lead them to do good or evil deeds. However, I think that even if we do not strive to do good deeds, that we should abstain from doing evil deeds. Ultimately it is up to you if you want to behave in way which demonstrates love for your neighbour - that is treating your neighbour as you would like to be treated. Personally I would advocate doing so, because Jesus stated that it was one of the two most important commandments. I don't think that God expects us to love or to be kind to our enemies, the old testament is certainly a reflection of that, but I believe that one should show even our enemies respect.

You said that someone's character will automatically lead them to do good or evil deeds. If people are not naturally good and are naturally evil, how can their character be good if they do good deeds?

-- Updated Wed Apr 11, 2012 4:35 pm to add the following --

So how is my post political?

You mention that this issue is the government's problem. I never mentioned anything about government one way or another.

Are all members and guests, all readers here, familiar with this video. It illustrates how we reap what we sow. Note who starts the process off, and who, at the end of the clip, is the last beneficiary shown. Enjoy !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HKxXR22vn0

Let me know if you believe this speaks to the question of this thread. We don't have to love our neighbors, yet if we want to reap it helps if we sow. True?

Are all members and guests, all readers here, familiar with this video. It illustrates how we reap what we sow. Note who starts the process off, and who, at the end of the clip, is the last beneficiary shown. Enjoy !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HKxXR22vn0

Let me know if you believe this speaks to the question of this thread. We don't have to love our neighbors, yet if we want to reap it helps if we sow. True?

Reaping what you sow is not a for sure science. You might reap what you sow, and then again you might not.

I think the just of this saying by Jesus can be understood in the quote of a man much closer to our times. "The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good". Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) I would hedge a bet, that his inspiration for such a quote, came from the same source. That it is aimed at showing your potential, to stand out from the crowed and be counted on. That at one time he witnessed such an act, and thus so seeing, believed upon it.

I think the just of this saying by Jesus can be understood in the quote of a man much closer to our times. "The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good". Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) I would hedge a bet, that his inspiration for such a quote, came from the same source. That it is aimed at showing your potential, to stand out from the crowed and be counted on. That at one time he witnessed such an act, and thus so seeing, believed upon it.

Why would anyone want to be nice to someone who did not treat him good or did him absolutely no good? No one in society is nice to someone who treats him bad. I am not saying be bad to the person. I usually ignore people that are bad. Usually if you are nice to someone who treats you bad they tend to use you, and walk all over you because they think they can.

Windy34,

If you had fallen in a deep whole in the ground and the only other person around was your enemy, would you want help from that person?

-- Updated Tue May 29, 2012 5:06 am to add the following --

Windy34,

If you had fallen in a deep whole in the ground and the only other person around was your enemy, would you want help from that person?

whole should be hole - sorry

Windy34,

If you had fallen in a deep whole in the ground and the only other person around was your enemy, would you want help from that person?

-- Updated Tue May 29, 2012 5:06 am to add the following --



whole should be hole - sorry

I would not necessarily feel like it. I would worry about his reaction to me. I would feel it is my responsiblity, but I would be conflicted as to whether or not to do it. Maybe it is my responsiblity, maybe it is not. In some situations maybe it wouldn't be wise to do it others it might be ok. Either way I would still worry about his reaction to me.

-- Updated Fri Jul 13, 2012 4:48 pm to add the following --

I think the just of this saying by Jesus can be understood in the quote of a man much closer to our times. "The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good". Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) I would hedge a bet, that his inspiration for such a quote, came from the same source. That it is aimed at showing your potential, to stand out from the crowed and be counted on. That at one time he witnessed such an act, and thus so seeing, believed upon it.

Life should be the way you mentioned, but life is not the way you mentioned. Maybe people are too selfish, and cannot do this ideal. Should we ask people to do something they are not? Would it make sense for people to do something they are not? Ann Rand doesn't think so since she realizes people are selfish, but then the end of her philosophy sucks because she acts all fine with it, and that it is ok for people to be selfish. Kant's philosophy sounds like a better conclusion, but not realistic because people are naturally selfish. So does it make sense for people to wear masks or not to do good since people are not normally good?

Cast your bread on the waters; it will come back to you.

The aim of Ethics and of moral philosophy ought to be to teach us to promote the happiness of others, rather than being self-centered. As a by-product of that, you very likely may find that you are happy too.

Isn't it simple, after all? There are two moral principles, universal standards, to keep in mind, and to live by: MAXIMIZE WELL-BEING and MINIMIZE SUFFERING. The latter takes priority over the former. Let's work to eliminate - or greatly reduce - poverty. It will benefit everyone, all around the planet.