Quote:
Originally Posted by GlenOfTranquility
Very interesting! But we also have Mark 12:31
How do you reconcile the differences? Do you say that "this person is my neighbor and the other person isn't" and then use this as the logic behind your opinions, and their founding in Jesus's teachings?
I can't reconcile that with my own view of the message which is "everybody is your neighbor and it would be a much better world if we stopped hitting each other over the head with weapons".
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I think the confusing thing here is the Love part. Let's take a look at another Scripture Verse that speaks about "loving thy neighbour as thyself:"
Romans 13:8-10:
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
As you can see, the Bible equals "Love" here with the "fulfillment of the law." It makes clear that following the Law, and keeping God's Commandments, is what God sees as True Christian Love™ for your neighbour.
However, following God's Law means following all of it, the entire Bible. This also includes praying God for righteous vengeance over sinners, as King David so often did:
Psalm 109:6-10:
Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin.
Let his days be few; and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.
Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.
You see, God is a God of Justice. As you can see in this thread, Iceland has sinned gravely against God, and will be judged accordingly. We do not hate Iceland. God does, as the Bible teaches that God
does hate sinners, not just the sin:
Psalm 5:5:
The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.
Psalm 11:5:
The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
Therefore, praying for the destruction of Iceland is in no way in violation of "thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself," as we follow God's Law when we do that, which is the essence of True Christian Love™. I hope you understand me here.
Finally, this Passage is also interesting to notice. Jesus says here:
Luke 14:26:
If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
You see, in order to be a Disciple of Christ, we are asked to actually hate other people, and even hate ourselves. Of course, when you think of it, "hate other people as you hate yourself" says the same thing as "love your neighbour as you love yourself."
So you see, the idea that we should be nice to all people indiscriminately is a huge misunderstanding of Scripture, and is in fact diametrically opposed to True Christian Love™. Do you understand this?
