12-31-2024, 09:09 PM
(12-31-2024, 07:56 PM)Ray1990 Wrote: There's seemingly quite a few references and quotes referring to the "love thy enemies" especially in Buddhism and Hinduism. Nothing directly saying to "love thy enemies as you love yourself" although Buddhism advises plenty with regards to oneness.
There's similar references in the old testament although that part of the bible isn't necessarily Christian, defunct since Jesus right? The same could be said about laws and rules that had exact or near equivalents within other cultures within Judaism history. Things like chopping off limbs and stoning adulterers... Not so nice stuff basically.
I suspect it's human nature to think, it would be dismissive of me to claim humans would never consider universal love without Christianity since we have countless reasons to come to similar conclusions. Animism itself would naturally encourage love and respect for everything encountered, we're also highly social animals ourselves. We'll build morality around our emotions because we are emotional creatures and we're not the only species to have social norms or even a sense of morality. In other words I'd have serious doubts that "love they enemies" was a groundbreaking and totally new concept to humans just like love itself isn't unique to humans themselves.
If I was to speak of my own experiences it certainly wasn't Christianity that taught me to love the ones I've hated. It was more of a spiritual conclusion that we're all one and the same behind those thoughts and memories we hold dear, including the negative ones. Influence wise Christianity probably did play a role within although the concept wouldn't have been lost on me in the absence of Christianity.
Show me where any religion or faith teaches enemy love as a cornerstone of it’s law
The actual teaching, be interested
Looking at the world in Christs day, the turmoil, all the violence across the globe, India, China, the Middle East and Europe
I don’t see any “Love thy enemy” religious foundation being taught or practiced
maybe I am wrong, wouldn’t be the first time
As for Jews cutting of limbs as punishment, not that I am aware of but your point is clear
Jews lived in a theocratic society, they had moral laws, religious laws as well as civil laws, yes stoning was a common punishment, justice
christians no longer have control over civil laws or moral laws, a little different now
If you were a Jew and didn’t like the laws, you could just leave that community
Germany pre WW2/the Nazis, was considered the most Christian of all Western cultures. Didn’t take long for that society to dismiss Christ.
Christians are taught love is a duty, if you do that from a non Christian motivation, well done you
Its not generally a default position for human nature
For Christian’s, it is physical hard work and mentally demanding
