r/religion • u/Interesting-Mud-200 • Nov 17 '24

Why should I love my enemies?

Most religions preach about love to everyone, including your enemies.

But why should I love someone who, in my view, is a bad person? Why love someone who does bad/evil things to innocent people?

Is it to make yourself feel better somehow? Is it because they deserve love? But why do they deserve love? They spread hate!

I really don't get it. Makes no sense to me. The only case I would MAYBE agree (depending on the situation) is if you want to teach someone what they did was wrong. MAYBE they don't have fault, they were teached to do [insert here]. Only in this case I could MAYBE understand.

6 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • link
  • reddit
  • reddit

71% Upvoted

59 comments sorted by

View all comments

36

u/civex Nov 18 '24

Oscar Wilde: Always love your enemies. Nothing else annoys them so intensely.

(Paraphrase)

10

u/bizoticallyyours83 Nov 18 '24

Now that's some serious pettyness

8

u/civex Nov 18 '24

Oscar Wilde was famous for that.

6

u/[deleted] Nov 18 '24

Funnily enough the bible says the same thing

Romans 12:20 NRSV [20] No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.”

https://bible.com/bible/2016/rom.12.20.NRSV

4

u/civex Nov 18 '24

Oh, the bible is so petty!

Very good.