Sunday, April 21, 2019

Love your enemy

Hate - You may get share of it, especially on social media. My view is that you should never be anonymous or engage with anonymous interlocutors. Engagement with love is a human endeavor, requiring us to deal with other people — not with disembodied messages. And the people who say hateful things openly, with views that are truly worthy of contempt? Remember that their views might be, but that no person is. Repudiate their views, confidently and concisely, but with respect.
If you still object to my argument, you may think I am urging you to find a way toagree with your enemy. That isn’t it. Disagreement — even nonviolent protest, as Martin Luther King showed — is a good thing. It is the essence of the competition of ideas that brings progress and excellence. Love and agreement are not necessarily complementary, or even desirable. If your opponent makes a good point, by all means have the humility to be persuaded, but only if warranted by the facts and your morals.
Nor am I arguing that you must like your enemy. Speaking of Jesus, Martin Luther King said in his sermon: “It’s significant that he does not say, ‘Like your enemy.’ Like is a sentimental something, an affectionate something. There are a lot of people that I find it difficult to like.” You can act out of love — by which I mean to will the good of another — without feeling warm affection. 
Love one another 

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