Can We Love Our Enemies and Kill Them?
by Micael Grenholm
There are some serious flaws with Augustine's argument that declaring and fighting a war can be an act of love, especially when those who are trained for combat are molded into hating and dehumanizing their enemy.
Changing Enemies Into Friends
by Dennis Fisher
Criticized for his benevolent view toward the Confederates, Abraham Lincoln responded: "I destroy my enemies when I make them my friends."
Collaborating with the Enemy
by Adam Kahane
How can we deal with the following conundrum? We must work with others, including people we don’t agree with or like or trust; while in order to avoid treachery, we must not work with them.
Gandhi's Teachings Are Alive
by Rev. Jesse L. Jackson
Jackson presents a radical portrait of the fierce nonviolent activist who secured independence for India and who called us to resist evil with non-cooperation, hate the sin but not the sinner; and in battle leave room for reconciliation and redemption.
Gandhi on the Law of Love
edited by Anand T. Hingorani
Here the path of nonviolence is assessed through the Hindu concept of ahimsa: literally non-killing, but Gandhi believed that we should not harbor uncharitable thoughts "even in connection with one who may consider himself to be your enemy."
How to Love Your Enemies
by Rev. James Martin
The Gospel doesn't imply that we have to love our enemies the same way that we speak about “falling in love” with someone or the way we love our family members; it calls us to open our hearts to them.
Ibsen Wrote "An Enemy of the People" in 1882. Trump Has Made It Popular Again
by Rachel Shteir
Ibsen's play about how the hero cannot win has revived in popularity due to a Trump tweet and now seems to speak to our times in many ways by addressing political extremism, corruption, and a lack of accountability for the destruction of a town.
If Two Enemies Are Talking, They're Not Fighting
by Saraya Wintersmith
An African-American man who goes out of his way to make friends with white supremacists sees it as doing his part to build a better society.
Living as One Human Family
by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Religious and spiritual people can help reverse the trend of competitive individualism by being willing to reach out to people outside our clans and by affirming unity consciousness.
The Love of Hating: The Psychology of Enmity
by Ofer Zur
A systematic exploration of enmity — and of our tendency to divide the world into "us" versus "them" — is a prerequisite to the prevention of wars.
Love Your Enemies
by John Dear
For Dear, the commandment to love our enemies sums up Christianity, inviting people not to hate, punish or kill anyone, especially those targeted by our nation/state.
Love Your Enemies: Moral Absurdity or Genius
by Audrey D. Thompson
By recasting racial tensions as “a battle between the moral and the immoral” and positing that religious instruction gives oppressors distinct advantages, a blogger's argument compels Christians to reexamine whether it is foolish to demand love for enemies in situations of political upheaval.
"Love Your Enemies!" What Does It Mean? Can It Be Done?
by Br. David Steindl-Rast
Enemies are opponents, in mutual opposition with us in matters of deep concern, and loving them means showing genuine respect and compassion towards them.
Peace Prompts
by John Dear
From listening for God's words of peace to being part of a global peacemaking community, these 12 passages can be used to encourage the peacemaker in us all.
7 Simple Steps to Turn Enemies into Friends
by Laura Tong
Refuse to be the enemy. Change the label. Keep talking. Here are ideas to change the dynamics in a relationship and decrease animosity.
Ten Ways to Love Your Enemy
by Kristin Ritzau
These suggestions range from self-examaination to prayer to stopping toxic internal dialogues.
We're So Divided We're Helping Our Enemies
by Craig O'Dear and Neal Simon
Our political system is stuck in a destructive, self-reinforcing cycle of divisiveness and dysfunction; independent voters can help.
What I Would Say to Osama bin Laden
an interview with Thich Nhat Hanh
In an interview conducted right after 9/11, the revered Vietnamese Zen Buddhist teacher explains that if he were face-to-face with Osama Bin Laden, he would first listen and try to understand all of the suffering that led him to violence.
Sermons
Loving Your Enemies
by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Far from being an impractical idealist, Jesus has become the practical realist when he tell us to love our enemies. His command is an absolute necessity for human survival.
Love Your Enemies
by Michal Luke
This sermon considers how we react when people make life difficult for us. Luke breaks down the Beatitudes to help us understand how to apply them.