My Church's reponse disturbing.

[farmer18th]

David wrote, under divine inspiration, "I hate your enemies, O Lord, with a perfect hatred." And you assume that mere mortals are the enemy of God ? They are not. Lack of love for God is the enemy.

Seems very much like you're de-anthropomorphizing the Scripture when it is convenient. You don't know the Psalms if you think David wasn't talking about mortal enemies of God. He hated the physical, mortal enemies of God with a "perfect" hatred. So should you. Don't turn God's word into a Stewart Smalley self-affirmation moment. It's not the gospel. The gospel is both love and hate, a time for peace and a time for war, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing. You're making it into something as flat, and meaningless, as a greeting card commercial.

[VRWC_minion]

Seems very much like you're de-anthropomorphizing the Scripture when it is convenient

I am not doing anything with scripture but repeating it. It seems that Jesus's command to us to love our enemies cannot be anymore clear.

I do know this from my heart as well as from scripture, if you end up hating your enemy you have hardend your heart and you will close off yourself from God.

[farmer18th]

I do know this from my heart as well as from scripture, if you end up hating your enemy you have hardend your heart and you will close off yourself from God.

I'm still not sure you understand. "Loving" your enemy may mean walking up to him and violently overturning his table. "Loving" your wayward son might mean cutting him off financially. "Loving" your enemy on the battlefield might mean shooting him. "Loving" your enemy politically might mean getting everyone in your church to get out and vote so that he's defeated. We need to interpret "love" the way Jesus interpreted it--since He's the one (not me) who called his enemies "vipers" and "whited tombs."

[VRWC_minion]

"Loving" your enemy may mean walking up to him and violently overturning his table. "Loving" your wayward son might mean cutting him off financially.

Sure it can. It can even mean you have to take their lives, but it doesn't mean you have to hate them while doing so. Its whats in your heart at the time you are acting. Once you turn your heart to hatred there is no room for God. Don't be afraid to love your enemies, they cannot hurt you unless they turn you to hate. So pray for them while getting ready to fight them. Its good for your heart and it keeps you focused that God is in charge in all things and that the Holy Spirit may still change the heart of your enemy. Instead of hate ask God to bring his peace to your heart:

John 14

26

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

28

"You heard me say, `I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.

[AMMON-CENTRIST]

God bless to you too gulf.

[farmer18th]

The executioner can have tears in his eyes, as long as his aim is straight. Agreed. I think we need to reexamine, however, the categorical notion that all of creation deserves our unquestioned love. When Jesus talks about millstones and those who offend his little ones, it doesn't sound like our conventional notion of love. We need to make sure we understand Him, and not impose our fuzzy notions of love and compassion on the Lord of Hosts, (the Lord of Armies, in other words.)

[DWSUWF]

"...She sounds to me like a good Christian..."

One of the really nifty things about America is that we can disagree, 110%, about this and neither of us has to go to jail over it.

[appleton14]

I guess it would have been more appropriate to request that the responsible parties be brought to justice. Or, to pray for the Muslims/Christian Arabs that will be suffering guilt by association just for being Arab etc.

[AlGone2001]

I will agree that we should pray for our enemies (i.e., bin Laden), as Christ has commanded.

Our prayers should include the hope that he would come to a saving knowledge of Christ.

We can have two simultaneous approaches.

1. Supprot our President in his duties as Commander-in-Chief to establish justice during this act of war, and

2. Keep our hearts right before God and not take him out purely for th joy of it.

There is a difference between dealing with bin Laden as a matter of justice, and killing him out of spite. If we do it purely out of spite, I'm not sure that God will be able to determine who is wrong.

For the record, I think that justice will be better served if he were killed on the spot. That way, we avoid a long trial and perhaps can help take the money out of the hands of the lousy terrorists who follow him that would better serve their kids if they got a real job.

[Nubbin]

Somestimes I find that people who only go to Church on 'special' occasions, expect to find an extremely moving experience. And when they don't find the bolt of lightening, they complain. Look into your own heart to find love and peace.

I'm not sure why you addressed this to me. I attend Mass every week, and I wasn't complaining. The homily was delivered by the Deacon rather than the Priest and I personally like Father Joe's homilies much better...but that's neither here nor there.