Why Jesus said "Love your neighbor as yourself"?

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   youcanwinposted 10 years ago

   Is there any reason for Jesus's teaching?

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      wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Keeps the peace...

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         Zelkiiroposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Considering that one of the key principles of Christianity is self-loathing, I don't think Jesus was trying to keep the peace...

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      Disappearingheadposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      So when he casts unbelievers into eternal fire will the Christians ask Jesus to practice what he preached?

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         Iamsamposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         Once in my presence a man of evil life entered at death into the world of spirits. When the angel and Saints wished to help him he at once began to curse and revile them, and say, "Alaha (God) is altogether unjust. He has prepared heaven for such flattering slaves as you are, and casts the rest of mankind into the dark. Yet you call Him Love!" The angels replied, "Alaha certainly is Love. He created men that they might live forever in happy fellowship with Him, but men, by their own obstinacy, and by abuse of their free will have turned their faces away from Him, and have made hell for themselves. Alaha neither casts any one into hell, nor will He ever do so, but man himself, by being entangled in sin, creates hell for himself. Alaha never created any hell."
         
         Just then, the exceedingly sweet voice of one of the high angels was heard from above saying, "Alaha gives permission that this man may be brought into heaven." Eagerly the man stepped forward accompanied by two angels, but when they reached the door of heaven, and saw the holy and light-enveloped place and the glorious and blessed inhabitants that dwell there, he began to feel uneasy. The angels said to him, "See how beautiful a world is this! Go a little farther, and look at the dear Lord sitting on His throne." From the door he
         looked, and then as the light of the Sun of Righteousness revealed to him the impurity of his sin-defiled life, he started back in an agony of self-loathing, and fled, with such precipitancy, that he did not even stop in the intermediate state of the world of spirits, but like a stone he passed through it, and cast himself headlong into the bottomless pit.
         
         Then the sweet and ravishing voice of Maran was heard saying, "Look, My dear children, none is forbidden to come here, and no one forbade this man, nor has any one asked him to leave. It was his own impure life that forced him to flee from this holy place, for, 'unless a man be born anew, he cannot behold the Kingdom of Alaha' (John 3:3).

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            wildernessposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Nice!  You could be the next Homer.  Or Dante.

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            Disappearingheadposted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Did you just make that up because it represents a highly inaccurate paraphrase of what the bible says.

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         youcanwinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         “Love thy neighbour as thyself.” Now although in a sense all men are neighbours one of another, yet the reference is especially to those who habitually live near each other, for it is an easy matter to live at peace with one who is near at hand for a few days only, even though he be unfriendly; but in the case of one who has his dwelling near you, and day by day is the cause of trouble to you, it is most difficult to bear with him, and love him as yourself. But when you have conquered in this great struggle it will be more easy to love all others as yourself.
         
         When man with all his heart, mind, and soul loves God, and his neighbour as himself there will be no room for doubts, but in him will be established that Kingdom of God of which there should be no end, and he, melted and moulded in the fire of love, will be made into the image of his heavenly Father, who at the first made him like Himself.

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         youcanwinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

         In the same way as animals do not admit to their society those of their kind that have come under man’s influence, how can the saint and angels in heaven welcome those sinners who have lived in intimate relations with wicked men? This does not mean that saints and angels have no love for sinful men, but the holy atmosphere of heaven will itself be distasteful to such men. For clearly, when in this world sinners dislike the company of good men, how can they be happy in their company throughout eternity? To them a heaven of that sort would be as distasteful as hell itself.
         
         Do not suppose that God or His people will turn sinners out of heaven and cast them into hell, for God who is Love, never cast anyone into hell, nor ever will do so. It is the foul life of the sinner that will bring him to hell. Long before the end of life brings heaven and hell near to us, there has been set up in every man’s heart, according to his good or evil nature, his own heaven or hell. Therefore whosoever longs to be saved from that eternal torment, let him truly repent of his sins and give his heart to Jesus, that by Jesus's presence with him and the Holy Spirit’s influence, he may become for ever a child of the kingdom of God.

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      Emile Rposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Yes. It's all about understanding yourself. Understanding what motivates you. Why we think what we think and want what we want. It's an impossible endeavor; to give your neighbor the same consideration you give yourself, but through teachings such as this fair social structures are built. Starting with a bottom line premise that all are of equal value and deserve equal consideration people have slowly spread that idea to be more and more inclusive with the idea. Slavery has been reasoned into illegal. Discrimination is slowly reasoned into unacceptable.
      
      We can't, individually, act with such high ideals but collectively we agree to them and use them to argue for those considered to be the downtrodden.

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      MysticMoonlightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Perhaps it's about being humble. Maybe it's to teach us that we should never think that we are better or above our fellow man.

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      bBereanposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      In a day and time when we act as though human egos are fragile, encourage folks to love themselves first, (as though there is danger they otherwise might not), warn against low self esteem, embrace political correctness,  coddle people by passing laws limiting speech lest anyone be offended, and give prizes for participation rather than performance, encouraging entitlement over responsibility, that the premise for Jesus teaching is that the one given we can absolutely count on is that all people do love themselves.  Jesus teaching is foundational to far more than what is obvious.

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   Kathryn L Hillposted 10 years ago

   In those days, common sense prevailed. In those days people loved themselves, as a given. In these days it is not a given. We have the impression that we are to love others more than ourselves! How silly is that?
   No, we are to love others as much as we love ourselves, realizing that they also love themselves. Why would we want to take away what God himself has given each of us? That which he has given is self-love! It is a requirement for spiritual evolution.
   TWISI

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   dilyanaposted 10 years ago

   Because Jesus loves all of us and he wants us to be happy.
   It only remains for us to be wise enough  to follow His words.
   Note - 'as yourself', NOT MORE.
   How difficult!!!

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   1. 42

      youcanwinposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      People are foolish to believe that they confer some favor on God by their worship. Those who approach worship with such an attitude know nothing of the true nature of God. If we love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and if we love our neighbor as ourselves, then we will experience God’s presence. This is worship. Eternal life will spring forth in our hearts; the fire of love will melt and forge us anew into the image of our creator.
      
      The Master has said, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It is not hard to live for a few days in peace with someone – even one who is unfriendly. But if someone lives near us and annoys us day in and day out, then it becomes a difficult task even to endure – much less to love – that person. Yet if we can win through this great struggle, then we will find it all the easier to love others.

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