[FoRK] reas. conv. 12/1: MLK on "Love"

[Dr. Ernie Prabhakar]

[#11 in a "reasoned conversation" about  Christianity and atheism]

Hi all,

Some great comments in the last 24 hours, which I look forward to  
responding to next week.  Meanwhile, I ran across this sermon by the  
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. which I thought did a far better job of  
explaining what I mean by "love" than I (or, as noted earlier,  
historical 'Christian' actions) have done.

----
http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/publications/sermons/ 
571117.002_Loving_Your_Enemies.html
In the final analysis, love is not this sentimental something that we  
talk about. It’s not merely an emotional something. Love is creative,  
understanding goodwill for all men. It is the refusal to defeat any  
individual. When you rise to the level of love, of its great beauty  
and power, you seek only to defeat evil systems. Individuals who  
happen to be caught up in that system, you love, but you seek to  
defeat the system.

The Greek language comes out with another word for love. It is the  
word agape. And agape is more than eros; agape is more than philia;  
agape is something of the understanding, creative, redemptive  
goodwill for all men. It is a love that seeks nothing in return. It  
is an overflowing love; it’s what theologians would call the love of  
God working in the lives of men. And when you rise to love on this  
level, you begin to love men, not because they are likeable, but  
because God loves them. You look at every man, and you love him  
because you know God loves him. And he might be the worst person  
you’ve ever seen.


And this is what Jesus means, I think, in this very passage when he  
says, "Love your enemy." And 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. I don’t like what they do to me. I don’t like what they say  
about me and other people. I don’t like their attitudes. I don’t like  
some of the things they’re doing. I don’t like them. But Jesus says  
love them. And love is greater than like. Love is understanding,  
redemptive goodwill for all men, so that you love everybody, because  
God loves them. You refuse to do anything that will defeat an  
individual, because you have agape in your soul. And here you come to  
the point that you love the individual who does the evil deed, while  
hating the deed that the person does. This is what Jesus means when  
he says, "Love your enemy." This is the way to do it. When the  
opportunity presents itself when you can defeat your enemy, you must  
not do it.


----
I'm curious how many FoRKers will respond by saying either:

a) This is exactly the sort of mindless romanticism that demonstrates  
how irrational and dangerous Christians really are.

b) Well, of course that is true, but it has nothing to do with  
Christianity; atheists can love like that better than most Christians  
do..

c) MLK, like all Christian preachers, is using superficially  
appealing language to cloak his nefarious attempts at brainwashing  
people.

Did I miss anything? :-)

Love, Ernie P.