QUOTES ON ‘OUR ENEMIES’

Photo from School of the Americas protest.

“Have we not come to such an impasse in the modern world that we must love our enemies – or else? The chain reaction of evil – hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars – must be broken, or else we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

“I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today — my own government. We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. And history is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of hate.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Beyond Vietnam – A Time to Break Silence” 1967

“I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy.” ~ Jessica Dovey

“Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” ~ Abraham Lincoln

“It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.