"Take up your cross and follow me"
"Love your neighbor as you love yourself"

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What does this mean to you?

To what extent is this possible?

Have you ever been in trouble so deep, that you didn't know how to pull yourself out? Did someone ever come along to help you on your way? Even at their personal cost?

Have you ever sacrificed yourself in order to help someone else in that same situation?

How much can we be accountable for the suffering of our fellows?

"Love thy enemy"

Mt 5

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 �Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

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38 You have heard that it was said, �AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.
39 But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 ��If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. 41 Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

43 You have heard that it was said, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.
44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 �If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

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It is different when you willingly suffer the enmity of your enemy....
....from sacrificing yourself to help another who is suffering in the hands of theirs.

This is the question my topic seeks to find out.

depends on the situation... since i don't believe in a god, i call it fate, if I'm supposed to help out or not... everything we do now has future impacts, and if i feel that's what I'm supposed to do, then I'll do it.. no rhyme or reason why, just a feeling...

I wish.... I had that virtue
Not too sure if I could die for my enemy

Yes, we can remove God from the equation for your mindset.

Do you think that the golden rule of "love your neighbor as you love yourself" applies to you as well?
Because this is very different from the concept of "do no harm".

One sentiment is that of an active gesture of self sacrifice, the other is a passive-permissive one.

Dying for your enemy...is silly...not unless your physical death can bring about their spiritual redemption. If you believe in that kind of thing.

Would you let yourself suffer for the sake of your friends?

hard to say to what extent it's possible. each person has their own definition.
being there for people often makes it easy to be taken advantage of.
yes, I've been in hurt so deep my world was in pieces. yes, I'm blessed there has been someoneto hhelp me in those dark moments.
likewise, I've been there for people in the best way I know how.

yes, I have even been there for people who neither like me nor appreciated it. for me it was about doing what I feel is right.

no, i don't love just because i'm told to... it has to be earned... if people are doing it because the bible tells them to, then they are fakes...

sometimes helping someone isn't that, you might be doing more harm to them than good... sometimes people need to learn a lesson, in order for them to not let it happen again... in a sense, not helping people all the time makes them better people...

Dying is just a metaphor

What i mean is...
Would i suffer for another, let alone my enemy?

But if it were a friend,
Don't mean too sound righteous
But the answer is definitely YES

People call me PUTERI LILIN ~ membakari diri sendiri untuk menerangi orang lain which translates to the candle princess ~ burning herself for the sake of others

Well..you cant "love" someone if you dont feel it...how about compassion or empathy, then?
By your post, tough love seems to be the order of the day.

Lets say, for want of a better word....treat someone as you would want to be treated..

in cases of injustice happening to another, the "victim" is usually in no position to defend or protect themselves. And sometimes, by helping the "victim" we can put ourselves in a precarious situation. The "victim" does not necessarily have to be a stranger, it could be a family member, close friend...etc

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Sry, didn't get the greater love thing. Can u rephrase?

True...it would be different if it were your children, compared to if it were your parents, compared to if it were your siblings, compared to if it were just friends...etc etc...
Its also different if it were an "ideal" or a "principle" that you are fighting for.

Two more sayings related to the topic :
Charity/love begins at home.
The only necessary thing for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.

There is no love greater than to lay down one's life for one's friends

Than?

jesus loved others and sacrificed himself for others

for his goodwill he was misrepresented, and eventually hung on the cross

for me this means we are to live following his example, even to the point and with the knowledge that we may be charged as criminal for it and given death(emotionally, socially, and possibly one day physically)

there's no greater love than when a soldier covers a grenade with his body to save his brothers. that's greater love. its void of all self thoughts