must a christian even love an athiest, ? why?
970948
Yes,Christians are to love all people, just as God loves them.\n   Atheists know our beliefs,and we are only doing more harm than good by constantly harping on them.They know where we stand,and we know where they stand. If there is any hope at all of changing their minds(though they have made it quite clear we can't change their minds) we have to be more tolerant and understanding with our questions and answers,not to mention a lot more respectful of their decision.\n   Atheists should likewise give Christians the same consideration. They get angry when we qoute Bible scriptures in our answers,but they have to realize that the Word of God is where we get our faith,beliefs and inspiration.
428248
It is not that people are divided into two camps, "those who believe, and those who don't".  In fact this is a belief structure on its own.  Many atheist have strong beliefs, they are just different from your own.  So maybe the better question to ask would be, "why do you believe something other than what I believe?"\n\nMost people who question Christianity do so because it is very easy not to believe in it.  Remember that the foundation of Christian beliefs is FAITH.  \n\nFaith is not easy for people who believe in science and reason.  Many of the beliefs of the Christian faith are total unreasonable.  For example, "The world was made in seven days".  This is not reasonable at all, but one needs faith to believe it.\n\nFor myself, I don't believe that Jesus was any more the son of god than you are.  Why? Because it is totally unreasonable.  But I do believe in God.  Although the God I believe in is likely nothing like the one you imagine.  My God is universal, and impossible to understand, we are too small and simple to understand a truth that grand.  My God is totally unreasonable also, but I don't attribute Human characteristics to him like many Christians do.  My God is everything, and everywhere.  And my God is inseparable from us.  We are, and it is us, and everything else.\n\nThe sad thing is that most Christians hope that Jesus will figure it all out for them.  All you have to do is believe in him, and that's it.  So is it really faith, or is it desperate hope for lost people?  I find Christians simplifying life so often it makes me wonder if they really KNOW Christ like they say they do.
645455
You know, I get the impression that many of your questions in this catagory are simply meant to provoke others for your amusement in their answers. \nI'm not attacking your beliefs--and I say beliefs because I've seen that it takes as much faith to be an athiest as it does a Christian. \nIf you have a genuine purpose to asking these questions other than laughing at the people who take them seriously, I'd like to know... actually I'd be pretty interested.\nthanks,\nJB
294758
I have to agree with the previous poster that no, Christians do not love as they ought.\nThe fact that we fail however, does not negate the commandment, or mean that we don't make it our goal in life to love even our enemies with a perfect love.\n\nNow, this begs a question, what does loving your enemy look like in real life? Does loving your enemy mean that you put yourself in harms way by trusting them not to hurt you? I don't think so. Does it mean to have warm gooshy feelings for them? again, I don't think so.\nLoving your enemy means that you wish the best for them, as a Christian, the best we could possibly wish for someone is that they too would come into the relationship with God that we enjoy. If that is rejected, the next best thing is that they enjoy good things in this life because they will surely have nothing to enjoy in the afterlife. (Luke 16:19-31) Not only does loving your enemy mean that you wish the best for them, but it also means that you activly engage in things that will directly benefit them.\nIn the case of Bin Laden, I also have to weigh out the fact that I am commanded to love the other 6 Billion people on the planet, and since Bin Laden is actively engaged in harming many people (he has never done anything against me personally), I should support efforts to express love to my fellow-man by putting a stop to Bin Laden's activities.\nPersonally, I desire to see Bin Laden come to a saving and redeeming knowledge of Jesus Christ, but failing that, or until that happens, the most loving thing I can do is desire to his terrorist activities halted by whatever means possible.
908811
Is there any reason why you can't be?\n\nI am a Christian, and therefore my philosophy is this:\n\nI will love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind, and I will love my neighbor as I love myself.
375281
He Loves u because, He wants to love u, and he wants u to love Him aswell... He wishes that none should perish but have everlasting life.... here is a verse that most know....\n\nJoh 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. \n\nwhen u read that verse look at the word "so".... Does God need a reason to love u.... Do u need a reason to love God.... God is the only one that will never let u down\nGod bless u\n\nP.S Remember God does not need a reason to love anyone, He loves us all....\nP.S.S Everyone here that has written before me has very good answers, and everyone of them true....
606210
If I truely love someone, there religion or lack thereof is not going to stop me from marrying them. I wouldn't let there lack of faith influence or change me.
1172864
Why would someone who doesn't believe in God want to go be with Him forever?!?!\nAny one who confesses Jesus Christ as their Lord & Savior and believes He is God & died on the Cross & rose from the dead can go to Heaven.  Yes, even people with low morals, I was one.
153142
Being a Christian I'm sure you hear a lot of stuff that says it is against gods will.  However they think about religion is that you have to look more at its roots and realize that while it has a good base, it has been misconstrude over the years to fit what people want it to say.  At its roots it says that you should love everyone.  If it was against gods will for you to love someone of the same sex would he allow you to feel that way?  Wouldn't he make it so there was some dire consequence like death?  All religions preach love as being one of the most important things there is.  If you love another person of the same sex, that is simply who you are and who you have found love with.  There is nothing wrong with love.
578170
I want them to be happy no matter what.\nI would love them even if they turned out to be christians.
583457
Well I'm agnostic but will answer this anyways...\n\nI find this one of Christianity's few logical points.  All people carry some form of greed, arrogance, conflict, etc. in them.  No matter how good a person you are, you WILL sin...its bound to happen.  What the concept of being a sinner means is that Christianity is admitting that its followers will not lead a sinless life (which is realistically true).  Basically, we're imperfect and we know it...but God loves us anyways.\n\nFor non-Christians, its an excuse for Christians to admit they're imperfect while still maintaining that their beliefs are.
994312
I've never understood the doctrine of "love the sinner but hate the sin."  When "the sin" is how you define a person (e.g., homosexual, liberal, feminist, believer-in-science, dancer-around-fires or whatever), then how can you claim to be loving the person while hating the very thing that -- in your eyes -- makes him who he is?\n\nIf christians define themselves by their belief, and if I fear and despise everything that their belief stands for, then I have to admit that I would not choose to spend time with christians if I could avoid it (with the exception of family and friends who don't care what I believe).
1070584
God loves everyone. period.the end \nhe dosen't hate anyone\nJesus is mah saviour\nand no one can take me away from him\nso, i suggest u grow up and stop picking on christians for beliveing whats true and yes, God does love everyone, thats why he's so amazing, thats why his love is so amazing.
1090342
if they're truly in love, they will compromise to make it work...\ntake me and my fiance for instance...\ni'm wiccan, he's atheist...\ngranted that not like being a christian and an atheist...\nbut it's still the same in the sense that i have a belief system and he doesn't...\nbut we compromise... i don't shove wicca down his throat and he never chides me for having a faith...
676077
God has never said that you must choose a denomination to love him.And for those who have a true relationship with God there is no building on Earth that can come between them and their Lord.Whether you choose to go to church is your own choice.But God is in your heart and soul not in a building.If you know in your heart that you have done your best to be a good person then God knows.No one can tell you that.Only he can.
465074
I do to a degree. Love is very powerful and moves people to do the impossible. I believe that today mankind confuses love. Especially in the english language. We say I love my dog , I love chocolate, I love my wife, I love my parents, etc. However we do not love those things all on the same level. There is no other way to say it in English. So it is true there are different levels of love. There is a level in Greek called, "Agape". This is the highest level there is. God has it for mankind.The kind we have for God. Christ commanded us to have it for one another. This form of love allows you to even love your enemies. Imagine that able to love your enemies. It is very difficult to show this kind of love because it is a perfect bond of love. We are not perfect. Some people are able to come close. Yet only God is able to demonstrate it perfectly since he is perfect. IMagine though if all the world tried to apply it what a better world we would live in. No more divorce.
707296
Jesus always preached love. He never preached that anyone was exempt from his love, he especially didn't preach that one specific group was exempt from his love.\n\nI wish all you Christians would listen a little more to Jesus and a lot less to "the Church" and the parts of the Bible that fit in with your own opinions!\n\nJesus made a lot of sense. I'm an atheist, but I have a lot of respect for Jesus and everything he taught and stood for.