[March 4, 2025] Loving your enemies is not appreciated in politics. Mark Siljander, a staunch and controversial Conservative, said this in a recent interview with Dr. Jordan Peterson and, at first, took me by surprise until he explained what he meant.
Siljander added that this is why Donald Trump is disdained by neoconservatives. During his first term, Trump talked to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un about keeping peace in Southeast Asia. Trump also made friends with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This is why Siljander has such great respect for Trump as a man of peace.
“He’s the strangest man of peace, eh?” — Dr. Jordan Peterson, referring to Donald Trump, March 5, 2025
Loving your enemies is, of course, a well-known Christian idea, and outside Christianity, it is a universally rejected idea. The phrase is specifically found in the Gospel of Matthew 5:44 and tells us how to live and relate to others. Christ is saying that this is the way of overcoming evil with good, and it is how to break the cycle of revenge.
In the interview, Saljander tells us of his early years in Congress, when he regularly denounced the religion of Islam and eventually had an epiphany that he was not living according to God’s word. His later work would be to bring about peace in the Middle East and those who opposed him.
“We might be able to recognize a true peacemaker when he comes along.” — Dr. Jordan Peterson
For Saljander to translate the Christian idea of loving your enemy into the realization that it can be compatible with a Conservative political position on bringing about peace between Western democracies and Islamic countries. And what Saljander discovered was that there are fundamental similarities between Christianity, Judaism, and the Muslim faiths.
Peterson discusses Trump’s successes in peace, mentioning the Abrahamic Accords as a perfect example. Much of this accord began with the sharing of commonalities and then became the basis for enduring peace, particularly as opposed to continuous warfare.
Saljander does not say that Islam is the same religiously or morally as Christianity or Judaism. He is saying that a bridge can be built on common ideas, and then the differences can be addressed. This is why he loves Trump so much.
“I have a great respect for Donald Trump because his heart, I believe, is for peace. And he repeatedly talks about all these young men dying and killing” — Mark Saljander
You should listen to the full interview, and I also recommend reading the comments section, which generally shows a pushback on Saljanger’s position.
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NOTE: The episode between Siljander and Peterson was filmed on March 5, 2025, titled “He Helped End Six Wars – And Was Called a Traitor for it | Mark Siljander | Ep 534. Link here: He Helped End Six Wars – And Was Called a Traitor for It | Mark Siljander | EP 534
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When I read the headline for this article, I knew immediately that Gen. Satterfield would be referencing the Bible and, of course, he sure has hit the nail on the head with this one. If there is one central idea that is distilled from all the others in the many stories of the Bible, this is the one. Also from NIV version:
Luke:
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
The Kid, RIGHT !!!!!
Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
It is certainly not easy to ‘love your enemies’ but as the Bible teaches us, it is easy to love those who love us, and it is easy to expect repayment from those who are responsible and will repay you.
Go and listen to the full-length interview.
Winston, yes, others have made the same comment and you are all correct. The “flavor” of the conversation, the nuances and symbology is missed in any summary. One can not fully understand something without hearing the words of those who spoke them. Summaries are too short by definition.
EXCELLENT INTERVIEW
For those reading these comments, I cannot suggest strong enough that you have to see the video and listen to the conversation to really get an understanding here. The link is below and embedded in the article.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJY9W3-E0wk
Thank you, Cow Blue. Youj’re right of course. Nothing like going to the source. And the video is over an hour.
Cow and Frank, yes! Go to the source. Most young folks don’t think they have the time to do this, so lesson learned. Go to the original, else you have not based your comments on the full version with all the arguments laid out nicely (hopefully). I saw the video last night and was fascinated by it and the direction that it took. Mark Siljander gives a good rundown on his idea about diplomacy and the attitude one should have while doing negotiations. He is also a very controversial figure. And that is an understatement.
Jordan Peterson is being facetious in his quote. “He’s the strangest man of peace, eh?” — Dr. Jordan Peterson, referring to Donald Trump, March 5, 2025. He knows that Donald Trump is a man of peace but that standing is going to be seriously tested by Iran, Russia, and China over the next few months. N. Korea is sitting back and playing coy at this point, so it is an unknown. We now have the quad of evil.
Love your enemies, and then kick the arses. Bloody good work.
Love your enemies. Of course, this is a Judeo-Christian concept with more meaning than we might expect or even believe. It runs counter to how we humans think. In fact, we are taught the opposite. And Christians themselves are not taught the real ideas of why we should love our enemies. I suggest reading this article by General Satterfield about how another Biblical idea is misunderstood, too. “ Turn the Other Cheek: Its Meaning to Leaders”
https://www.theleadermaker.com/turn-the-other-cheek-its-meaning-to-leaders/
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What Does It Really Mean to “Turn the Other Cheek”?
https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/what-does-it-really-mean-to-turn-the-other-cheek.html
Excellent discussion.
Ex-Congressman Mark Siljanger is a controversial speaker for sure. His political and commentary positions have changed radically over time but I did find this interview very interesting.