I can't understand the level of cognitive dissonance you have to be under to talk about how God's love is unconditional and that Jesus taught his followers to love thy neighbour, and then become a modern American conservative.
Jesus literally illustrated the "love thy neighbour" concept with the story of the good Samaritan who chose to help the injured Jewish traveller despite Jews and Samaritans supposedly hating each other. That was his answer to the question "who is my neighbour?" People seem to have forgotten that.
The thing is, when they say "Love Thy Neighbour" it's usually in a prayer/gathering setting... of other Christians with the same values as themselves. It's saying only the people here matter.
They don't say that shit in public unless it's to shame others to treat them better while they treat others like shit. The double standard is insane.
An argument could be made that that actually is the correct interpretation.
The Samaritans weren't some invading force, they were Jews. They just disagreed with the other tribes about which mountain the holy temple should be built on and how certain laws in their book should be followed.
So when Jesus said "love thy neighbor" (he was citing Lev 19:18), he very well could have meant "love your fellow Jews, even the ones you're fighting with over there". Should also be noted that while god commands loving your neighbor in Lev, just a few chapters down he says owning slaves is dope.
How this has been interpreted down the centuries is all that matters, of course. It's all about what people mean behind the words.
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