I define the word 'love' as liking someone very much, like my children. I could never love anyone I disliked.
The god character in the Bible is described as a god of love, but the deeds it is supposed to have committed are those of hate rather than love.
What does that word mean to other posters?
'Love'
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Re: 'Love'
Post #2JJ50 wrote: I define the word 'love' as liking someone very much, like my children. I could never love anyone I disliked.
The god character in the Bible is described as a god of love, but the deeds it is supposed to have committed are those of hate rather than love.
What does that word mean to other posters?
You are inviting a discussion on the various types of love, such as they are, ambitiously called: Eros, Phileo, Agape and even Storge
It depends on how our attraction is formed. When we say: I love my faather; my wife, my friend, my dog, my roses ... there is a form of attraction in each without trying to build walls around the types. We just react, in our love, in a different way depending on the object of our love.
As to "I love God" - I don't really see how this can be, except in some imaginative fashion. We conjure up a red robed, bearded deity, smiling a friendly smile, as kind as a best uncle, and we love our creation. If we make the declaration, having just read the OT, I cannot see how it can be made truthfully.
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Re: 'Love'
Post #3marco wrote:
You are inviting a discussion on the various types of love, such as they are, ambitiously called: Eros, Phileo, Agape and even Storge
I'm impressed, yes the Greeks had four words for our one word "love". In the bible the word that is used by FAR more frequently is agape, which biblilically can apply to people one doesn't know and/or doesn't like. It is in scripture love based on principle rather than friendship or attraction.
(Their word "hate" also was more versatile than our English equivalent)
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Re: 'Love'
Post #4[Replying to post 1 by JJ50]
Well, my answer takes into consideration of where your question has been posted. Its not a dating site. Because its located where Christianity is the focus then my answer will be in that realm.
Do I love people the way Jesus loved people? Do I want people to love me the way jesus loved people? Absolutely not! If Jesus loved his disciples he woukd have told them notvto pluck corn on the Sabbath day. Instead he gave a glorious sounding speech which condoned/ made light of it. If he really loved them he would have condemned their actions. If he cared about their soul he woukd have. Notice jesus didnt break the laws of the sabbath. He just got others to break them.
Well, my answer takes into consideration of where your question has been posted. Its not a dating site. Because its located where Christianity is the focus then my answer will be in that realm.
Do I love people the way Jesus loved people? Do I want people to love me the way jesus loved people? Absolutely not! If Jesus loved his disciples he woukd have told them notvto pluck corn on the Sabbath day. Instead he gave a glorious sounding speech which condoned/ made light of it. If he really loved them he would have condemned their actions. If he cared about their soul he woukd have. Notice jesus didnt break the laws of the sabbath. He just got others to break them.
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Re: 'Love'
Post #5To me it means caring without conditions. I don’t think it is liking.JJ50 wrote: ...
What does that word mean to other posters?
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Re: 'Love'
Post #6.
I very seldom use the word ‘love’ applied to myself – but reserve that term for a significant other / partner. I do not ‘love pizza’ or my ‘neighbor’ or my ‘enemy’
Instead, perhaps love (however defined or identified) is an end of a continuum with the other end being hate (or possibly indifference).
Regarding people, it might look something like:
Life Partner
Good Friends
Friends
New friends
Friendly acquaintances
Acquaintances
Strangers
Hostile strangers
Enemies
I very seldom use the word ‘love’ applied to myself – but reserve that term for a significant other / partner. I do not ‘love pizza’ or my ‘neighbor’ or my ‘enemy’
Instead, perhaps love (however defined or identified) is an end of a continuum with the other end being hate (or possibly indifference).
Regarding people, it might look something like:
Life Partner
Good Friends
Friends
New friends
Friendly acquaintances
Acquaintances
Strangers
Hostile strangers
Enemies
.
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ANY of the thousands of "gods" proposed, imagined, worshiped, loved, feared, and/or fought over by humans MAY exist -- awaiting verifiable evidence
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ANY of the thousands of "gods" proposed, imagined, worshiped, loved, feared, and/or fought over by humans MAY exist -- awaiting verifiable evidence
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Re: 'Love'
Post #7[Replying to post 5 by 1213]
LOVE
You know the expression "the Greeks have a word for it" that comes from the fact that it is an extremely versatile language. Although in English we have the one word for love, the greeks actually had four reflecting the fact that there are different kinds of love. They had a word for the naturally occuring love between family members, erotic or romantic love, brotherly love between friends and what has been called the superlative higher principled or "godly" love; in greek agapē
Agapē along with "brotherly affection", is strong enough to beat racism, divisive politics, nationalism, tribalism. It is the backbone of true religion and the principle means by which the true religion can be distinguished from the thousands that are false. It binds believers together in an international brotherhood stronger than death. No government, no authority, no Senate or King can force those with such love to kill, and they would rather die than play any role in efforts to kill those they view as their mothers, sister, brothers fathers ... even if they are German or Japanese...even during wartime. Even if its between 1939 and 1945.
When the world forgot what love means, Jehovah's Witnesses had such love. Agapē is a beautiful thing to behold.
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LOVE
You know the expression "the Greeks have a word for it" that comes from the fact that it is an extremely versatile language. Although in English we have the one word for love, the greeks actually had four reflecting the fact that there are different kinds of love. They had a word for the naturally occuring love between family members, erotic or romantic love, brotherly love between friends and what has been called the superlative higher principled or "godly" love; in greek agapē
This love is not just based on emotion (although it can involve emotion) its based on godly principles of what God says is the right thing to do. It enables people to love those they don't even "like" it is the love Christ asked his followers to display even for Germans, Japanese, or the Vietnamese when their government declare such one's "enemies". Its the love that is not expressed by dropping bombs on such ones.
Regarding agapē "An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words" by W. E. Vine says: This is not the love of complacency, or affection, that is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its objects.
Agapē along with "brotherly affection", is strong enough to beat racism, divisive politics, nationalism, tribalism. It is the backbone of true religion and the principle means by which the true religion can be distinguished from the thousands that are false. It binds believers together in an international brotherhood stronger than death. No government, no authority, no Senate or King can force those with such love to kill, and they would rather die than play any role in efforts to kill those they view as their mothers, sister, brothers fathers ... even if they are German or Japanese...even during wartime. Even if its between 1939 and 1945.
When the world forgot what love means, Jehovah's Witnesses had such love. Agapē is a beautiful thing to behold.
JEHOVAHS WITNESS
Video Testimony: I put down my rifle
https://tv.jw.org/#en/video/VODIntExp/d ... 25_1_VIDEO
[youtube][/youtube]
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Last edited by JehovahsWitness on Fri Sep 16, 2022 8:14 pm, edited 26 times in total.
INDEX: More bible based ANSWERS
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"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" - Romans 14:8
http://debatingchristianity.com/forum/v ... 81#p826681
"For if we live, we live to Jehovah, and if we die, we die to Jehovah. So both if we live and if we die, we belong to Jehovah" - Romans 14:8
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Post #8
I think what many people fail to realize is that a perfect sense of justice goes along with perfect love. I always use the following scenario to illustrate what I mean:
Let's say a man rapes and murders your sister. In fact, she is the fifth woman he has treated thus. He goes before a judge. The judge says to him, "I am a loving judge. Therefore, I will not punish you for what you did." Then the man, who is not the least bit penitent, leaves, free to rape and murder other women.
How would you respond to that? Would you think the judge was right? Do you think that love should make someone ignore the evil that someone has done and allow him to keep on committing heinous acts? Would you say that the judge who allows a criminal to go free is showing love to you, in your grief, or to your sister, unjustly violated and murdered?
Let's say a man rapes and murders your sister. In fact, she is the fifth woman he has treated thus. He goes before a judge. The judge says to him, "I am a loving judge. Therefore, I will not punish you for what you did." Then the man, who is not the least bit penitent, leaves, free to rape and murder other women.
How would you respond to that? Would you think the judge was right? Do you think that love should make someone ignore the evil that someone has done and allow him to keep on committing heinous acts? Would you say that the judge who allows a criminal to go free is showing love to you, in your grief, or to your sister, unjustly violated and murdered?
