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What does the word 'love' mean?

J

JJ50

Well-Known Member
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?
 
Samana Johann

Samana Johann

Restricted by request
Desire, affection, greed, thirst, craving, clinging, hold on, grasping, wishing to control, make it ones own... many more understandable words, yet it does not sell that good.

If searching for the quality God have, or a quality that lead to heavens or beyond, good to look after metta, deriving from mitta, friend: Mettā means Goodwill

A small collection of what is better to develop then love, yet seems sometimes similar:

mettā: (goodwill, loving-kindness). See also brahma-vihāra; Pāramīs.
 
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Eddi

Eddi

Agnostic
Premium Member
I'd say love means two things: it is both a way of treating others and a way of feeling about them

You can treat another person as though you love them whilst not feeling any natural affection for them and still be practicing love, I believe this is what Christianity demands (e.g. "love thy enemies")
 
usfan

usfan

Well-Known Member
In a godless universe, love is an instinctive response only.. a drive to reproduce, raise and nurture offspring, and herd instinct. There could be no 'soul love!' or agape love, in a godless universe. There is self interest, and animal instinct, and humans delude themselves thinking there is more than that.

In a God made universe, it could be different. Altruistic senses could have been embedded by God, to elevate mankind above mere animal instinct. A spiritual Love as a deep seated sense & motivation.. a reflection of the values and nature of the Creator.. beauty, abstraction, thoughts of eternity, infinity, and purpose.. these are possibilities in a God made universe, but delusions in a godless one.
 
J

JJ50

Well-Known Member
usfan said:
In a godless universe, love is an instinctive response only.. a drive to reproduce, raise and nurture offspring, and herd instinct. There could be no 'soul love!' or agape love, in a godless universe. There is self interest, and animal instinct, and humans delude themselves thinking there is more than that.

In a God made universe, it could be different. Altruistic senses could have been embedded by God, to elevate mankind above mere animal instinct. A spiritual Love as a deep seated sense & motivation.. a reflection of the values and nature of the Creator.. beauty, abstraction, thoughts of eternity, infinity, and purpose.. these are possibilities in a God made universe, but delusions in a godless one.
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The 'love' exhibited by the Biblical god character is more attributed to hate than love.:mad:
 
usfan

usfan

Well-Known Member
JJ50 said:
The 'love' exhibited by the Biblical god character is more attributed to hate than love.:mad:
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No, that is a distortion. Christianity has done more to elevate altruistic love than any other ideology. It is merely religious bigotry, from a competing ideology trying to smear Christianity, that accuses 'hate!', 'oppression!' and 'evil!' toward the only ideology that has actually brought equality, natural law, and inherent rights to the human collective.

You are deluded with a false narrative, from agenda driven ideologues.
 
Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
usfan said:
Christianity has done more to elevate altruistic love than any other ideology. It is merely religious bigotry,

You are deluded with a false narrative, from agenda driven ideologues.
Click to expand...

Irony meter is red lined.
 
Audie

Audie

Veteran Member
JJ50 said:
Like killing them off as the god character supposedly did in the mythical flood?:rolleyes:
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Hey, it is what they, as well as all the little bunnies, koala
bears, and so forth really needed.

God is love, and a terrif psychologist. He would know.
 
usfan

usfan

Well-Known Member
..you can mock God's love all you want. It will not diminish, nor turn to hate, as it does in humans. IOW, your hatred toward God will not be returned by Him. His patience is greater than your hate.

I find it very ironic, in a thread about love, that hatred toward God is the underlying theme and agenda.

Beware! Lest the things you accuse God of, devour your own soul..
 
osgart

osgart

Nothing my eye, Something for sure
Love is the selfless motive of caring about someone else.

Love is also the practice of virtues to bring about that care.

Love is also a word that people use for purely selfish means. Go figure! Something pleasurable is all that it means in that case.

I think people are fooled by the use of the word. A care vs. a pleasure. Compassion vs. Hedonism.
 
J

JJ50

Well-Known Member
usfan said:
..you can mock God's love all you want. It will not diminish, nor turn to hate, as it does in humans. IOW, your hatred toward God will not be returned by Him. His patience is greater than your hate.

I find it very ironic, in a thread about love, that hatred toward God is the underlying theme and agenda.

Beware! Lest the things you accuse God of, devour your own soul..
Click to expand...

I don't have a soul.
 
Twilight Hue

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Love describes a possessive quality in a person weither it would be self, another person, place, or thing.
 
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