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Is it possible?

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
Is it possible to love all people unconditionally?
I do not speak of love as falling in love with an other human being. But to not be able to hold any hate toward anyone ?
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
Is it possible to love all people unconditionally?
I do not speak of love as falling in love with an other human being. But to not be able to hold any hate toward anyone ?
Hate is a strong word. There are very few people I really hate. But there are plenty that I find irritating, who in the end I suppose I love, in the sense that I would try to rescue them from danger.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
While hatred is an extreme version of the emotion. Fear/Anger the basis of hate are healthy things to feel, therefore so is hatred. To stifle ones emotional response, is to cease ones humanity.
What if the "goal" is to not be a part of humanity but rise above it? Can we still hold on to hate or dislike for others ? :confused:
 

passerby

Member
Is it possible to love all people unconditionally?
I do not speak of love as falling in love with an other human being. But to not be able to hold any hate toward anyone ?

As a Christian I believe I have to strive to love my neighbour as myself. This is the radical challenge of Christianity. I accept that God loves my fellow humans equally. Of course, it isn't possible for me to love everyone the same, because I am flawed -this is why I have to seek the help of God's grace in trying to see them as He does. This is really hard, but I do pray for those I fail to love, and try to forgive the hurt they have caused me. This is true freedom and comes from God alone.
 

Vinayaka

devotee
Premium Member
I believe there are souls who have risen above hate, and although detached from the world, would love humanity is a detached way. So yes, it's possible, in my view, but also incredibly rare.
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
Is it possible to love all people unconditionally?
I do not speak of love as falling in love with an other human being. But to not be able to hold any hate toward anyone ?

No. I thought such a thing was possible years ago. Instinctively, we are around people and talk to people that we biologically are safe around among other factors. So, from the body/brain mindset, we have conditions (how big is the person.... is he nice....) before we trust another.

From a mind/mind set, if we're not watching it, we can interpret our biological reactions and interpret it as a threat. So, we have conditions of loving others if we "think" they are a threat to us.

Spiritually, there are conditions. For example, if you don't feel safe around a person and your gut feeling (or maybe god) is saying "no...no..." you decided that based on a set of conditions-religious, spiritual, instinctual, and otherwise.

In my personal opinion, biological/mental/spiritual are interconnected. So if one is off it throws the others off.

If you loved someone without conditions, you basically bring all your walls down (even your religion) in order for you to be on equal foot with the person and have 100% empathy and all of that. I don't believe people will give up their conditions to love someone else if their conditions (god, so have you) keep them alive and in good health.

Instead, you can love someone with conditions just your (CT) personal conditions would be from a Muslim standpoint.

It's healthy to have conditions or barriers. In the Quran, there are a lot of conditions for believers in Allah. So, conditional love doesn't need to be bad, just long as its healthy.
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Is it possible to love all people unconditionally?
I do not speak of love as falling in love with an other human being. But to not be able to hold any hate toward anyone ?

No. There are those who cannot be loved.

Lets set up a hypothetical... You are happily married, your wife is expected your first baby, the world is your mollusc of choice. While you are away on business some psycho breaks into your home violates, abuses then violently and slowly tortures abd kills your wife at the same time killing your unborn child. Do you, could you feel love for the one who destroyed your love, your life and your future?
 

A Vestigial Mote

Well-Known Member
I'd have to say I am with @The Hammer on this. There are scenarios where full, unconditional love of people could see you doing things (like failure to establish boundaries) that could easily lead to all sorts of trouble for you.

Here's a really good example. There's a religious (but adamantly not church-going) Christian I run into every so often and walk around town with and talk about things. He is very open, and willing to hear any viewpoint, though he is highly opinionated himself and will also tell you his thoughts readily - his thoughts very often not straying far from The Bible. My family opened our doors to him (as he is also very nearly homeless) and have invited him to dinner a few times, and my father-in-law invited him to his church, and gave him rides and they would also talk. Anyway - my 18 year old daughter informed me that she got strange vibes from him, with looks he would give her while he was here. At the time I explained them away with the idea that he is socially awkward, and some strange behavior is to be expected. But then he went along with the other members of my family to a zoo near us (not my idea, and I was not present, though my wife and father-in-law were) - which he was invited to because he is often very isolated and even relates that this wears on him. During the trip he was talking all sorts of nonsense about women not being fit for various things, not being as strong, etc. he openly criticized my daughter's decisions about her future, the fact that she had gotten a tattoo, among other things... all the while my daughter challenging him and debating back and forth with him quite well from what I heard. And then he lays down something he had apparently been looking to get off his chest - that he is attracted to my daughter.

So, after all these challenges to our philosophy, ways of life, all the complaints he had to share with her regarding her choices, informing her that she was inferior to a man in ways, etc. - after basically communicating that he disagrees with her worldview entirely, he tells her he is attracted to her as if it is nothing at all, and that easily sweeping aside all care for his own principles - which I would have to assume he would want a mate to also uphold in majority. Not just this, but comments were also made about how it is the woman's position to "bear fruit" - so he wasn't just saying "Hey, I like you, we should hang out some time." There were definitively unwholesome thoughts on his mind. Not only that, but he also made comments in protest to him being shooed away immediately following the arrival back home like "Well, I know she has a boyfriend, but it's not like they are married or anything." Basically commenting as if it were HIS CHOICE ALONE as to whether there would be a relationship between himself and my daughter.

The point being - there are just certain things we should not put up with from one another, and those things needs be remembered in order for us to maintain an understanding of where we must set boundaries with others. I can only care about the man so far, in other words, but for me, my daughter's comfort trumps his each and every day of the week. I have to hold on to that bit of contempt. I simply must.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
No. There are those who cannot be loved.

Lets set up a hypothetical... You are happily married, your wife is expected your first baby, the world is your mollusc of choice. While you are away on business some psycho breaks into your home violates, abuses then violently and slowly tortures abd kills your wife at the same time killing your unborn child. Do you, could you feel love for the one who destroyed your love, your life and your future?
That is the 10 million dollar question:) personally i would struggle to love such a person, but is it impossible? No i believe it is possible. But i can not answer how to do it
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
No. I thought such a thing was possible years ago. Instinctively, we are around people and talk to people that we biologically are safe around among other factors. So, from the body/brain mindset, we have conditions (how big is the person.... is he nice....) before we trust another.

From a mind/mind set, if we're not watching it, we can interpret our biological reactions and interpret it as a threat. So, we have conditions of loving others if we "think" they are a threat to us.

Spiritually, there are conditions. For example, if you don't feel safe around a person and your gut feeling (or maybe god) is saying "no...no..." you decided that based on a set of conditions-religious, spiritual, instinctual, and otherwise.

In my personal opinion, biological/mental/spiritual are interconnected. So if one is off it throws the others off.

If you loved someone without conditions, you basically bring all your walls down (even your religion) in order for you to be on equal foot with the person and have 100% empathy and all of that. I don't believe people will give up their conditions to love someone else if their conditions (god, so have you) keep them alive and in good health.

Instead, you can love someone with conditions just your (CT) personal conditions would be from a Muslim standpoint.

It's healthy to have conditions or barriers. In the Quran, there are a lot of conditions for believers in Allah. So, conditional love doesn't need to be bad, just long as its healthy.
I believe that I (CT) have to be able to accept and love my self ( selflessly) 100% before i would be able to love others unconditional 100% and i am not there yet
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
That is the 10 million dollar question:) personally i would struggle to love such a person, but is it impossible? No i believe it is possible. But i can not answer how to do it

I personally would not think it possible at all, but as wife and mother perhaps i have a different outlook
 

The Hammer

[REDACTED]
Premium Member
What if the "goal" is to not be a part of humanity but rise above it? Can we still hold on to hate or dislike for others ? :confused:

I don't find this to be a good goal, IMO. I don't try to strive to be anything more then what I already am. I come into my own, I do not rise above others. That is condescending.
 

Spirit of Light

Be who ever you want
I don't find this to be a good goal, IMO. I don't try to strive to be anything more then what I already am. I come into my own, I do not rise above others. That is condescending.
I did not mean to rise above other as in egoistic or selfish way :) in a spiritual personal way, maybe?
 

Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
I believe that I (CT) have to be able to accept and love my self ( selflessly) 100% before i would be able to love others unconditional 100% and i am not there yet

How do you define unconditional love?

I don't know anyone or heard any idea of someone loving another without an idea of what that means to them and how that idea influences their behaviors and perspectives of love.
 
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