What is love?

Baby don’t hurt me.

(bobs their head to the side in rhythm to the music)

Don’t hurt me no more! :) @jasonwiese55 Damn, you beat me to it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpwK3vFGJp0

Love <3

To answer the question for real:
Love is a result of nature selecting humans who derived physical pleasure from intimacy to survive.

Oxytocin and vasopressin and dopamine and some other stuff in the nucleus accumbens and some other places.

@nikipedia The neuroscientist is highly qualified to answer.

@yankeetooter Shit. I accidentally posted a link that I copy and pasted for the other post. Click on it now and you’ll see what I intended it to be.

That kind of takes all the romance right out of it, doesn’t it @nikipedia…lol!

Okay, @KatetheGreat…trying it now…

Much better…Lol! Although it’s a bit much…scary…:0

“Love is, the ability and willingness to let those that you care for do what they want without any insistence that they satisfy you”.
Dr. Wayne Dyer, Erroneous Zones

I totally disagree with him. Didn’t used to. But currently I do.

It is imaginary… but who said that was a bad thing?

God is Love
Love Exists
Therefore
God Exists

But how does one prove that God = Love?

God is love in the same way that leprechauns are curiosity.

I thought leprechauns were green.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies all you have to do is put the = sign between the words God and Love :-)

God is Green – It’s Official

I did. But it came in the form with a question mark at the end.

@everephebe no no. that’s the jolly green giant.

‘True” love is completely selfless, always wanting whats best for the beloved, even when it conflicts with our own agendas.
Very, very few of us will ever get there.
Short of unconditional love for an infant or very young toddler, most of what we call ‘love’ usually has some serious strings attached.

‘They’ say that much beyond toddlerhood, ‘unconditional’ love evades most mortals.

There is always some attachment to getting and holding love for most, at the expense of the other.

Once a child shows it’s independent thought and actions, even parents have hard time feeling unconditional ‘love.’

Much of what we call ‘love’ is really a very selfish desire to control another and/or have their actions mirror our own sense of self, desires, interests, wants, needs.

The love ‘object; is there to serve our own reflection, not theirs.

Most romantic love is all about safety and lack of growth, keeping the ‘other’ in the status quo so it doesn’t threaten our own shakey sense of self.

Notice how you champion your children for mirroring your reflection, more so than their own.

‘Real’ love means genuinely WANTING what the ‘other’ wants for themselves, even if that means they no longer want you!

Love is a selfish human emotion created as a means of claiming who or what they think is theirs.

No matter what form of love you’re thinking of, whether it is romantic/passionate love, love of family, friends or pets, or love of country, it’s all about protecting yourself. You have found something that you have decided is yours and want to protect it, but ultimately (in an evolutionary sense) you do it for yourself.

You love a significant other because your instincts want to claim that person as your property, and, in the case of a heterosexual relationship, you want to keep them for yourself and pass down your genes.

You love your children and family because they represent your genes being passed down through another generation.

You love pets and friends because they make you happy and you want to keep them around.

This sounds really cynical and pessimistic, but I intend it to be a sort of realistic, non-romanticized definition of love. ‘Real’ love as @Coloma states, in which you are willing to let someone leave to preserve their own happiness, is something bigger. It’s understanding and selflessness, which goes against human nature. It is a form of true strength and humanity.

God is love.

But in other words.

“For you, there ain’t a damn thing that I won’t do .. that’s my way to show my love for you”

@ParaParaYukiko If love is entirely selfish from an evolutionary point of view, why do we continue to love our parents once they are aged and infirm, and more of a burden than any advantage to us?

God is love? Onchocerciasis? Very loving…

@meiosis I believe that kind of love has been fabricated by modern society and medicine. Before we had medicines and good food and proper hygiene to keep us living past our 40s, parents rarely reached an age where they would be decrepit and burdensome. Now that we have humans living until 100 years or longer, requiring extra help and money to keep alive, it is an emotional dilemma for the adult children. We still love them because of a sentimental attachment, because they raised us and make us happy, much like friends and pets. But the burden is also huge, which is why we have nursing homes and retirement facilities. It’s unnatural for humans to care for the elderly on such a large scale.

Where was the God/Love at the destruction of Jericho? Where was God/Love when Sodom and Gomorrah were wiped off the face of the earth?

Ever hear of the “Wrath of God”?

What’s with all this “God IS Love” crap?

How was God/Love expressed during the great flood, killing billions of people worldwide?

These are all things that God personally takes credit for. Not like an earthquake or tornado with no one taking credit. God decreed these tragedies. Where’s the love pal?

It’s easy to say “God is Love” when you think God is on your side supporting your cause. But what do you call it when he doesn’t?

All question with : ” where was God when .. ? ” are answered by

” In the same place / spot when His Son died ”

Christianity is not meant to be understood by all because most of you do not see / treat / react / rely to Him like we believers do.
Oh and God is not supporting me or anyone else. He’s not picking sides. He supports Himself and choose people to serve Him.You do not choose God, He chooses you.

Love isn’t always milk and cookies. Love is smile and frowns at the same time

How can one explain God to you when you want tangible proof of that or at least something that you can see.

[I’m not gonna open a biblical discussion with you about why is God love because you wouldn’t want to read all I have to say and most of what I’ll type you’ll read as crap because we have different ways of viewing things ]

Be blessed dear @RealEyesRealizeRealLies

I’ve read three different bibles cover to cover @Hibernate. I’ve studied it for thirty years. I’d be very interested in knowing what you think I wouldn’t understand. I’ve made no comments about my faith whatsoever. Just because I ask how someone could support the statement that “God is Love” doesn’t give you any clues about my faith either.

Now help me understand this please. When you say @Hibernate:
“You do not choose God, He chooses you”.

Where is the love in that? Do I not have a choice in the matter? If God choses me, am I now some kind of puppet controlled by the great cosmic puppet master?

@Hibernate:
“How can one explain God to you when you want tangible proof of that or at least something that you can see.”

I didn’t ask for proof of God. I simply want to know how God is considered as equal with Love, rather than a being who can express Love, and Anger, and Justice, and Forgiveness, and…

Hypothetically speaking, IF, as many here claim, that God is Love, THEN, hypothetically, IF Atheists are correct, and there is no God, THEN could there be such a thing called Love?

Simply, for discussions sake, if there is no God, then could there be any Love in this world?

Is a Loving Atheist possible?

That last round of nonsense was enough to make me unfollow this question. Congrats.

@nikipedia Ugh. Me too.

Why is it nonsense @nikipedia?

Those who say God is Love are basically claiming that an Atheist cannot express Love. I don’t agree with this. When an Atheist expresses love, is that really God working through them without their knowledge? Has God hijacked and possessed the body of every loving Atheist in this world? That, for me, is the nonsense you speak of.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies

Then you are aware.

Reading the bible and studying it for 30 years and missing the parts about God being love makes me ask myself did you really read with your heart or only with your eyes. [ what faith is there when you ask how can we support that affirmation ]

1 John 4 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

One needs to think about small things and keep them in his mind every day and use as many times as he can. What good has come from your long study if you ask those questions about God ? or maybe He isn’t what you expected to be.

Ecclesiastes 1 18 For in much wisdom is much vexation, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow.

I shall add you to my prayers list [ even if you do not want them now ]

God bless you.

God is LOVE. LOVE could not exist of He does not exist.

Hey If you want to sling scriptures, and even pray for the sure to come sorrow you’ve judged me of suffering from, then have at it friend.

It’s easy to quote mine the Bible to fit any particular position. Notice I haven’t taken one. I only ask how people can equate God with Love. Especially when the scriptures don’t support such a claim.

In context with the full passage, your quote from 1st John isn’t so clear cut as you might have me believe. Just one verse before 4:8, 4:7 John claims that “love comes from God”, and goes on to say “Everyone who loves has been born OF God and knows God”.

Well does that mean Loving Atheists are born OF God and KNOW God too?

You avoided that issue in my last post. Please address it. Are Atheists capable of expressing Love, and do they know God if they are capable?

Let’s also keep in mind that John called God other things too. In his opening statement he claims that the “Word was God”.

So now God = Love and Word = God.

But even earlier, in God’s own words in Exodus, God claims his name is “Jealous”.

Ex 34:14 “Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”

That’s straight from the horses mouth. Nothing about Love to be found anywhere. He says his name is Jealous.

So we are left with:
God = Love
God = Word
God = Jealous
God = Jesus

That sounds more like a troublemaking loudmouth bitter ex-boyfriend than a deity worth worshipping. Especially when that deity loves us with death and destruction throughout every time period in the Bible.

I mean, if it were an Alien race, we’d have declared war on this loving God a long time ago.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies
No, YOU would’ve declared war on the truly loving God who exists. Are you an atheist? If you are, then why would you say that you would declare war on some body you do not believe in? Oh, and God doesn’t just kill us and make us suffer, He loves us and does everything for our own good. Suffering and hurt make us stronger. Do you think He created us just to destroy us? No! And NOBODY except for God understands God!!!!!! God wrote the bible. We cannot possibly fully understand God so we cannot fully understand the bible, which is God’s WORD. God is so so so so so so so so much greater than us that we cannot fully understand Him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! By the way, are you an atheist?

@leopardgecko123 “By the way, are you an atheist?”

I’m a card carrying Theist friend. And I couldn’t disagree with you more for the reasons you give to support that God IS Love.

@leopardgecko123 “God doesn’t just kill us and make us suffer, He loves us and does everything for our own good.”

Cows at the slaughter house could say the same thing about their human butchers.

God may be capable of expressing love with all that manna from heaven. But the expression of an act doesn’t make him equal with the act. Demonstrating love is not equal to being love anymore than demonstrating anger is equal to being anger. The God of the Bible demonstrates both, and yet we do not make silly claims like “God is Anger”.

In the words of Eckhart Tolle

” If i were to be a cow I ‘d prefer to be a cow in India or Switzerland. lol

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies us christians are living the scripture to the law or according to the grace ?
Do not use syllogisms please because they can’t suit this particular argument.

One example.

Horses are black.
I have a horse.
[ then the last statement would be that my horse is black wich you cannot tell if you haven’t saw it ] Thank you.

Atheist are born from God if one accepts the creation theory if not he came from monkeys by evolution.

Indeed we can quote the Bible to fit any position we might have. We could think that God isn’t perfect because we do not understand His actions .. we can’t understand the way He thinks [ yet ] And i’m sure people make remarks like He being anger / war etc because He created them .. we could say He’s lust / pride ANYTHING because He invented all but we do not say them because we do not want to suffer from His wrath [ still most think to such things ]

It’s hard for anyone to explain what’s Love [ God ] to you since you twist anything we use as arguments.

Do you believe in God ? Do you have a REAL and personal relation with Jesus ? Do you think He died for your particular sins so you can be saved ? Do you repent each day from your sins ? Do you believe grace is enough ?
If you answered YES then I do not need to explain why God is love.
If you answered NO then God did not choose you as His follower.
[ and while I’m at it… to be chosen means that He reveals Himself to you Just like it happened with all the O.T. people or just like Paul (easiest example from N.T. ) ]

And I did not judge you. Though the way you write your ideas one cannot figure something different.

God is information (that’s if you ignore the epistemological limitations).

Love is an intense feeling of deep affection

We’re not talking about black horses @Hibernate. And we’re not talking about what claiming God is “pride, lust ANYTHING he invented but we do not say”.

We’re talking about what God said about himself, in his own words. He said “I the lord your God, who’s name is Jealous” as one of the Ten Commandments way before John. He did not say, “who’s name is Love”.

@Hibernate “It’s hard for anyone to explain what’s Love [ God ] to you since you twist anything we use as arguments.”

I quoted scripture. I played by your rules. My comments are untwisting the twisted logic that some use to equate an action with a personage.

@Hibernate “Do you believe in God ?”

Who’s God?

@Hibernate “Do you have a REAL and personal relation with Jesus ?”

Not the one that you think you know.

@Hibernate “Do you think He died for your particular sins so you can be saved ?”

Saved from what? God either chose me or he didn’t, right? So by your standards, I’m in or out regardless of my perceived sin or what Jesus did? It’s God’s choice remember? Why would I need saving if God already made the choice?

@Hibernate “Do you repent each day from your sins ?”

My busy schedule only allows me to repent on the weekends. I wouldn’t get any work done otherwise. “Sorry kids, I can’t go to the ball game now. I’ve got some repenting to do! Have fun without me!”

@Hibernate “Do you believe grace is enough ?”

If I did, then why should I be concerned with repentance or God’s choice? Obviously grace isn’t enough if I must still repent for my sins and take whatever choice God dishes out for me.

@Hibernate “If you answered YES then I do not need to explain why God is love.”

With all this acceptance, faith, repentance, and beating myself with sack cloth, where is the love exactly?

@Hibernate “Atheist are born from God if one accepts the creation theory if not he came from monkeys by evolution.”

I’m really confused now. Are you telling me that accepting “the creation theory” is the final determination of whether a human was “born from God” or “came from monkeys by evolution”?
_____________

What is the fate of the Atheist, who enjoys the company of multiple loose young women, drinks, smokes, experiments with homosexuality from time to time, rejects the Christian concept of Jesus and God, but contributes most of his time and money to help those in need?

@Hibernate “If you answered NO then God did not choose you as His follower.”

Then what is my fate?

So why should anyone bother troubling themselves with all the requirements laid forth? What difference would it make to God’s choice for me? Certainly you aren’t suggesting that God can change his mind? If that’s so, then God could be Love on one day, and Jealousy the next.
___________

Best answer ever @lawkes. I’m sure we know you from somewhere.

We?

No clue, maybe from FRDB.

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies okay.

crap, I wish I didn’t ask this question.

Why? Did you find out what love is?

No.

He wanted to hear only mushy things not a debate.

:)

1 Corinthians 13

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

I agree god = love…. but as I said earlier, love is imaginary.
Love=Imaginary, God=Love, God=Imaginary :D

this syllogism doesn’t work because we can add God = Anger / Hate and then Love = hate :)

@RealEyesRealizeRealLies that was the easiest Bible answer for love though I am curious to see your definition of love since God = love seemed not to work for you.

Cheers.

That begs the question, why the hell would you worship something you say = Anger / Hate ?

Because I’m different than you.

Does it bother you that i’m able to discern what to love and what to burn ?

The “what to burn” part of your response bothers me a little yes. I’m picturing a mob with torches. I’m all for pluralism, but that doesn’t include mob mentality.
Is it you “discerning,” or your god (the hateful/angry god, again those are your words)?

When you’ll understand more about your free will you’ll know the answer to your question.

<—[Leaves question after a facepalm and sad shake of the head.]

Notice how Corinthians states why love is important and what love is not just as much as it states what love actually is @Hibernate? A wise approach and I have nothing further to add to the definition in Corinthians.

Love… never fails, is patient, kind, rejoices with the truth, always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I don’t think God “always trusts” or “always hopes”.

I don’t think God “rejoices with the truth”... because I think God IS Truth.

what better definition for “I Am”?... the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

accept the Way of Truth and Live

How come you only make those passages acceptable for yourself and not the later from John ” God is love ” .. or like you stated it , WE only use verses to highlight what we want.

@everephebe i told you the syllogism approach you tried to used doesn’t work so you end up saying something wrong. Feel free to un-subscribe to the question [ you ain’t the only one doing that .. a few more did the same // no need to tell us ]

Because John also said that love comes from God. It’s obvious his next line was purely metaphorical, unless you want to claim that John contradicts himself.

[ This starts to look more like the story of the tortoise and the hare .. run , run never get there. ]

Because it’s true.

Did John contradict himself or not @Hibernate?

No he did NOT.

It’s like the sun [ formed of continuing burning and light coming from that burning // it spreads what ? light and intense heat ]

GOD [ love ] formed of love because HE IS LOVE he spreads what ? love
[ even if one doesn’t understand why bad things happen coming from Him that doesn’t mean He stops being love ]

OFF – Topic… I asked you to say what’s love in your own words but it seems you hide after quotes or your mind can’t make up something of it’s own [ I’m sure it can even if that quote is more than enough to describe love ]

Time for me to go to sleep now See and reply to you tomorrow. ^^
Cheers.

Perhaps I’m reading you wrong, I don’t know, I’m trying not to. But what you say makes no sense to me at all.

@Hibernate “GOD [ love ] formed OF love…”

Sorry, but I interpret this as you believing that God was formed by something. I didn’t know God had a form, and I didn’t know that something came before God to form him. I’m trying to understand you, but I just don’t get it.

And I certainly don’t know why you claim that “bad things happen coming from Him”. I didn’t know God did “bad things”. I’m having a really hard time understanding you @Hibernate.
__________

See, here’s where I’m coming from. The dictionary def for love, even as a noun or verb, states it is “affection for” or “pleasure in”. Those are acts, not personages.

So as I understand it, love is an act that God can perform, but it is not equal to the God who performs it. Just like wrath is an act that God can perform. But God himself is not wrath. Love and Wrath are not who’s.
_____________

Try to consider that when John says “God is love”, he does not capitalize “love”. It’s no different than saying “God is good.” It just means that God does loving and good things. It doesn’t mean that God and love/good are synonymous.

The original Greek usage was the word “agape”.
Agape received a broader usage under later Christian writers as the word that specifically denoted ’‘Christian’’ love or ’‘charity’’ (1 Corinthians 13:1–8), or even God himself (1 John 4:8, ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν, ’‘God is Love’’).

You’re speaking of the later broader, looser definition, not the original.

When 1 John 4:8 says ’‘God is love,’’ the Greek New Testament uses the word agape to describe God’s love.
_______________

@Hibernate “I asked you to say what’s love in your own words but it seems you hide after quotes…”

Odd to me that a Christian would have a problem with anyone “hiding” behind biblical scripture. Shouldn’t a Christian want me to adhere to scripture, be pleased that I actually study it, and not recommend that I expand upon it in any way?

You Christians confuse me to no end.

There were typos but you get them [ sorry for that It was late ]

It doesn’t answer my question. You could recite me the whole Bible or Qur’an. Won’t help. Why not use your own words ?

Why should I act like all the others ? SO you can have your mind set ? You already misjudged most of us because of the way we ARE SUPPOSED to act. Never mind then.

Saw a few questions you asked yesterday.

If you do believe the Bible to be true than how com you pick only some statements from it ?

But anyway it’s not going anywhere.

Be blessed brother ^^

Having no mature qualified unbiased spiritual guide in my life, I’m forced to research scripture on my own. Noticing what first seems to be contradictions makes me wonder how such a book as the bible could get away with obvious fouls. Same holds true for the Bhagavad Gita and other Eastern teachings that I study. How could such ancient wisdom blatantly contradict itself? There must be a solution.

The answer comes in time with diligence. The bible, as a source of truth, is like all other truths. And like an onion, truth is best understood in layers. It must, for the light of pure truth is so vibrant that we cannot look upon it directly all at once. The only way it can be digested is to peel away the layers one at a time.

The words of John must be weighed against the words in Corinthians, Exodus and other passages. With a bit of research, we find resolve in loose and mistranslations. There are many of them. And the only way they make sense enough to trust as a guide to live by is to set these errors straight. As another layer of the truth onion is peeled away, we should expect that some will cry, for they have not yet adjusted to the new brilliance revealed by doing so. In love, we exercise patience, recognizing that we suffered the same horror in the past.

Love is the act of selfless giving. You demonstrate love towards me by giving yourself further with honest questions requesting clarification. I demonstrate love towards you by giving myself to you with the best answers that I can provide. If we do not like the results, it doesn’t mean that love has not been expressed. It only means we cannot handle the brilliance of truth that our love for one another has revealed.

In this way, the kingdom of heaven that Jesus claims is within each of us is exposed as salt and light to the world. Salt stings when put upon a wound. Light often causes us to turn away. Our weakness is brought forth from the shadows and forced to face the monster of Truth. The most beautiful monster we can ever know.

Thanks for your answer.

Good luck with your study. [ may God enlighten you where you need guidance ]

Been a pleasure talking to you [ hopefully we’ll interact some more in the future ]

“Love is that I wouldn’t be the person that I am if I subtracted you from the story of my life. Love is my memories, and the sad fact that they disappear from me all the time. Love is the fact that I can write them all into existence, but I can’t sit down and read them.
Love is taking an incredibly long time to move on. Love is that I never could fill that hole. Love is that nobody filled that hole. Not all the way. Love is permanent, even when it isn’t.
Love is that I’m a fool. But.. Love is that that’s okay. Love is bad timing… God, is love bad timing.
Love is that I live it. Love is that I can’t be what you need. Love is that I still want to try to be.
Love is that I don’t always think we get to see ourselves together. Love is that I could be wrong. Love is that they could be taken away, and love is that they will. Love is that… Not right now. Love is that it’s not all good. Sometimes it has to be bad, or you can’t feel it.
Love is that you take me to every class. Love is that you hold my hand all day, and I never feel out of place. Love is that you lay next to me, and my fingers trace your back. Love is that we’re different people. Love is that right then we weren’t.
Love is you singing to me on the phone at night. Love is how incredibly comfortable I’ve become with you. Love is that you feel a lot like eternal sunshine. Love is that I know you’re a lot more then that. Love is that I always want you to be closer. Love is that I’ll always want you closer.
Love is watching you fall in love with somebody else. Love is letting you. Love is being happy for you. Love is that I’m there for some things, even if I can’t be there for everything. Love is a lot of things that I can not write, or say.
Love is not that black and white. Love is that lie that you told yourself, that ends up being true. Love is that they saved you, and that you saved them. But love is that they didn’t need saved forever. And love is that you did.” I think that about sums it up…