Is love only possible through God?

1. 59

   Vapid Mavenposted 12 years ago

   Is love only possible through God?
   
   I read an interesting article about god and morality and there was a snippet about how some believe it is only possible to love others through their belief in god. To me, thinking this is the same as telling your child (or anyone) that I only love you because of god. So let's say one day you woke up and it was was proven to you without a doubt that god did not exist do you think you would lose the ability to love? I know it's a strange and deep question but thought I would ask.

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2. 60

   Shahid Bukhariposted 12 years ago

   You Treat "Love" as External, as if it were Inhuman ... one that needs a foreign median, to be Real ... Manifesting the Love.
   
   Never forget ... Love is intrinsic to all Creation ...
   
   To all 'Alive' ... Love is the essential for Being ...
   
   God Hath Placed this "Emotion" ... this Attraction ... In all his Created Forms; be it Organic or the Inorganic, Form ...
   
   Ever wondered ... What ... Causes the Inorganic "Electron" to stick, in an inexplicable attachment ... going round and around a Proton, or a Neutron; Nucleus ... for the entire Duration of its Existence in Being! 
   
   Have you not seen, the Mother ... animal and human alike ... sharing this common "trait" ... the inexplicable emotion with her borne ... you call Love ...
   
   Yes ... Love, would not be possible without The Law ... unless The Creator had not Placed it where it was not Right.
   But to understand ... you have to Believe in God ... for He made it possible for us all ... He Created ... to Cherish Love.

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3. 0

   Emily Sparksposted 12 years ago

   God sets the standard of love.  He sent His only begotten Son to die for man and his sins.  That is the highest standard of love--sacrifice.

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4. 0

   AntonOfTheNorthposted 12 years ago

   If I may point out what I believe is a flaw in the question.  .  .
   
   "So let's say one day you woke up and it was was proven to you without a doubt that god did not exist do you think you would lose the ability to love?"
   
   A person who believes that love is of god would be unlikely to accept any 'proof' that god does not exist.  The existence of love (to a person who believes) IS the proof that god exists and everything else is just opinion.
   
   If love is of god, then it is in fact only possible to love because of god.
   
   If it is not of god, if it is a totally human artifact/concept, then clearly love is possible without god.
   
   All we have to do now is determine whether or not there is a god, and the question will be answered.  (easy as cake!)
   
   cheers

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5. 60

   Eunice Stuhlhoferposted 12 years ago

   It depends on the kind of love you're referring to. God is the only one who is able to love unconditionally and is the author of love. Human love is dependent on certain things e.g feelings, physical attraction, need, money, fame, etc. While these things fade or can change in an instant, God's love is eternal . . . He loves you no matter what. No one can claim to love like God since no one can do what He can. But through His help, we are enabled to love, forgive etc.

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6. 61

   catchpennyfashionposted 12 years ago

   Love isn't only possible though God. Just because someone doesn't believe in God doesn't mean they are uncapable of loving.
   
   What I do believe is that the essence of all religion is based upon the search for the meaning of being good and the ideal of love and thus this is why someone would say it is only possible through God or whatever you want to call "him". Before you debate me and point out the inquisition and the horrors of religion, religion condems killing other human beings, and these acts were inmoral and used religion as a shield to have an excuse for their actions.

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7. 58

   Mikalynposted 12 years ago

   The answer to this question depends entirely on your definition of God. See there are two main ways that people tend to view 'god.' A transcendent god is the traditionally western view of god, this god exists outside this reality. He created this world but he is above it. In this view people must 'purify' themselves to form a worthwhile relationship with god.
   
   The traditionally eastern view of god is an imminent god. This god exists within this realm, he embodies it and everything within it. He is you, he is nature, he is air and fire and earth. In this view it is utterly useless to deny yourself of life's rich experiences. Because all that is god is sacred and you are a part of this, you are sacred.
   
   Through the first view, love through god is something that needs to be obtained...and through the second view love through god is something inherent.
   
   I tend to reject the idea that love is something that must be 'obtained' but strict Christians may say that once you purify your love (through god) then it is experienced in a new way.
   
   Through the second view, love is to be embraced in all it's forms as divine and sorrow is to be embraced the same way. These experiences are part of you and you are part of god and so all of that is divine.
   
   One long complicated answer later...I'm going to just say this question is akin to the question of how we relate to god...and in my personal view there is a third option.
   
   In an integral approach one would try and mend these opposite ideas. Love (as a strong element of human emotion) resonates on a divine level. As you put your(physical)self into accord with your spiritual and divine SELF...the love will resonate more deeply.

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8. 60

   Civil War Bobposted 12 years ago

   IF you accept the Bible as any sort of authority, 1John 4:19 says, "We love, because He first loved us;" which makes sense, since mankind was "made in His image."  "Love" as defined in the Bible is "patient, kind, etc. as described in 1Corinthians 13:4-13.  As Emily Sparks points out, the greatest act of love ever was God sending His Son to die on the Cross to pay for sin. 
   On your philosophical question...if God did not exist, given my first paragraph, then you could not lose the ability because you didn't have it in the first place.  This would be much like John 6:66 (an interesting number for this particular verse) where it says, "As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore"...because they had not really believed in Him in the first place; which is the whole argument of Hebrews 6.
   NOW...if the Bible has no authority for you...forget everything I just said and have a nice day!!

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