Hmm...If Atheists don't believe in God, than does that mean they don't believe i

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   HattieMattieMaeposted 13 years ago

   Hmm...If Atheists don't believe in God, than does that mean they don't believe in love?
   
   From what I've always known with any spiritualism/ Religion/Christianity/higher source is love, so if atheists claim there is nothing, than to them that would mean they don't believe in love if I'm correct!  Even if you look up in wikipedia of all the definitions of love has a spiritual aftertone! Just wondering?

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   PETER LUMETTAposted 13 years ago

   I think that the two terms, "GOD" & "LOVE" should be considered exclusive of each other. But can be interchangable for those that believe they are the same. As concepts they can exist separately. The truth is if the person defining them or peceiving them believes they are the same then they are, if a person belives they are not then they are not. Emmotions and concepts are all subjective. If they are view objectively then they are different words with different meanings and therefore can be considered as different.

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   wilbury4posted 13 years ago

   Hmmmmm.... God and love; two different issues.
   Keeping it brief because most believers don't accept the views of non-believers (and visa versa, I suppose).
   God is an entity that some choose to believe in.
   Love is a strong emotion.
   So anyone can experience love without God, just as one can experience anger and rage without belief in the Devil.

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   Merlin Fraserposted 13 years ago

   Interesting question....
   
   Does this mean you class belief in God as an Emotion ? 
   
   Where I would tend to think that belief in God is a Delusional state of mind created by centuries of brow beating dogmatic power seekers hell bent on telling us what we must think and believe. 
   
   Whereas on the other hand  I see Love as a raw emotion, often irrational, caused by a natural if sometimes completely illogical attraction for one person to another.
   
   By this definition I assume that Love is therefore capable of striking anyone be they devout or atheist.
   
   As an alternative answer to your question you might consider this;   if as the devout believer is always saying; “God is Love !”   You may, as I do, have to conclude that there is little evidence to support such a statement, proving that Love is purely a human emotion !

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   tsmogposted 13 years ago

   Belief is one thing, but according to the science of psychology's thought today, since science does change, love is a human feeling the result of a emotion(s). Plutchik's wheel of emotions demonstrates this. This said an atheist doesn't have to believe in love to experience love. Personally, as far as love goes, I tend to cling to C.S. Lewis and his explanation from the book The Four Loves.

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   stricktlydatingposted 13 years ago

   There are many societies where people grow up not knowing what a God is, or what it means, and haven't been born into any religion.  But they know what love is.

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   nightwork4posted 13 years ago

   not a chance. love isn't exclusive to religion, it's a term used to say how you feel about someone. it's like saying an athiest can't hate either.

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   ryancarterposted 13 years ago

   You mean to say that since atheists don't believe in an all-powerful, all-everything, all-good being in charge of the universe, then they don't believe that a few chemicals can hit the right nerves in our brains and produce a "love" response?
   
   Nah, I think the only thing they don't believe in when it comes to God AND love is that the two are dependent on each other.  Ask this question to a Christian, like myself, and I'll tell you that you are correct: since atheists don't believe in God, then they don't believe in MY interpretation of what love is.
   
   Believe it or not, atheists still function just like other human beings, without having to consult God's Word for operating instructions!

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   peterxdunnposted 13 years ago

   Does God = Love?
   
   Hmm Christians, Jews and Muslims are slaughtering each other all over the world as I write this.
   
   Children all over the world are dying of starvation and disease for want of a little 'Christian' charity.
   
   None of this should surprise us - it has been this way since biblical times. It is still the same now because some people have the ability to completely ignore reality. If you would like to acquire this ability just go to church - remember, though, if you choose this path it only works if you leave your brain at home before setting out.
   
   You people have a serious problem with understanding the way the world really is.
   
   Your version of god and love = death.

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    Matt in Jaxposted 13 years ago

    I would have to say that this is a seperation in church and love. Love is more of an inner feeling and mixture of hormones instead of a spiritual one. Just most people associate the two together ( love and spirituality.)

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    stuff4youposted 13 years ago

    I think its perfectly fine and normal to love and be compassionate without being dependent on religion or 'god'.
    
    many people go to church simply because they believe they will be punished by god if they do not.

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    Mercrediposted 13 years ago

    Well logically, if you believe in the word of God, then in Ex 12:29-30 He kills every first born Egyptian child. So is that what you're into then? Christians may go to church and also like peanut butter but that doesn't atheists don't like it. But then most people don't equate the Biblical God with love, anyway. Like in Lev 10:1-3 when God burns Aaron's sons to death. A loving God wouldn't do that.

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    Chouji-Von-Lycanposted 13 years ago

    religion and love are two seperate things, you may believe in religion and god, but you don't have to love them, were as, i know my partner exists, i don't have to believe she exist as i know she exists, and i love her

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    Freeway Flyerposted 13 years ago

    Love is a tricky word to define. The word is used to describe a romantic feeling, the bond between parent and child, a selfless action, or a general sense of concern for humanity. Whether you believe in God or not, all of the things that I just listed are real. Whether they are the result of chemical reactions in the brain or they emanate from some higher power is kind of beside the point. The experiences that the word attempts to describe are still real.
    
    http://hubpages.com/hub/Stability-vs-Freedom

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    Multimanposted 13 years ago

    Nonsense.
    God and love are two seperate concepts, even brotherly love, or sacrificial love can and do fall in the athiest life as well.  One does not have to believe in a god or gods for that matter to know that lvoe is an emmotion seperate from a abstract concept such as god.
    
    I dont believe in the devil, but occasionally I find anger and hate well up.  So you are not correct.

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    TimMEyposted 13 years ago

    What you mean?
    
    I would consider myself a Atheist and that means I do not believe that there is a God out there.
    
    That does not mean that there is no love. You can love everything, from a Person, to a hobby or a whole country. I simply do not need a book telling me what to do or not to do but I can love whatever I want.
    
    And I am loving many things. I love life for example.

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    The Demon Writerposted 13 years ago

    No!
    
    Belief in love is up to the individual I guess but not believing in god is not believing in GOD! Not disbelief in love.
    Love is a chemical reaction in the brain. It is a FEELING. Not a deity. Not believing in God does not mean that you also don't believe in everything ever associated with religion.
    It is not that hard a concept to understand!
    
    I never get this personal when answering question but this is probably one of the dumbest questions I've seen.

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    Roger Rabbitposted 13 years ago

    God isn't an emotion.....................

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    KevinTimothyposted 13 years ago

    I was so tempted to address the other answers here but I will stick to the script.  An Athiest may believe in love, but I doubt that they will ever be aware of the true meaning of love.  God IS love.

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    Valoric Fireposted 13 years ago

    I think US physicist Steven Weinberg said it best:
    
    "With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."

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    Pintomanposted 13 years ago

    They absolutely cannot. They have to believe everything is material. Love has to be an illusion to them. This is an old question and has been answered by some honest atheists who followed the logical conclusion of atheism; there is no free choice, everything is an illusion. Reason and logic are not material either, nor mathematics. Atheism is a position in which one must prove that God does not exist. None of them have done that, which means they cannot be atheists. And saying you can't prove a negative means you're very ignorant.

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    Jonesy0311posted 13 years ago

    I suppose then that I pray to the God of spontanious chemical reactions. I  understand that love is a biochemical response that my body has when my hormones tell me that I have found a mate. Thereby, my mind and body are conveying to me that my wife and I together have a high probability of reproductive success. I don't see how love has to involve spirituality. I respect my wife and would sacrifice for her; so I must at least have a rough idea of "love."

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