JohnD Posted April 17, 2014 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 0 Topic Count: 908 Topics Per Day: 0.19 Content Count: 9,653 Content Per Day: 2.02 Reputation: 5,837 Days Won: 9 Joined: 04/07/2011 Status: Offline Share Posted April 17, 2014 Let me qualify this... Mankind only thinks they know what love is. And even if they genuinely love it is without an absolute love on which to anchor all love. The same as it is with Truth. Truth without the basis of absolute Truth on which to anchor all truth is not genuine truth. God is love. And we are to love one another. In fact, the secular version of the Golden Rule (which is not in the Bible) "Do unto others as ye would have others do unto you," is a hopeless, baseless version of "Love thy neighbor as thyself." Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is simply trying to get along in the world. But love your neighbor as you love yourself draws us out of the Me mentality... and at the root of most of the evils in the world today is Self... it began the down hill slippery slide with the Me generation and is now in the Self generation... with kids killing kids in schools and mothers drowning their children to please their current lovers, and gazillionaires stealing the ability of the average citizen to earn a living and provide for their families, with welfare type programs being exploited by the poor to get their electronic gadgets while getting baby formula for free... Love gives. Self takes. And there aren't enough atoms in the universe to satisfy the lusts and desires of 9 billion selfish people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneLight Posted April 17, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 22 Topic Count: 1,294 Topics Per Day: 0.21 Content Count: 31,762 Content Per Day: 5.22 Reputation: 9,763 Days Won: 115 Joined: 09/14/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted April 17, 2014 The Golden Rule, which you say is not in the bible, is, though worded slightly different. We read in Luke 6:31 "And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise." I do agree that how the world approaches this is not how Jesus meant it to be. Without Agape love, all we have is the love the flesh produces, which is not the true love from God. Increased font for easier reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamnot Posted April 18, 2014 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 15 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 221 Content Per Day: 0.06 Reputation: 64 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/23/2013 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/21/1945 Share Posted April 18, 2014 To put that notion into a better context: You should love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself. The problem is that many do not love themselves. If someone does not love his own self, then how could the person love his neighbor in the right way? A person would tend to love himself, by loving God with his whole heart, mind, and strength. ................. The corruption of that notion is being used by some people to establish Christianity as just one Religion among many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamnot Posted April 18, 2014 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 15 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 221 Content Per Day: 0.06 Reputation: 64 Days Won: 0 Joined: 09/23/2013 Status: Offline Birthday: 07/21/1945 Share Posted April 18, 2014 There is a mystic about the term love. It is undefinable. I have a book on "The Philosophies of Love." For practical purposes, one interpretation of the meaning of the term is: A strong positive sentiment that can be focused on persons or things. and grounded in the natural law as it is described by C.S. Lewis in "Mere Christianity" prudence, temperance, justice as fairness and fortitude. And it is good to "love people and use things rather than loving things and using people" which many in our generation have the tendency to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneLight Posted April 18, 2014 Group: Royal Member Followers: 22 Topic Count: 1,294 Topics Per Day: 0.21 Content Count: 31,762 Content Per Day: 5.22 Reputation: 9,763 Days Won: 115 Joined: 09/14/2007 Status: Offline Share Posted April 18, 2014 To the lost, agape love is a mystery. To a believer and follower of Christ, it is not, though it is hard to define. Yet, we do find a definitional in scripture. John 15:13Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.People will claim to have such love, and they may, yet the truth will be seen when, and if, that time ever comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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