Religion of love?

talib-al-kalim said:
You are right that there were and are pretenders who only talk nicely. But you should discern them from those who seriously try to love, from faith, from conviction, mood or attitude. If you mistrust everybody, you yourself become barren ground and no seed will germ, be it vain talk or honest love.
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How would one know if the person was/is genuine or a fake?
 
Aupmanyav said:
How would one know if the person was/is genuine or a fake?
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That's complex indeed.

A person is usually neither an ideal all-loving doing good deeds in all situations, nor an entirely wicked liar, but a shade in between.

There's no real love to strangers, but just a general disposition to care when it is needed.

We finally decide to trust or not to trust through experience. We will mistrust a person who talks nicely but doesn't even try to act accordingly, but also someone who talks hatefully. We can love someone who talks nicely and tries to act accordingly; we may not trust the person's skills if his or her deeds are not successful, but still be confident in love.

If it's in the past, it's easy to discern by the deeds, but it's less relevant. We need not judge over the dead, unless the person is candidate for an example of mankind.
 
According to the Torah and other Jewish Scriptures, God spoke directly with people. Even when He used Prophets, He spoke directly to the Prophets, who in turn spoke for Him. I am not sure why you included “sons” in this list since that is only a c-ult concept. Jews and Christians have never believed that God had a son. Too many people will not let God be God. God is not a man, nor does He have a body. He is Spirit. Can we call Jesus the son of God, yes, since Jesus did not have an earthly father. Jesus prefers to call himself, the “Son of Man”. There were no Prophets or messengers after Jesus, since prophets can’t lie, Jesus states that He finishes it all. All people are e-vil, That’s not me speaking, that is what God states about mankind. So, trust is elusive in that regard.
 
Aupmanyav said:
That is the Achiles heel of Abrahamic religions. Are prophets/sons/messengers/manifestations/mahdis really sent by an Allah?
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It is indeed a problem of Abrahamic religions that it's based on the trust in the prophets. And the branches of the Abrahamic religions differ on this. I have recently started a discussion on prophecy.
Of course, your starting point is different because you assume that God doesn't exist. But the true prophets believed in God...
 
Thinking required said:
According to the Torah and other Jewish Scriptures, God spoke directly with people. Even when He used Prophets, He spoke directly to the Prophets, who in turn spoke for Him. I am not sure why you included “sons” in this list since that is only a c-ult concept. Jews and Christians have never believed that God had a son. Too many people will not let God be God. God is not a man, nor does He have a body. He is Spirit. Can we call Jesus the son of God, yes, since Jesus did not have an earthly father. Jesus prefers to call himself, the “Son of Man”.
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I agree up to this point.
Thinking required said:
There were no Prophets or messengers after Jesus, since prophets can’t lie, Jesus states that He finishes it all.
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I disagree. Even from purely Christian traditions, this can't be upheld. Why should Jesus give a criterion to recognise a false prophet if he was sure that he is the last prophet? Paul counts prophecy among the talents his contemporarily fellow Christians may have?
Thinking required said:
All people are evil, That’s not me speaking, that is what God states about mankind. So, trust is elusive in that regard.
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Does He? Where do you take it from? I would agree that all people are not perfect, without any evil. And we are not all the same. Adam=Mankind "ate from the fruit" to discern good from evil. Now, we have to do this.
 
Aupmanyav said:
For me, you are saying that (whatever God may have said, I did not hear that myself). And as per your admission trust is elusive.
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There is a difference between hearing God speak and reading His word. But saying that, anyone who has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them will understand the Word of God. When I read the Bible I hear God speaking in a sense. When God speaks to me it has always been through His word or a miracle like changing my life.
 
talib-al-kalim said:
I agree up to this point.

I disagree. Even from purely Christian traditions, this can't be upheld. Why should Jesus give a criterion to recognise a false prophet if he was sure that he is the last prophet? Paul counts prophecy among the talents his contemporarily fellow Christians may have?

Does He? Where do you take it from? I would agree that all people are not perfect, without any evil. And we are not all the same. Adam=Mankind "ate from the fruit" to discern good from evil. Now, we have to do this.
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First, what is considered a prophet? A prophet is suppose to speak for God. A prophet can simple state what is already written, i.e. "prophecy". Are there prophets today, I say yes, but they only speak what is already written. Paul speaks of this in his letters. I was speaking of a Prophet that was sent by God to reveal curses against Israel. Even Jesus did this.

Genesis 6:5–7 (NASB95)
5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
6 The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.
7 The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”

There are many more references to back this up, even Jesus understood this. Even when a person becomes a follower of Jesus, (born again) they will still do evil, in that sin is evil. Would you consider sin not to be evil? We play with words many times. Call it what you want, we all sin, that is doing what God does not desire. When Jesus instructed the disciples to prayer, He states; "deliver us from evil". God tells Cain; "sin is crouching at the door, ready to have you, you must over come it" (my paraphrase) God is the only one who can help us to overcome evil.
 
Thinking required said:
There is a difference between hearing God speak and reading His word. But saying that, anyone who has the Holy Spirit dwelling in them will understand the Word of God. When I read the Bible I hear God speaking in a sense. When God speaks to me it has always been through His word or a miracle like changing my life.
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Me too! ❤️

I've received a few Rhema Words in my lifetime that when I obeyed God He worked miracles or corrected me. They were all scriptures or visions of a biblical application. The most recent was me questioning God as to why my daughter miscarried her twins. He said to me almost audibly .. it is not for you to question Me.. both found scripturally in Job and Romans. That is just one example.
 
Faithfulservant said:
Me too! ❤️

I've received a few Rhema Words in my lifetime that when I obeyed God He worked miracles or corrected me. They were all scriptures or visions of a biblical application. The most recent was me questioning God as to why my daughter miscarried her twins. He said to me almost audibly .. it is not for you to question Me.. both found scripturally in Job and Romans. That is just one example.
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Sorry to hear, I have twins and one of my twins lost one of her twins. It's never easy loosing children. I too have learned, it's ok to grieve, but Job also taught me, asking why is like not trusting God or even understanding God. I will probably hear it for that statement. The more that I have learned to let God be God, the better my life and happiness have been.
 
Yeah ... we lost a son at six months, which was a blow.

We then had twins.

In 2000 I was making daily visits to a dying uncle, picking up my aunt and driving her to the hospital after work. He passed at 4am on a Friday morning. That evening I drove round to visit my aunt, London traffic, pouring rain, me rehearsing my 'well at least we won't have to go to that awful hospital' speech. She opened the door and told me I had to get home ASAP – my daughter had been hit by a car.

Turns out hospital had phoned home (Daughter had ID) and said, "Nothing to worry about ..." So as mum couldn't get a babysitter for our youngest, xpecting to see a bump or a bruise she took youngest daughter with her to the hospital – to be shown into a full-on A&E trauma scene like you see on TV – medicos rushing around, a nurse cutting her clothes of, neck in a brace, daughter semi-conscious, face covered in blood ...

Mum and 10-year-old daughter go into shock ...

It was close, but she was OK. Broken leg, fractured elbow, various cuts, no scars ... the rest was just what someone looks like when they've been hit by a car and laid out in the road in the pouring rain I arrived and mum took daughter home to settle her ... I spent the night lying alongside her on the bed, nearest I could get to cuddle a frightened 14-year-old in a neck-brace and swathed in an ankle-to-hip plaster cast. Saturday morning mum came in, kids at a friend's house, I went home.

I can clearly remember standing in the kitchen, sort of paralysed. Obviously in shock. I really couldn't move, even though I had a list of things in my head to do ... I just stood there. Then I said, "That's it, I'm done. I can't do this any more. You do it."

So He stepped in ...

+++

I know all this can be explained, indeed it's obvious – a psycho-drama, shock, stress, etc., etc. But then, we're human, so any divine-human interaction is gonna have a 'logical' element, unless we're talking about bilocation or something ... but the fact that it can be explained naturally does not thereby rule out the supernatural. So one makes one's choices.
 
Faithfulservant said:
English is so limited.. it's frustrating! I prefer the Greek. 🥰

According to Greek philosophy, here are the 7 different kinds of love:
Eros – Romantic, Passionate Love (Of the Body) ...
Philia – Affectionate, Friendly Love. ...
Storge – Unconditional, Familial Love. ...
Agape – Selfless, Universal Love. ...
Ludus – Playful, Flirtatious Love. ...
Pragma – Committed, Long-Lasting Love. ...
Philautia – Self Love.
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Thank you @Faithfulservant. I am sorry that this is over two years too late, but I only found it the other day. I know nothing about Greek, so this was a surprise. I keep thinking about it. Love is such an overused and misused word, it has virtually become a disposable item.
Very clever people those ancient Greeks.
 
wil said:
where are * boundaries issues with loving
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One isn't wise when holding on anything what out of one's boundary, not under one's control, no refuge, not one's own. As actions (by deeds, words and thoughts) are what's own, one does good to develop and love one's goodwill, boundless, toward every being: "may you find the way to happiness by right deeds by yourself with ease".

Again: love of anything else is simply the cause of suffering and pain.

Good starts by "only" loving oneself, own, benefitting everyone anywhere. Giving freedom and peace, instead of desire to hold control, one gains freedom and peace.

And there are many out there, who wouldn't be happy at all if yours love and cherish them, but the opposite.
 
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