Love

Thinking required

Thinking required

Well-Known Member
Messages
706
Reaction score
134
Points
43
Love



I was reading back over a couple threads and came across this statement; “Love means no strings attached.” (Tony)

My mind is restless when I read stuff and once again I started contemplating the statement.

This kind of love has to come from the Greek word Philo which means a certain type of love. More of the “love your neighbor as your self”. And then there is the word Agape as used in 1 Corinthians 13 which requires complete surrender of one’s self to one’s ego.


I would like to toy with the idea of what kind of Love God wants from us, not how we are to love each other. Dialogue?

Are either of these words appropriate when it comes to how God wants us to love Him?

Is God an dictator that just wants a slave?

Does God just love everyone just because He is completely Merciful?

Does God just give us a bunch of rules and says if we keep them, then He will love us?

Does God owe us something just for being His creation?

Does God desire to be loved just because?

And you can add your own if you desire.
 
Thinking required said:
Does God owe us something just for being His creation?
Click to expand...

While my kids picked me up yesterday (fathers day) took me to malcolmX park where i could juggle with a couple dozen friends, dance and groove to the drum circle with a couple dozen djembes, a couple kits, tall bongos at Malcolm X park...and then took me out to Thai for dinner....I sure don't feel they owe me anything for creating them!

But yes...since I didn't wear a condom, since I brought them into this world...YES...I absolutely owed them. I owed them food and shelter and an education, preparedness to be on their own, self sufficient to enter the world and prosper.

So yeah...if there is a creator....he expects more of us than I did of my creations. I guess maybe that is why I am not so impressed?
 
Last edited:
Thinking required said:
I would like to toy with the idea of what kind of Love God wants from us, not how we are to love each other. Dialogue?
Click to expand...

Loving God and loving our neighbour are linked. How can you say you love God who you don’t know, but don’t love your neighbours who you do know. In the following passage, God is the king.

Matthew 25
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
 
Thinking required said:
Love



I was reading back over a couple threads and came across this statement; “Love means no strings attached.” (Tony)

My mind is restless when I read stuff and once again I started contemplating the statement.

This kind of love has to come from the Greek word Philo which means a certain type of love. More of the “love your neighbor as your self”. And then there is the word Agape as used in 1 Corinthians 13 which requires complete surrender of one’s self to one’s ego.


I would like to toy with the idea of what kind of Love God wants from us, not how we are to love each other. Dialogue?

Are either of these words appropriate when it comes to how God wants us to love Him?

Is God an dictator that just wants a slave?

Does God just love everyone just because He is completely Merciful?

Does God just give us a bunch of rules and says if we keep them, then He will love us?

Does God owe us something just for being His creation?

Does God desire to be loved just because?

And you can add your own if you desire.
Click to expand...
Love is the cause of the creation of the phenomenal world.
Love then logically has unestimatable potential and facets.

"The essence of love is for man to turn his heart to the Beloved One, and sever himself from all else but Him, and desire naught save that which is the desire of his Lord." Bahá’u’lláh, Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh, p. 155

Regards Tony
 
I see love in the true spiritual sense is the knowledge that all is one and returns to the One. Love is the glue that holds all the worlds and dimensions together, that weaves and surrounds and permeates our own dimension of nature, limited by walls of time and space, like a room within the greater house of Spirit -- whose walls are walls of love. My Father's house has many mansions. Perhaps infinite other rooms (dimensions).

What affects one, affects all.

And beyond that? Perhaps no human mind can even begin to conceive?
 
RJM said:
I see love in the true spiritual sense is the knowledge that all is one and returns to the One. Love is the glue that holds all the worlds and dimensions together, that weaves and surrounds and permeates our own dimension of nature, limited by walls of time and space, like a room within the greater house of Spirit -- whose walls are walls of love. My Father's house has many mansions. Perhaps infinite other rooms (dimensions).

What affects one, affects all.

And beyond that? Perhaps no human mind can even begin to conceive?
Click to expand...
I also like to consider that "In My Father's there are many mansions" is a reference to the many Messengers.

Regards Tony
 
Tony Bristow-Stagg said:
I also like to consider that "In My Father's there are many mansions" is a reference to the many Messengers.

Regards Tony
Click to expand...
You would, of course, turn every conversation to proselytizing Baha'i, imo
 
Logging out now ...
 
Divine.
wil said:
So yeah...if there is a creator....he expects more of us than I did of my creations. I guess maybe that is why I am not so impressed?
Click to expand...
Do you dictate what and how your kids think?
 
Tony Bristow-Stagg said:
I also like to consider that "In My Father's there are many mansions" is a reference to the many Messengers.
Click to expand...
It's most probably not, though ... especially if you read it in the context of the Last Supper Discourse ... then it certainly doesn't.
 
Tony Bristow-Stagg said:
I also like to consider that "In My Father's there are many mansions" is a reference to the many Messengers.
Click to expand...
You sure have a distorted understanding of what plain English says. "messengers" are no were part of the statement by Jesus. I love that you have glorified this word "messenger", it seems to be abuntantly used by you to included everyone.
 
Thomas said:
It's most probably not, though ... especially if you read it in the context of the Last Supper Discourse ... then it certainly doesn't.
Click to expand...
For me, that is the great thing about prophecy and meaning of the word. Each letter contains meaning, each word, each sentence are a creative force, can stand alone or give us meaning in different contexts.

I gain my thoughts from material I have read in this topic, there is a lot about it in the Baha'i Writings. There is a lot of thoughts to be gaind about Hidden meanings and the Messengers are able to explain them all.

In saying that and reading John 14:1-6, in relation to one passage I found from Abdul'baha, I would say you are most likely correct.

"He admonished all that we must be the servants of the poor, helpers of the poor, remember the sorrows of the poor, associate with them; for thereby we may inherit the Kingdom of heaven. God has not said that there are mansions prepared for us if we pass our time associating with the rich, but He has said there are many mansions prepared for the servants of the poor, for the poor are very dear to God. The mercies and bounties of God are with them. The rich are mostly negligent, inattentive, steeped in worldliness, depending upon their means, whereas the poor are dependent upon God, and their reliance is upon Him, not upon themselves. Therefore, the poor are nearer the threshold of God and His throne." ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 33

It appears that advice is better context for mansions, but I can still see I made a plausible statement. I guess we find out how vain are our thoughts when we expire and meet our judgement.

Regards Tony
 
Thomas said:
It's most probably not, though ... especially if you read it in the context of the Last Supper Discourse ... then it certainly doesn't.
Click to expand...
Of course! It's totally out of context ...
John 14

Quote mining Judaeo Christian scripture out-of-context to support all sorts of out-there cults and sects and guru personality new religions didn't start yesterday, imo
 
Last edited:
RJM said:
Of course! It's totally out of context ...
John 14

Quote mining Judaeo Christian scripture out-of-context to support all sorts of out-there cults and sects and guru personality new religions didn't start yesterday, imo
Click to expand...
The Jews may offer the same thing about what Christianity has done.

Faith is indeed a quandary.

One should not be afraid of exploring scripture. Those that were, have persecuted many innocent people.

Regards Tony
 
Tony Bristow-Stagg said:
The Jews may offer the same thing about what Christianity has done.
Click to expand...
No comparison, but I know that you will not agree. Faith was always to believe in God, not keeping to Law. The Jews got it wrong, they walked away from Faith and developed all their laws that everyone had to keep. You evedentually don't know the Jewish scriptures either.
 
Tony Bristow-Stagg said:
Each letter contains meaning, each word
Click to expand...
the, each letter, let's see. There is the "t" which means tree. Then there is the "h" which means house. Then there is the "e" which means earth. How did I do? And then we come to "words". Lets see, those letters create the word "the". Wait is that a noun, verb, adverb, pronoun..... I am certainly confused now by the word "the".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top