What is Love?

[Gaya]

Re: What is Love?

love is just a chemical reaction in your brain that creates a bond with another human in order to improve both your chances of survival as you will have cooperation instead of competition and care for one another and come to their aid when in need. it also creates a bond with a mate so that you can reproduce and raise your offspring, and protect the female during pregnancy when she is vulnerable. Its a simple yet very clever and intriguing program. Everything else that can be said about it is rooted from this core definition or is a fantasy perpetuated by Human society's illusions.

This doesn't mean Love isn't a good thing, it is still one of the greatest things in our life's, but that doesn't mean it is magic. But of course i will be called a heartless machine or someone bitter from a past love for saying the truth. Eh, that's cool.

I disagree. I guess, we can't say that love can not be generalized. It is something, which can not be controlled by your brain or muscles. It is something which makes you sink. And better, when you sink in the ocean)To sink in the pool isn't that pleasant)

[Siggie]

Re: What is Love?

I disagree. I guess, we can't say that love can not be generalized. It is something, which can not be controlled by your brain or muscles. It is something which makes you sink. And better, when you sink in the ocean)To sink in the pool isn't that pleasant)

What part are you disagreeing with, Gaya?

Maybe it cannot be consciously controlled, but it is controlled by the brain. I think the area(s) responsible for the feeling, as well as the neurotransmitters involved have been identified. It involves some of the same neural pathways (in the "pleasure center") as are activated with the use of many drugs, food, gambling, etc.

[KanadaHye]

Re: What is Love?

There is no love without Christ.

[Siggie]

Re: What is Love?

There is no love without Christ.

In other words, non-Christians do not experience love and nor did any human being before the last couple thousand years?

[KanadaHye]

Re: What is Love?

In other words, non-Christians do not experience love and nor did any human being before the last couple thousand years?

Love requires sacrifice. If an individual is not willing to sacrifice him/herself for the sake of others, then they have chosen not to love.

[Siggie]

Re: What is Love?

You didn't answer my specific question: Are you saying that non-Christians can not love and that people did not love prior to Christ?

Love requires sacrifice. If an individual is not willing to sacrifice him/herself for the sake of others, then they have chosen not to love.

Ergo...

(1) Being Christian is in and of itself is a means of "sacrificing [oneself] for the sake of others"

(2) There are no other means by which to "sacrificing [oneself] for the sake of others"

These are the two assertions you're making... Do I have that right?

[KanadaHye]

Re: What is Love?

You didn't answer my specific question: Are you saying that non-Christians can not love and that people did not love prior to Christ?

Ergo...

(1) Being Christian is in and of itself is a means of "sacrificing [oneself] for the sake of others"

(2) There are no other means by which to "sacrificing [oneself] for the sake of others"

These are the two assertions you're making... Do I have that right?

I said no such thing.

Christ taught self sacrifice. That does not mean someone can't learn it on their own. Teachers don't need to teach everyone, they are just there to teach those who have difficulty learning. In the same way a person can't learn to tell the truth without first knowing how to lie, a person has to learn to be selfless even though it's far more practical to be selfish.

[Siggie]

Re: What is Love?

I said no such thing.

Sure you did. "There is no love without Christ" is pretty unequivocal. You didn't say it's one way to love.

Christ taught self sacrifice. That does not mean someone can't learn it on their own. Teachers don't need to teach everyone, they are just there to teach those who have difficulty learning. In the same way a person can't learn to tell the truth without first knowing how to lie, a person has to learn to be selfless even though it's far more practical to be selfish.

It isn't. Human beings are not solitary. They've never been. We rely on others, therefore it does not further us to be selfish. There are advantages (including adaptive ones) to altruism.

The hominids didn't survive for thousands upon thousands of years by being selfish. There had to cooperation and sacrifice for the "greater good."
That was not a new lesson that needed to be taught.

[KanadaHye]

Re: What is Love?

Sure you did. "There is no love without Christ" is pretty unequivocal. You didn't say it's one way to love.

Let me rephrase. There are many forms of "love" but there would be no love without Christ.

It isn't. Human beings are not solitary. They've never been. We rely on others, therefore it does not further us to be selfish. There are advantages (including adaptive ones) to altruism.

The hominids didn't survive for thousands upon thousands of years by being selfish. There had to cooperation and sacrifice for the "greater good."
That was not a new lesson that needed to be taught.

Human beings are of course social creatures who depend on each other for survival. I suppose one "advantage" to altruism would be reciprocation. However, with human interaction, this isn't the case which is the reason why "money" was created. Humans felt there wasn't a fair return on their deeds or a proper way of tracking their transactions. If we were truly altruistic, money would have never been needed since everyone would be giving more than they take so nobody would feel as though they are getting the short end of the stick so to speak. In other words, there would be no rich or poor people.

[Mos]

Re: What is Love?

"You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself"

Christ's message of love, compassion, and good work is crucial in understand these kind of terms in modern society. Love rather than being just a simple biological desire, was given a more complex and understanding meaning by Christ and Christianity in general.