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Does it make any sense to say "God is Love"?
- Thread starter Sunstone
- Start date
Yes, it makes sense. I believe God describes himself that way at 1 John 4:8-10 and explains why: "Whoever does not love has not come to know God, because God is love. *By this the love of God was revealed in our case, that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might gain life through him. *The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice."
OK. The Bible says God is love, but the question then is, Does it make any sense for the Bible to say God is love? Why or why not?
te_lanus
Alien Hybrid
Doubt it's something you'll say of Thoth, Set, Anubis, Mictlantecuhtli & the other like them. But it is something you'll say of Xochipilli, Hathor, Ishtar, Qetesh & a few other.
For some theologies, I imagine it does. It does not for mine.
One may wish to ask what the authors of the Bible would have meant by "love" and whether or not there are other words that could be possible translations of whatever word was used. I know the questions to neither.
However, I am aware of a concept in Greek philosophy which may have been influential. Per Empedocles, "love" was one of two forces involved in shaping reality and represented that which makes things of different kinds come together. As the Christian god is a creator god, it would make sense to consider it synonymous with this philosophical understanding of love. But I have no idea if Greek philosophy had any influence on the Christian writers.
One may wish to ask what the authors of the Bible would have meant by "love" and whether or not there are other words that could be possible translations of whatever word was used. I know the questions to neither.
However, I am aware of a concept in Greek philosophy which may have been influential. Per Empedocles, "love" was one of two forces involved in shaping reality and represented that which makes things of different kinds come together. As the Christian god is a creator god, it would make sense to consider it synonymous with this philosophical understanding of love. But I have no idea if Greek philosophy had any influence on the Christian writers.
It doesn't make sense as "love is God", which is how I've sometimes seen it used.
If we take it to mean "all love flows from God and all things God does are loving", then I can at least make sense of the phrase (while still disagreeing with it).
Buttercup
Veteran Member
It makes sense to say "God is love" if you're using the Bible as a source for God descriptors.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Romans 8:37-39 - No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Ephesians 2:4-5 - But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, evenwhen we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you h ve been saved ...
Romans 5:8 - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Zephaniah 3:17 - The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
1 Peter 5:6-7 - Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Psalm 86:15 - But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
God is described as "Love" or as having love for us. However, on the flip side, there are certainly some rather nasty and negative attributes that describe this being of "God" as well.
Maybe it would be interesting to conduct a comparative analysis to decide if God's Love is worth wanting or having ?
Does it make any sense to say "God is Love"?
Makes sense to me. We are all One and we realize the Oneness through love and unity. The theme of this divine play we are in is the return to Oneness.
Makes sense to me. We are all One and we realize the Oneness through love and unity. The theme of this divine play we are in is the return to Oneness.
Buttercup
Veteran Member
Ok, I'll start.God is described as "Love" or as having love for us. However, on the flip side, there are certainly some rather nasty and negative attributes that describe this being of "God" as well.
Maybe it would be interesting to conduct a comparative analysis to decide if God's Love is worth wanting or having ?
One of the problems I continue to have with "God's Love" is that it often reminds me of abusive parents who say with great passion how much they love their children but beat them, starve them, kill them...or use less violent methods of abuse or neglect. These parents might think they love their children but their actions don't prove it.
If we are to take the story of Noah and the flood literally, it's difficult to reconcile that this God genuinely loves his creation. If we don't take the story as literal, what the hell is it supposed to mean? This can't be love, can it?
Ok, I'll start.
One of the problems I continue to have with "God's Love" is that it often reminds me of abusive parents who say with great passion how much they love their children but beat them, starve them, kill them...or use less violent methods of abuse or neglect. These parents might think they love their children but their actions don't prove it.
If we are to take the story of Noah and the flood literally, it's difficult to reconcile that this God genuinely loves his creation. If we don't take the story as literal, what the hell is it supposed to mean? This can't be love, can it?
It's clear to me from your post and so many others that the Old Testament God is pretty well dead in the 21st century.....But what concerns me is where do people go from there.......
It's an anthropopathism - an attempt to make sense of the ineffable.
It does to me, but only if you don't attempt to define love so narrowly as to consider it only an emotion. If love is only an emotion, it makes no sense.
But...with a very broad perspective of what love is -- yes, I think it does make sense that "God is Love". It means to me that love is the source of everything -- that all things are in some way connected to love, and in order to get to the real point for the resolution of things, it is necessary to see how it is connected to love -- especially in intense situations where it seems there is no love there at all -- where love has perhaps been severely violated, damaged, inverted, denied, reduced, etc.
Sometimes it seems we use the word "love," when we really (IMO) aren't talking about love. In those cases we may really be talking about our emotional attachments, our ego wants, our preferences, what makes us feel good in the moment, indulgence, etc.
I think, when viewing any situation, we choose our perspective, even if we aren't aware we're doing it. We can select whether we view a particular situation where it is all about oneself, or is simply a reaction to someone else, or holds a larger perspective. We have the ability, even if we begin one way, to stop and reassess a situation, and alter our course as we proceed.
When talking about God as Love, what I mean is the largest perspective possible, that holds within that perspective support for the eventual very best outcome for all concerned. It's not be pleasant at all times, but I think the place from which a decision on action is made is very important.
At various times I find the subject of love to be: sweet, wonderful, frustrating, confusing, scary, invigorating, simple, complex, etc. -- so many things.
I think much of our life experiences involve experiences of ourselves as Love, and involve our development and refining -- or maybe more accurately aligning -- our perspective, ever increasingly (hopefully) in being responsible with what we do with our Love in life, as it affects ourselves, others -- and all aspects of life. I think our Love is actually what is accurate in use of the term "Child of God," that we are "children" of Love, and manifestations of Love as well.
Nada
#
:yes: God has given us undeserved kindness.He does not have to do any of this.We can also see how God is love by the way we were created.He allows us to enjoy things.The simplest things like taste and feel show us just how loving God truly is.We enjoy sexual relations and love.We can see and hear things that bring joy to us.We can express ourselves with words that can encourage others and bring happiness.All of these things are examples of God's love for us.
It will depend entirely on who says that, and to a lesser degree on the exact situation at which it is said.
Some conceptions of God are indeed strictly related to love. Many others, perhaps most, are not.
Sir Doom
Cooler than most of you
It doesn't make sense to me. I understand the sentiment, of course, but the idea seems to make God there for us, instead of the other way around. If I am to accept a divine creator (which I do) then I have to imagine that it created life for its own ends. Not for ours. I can't say for sure if God even experiences love, let alone embodies it completely.