Is There Ever A Conflict Between Religion and Love?

[Sunstone]

In your scale of values, which is more important to you: Religion or Love?

Do you ever see a conflict between the two that forces you to choose between them? If so, what sort of conflict is that? Which do you typically choose?

 

[Sunstone]

Well, does anyone want to grab onto this question with both hands and wrestle it to the ground?

 

[dust1n]

Yup.


religion deverts love from one another towards love of a "greater power"

 

[Nanda]

I would say so. Religion has been known to tear families apart. It's the whole idea of loving a deity more than each other, like dust1n said.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Love is more important. It's all you need.

 

[Melissa G]

Yes, love is more important and with plenty of sex thrown in.

Melissa G

 

[Pardus]

Yes, love is more important and with plenty of sex thrown in.

Melissa G

DITTO!!!

 

[ChristineES]

In my faith, God is love (among other things). I can't speak for anyone else, but loving God helps me to love others more. Before I found God, I am not sure I had much love.

 

[blackout]

love.

 

[Peace]

I don't see any conflict between Religion and love.
Religion encourages love. love for your God, love for your prophets, love for your parents, love for your family, love for your neighbors, love for all humanity and even love for animals.

 

[blackout]

love is free and open.
religion is full of conditions and doctrines.

 

[Halcyon]

I would guess it all depends on what you consider love.

In a historical context, people classed as heretics (often people who's only crime was to have a book classed as heretical in their possession) were burned alive. Why? Out of love by the Church for their immortal soul.

Love isn't an easily definable thing. Love as displayed by those people with a warped worldview can be an horrific thing indeed.

Therefore there is often a conflict between religion and love, because both religion and love mean so many different things to so many different people.

 

[MoonWater]

It really depends on the person. I can only speak for myself and personally there has never been a conflict for me between love and religion. Especially since in my faith I am not asked to choose love of a deity over my love of anything else except maybe material things but then that's to be expected from any religion that doesn't focus on material things. My patron Goddess is more of a mentor for me rather than someone to worship. So I love her like I would love any great teacher. My faith is very personal, in fact I'm probably the only member of my specific faith. I call myself "eclectic-buddha-pagan because most of my beliefs stem from the numerous pagan faiths and from zen buddhism but there's a lot of other faiths that I borrow from as well. So there is no conflict and there never would be since my religion is my own. However, hypothetically speaking if there did end up being a conflict between love and my religion then I would have to evolve my religion and adapt it in order to solve the conflict. After all I believe love is it's individual force and thus I cannot change it, but I can change my religion to adapt since religion is personal. If there were ever a conflict between love and my patron Goddess then I would probably have to reconsider if she were truly the right patron Goddess to mentor me in this life. This is because, for me, love is the most important thing and in my mind there is nothing that would be worth sacrificing love for. Though I doubt there would ever be a conflict between love and following my Patron Goddess as love is very important to her as well. It's a big part of both of us. One of the reasons we we chose eachother to be a mentor-pupil team in this lifetime.

 

[ladybug83]

Although there definitely can be a conflict between religion and love, there shouldn't be. When two people agree to be together, they'll obviously have knowledge of their religious differences. Respect for each other's beliefs should obviously be the first thing agreed on; however, I think it's a bad idea to give each other too much space or seperate yourselves when religion is brought up. For example, if one has an idea to express about a scripture, the other shouldn't turn a deaf ear to it. As two people who love each other, it's important for both people to be somewhat knowledgeable of the other's religion and beliefs. If both people educate themselves in the other's religion, neither will feel frightened, offended (at least not that much) or cut off from the person he/she loves, and neither will be ignorant and feel left in the dark.

 

[autonomous1one1]

In your scale of values, which is more important to you: Religion or Love?

Do you ever see a conflict between the two that forces you to choose between them? If so, what sort of conflict is that? Which do you typically choose?

Greetings. I :bow: bow to the wisdoms of ChristineES and Peace; and from my view there has been conflict only with mis-understanding. With true understanding the two become one.

 

[Hema]

My religion is love.

 

[Draka]

While I don't personally think there is any contradiction between my religious beliefs and love, I do have to wonder about some other religions.

I mean, truly, religions that condemn and judge others for their beliefs or way of life or sexual orientation don't really seem to preach all that much love. If those religions really cherished love so much then why do so many of them condemn the love that homosexual couples have for one another? Or condemn the love that those not of those religions have for their own deities and beliefs?

You really have to look at the differing definitions of love. Is it love to brow beat someone who does not believe as you do and try to get them to believe the same way? For many the answer would be an emphatic NO, but to others, they actually consider that a form of love because they are trying to "save" someone else.

So, what is "love" to differing religions?