There's a difference between loving your neighbors and Christians loving each other. The former commandment was given to the Jews, the later one was given to His disciples, in a broader sense, Christians.
-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Which religion has love?
- Thread starter rusra02
- Start date
There's a difference between loving your neighbors and Christians loving each other. The former commandment was given to the Jews, the later one was given to His disciples, in a broader sense, Christians.
sojourner
Annoyingly Progressive Since 2006
Your opinion is based on taking some passages out of context and treating them as if they were the central theme of the messages of the gospel writings. However, if we look at each gospel in its entirety, and glean from it some sort of overarching message, then compare each with the others and glean some sort of overarching theme, we find that that message is one of God's love for humanity.
Absolutely, so long as the one being commanded follows the commandment. Our emotions are not our boss. It's the other way round.
Love, compassion and justice is the basis of virtually all religions. Golden Rule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ananda asked: Would it be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion is a part of our practice?"
The Buddha replied: "No. It would not be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion is part of our practice. It would be true to say that the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion is all of our practice."
I wondered about Hinduism at one time, but compassion and love is definitely there, despite Hinduism seemingly interested in the Self.
He is never happy who does not offer food to the hungry, to his friend. He who does not help his friends is no friend at all. The rich must give alms to the beggars. He who does not have the feeling of charity is in fact wasting the food he is consuming. Rig Veda 10:117
One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor [entitled to special rights] and is free from false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tolerant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on Me such a devotee of Mine is very dear to Me. BG 12.13-14
He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and distress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to Me. BG 12.15
One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contaminating association, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service such a person is very dear to Me. BG 12.18-19
Which religion plays "The game of Love?"
[youtube]RzVLQTovv_g[/youtube]
The Game of Love - Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders - YouTube
God's love has a scope, He doesn't love both sheep and wolves. His love is dedicated to His sheep and sheep only.
Buddha loves both sheep and wolves, so he can do nothing when the wolves eat the sheep up. In order to love the wolves he has to let them eat the sheep or else they would die. In order to love the sheep he has to prevent the wolves eating up the sheep.
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
If someone isn't capable of love, religion will not cure his disease. Human beings have loved each other thousands of years before any of the major religions we know today were formed out of human societies. People have loved thousands of years before the days of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, or the beliefs held in the ancient Indus Valley. Can anyone show that love after any of those religions is purer?
In addition, some of the finest teachings about love and tolerance are cross-religious and were only harnessed inclusively after the creation of new religions or dogmas in order to serve a religious body, or a church.
In addition, some of the finest teachings about love and tolerance are cross-religious and were only harnessed inclusively after the creation of new religions or dogmas in order to serve a religious body, or a church.
How is Buddhism driven by compassion and justice? I'd say that if anything, its condemnation of attachment would get in the way of compassion.
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
Using the Dalai Lama as a source, he states that the main purpose of dharma is compassion and justice. Remember, it's the end of suffering of all sentient beings that's the aim of the Four Nobel Truths and the Eightfold Path.
The issue of "attachments" is often misunderstood. For example, am I not to love my wife because that's an attachment? No, but it could be depending on how I may deal with this attraction, especially if it leads towards destructive ends.
The issue of "attachments" is often misunderstood. For example, am I not to love my wife because that's an attachment? No, but it could be depending on how I may deal with this attraction, especially if it leads towards destructive ends.
Last edited:
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
I think the point is that these descriptions of love are all subjective. The sayings attributed to Jesus or the Buddhas may appeal to the reason of Christians and Buddhists but may not appeal or be the way other people see love.
metis
aged ecumenical anthropologist
Yes, which is why I switched "love" to "compassion" in my response.
I don't think condemnation is a particularly adequate word here. In any case, there is no doubt that Buddhist practice can be misguided and drive people away from compassion instead of towards it.
But that is certainly not how it is supposed to work.
I don't think one can go by religion on something like this. Going by individual might make it easier to identify. Love isn't a religion-specific thing, imo.
-
Yes, Jesus quoted Leviticus 19:18 as one of the greatest commandments. Jesus command to love one another was new, I believe, because he added the words, "just as I have loved you." John 15:12,13 shows the greatness of Jesus love. "This is my commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has love greater than this, that someone should surrender his soul in behalf of his friends." Such love transcends national barriers and is self-sacrificing, putting other person's interests ahead of our own. The Mosaic law did not require such love.
No argument here. Professed "Christians" slaughtered one another by the millions in both world wars. True Christians, IMO, did not.
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
And I suppose only those you get to define as the 'true', 'legit' and 'kosher' Christians represent the Christian religion. All those millions of other Christians who do questionable things, sometimes using Christianity's name are simply POEs?
Face it... true love was not invented 2000 years ago. And even in the purest form of Christianity... Jesus' love is not everyone's idea of the highest ideals of love. Jesus discusses more communal love. Maybe to other people Tantric love is the real deal.
True Christians, would act as Jesus commanded them and do their acts of kindness and compassion without seeking fame or recognition from it. Whether on an internet forum or on the streets. They would ask the favor of other people in their own room, quietly... away from the eyes of the masses.
Jesus said " By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love among yourselves. (John 13:35) So I believe it should be clear to all who Jesus true disciples are."
Caladan
Agnostic Pantheist
And this answered my question... how?
If you are discussing a mythical Utopian community of love... just be sure to inform the rest of us on the forum when you physically meet it.
Now now, don't you know Jesus has to come back to make it happen? Remember he was 100% God and the rest of us are in need of Christianity's interpretation of something they cant produce.:run:
