unconditional love means letting someone self-destruct if he wants

[PureX]

i love others unconditionally

i just don't LIKE them...

and admittedly, it is very hard (virtually impossible) to LOVE someone you don't like... although some females, in romance... find this kind of dynamic to be no problem...

but i digress...

anyhow... i love all humans... i pray for people i can't stand...
But i refuse to become closely involved with someone who is deep sin, doesn't love Jesus...

nope

that's what you call STUPID


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Saying you love people is easy. But the word "love" isn't love. And neither is the idea of loving someone the same as actually loving them.

To claim to love someone unconditionally but not like them is just sophistry, I think. As not liking them is itself a "condition" of the purported 'unconditional" love.

I don't think we humans can experience anything "unconditionally" because that would mean we have to experience without any expectations. And I just don't see how we could do that. And if we could, what would our love even be worth?

If I love you no matter who you are, what you think, how you behave, what your past is, what you look like, what you want in life, … and on and on like that until there is no "you", there, anymore. What is it I am claiming to love??? Just some blank idea of you that I call "you"?

Point being that our expectations of each other must be part of what we love about each other. Even though those expectations are "conditions" that either get met, or don't get met.

 

[patrick jane]

I doubt that we humans can ever really achieve unconditional love. To do so would mean loving someone regardless of what they think, what they say, and how they behave toward us, others, and the world in general. We might claim we can do that, but I suspect that's only because the claim isn't really being tested.

About loving people who are self-destructive, and determining when it's right for us to 'step in' and take their autonomy away from them, for their own sakes, I'm not sure this is a equation of love. I think it's a question of personal autonomy vs. collective responsibility. That's already a very difficult question to answer without muddying up the waters with the idea of unconditional love.

very true, it's so complex and varied. very difficult to reachagreement or know that a self destructive person's best interest - atrol:

 

[quip]

Saying you love people is easy. But the word "love" isn't love. And neither is the idea of loving someone the same as actually loving them.

To claim to love someone unconditionally but not like them is just sophistry, I think. As not liking them is itself a "condition" of the purported 'unconditional" love.

I don't think we humans can experience anything "unconditionally" because that would mean we have to experience without any expectations. And I just don't see how we could do that. And if we could, what would our love even be worth?

If I love you no matter who you are, what you think, how you behave, what your past is, what you look like, what you want in life, … and on and on like that until there is no "you", there, anymore. What is it I am claiming to love??? Just some blank idea of you that I call "you"?

Point being that our expectations of each other must be part of what we love about each other. Even though those expectations are "conditions" that either get met, or don't get met.

Well, to love unconditionally stands as a current condition. You're just expressing the limit and inherent mutability of language.

Practical, obviously....beyond that, not so much.

 

[republicanchick]

Saying you love people is easy. But the word "love" isn't love. And neither is the idea of loving someone the same as actually loving them.

To claim to love someone unconditionally but not like them is just sophistry, I think. As not liking them is itself a "condition" of the purported 'unconditional" love.

I don't think we humans can experience anything "unconditionally" because that would mean we have to experience without any expectations. And I just don't see how we could do that. And if we could, what would our love even be worth?

If I love you no matter who you are, what you think, how you behave, what your past is, what you look like, what you want in life, … and on and on like that until there is no "you", there, anymore. What is it I am claiming to love??? Just some blank idea of you that I call "you"?

Point being that our expectations of each other must be part of what we love about each other. Even though those expectations are "conditions" that either get met, or don't get met.

I suppose I get the gist of what u r saying... but maybe you could whittle it down some? I mean, could you tell me your primary point? I agree w/ the parts I can u/stand

But in any case, I really do love people unconditionally

and the only things I dislike about people are their sins and sinful inclinations. But I can't say i dont have some of the same inclinations... just that I try to avoid egregious sin... and not everyone does... Some do not think it is egregious to... well, ignore the poor, for example... and yet they would never think of fornicating.. Oh horrors! that is a terrible sin... Well, it is, but there are other sins that people just... accept... "Well, I don't want to do anything for this needy person, but God forgives my negligence of the poor... I am outa here [not going to help]"

really?

hmmmm...



_

 

[republicanchick]

very true, it's so complex and varied. very difficult to reachagreement or know that a self destructive person's best interest - atrol:

who says?

JEsus came to teach us moral truth (among other tasks he had)

He established a Church

the Church teaches absolute moral truth

If you go against that Church, you are going against God

and yourself

and others


__

 

[PureX]

I suppose I get the gist of what u r saying... but maybe you could whittle it down some? I mean, could you tell me your primary point? I agree w/ the parts I can u/stand

Thanks. I admit it's not an easy thing to write clearly about, because I think, in truth, it's a bit beyond our ability to grasp.

But in any case, I really do love people unconditionally

and the only things I dislike about people are their sins and sinful inclinations.

But aren't those "conditions", then? Such inclinations are part of who people are. How can we claim to love the person, but not to love those parts of the person? See what I mean?

I am an alcoholic. So I can't drink alcohol, ever, because once one drink gets me started, I have no idea if, or when I'd stop. This is part of who I am. So when I say I love myself "unconditionally", doesn't that have to mean that I also love the fact that I am alcoholic?

I think it does. That's why I think we have to love other people INCLUDING those things we don't like, or agree with, or even that hurt us, if we are to love them "unconditionally". And I don't think most of us can do that most the time (if ever). Not honestly, anyway. We may be able to do it sometimes, but those are almost always the times when we are not being directly harmed by some aspect of the 'beloved'.

I doubt I can even love myself that unconditionally.

 

[TrakeM]

unconditional love means letting someone self-destruct if he wants

this is what Kasich (Ohio gov/pres. candidate) believes

he says that God has unconditional love for him, so he has to love others unconditionally.

That part is totally true.. But he fails in the 2nd part of that.. says he went to a gay friend's wedding... which is condoning the wedding... b/c he has to love people unconditionally..

sure, you do have to love people unconditionally...

which means you want what is BEST for them, not what THEY might think is best, especially when what thye think is best is EVIL, destructive and leads them straight to Hell

that is NOT loving... unconditionally or otherwise..



_

Or you could believe that people have the right to do things not in accordance with your religion. After all, this isn't a theocracy and freedom isn't defined as being forced to abide by christian moral standards.