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Hi Ladies,
Many people say that they do not believe in God or a Higher Power because they do not have any physical or scientific evidence to "prove" it while many people of faith say that they believe in God because they have experienced [or felt] Him in a supernatural way.
If a person does not believe in the unseen (supernatural, spirit beings), then how can he/she believe that LOVE actually exists?
Think about it: No one has ever seen love. Yet many claim that they feel it or that they have seen it in action. Many say that "I'm in love!" Others claim that LOVE is what enhances our relationships; but how do you know this if you have never physically SEEN love for yourself?
How do we know that it is not a figment of our imagination? If we cannot physically see love, then does this mean that LOVE does not exist?
Could it be that we exercise FAITH when it comes to believing in LOVE? Is there scientific evidence that supports the existence of love?
I'm posing these questions because this same argument is often used to challenge whether or not God exists.
I'm a Christian, and I believe in God.
If you do not believe in God, who we cannot see with our physical eyes, then why do you believe in LOVE? Have you ever been "in love" and how did you know that you were "in love"?
Let's discuss this in a civil manner please. I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts on this.
Please respect one another's beliefs and perspectives.
Thanks
Merry Christmas!
I was going to say the same thing the other girls did love is an emotion. "Love" is just the word used to describe an emotion I feel "God" is supousedly an all powerful being that created everything and everyone and judges everyone and lives in heaven etc. These things aren't comparable at all. Also as an atheist I don't really use the excuse "because you can't see him" anyhow.
"It's getting darker, darker than a coal mine
I'm feeling broken, broken like the street lines
Cause all I need is temporary sunlight."
- WOTE
stayclassy wrote:
Love is not a higher power. It's an emotion, just like anger and sadness... just because we can feel does not mean that god exists. I don't see correlation. Love is what keeps us together and working as a community in order to survive-- religion is not needed in order to survive.
Edit: To add, some people believe that love is an illusion. So love may be a taught illusion just like god.
Love does not have to be a "higher power" in order for one to believe or disbelieve that it exists. We believe in many things in this world that are not a "higher power" - like science, for instance.
The link that I was trying to make in my initial post is that you cannot PHYSICALLY SEE love nor can you PHYSICALLY SEE God; yet people believe in these two things. The question is: Why? Why don't some people believe in God yet they believe in love? And vice versa?
Where's your proof that "love keeps us together and working as a community in order to survive"? How do you KNOW that love is what keeps humanity together?
We don't need LOVE to survive. Science says that we need water, food, shelter and sex to survive and thrive.
You're right: We don't need RELIGION to survive; still, many would argue that we need GOD to survive. Religion and God are not exactly one and the same.
Many people do believe that LOVE is an illusion because they have never experienced it for themselves - (this goes for one's unbelief in God too). Some have "lost faith" in LOVE because they have been hurt badly by someone that they loved. What would you say to people with these two mindsets?
stayclassy wrote:
Yeah, I was thinking about something else. You can actually see the other person you love. You can DETERMINE whether you want to love them or not based on who they are and what they are, not because you FEAR who they are or they'll send you to hell if you don't love them.
You can see a loved one but that still does not mean that it's LOVE. You're simply looking at another person, in that particular instance.
So...if you can determine whether or not you want to love someone...does this mean that it is still just an emotion? It seems like LOVE can also be a CHOICE. If you force someone to "love" you, then does that really make it love?
In the Bible, "fear God" means to revere, honor and respect Him. It does not mean to be afraid of Him - which is a misconception that many people have.
God wants people to come to Him because THEY WANT TO - not because they are "forced" into it. God does not force anyone to love Him nor serve Him. He wants us to come to Him willingly...same as you would want your significant other to love you based on their own doing.
The Bible tells believers that we love God because He first loved us - not because we fear Him and are afraid to go to hell. That's not what's it about. It's about being in a close, loving, intimate relationship with Him. Christians CHOOSE TO LOVE GOD, in response to what He has already done for us. This LOVE is demonstrated through our actions.
Therefore, I believe that love is an ACTION as well as a CHOICE. It's not just a "mere emotion" in my opinion. If you love someone, then you will show him or her that you love them. We believe that love exists because we've seen it demonstrated towards us at some point in our lives.
I believe in GOD & LOVE. In fact, I believe that GOD IS LOVE.
illusione wrote:
Love is an emotion. It 'exists' as a physiological change in the brain, and the chemical and anatomical basis of it is indeed supported by scientific evidence.
The brain states corresponding to religious experience can also be examined scientifically, the difference is, while we can establish the existence of a specific pattern of neuronal activity, we can't establish that it corresponds to the presence of anything external.
Great response!
scuzz wrote:
I was going to say the same thing the other girls did love is an emotion. "Love" is just the word used to describe an emotion I feel "God" is supousedly an all powerful being that created everything and everyone and judges everyone and lives in heaven etc. These things aren't comparable at all. Also as an atheist I don't really use the excuse "because you can't see him" anyhow.
I think it depends on your perspective. I think that LOVE and GOD can be compared and contrasted...but it all depends on how you see it.
I don't think the "because you can't see him" logic should be used either. There are plenty of things that we can't physically see with our naked eyes but they're still there.
Thanks for your post.
