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If God created humankind "in His image and likeness", would it make sense that if WE have emotions that they came from God because God has emotions? Would His emotions be more 'perfect' than ours, simply because He IS God?
Yes but why then just focus on the love bit?
Does he have hate as well? If so, why aren't you mentioning that?
Or are you just sweeping that bit under the carpet?
And if he has hate, doesn't that neutralise the love part?
After all, can you love all of mankind and have hate for them at the same time? Or are you saying god isnt capable of hate?
He's god right? He's capable of anything?
Sorry, to me it's just a minefield. You can't have one without the other.
The Christian teaching isn't that God experiences love as an emotion. It's that God IS perfect love.
The Christian teaching is likewise that God is perfectly holy and perfectly just.
When perfect love, holiness and justice are viewed from the human perspective, a great deal is lost in translation because God isn't a human and doesn't share the human perspective. This is why, even in regard to difficult doctrines like damnation, it's a category mistake to view them in terms of what "I would do if I were God."
Divine "anger" and "hate" flow from God's perfect holiness and justice and aren't the human emotions of anger and hate.
When the Bible speaks as though God had human emotions, these are anthropomorphisms by the authors.
Does he have hate as well? If so, why aren't you mentioning that?
Or are you just sweeping that bit under the carpet?
In my post to you, I didn't mention any particular emotion. I simply said "emotions". So, I couldn't be sweeping anything under the carpet.
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And if he has hate, doesn't that neutralise the love part?
After all, can you love all of mankind and have hate for them at the same time? Or are you saying god isnt capable of hate?
Before I respond, I want to say that the following is *only my opinion*. It in no way reflects the opinion of all or most Christians. Onward...
How about, "Love the sinner; hate the sin"? I don't see God as hating people so much as He may hate the evil that they do. And evil can range anywhere from mild selfishness to...much, much worse. I think God feels anger...jealousy...and an overwhelming amount of sadness. I also believe that he has an extreme amount of love for us all, even though many of us, at many times, are not deserving of that love.
Quote:
He's god right? He's capable of anything?
Yes.
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Sorry, to me it's just a minefield. You can't have one without the other.
I agree. To a point. Perhaps the word "hate" as used in the bible means something different than the way *we* use the word today.
The Christian teaching isn't that God experiences love as an emotion. It's that God IS perfect love.
The Christian teaching is likewise that God is perfectly holy and perfectly just.
When perfect love, holiness and justice are viewed from the human perspective, a great deal is lost in translation because God isn't a human and doesn't share the human perspective. This is why, even in regard to difficult doctrines like damnation, it's a category mistake to view them in terms of what "I would do if I were God."
Divine "anger" and "hate" flow from God's perfect holiness and justice and aren't the human emotions of anger and hate.
When the Bible speaks as though God had human emotions, these are anthropomorphisms by the authors.
The Christian teaching isn't that God experiences love as an emotion. It's that God IS perfect love.
The Christian teaching is likewise that God is perfectly holy and perfectly just.
When perfect love, holiness and justice are viewed from the human perspective, a great deal is lost in translation because God isn't a human and doesn't share the human perspective. This is why, even in regard to difficult doctrines like damnation, it's a category mistake to view them in terms of what "I would do if I were God."
Divine "anger" and "hate" flow from God's perfect holiness and justice and aren't the human emotions of anger and hate.
When the Bible speaks as though God had human emotions, these are anthropomorphisms by the authors.
The Christian teaching isn't that God experiences love as an emotion. It's that God IS perfect love.
The Christian teaching is likewise that God is perfectly holy and perfectly just.
When perfect love, holiness and justice are viewed from the human perspective, a great deal is lost in translation because God isn't a human and doesn't share the human perspective. This is why, even in regard to difficult doctrines like damnation, it's a category mistake to view them in terms of what "I would do if I were God."
Divine "anger" and "hate" flow from God's perfect holiness and justice and aren't the human emotions of anger and hate.
When the Bible speaks as though God had human emotions, these are anthropomorphisms by the authors.
Perfect love is not an emotion? What is it actually? Your description are only words and mean nothing unless you already believe that your God is perfect. Stoning unruly children and adulterous people but allowing slavery , under few regulations, is perfect justice? Saying we are humans and can't understand God is simply excusing what you know is actually wrong. Saying love is not an emotion for God renders the use of the word love invalid in this content. It also contradicts the Christian posters who brag that unlike atheists they have agape love.
In my post to you, I didn't mention any particular emotion. I simply said "emotions". So, I couldn't be sweeping anything under the carpet.
Before I respond, I want to say that the following is *only my opinion*. It in no way reflects the opinion of all or most Christians. Onward...
How about, "Love the sinner; hate the sin"? I don't see God as hating people so much as He may hate the evil that they do. And evil can range anywhere from mild selfishness to...much, much worse. I think God feels anger...jealousy...and an overwhelming amount of sadness. I also believe that he has an extreme amount of love for us all, even though many of us, at many times, are not deserving of that love.
Yes.
I agree. To a point. Perhaps the word "hate" as used in the bible means something different than the way *we* use the word today.
Just a thought...
Such as?
Sorry not being facetious.
It sounds like you and the other poster above are just throwing out guesses since you both don't seem to know the answer either.
So how can anybody throw out terms like 'agape love' when nobody seems to know what it means.
That only 'god knows' because we don't have his perspective.
In that case we cant make any claims at all about knowing anything about gods perspective, agape love included.
Seems to me that agape love is just some kind of human construct projected onto an idea of god to help humans pretend he's all loving in nature.
If you are going to project human emotions you have to project all if it, not just the bit just the bit that makes you feel better.
Perfect love is not an emotion? What is it actually? Your description are only words and mean nothing unless you already believe that your God is perfect. Stoning unruly children and adulterous people but allowing slavery , under few regulations, is perfect justice? Saying we are humans and can't understand God is simply excusing what you know is actually wrong. Saying love is not an emotion for God renders the use of the word love invalid in this content. It also contradicts the Christian posters who brag that unlike atheists they have agape love.
People focus on the atrocities because it is what is inside their own hearts.
Does the beloved feel the love? Can you give an example of such a love and the experience of being loved? Is it permanent and unchanging?
Is it like mother's love? Loving a sweetheart.
Honestly, I've learned more about love during the last year-and-a-half while serving out at the Salt Lake Metro Jail with my husband than I did in all of the previous years of my life put together. The thing is, we go into a Sunday School class completely unaware of what the mean we're teaching are charged with. We don't ask them why they're in jail and the seldom volunteer the information. We get to know them as human beings -- often as broken and hurting human beings -- and try to give them hope for a better life. We tell them we don't care what they did wrong; it's what they do in the future that matters. I've seen grown men cry and I've come to realize that most of them are really not that much different than the rest of us. We were talking about adversity one week and I asked for some examples of the adversities they've experience. One man said, "addiction," another said, "divorce." The one that really got to me was the man who said, "Having to watch my children grow up through pictures."
Occasionally, our curiosity will get the best of us and we'll look up an inmate on the jail's records to see what they did to end up incarcerated. It's always surprising, but oddly enough, it really doesn't change how we feel about them. There was one man, in particular, that I really hit it off with. I don't know how to explain it, but he was just always so happy to see us. He seemed so genuinely remorseful for what he'd done, and was so determined to pick a different path once he got out. Turns out, he'd been arrested for online solicitation of a minor. He'd gone to meet her and had been arrested. He was married and had teenage girls himself. It shocked me, but we didn't really feel any differently about him as a person than I had before.
I can't explain any of it. The whole experience has just had such a profound impact on me. I've wondered if I'm just extremely gullible, but I don't think I am. These guys have never tried to take advantage of our friendship and asked for special favors. I just have grown to love them and I can't help it. When I look into their eyes, I can see that they can feel that love.
We haven't been able to go to the jail since mid-March, due to Covid-19. It could be months before we get to go back, but it's one of the things I miss most since the virus broke out.
When perfect love, holiness and justice are viewed from the human perspective, a great deal is lost in translation because God isn't a human and doesn't share the human perspective.
I know that the Westminster Confession of Faith that many Protestant Churches hold to describes God as being "without body parts or passions." I don't believe that. I believe that God feels love, sorrow, and relief. To me, He is a God who weeps.
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