Agape. Love base on Principle
of good toward others.
2. Philia. Love that exist among family members.
3. Erros. Love due to intimate attraction. intimate love.
4. ?? This love appeals to jealousy and greed

nuclearboy: The love of something "higher" than self actually makes sense.

We leave behind the belief that we are all that matters, because we have subjugated our baser instincts to "something higher" - Women's Lib was not love for an individual but an ideal. Same with the end of slavery in the USA. People saw more than the guy in the mirror in these cases and I wonder if they would be called names for such decisions.

Absolute love for "God" in the same way subjugates our individual greed, selfishness etc because it is not completed except the "love your neighbor as yourself" comes into play! In effect, because your love God, you will then love His creation just as you "love" yourself because you see yourself in them!

My summary is that our friend from Mars is confused and doesn't even love himself. The responses above show simple respect for more moderate views is obviously lacking - yet in the same breath, there is allusion to respect and tolerance. But where is that respect for DeepSight? or for the one you label "Fool"? Or even for yourself?

nuclearboy: The love of something "higher" than self actually makes sense.

nuclearboy:
Women's Lib was not love for an individual but an ideal. Same with the end of slavery in the USA. People saw more than the guy in the mirror in these cases and I wonder if they would be called names for such decisions.

nuclearboy: Absolute love for "God" in the same way subjugates our individual greed, selfishness etc because it is not completed except the "love your neighbor as yourself" comes into play! In effect, because your love God, you will then love His creation just as you "love" yourself because you see yourself in them!

nuclearboy: My summary is that our friend from Mars is confused and doesn't even love himself. The responses above show simple respect for more moderate views is obviously lacking - yet in the same breath, there is allusion to respect and tolerance. But where is that respect for DeepSight? or for the one you label "Fool"? Or even for yourself?

Martian:
Under every "sacrificial" act is a motivation. And that motivation is still "self interest". Even acts of charity can be traced back to the feelings they give the person.
Humans rise for their loved ones because of their "self interest" not to lose the loved one.
Humans have died for their countries in times of war in order to protect their "self interest". I've been to war,and it was "self interest" every single time I stepped into that war zone.

Kay 17: ^^^
I agree with you partially. I watched a documentary on the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and saw people (the liquidators) selflessly exposing themselves to deadly radiation to contain the radiation from spreading across Europe.

These ppl must have felt that urgency, percieved the helpless of the potential victims and also making a mental calculation that sacrificing themselves was a small price in saving the world for little or no praise.

Sometimes Love is the purest instinct.

Kay 17: ^^^
I agree with you partially. I watched a documentary on the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and saw people (the liquidators) selflessly exposing themselves to deadly radiation to contain the radiation from spreading across Europe.

These ppl must have felt that urgency, percieved the helpless of the potential victims and also making a mental calculation that sacrificing themselves was a small price in saving the world for little or no praise.

Sometimes Love is the purest instinct.

Enigma: @Kay17

Bear in mind also that Jesus was addressing people who came to listen to Him --- i.e. people who believed in Him at least in some way.

Thus He was addressing the 'love thy neighbour as yourself' statement to people who already had a decent idea of goodness and a decent conscience.

Thus it would be unreasonable to think that the statement should be construed with the background of the conceptions of perverts and people with a seared conscience about love.

Purist:

Unless it's recorded somewhere, we cannot be entirely sure of the exact kind of audience Jesus had whilst giving that admonition. Having being reported to have wined and dined with all manner of sinners, it is not out of place to assume that there could have indeed been perverts and psychopaths present with him, especially given that he categorically stated that he came for the lost sheep of Israel.

Purist:

Unless it's recorded somewhere, we cannot be entirely sure of the exact kind of audience Jesus had whilst giving that admonition. Having being reported to have wined and dined with all manner of sinners, it is not out of place to assume that there could have indeed been perverts and psychopaths present with him, especially given that he categorically stated that he came for the lost sheep of Israel.

Kay 17:

I don't think their sacrifice was for gratification, they are largely anonymous and forgotten. They were the only ones available to clean up and they took it as a sacrifice without honours.

Purist:

I meant self-interest, but I see your point anyway.

Purist: I actually think "love your neighbour as yourself" is a sound teaching. The only problem I see with it is that it is impracticable in the world we live in, as not everyone even really "loves" their own selves in the generally accepted sense of the word. This is in line with logicboy's earlier submission that some people do really horrible things to themselves that give them maximum pleasure and satisfaction. Shall we then admonish this lot to "love" their neighbours in the same manner that they "love" themselves?

Purist:

Funny enough, I actually share the same sentiment. I have always been of the belief that humans (and probably every other animal out there) are inherently selfish. I believe that when people do things out of "love" or "sacrifice", when we do good generally, it's probably because it makes us feel good ultimately. The sense of satisfaction - that gratification - that comes with the knowledge that you did something worthwhile is usually an incentive to always want to continue in that path. Some people don't feel this sense of satisfaction, they see and feel no need to be good or do good, and so they usually don't bother. These are the people we see as "mean". At the end of the day, it's really about us - ourselves.

MyJoe:

Logicboy had no point. At least, no logical point. As Enigma observed, the words were addressed to a familiar audience. Even if we consider that there would have been passersby, relatives of disciples and curious non-believers, and that the words were meant for all since Jesus is said to have been sent to all, logicboy’s thesis would still be illogical. During these language classes of mine, the teacher would come to the class and ask us to “chat with your neighbour”. Now, it would be out of place to challenge the teacher or her instruction on the basis that there was someone who woke up with acute laryngitis and so could not chat or someone with bad breath who’s chat would be unwelcome by his neighbour.

The teacher’s request was contemplated with the “normal” student in mind. The abnormal or special student would have to be dealt with specially. While this is not a perfect example, I believe it conveys the point perfectly. Instructions are given with “normal” or “everyday” people in mind. Attacking an instruction to love your neighbour on the basis that there are mentally ill people in the world of the type we don’t want their love is, I think, plain silly.

MyJoe:
Having a selfish motive for our actions is something we cannot get away from. But actions are motivated by selfish motives to varying degrees. People act out of selfish motives. People also do act for purely altruistic reasons. People do things for others when there is no benefit to themselves. To suggest that the satisfaction to be derived is a pre-thought while embarking on the act in the majority of the cases we consider altruistic is misguided. Even if it were, I do not think that satisfaction is sufficient to erode the quality of the act of love.

Purist:
Using your analogy, even if the teacher's request was contemplated with the "normal" students in mind, it still does not take away from the fact that the request is not totally practicable because there are still people present there who are "special", and thus unable to carry out her request.

Purist:
I kind of agree with you here, except for the bold part. Maybe you could list a few examples of acts carried our for purely altruistic reasons and let's examine them critically.

EDIT: Also, I'm not sure that I really suggested that satisfactions to be derived are often pre-thought.

As a matter of fact, I believe that many people often do good without any expectations of reward or benefits of any kind. I know that I certainly do. My point is just that at the end of the day, the subconscious? motive may just be that inner good feeling it gives us ultimately. It certainly doesn't take away from the goodness of the act though.

MyJoe:
It is only a basis to recognise that the commandment has limited application in an imperfect world.

MyJoe:
No, I wasn’t implying that you challenged or attacked the teaching. Martian, did.

Purist:

Exactly my point.

And I agree with the rest of your post. We're pretty much on the same page, I believe.

Have a good evening, sire!

MyJoe: As for the homophobes, while a valid argument can be made linking their actions to their religious beliefs, since they themselves would state so, tolerance and intolerance towards LGBT people cut accross people of diverse views, including atheism and agnosticism.

MyJoe: I appreciate the fact that not everyone will appreciate the commandment to love God. Those who don't believe in the the existence of God certainly cannot. I have believed in God, although mostly in a different manner from most religious folk, for most of my life, yet I still struggle with that commandment.

Martian:

The teaching I attacked as being silly is the one about loving the so called god of israel. That teaching itself causes the christians to violate the latter one about tolerance(love your neighbor)

How do you struggle with the commandment? Is it because it is a commandment? Maybe carrying it out means being a bigot? Or is it because it's quite difficult to love something you've never had contact with?

Purist:

I kind of agree with you here, except for the bold part. Maybe you could list a few examples of acts carried our for purely altruistic reasons and let's examine them critically.

EDIT: Also, I'm not sure that I really suggested that satisfactions to be derived are often pre-thought. As a matter of fact, I believe that many people often do good without any expectations of reward or benefits of any kind. I know that I certainly do. My point is just that at the end of the day, the subconscious? motive may just be that inner good feeling it gives us ultimately. It certainly doesn't take away from the goodness of the act though.