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I was actually not referring to those who don't believe in God. I'm talking about those who do, yet do not understand that He is Love. Pure, agape love.
On a sidenote: Labels don't really mean very much when it comes down to it: "atheist" "christian"...
My perspective (I believe in God, and believe God to be: LOVE.)
Let's say person A. wears the label atheist, and follows the path of love.
And person B. wears the label christian, and is judgemental, unmerciful and unloving.
Person A., though he does not "believe in" God, is closer to God and understanding God than the person B. who says "I am a Christian! I believe in God".
Following the path of Love, is (again from my perspective) following the path of God.
Peace,
sparrow
That is typical (but purposeful) mischaracterization of Christians which is one of those six things God hates, seven that he finds detestable.
You people are just not going to get around the truth that God spoke and acts \ acted on the basis of
Because we see love as being independent of some kind of third party deity.
So, if we substitute "a spirit of love" for "God" (something akin to "school spirit" or "esprit de corps") how would you consider the statement by Sparrow?
(I'm actually only asking so Twin can throw a fit about humanism, honest )
That is typical (but purposeful) mischaracterization of Christians which is one of those six things God hates, seven that he finds detestable.
I, (of course), did not say "Person B. represents ALL Christians."
I think my post may have gone over your head, a bit.
Or perhaps you were talking about something else.
?
It's very true.
That's why we are to love our neighbors as ourselves.
Then God becomes visible. Knowledge of love, is knowledge of God.
The more love there is in this world, the more knowledge of God increases, and a lot of the old ideas and notions become obsolete. There is no way around it... truth marches on and it cannot be stopped. We're all at different places on our paths. Love is gentle, patient, kind, long-suffering. Compassion is needed for those who still see rather darkly. Their time will come when the revelation pierces their heart and they are overwhelmed by the absolute, (ABSOLUTE) power of love... which IS God. Seeing THAT person within the person we see and discuss with now. Trying not to add TO the layers of protection that make the heart stony and un-moving, but trying to peel off the layers to expose the heart, which IS moved by the Spirit, and which allows us to see the truth. Love is the power that peels the layers away.
hopefully this made sense, as it was on my heart.
peace,
sparrow
Quote:
Originally Posted by nateswift
An outstanding summary. You have to wonder why some people don't seem to get it......yet.
I agree! . . . But sparrow has so many excellent posts I can't rep enough other people to rep her again, yet.
Because we see love as being independent of some kind of third party deity.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pleroo
Are you saying that because you do not believe in the existence of God, you don't believe in the power of love to transform people, and to transform their view of things? I'm guessing that is not true, so I must be reading your post wrong.
Also, I think that most people who believe that "God is love" (and don't qualify that with, but God also hates) don't view God/Love as a "third party deity". They believe that the God who is love is in every person, and that in God we live and move and have our being, that God is so close to us as to be actually inseparable from us.
Quote:
Originally Posted by .sparrow.
I was actually not referring to those who don't believe in God. I'm talking about those who do, yet do not understand that He is Love. Pure, agape love.
On a sidenote: Labels don't really mean very much when it comes down to it: "atheist" "christian"...
My perspective (I believe in God, and believe God to be: LOVE.)
Let's say person A. wears the label atheist, and follows the path of love.
And person B. wears the label christian, and is judgemental, unmerciful and unloving.
Person A., though he does not "believe in" God, is closer to God and understanding God than the person B. who says "I am a Christian! I believe in God".
Following the path of Love, is (again from my perspective) following the path of God.
Peace,
sparrow
I, (of course), did not say "Person B. represents ALL Christians."
I think my post may have gone over your head, a bit.
Or perhaps you were talking about something else.
?
Of course you didn't say all and I didn't either.
What you did was to get around the sugar coated stereotyping hate a certain theological truth which you and the calvary know that certain people like us know it as the truth.
God spoke and acts \ acted on the basis of
Law and Gospel
and not the Satanical lies of
Love and Gospel
Law and Guilt
Jesus spoke Law and Gospel ... and the only reason you people are blind to it is because you are wantonly blind:
John 8:47 Whoever belongs to God hears what God says.
The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
John 7:7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.
Revelation 2:6 But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Now do yourself a favor and let that last one sink in ..... The Christians from the Church of Ephesus (the one started by Paul) was commended by Jesus for hating the practices of the unbeliever, the Nicolaitans.
>>>>>>>> which I also hate. <<<<<<<<<<< Jesus
Last edited by twin.spin; 08-01-2014 at 11:21 AM..
Are you saying that because you do not believe in the existence of God, you don't believe in the power of love to transform people, and to transform their view of things? I'm guessing that is not true, so I must be reading your post wrong.
Nope, that's not what I was saying at all. I've seen love transform people all too often, I'm afraid. Usually, they devolve. At least ... that's true of romantic love which I find to be the most destructive of all human emotions, even more than hatred.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pleroo
Also, I think that most people who believe that "God is love" (and don't qualify that with, but God also hates) don't view God/Love as a "third party deity". They believe that the God who is love is in every person, and that in God we live and move and have our being, that God is so close to us as to be actually inseparable from us.
The problem here is that, by once again trying to steal something that isn't yours, in this case, "love," and trying to make it uniquely Christian does a massive disservice to the 4.5 billion non-Christians and non-believers out there. Oddly enough, they all seem just as capable of love as you are and they don't need your specific God in order to be so capable. I know you are wont to say that God is in every person and that's why everyone is capable of love (except sociopaths, perhaps), but that completely disregards the beliefs of all the non-Christians in the world.
Of course you didn't say all and I didn't either.
What you did was to get around the sugar coated stereotyping hate a certain theological truth which you and the calvary know that certain people like us know it as the truth.
The God you defend resembles Satan far more than Christ, Twin. I would be a bit concerned about that if I were you.
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