Powerfull Voices

God is Love but Love is not God.

WWSD

That's exactly how I think of it. And I am still not sure if it is ultimatly worth the suffering.

Still though, I do miss it a bit.

My mind says no, but my heart, and my hips, cry "PROCEED!"

[ December 11, 2002: Message edited by: WWSD ]</p>

WWSD

What? No cut and paste?

galiel

"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor souls who neither enjoy much, nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."

Teddy Roosevelt

Amie

Follow the heart and the hips...
its worth it

Powerfull Voices I also believe that God is love...

galiel

What the hell does that actually mean? Does anyone else get tired at meaningless platitudes like this, that (forgive me Amie) really have no logical meaning? They sell a lot of Hallmark cards and provide cover to pedophile priests, but try to actually explain what it means to say "God is love". It makes about as much sense as the phrase "compassionate conservatism". Sounds impressive, enlightens not.

Amie

you're forgiven.
To me it is not meaningless...

what the hell does the God is love statement have anything to do with pedophile priests??

It does not sound impressive in the least to me let alone enlighten anyone. It is merely something I believe.
I attribute good feelings to God, I see God as loving and forgiving. I see God as a being who loves each and every one of us deeply. I feel God wants us to love one another. I feel God emanates love for us, love, love and more love...
It is simply my belief. maybe the previous poster will have something different for you..

galiel

That is not an explanation of the meaning.

Then you are saying that you believe that God, which you envision as a specific conscious entity, is a loving being. That is a statement that has meaning, and thus can be logically challenged. It is not, however, the same as saying "God is love", any more than the fact that my dog is mischievous is the same as saying "Dog is mischief".

I'm not questioning your belief, I am questioning a platitude that is often said but actually makes no linguistic sense. It is, to me, another indication of how intelligent thought stops when faith begins. It is also typical of the kind of mind-manipulation that organized religion uses to block critical thought. If you ever study how Scientology works, it uses the same kind of nonsensical but nice-sounding phrases that people repeat so often that they say them with utter sincerity, even though they actually make no sense in the English language.

[ December 11, 2002: Message edited by: galiel ]</p>

Shadowy Man

There are times when inaction is the best course. While alive is not one of them.

galiel

Oh, just to explain my apparently puzzling association

<a href="http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories3/120402_meffan.htm" target="_blank">http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories3/120402_meffan.htm</a>

" priest had initiated sexual acts with teenagers preparing to become nuns by encouraging them to believe they were making love to Jesus Christ himself."

"he Rev. Robert V. Meffan admitted it was true, and said he still believes his sexual relationships with teenage girls were ''beautiful, spiritual'' experiences intended to bring young people closer to God."

So sorry. It's hard to live in the Boston area and not to think "pedophile priest" whenever hearing "God is love", even though you didn't mean it that way. The whole point is that the phrase itself is so meaningless that it covers a multitude of sins, so to speak. The Reverend also believes that "God is love". Who are you to say that your understanding is better than his?