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How would you respond to "You can't have true love without God"?

I'm sitting in church (still haven't come out to people) and the preacher is declaring that love is not real without God. My question is, How would you respond to "You can't have true love for people without God"?

Biblebeltskeptic 6 Sep 15
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118 comments (51 - 75)

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  1. I would not be sitting in church being annoyed by stupid questions.
  2. Ohferpetessake
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Eye roll.
Then slip out to go to the bathroom and don't go back.
Run.

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"Are you really that stupid?" And walk away

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Love is so overrated... There is a lot of happiness without love. The stupid Disney fairy tales have sold us that shit from early on for generations. It amazing how many grown ups still have the Cinderella syndrome. There are only some men who are prince-like and only some women beautiful. But we all have to pay our bills and wake up to reality every day. Snap out of this.

2

True love means a different thing to each person who contemplates the concept. What does a god have to do with it?

Exactly. And by his actions, He's an example of true hate.

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How about "That's your spin, based on your biased point of view., or "On your assumptions.?" Not that you would get up in the church and say it out loud.
I once wrote a letter to Minister whose sign outside his church said, essentially, "God does not care how you manage to spread His message!" I wrote to him that this would have fit, very nicely, into the perspective of the World Trade attackers, and that he needs to apologize to his congregation, and the community. I closed by saying that I would not put my name on the letter, because if he really believes what he wrote, I would not feel safe letting him know who I was.
If...you decide to "come out," you might write to tell him that this imbecility helped you to get to that point.

Hey, that's an idea!

2

I would say you cannot have true, unmitigated, compassionate love WITH god. Read the OT. Where is the love in that???

Exactly!

2

To people I don't want to argue with: There are many types of love.

To people telling me that I don't care about: What do you mean? What about a mother's or father's natural love for there children. I would tell them stories about children that I saw that were dreadfully abused by people that claim to love the Lord. Animals even have some basic emotions: why does the mother loin guard her young risk her own life. Does the mother lion behavior not real without love..

Exactly! If they look to the ant to teach them not to be lazy, why can't they look to the mother lion to teach them about love??

2

Probably with a scoff or giggle or by making a face like they are crazy.... if the person is not unhinged or aggressive or violent... I may actually say something like and what of all of the religious people that never had true love and were psychopaths/sociopaths/narcissists? Somehow they had this god belief, yet held no love for others.

Then, that would say that that those people were not true Christians. This is apologetics at its finest!

2

Not according to 1st. Corinthians chapter 13.

Which essentially says that you cannot serve God, if you do not have love. In that chapter, love comes before everything else. Even before faith in God.

That is, God is not real without love.

Not that I believe in either as something supernatural.

Woah! That's very interesting! That verse creates circular reasoning.

That, of course,is ridiculous, even from their perspective. IF god is not real without love, then WE create god when we love? So, their god did not exist until beings were capable of love? Wow, who, then created the universe? Even if we assume that "Adam" fell in love with "Eve" in the first instance of seeing her, how could a god who had not existed until then have created them? It' all such bullshit!

@BirdMan1 The author of the chapter 13 of Corinthians (Paul the Apostle?) had a radical idea of what constitutes "love." He spoke of love as if it is the fundamental basis of divinity. Everyone should read it.

[biblegateway.com]

What is interesting is this. The following is how the author describes "love":

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

I find it interesting that this is the exact opposite of the nature of God described by the Old and the New Testaments. Especially the Old. Yet, this is what the author says: "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

2

Yes I can.

2

If you still have to go to church, might I suggest that you "volunteer" to help out in the nursery during service if that's available.

I'm not required to go to church, just strongly encouraged. For me it's hit or miss. Though I was mainly attending today to see my mother-in-law. She has breast cancer and I wanted to cheer her up by being there. She ended up not coming, so it was a waste of time. But yeah, watching nursery is a good option.

@Biblebeltskeptic I must have used a hundred different excuses over the years, you get a two fer. You avoid the service and and it gives you a ready made excuse as to why you weren't there. It also makes a transition to not being there at all less noticable.

2

Ok Whatever

2

i think i would laugh. who would say that except an idiot? but if you can't laugh in church, and for whatever reason you feel you must attend, then i would stifle a giggle and think about... well, food, maybe.

no, there is no effective verbal response to that because it's so ridiculous. a laugh would be the MOST appropriate response, if you were not in a stifling environment that forbade that.

g

The part I hate most about attending church is that women are encouraged to stay silent. Even if they disagree. (For example: One woman disagreed with the pastor when he said it was wrong to wear pants and was told to sit down and told it wasn't her place).

@Biblebeltskeptic ugh. horrid.

g

@Biblebeltskeptic She should have told him to F OFF and walked out.

2

How would you respond to "You can't have true love without God"?

Well just give me a heaping helping of sex then.

2

hasn't been a problem to date for me . Gd on the other hand - when asked to show up and show his love . . once again he's missing in action (sorry inaction lol)

Yup. He is very much absent. He supposedly loves you and will supposedly destroy you if you disobey. That's the kind of love of a psychopath.

@Biblebeltskeptic love your profile write up . . right to the point! Hang in there OK

2

According to this article; [divorce.lovetoknow.com]

Protestants divorce at a rate of 51% of those who marry. Catholics 19% of those who marry, and Atheists, only 2%

Wow! Isn't that something!

2

"F&ck off" would be my reply.

MizJ Level 8 Sep 15, 2019

If be thinking that. But to them, that comment would prove their point. :/

@Biblebeltskeptic I choose not to engage with delusional people or drunks for good reason.

2

I would reply, “Maybe you can’t, but I can.”

Later, the term “self-fulfilling prophecy” might occur to me.

2

The two groups are starting at completely different places, so there's really not much you can say to the other that will make much difference. As long as the preacher is convinced in his/er ideology of where love comes from, there's no real use in talking about it.

Sad, but yeah.

2

I wouldn't even honor that with a response....

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Wouldn’t bother. It’s opinion so no point debating unless you are up for an interesting few hours discussion.

Be prepared to bring evidence to support your claim though.

2
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With gales of laughter that rival of Cat 5 hurricane....

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I would ask since when does this god have emotions? Emotions are chemical reactions and gods should be above any emotional base. Also, a 'god' than love can just as easily hate (and often does).

And "God's" love is very fickle. Mess up and get drowned in a flood or suffer an eternity in hell. How is that a good example of love or morality?

@Biblebeltskeptic It is if it's someone else that gets drowned. But of course there's always the option of last minute atoning. I have become addicted to the Father Brown series. I like shows that show hidden clues. Thi crap of last minute atoning and God loves everyone is a bit sickening and I wonder how the character that plays Father Brown feels. I should look up his bio.

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