You can only truly love a true Scotsman.

I'd reply, "Sorry. I'm straight".

Don't respond, quit going to church and being subjected to thier made up crap.

The church doesn't own anything, including love.

You can't have true love with god.

"Nonsense. I don't need an imagery being to love people. Love is in my heart."

The truest love is godless. It springs from the heart of the person loving and has no need for the approval or the encouragement of some unseen, unknown deity. It seeks no reward, fears no punishment, it is love for the sake of love.

I was going to say basically the same thing as all of the other comments. It is an indefensible comment and anyone who would make such a comment is not open-minded enough to listen to a response.

I will say, I am my God, trust me on this one.

The same way I did to the guy that asked me how one can be law abiding and caring of others without a deity. That it's my choice to not want to hurt other people It would be your choice to love....

Prove it.

Maybe he will be all three.... and i will just be watching.

@jacar : I am all for threesomes. Is HE going to join us as man or a woman?

I'd say something like "If that's true, then it's too fucking bad that god doesn't exist, yeah?" It's amazing the horseshit that preachers can make up, isn't it? Maybe pathetic is a better way to describe it. On a personal note, you should come out. Free yourself so you can be yourself, you know?

Okay so THIS is an interesting post, thank you.

"You can't have true love without God", at best, is a statement used to allude to the present day situation, where irreligiousnesses, like atheism are a factor in poor relationships, in some circles. It's at best a fop's take on existence because it's basic language, expressing simple thoughts.

So to that, I would just say "Yes, in normal society that is true. But if you're part of the normal distribution, then obviously the intelligence of whatever formulations you make about the world around you are going to only be as intelligent as the best of that distribution, so I really don't take that assertion seriously".

Generally, one shouldn't take the perspectives of stupid people seriously, because the stupid person's best gambits to defend their arguments are usually to make a bunch of babble, get physical, etc. They are literally incapable of doing anything that can actually resolve whatever competitions come up, because that would require a grasp of how to apply strategical axioms in one's thinking, which is kind of reserved for people who are intelligent, or smarter.

I always ask them what is love ?

I think that love stands on its own. It doesn't need any god.

Time to leave and never go back....why listen to an insane liar controlling your crotch and ca$h ? Don't waste another breath with frauds. If your family goes, soon they will notice you are free to live your own life.....if they harass you to go back THEY ARE CULTISTS and if they threaten you with silence shunning and shouting....why would you take such abuse and want to argue with hate THAT IS HELLISH gawdly control THE OPPOSITE of free love....you have friends here so BE FREE FROM THEOCRACY

First I would ask them to prove a god was real. They would have to give me objective evidence for a god.

I'd respond with something like "if you say so".

“You can't have true love for people without God"? That is B.S. How do you feel about your kids? I betcha you love them more than you ever thought you could love anything.
This is just a scare tactic. Religions use scare tactics because they lack confidence in their belief. They must use fear to get people to believe that they will do good things to get to heaven. Ask yourself this question, do you do good things because you want to go to heaven or is it simply the right thing to do?
I can relate to your bio; I came from a very Italian Catholic family. At age 12, I realized I didn’t buy any of it. At age 40, I came out of the closet. I always felt very alone in my thinking. I don't feel that way anymore. Now I feel liberated. People like yourself, that figure this “secret” out on their own, are critical thinkers. We don’t need a story to help us figure out who we are. The bigger question is, what do you tell your children when they ask you how you feel about god?

When you explore what they mean by "true" or "real" love you invariably come to a circular argument.

he is probably referring to the greek there are two different meanings

I am not sure what love is.... I have used the word because most seem to know it. But most likely I would mean more and I don't mean love. Or do I... I have known no God. Nor unconditional love. Maybe it is because I seen levels and terms. The deep detail. No one word can show the other what I truly mean... But I do use them when quickness is needed.

That is silly.

“OK. Thanks”

Odd. I have more love and respect for other humans... and animals...and insects... as an atheist than I ever did as a believer.