the insanity of faith

Originally posted by @black-beetle
Edit: Why in the world would you believe that and what advantage is faith with experience over any other kind, since faith in either that isn't true can lead to a down fall?

Very good point, thumbs up!
Well, I acknowledge levels of understanding. Faith is important in order to motivate one’s first step of one’s journey to understanding by means of ...[text shortened]... s regards everything. Methinks without constant cross-check of knowledge, one cannot expand;
😵

I will respond later with more, but I want to leave you with this. Adam and Eve walked with God before the fall, they broke faith with God, accepting a lie over God. Experience failed them then, a good thing for us God loves us.

Originally posted by @whodey
Since I've been on these forums, you have continuously attacked my behavior and character and trolled every thread as an ad homonym attack. If you don't with to debate the items discussed so be it.

I am discussing with you what evidence there is that you "love" your enemies, whodey. You have a long track record of talking obsessively about your "enemies". Does that posting history provide evidence of your supposed "supernatural" love for them?

Originally posted by @whodey
You are getting it wrong again.

Agape love has nothing to do with actually liking someone and everything to do with treating them how you would want to be treated as someone who is made in the image of God.

Again, it has nothing to do with liking them but choosing to treat them as people made in the image of God, no matter how unpalatable they may be.

Edit: Again, it has nothing to do with liking them but choosing to treat them as people made in the image of God, no matter how unpalatable they may be.

Methinks this stream of thought goes against the Christian tradition. According to 1 John 4:8 I conclude that G-d shows agape to every being, even to the unlovable, in order to stay true to G-d’s nature; since this conclusion is accurate, to “love your neighbor” does not mean “choosing” (since it never comes naturally), but allowing Grace to illuminate you so that you can then naturally love your neighbor;
😵

Originally posted by @kellyjay
I will respond later with more, but I want to leave you with this. Adam and Eve walked with God before the fall, they broke faith with God, accepting a lie over God. Experience failed them then, a good thing for us God loves us.

According to the scripture they were deceived, therefore it wasn' t some kind of experience that failed them but a false evaluation of the(ir) mind;
😵

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
On a simplistic level, an enemy is somebody you hate. Hatred is the antithesis of love, so the very idea of choosing to love something you hate is itself nonsensical.

Now, even if you somehow managed to love your enemy, it is extremely unlikely your enemy would reciprocate (He is after all your enemy). So in answer to your question, someone lovin ...[text shortened]... as their enemy is more likely to take advantage of this undeserved love and use it against them.

What a bunch of baloney. Are you forced to hate or love someone?

Originally posted by @black-beetle
According to the scripture they were deceived, therefore it wasn' t some kind of experience that failed them but a false evaluation of the(ir) mind;
😵

They knew what God said, deceived because they believed the lie that God would not punish them. I can only imagine what they thought they were going to get with that knowledge, was it going to make them so much more than what they already were, instead evil entered them giving them knowledge they were better off not having.

They had fellowship with God before the fall, who is good. They lost the relationship that they had, and evil became more of an issue. So they got that knowledge in the most brutal way due to the lie.

Originally posted by @dj2becker
What a bunch of baloney. Are you forced to hate or love someone?

Again, my words have gone straight over your head.

What are you, 4 foot 6?!

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
Allow me to clarify:

I have never met anybody, 'including genuine Christians,' who genuinely love their enemy.'

Managing to act kindly towards an enemy, or even forgiving them, is 'not' love by any stretch of the imagination.

How do you know? Isn't acting towards them in kind and forgiving manners love? Turning the other cheek, not rejoicing when bad things occur! If you think the emotion is what matters, I am telling you our conduct does!

We can have warm and fuzzy feelings towards someone down and out, who is hungry. The one who does right by them, showing love is the one who feeds them, and cares for their needs.

Originally posted by @kellyjay
How do you know? Isn't acting towards them in kind and forgiving manners love? Turning the other cheek, not rejoicing when bad things occur! If you think the emotion is what matters, I am telling you our conduct does!

We can have warm and fuzzy feelings towards someone down and out, who is hungry. The one who does right by them, showing love is the one who feeds them, and cares for their needs.

No, none of that is love.

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
No, none of that is love.

So you say, what is it than?

Originally posted by @kellyjay
So you say, what is it than?

Love is not; acting towards someone with kindness and forgiving manners, nor turning the other cheek or not rejoicing when bad things occur.

Love is love. The things you describe can be done without genuine feeling, love can not.

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
Again, my words have gone straight over your head.

What are you, 4 foot 6?!

Dodged with the elegance of a ballerina. I ask you again who forces you to love or hate someone?

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
Love is not; acting towards someone with kindness and forgiving manners, nor turning the other cheek or not rejoicing when bad things occur.

Love is love. The things you describe can be done without genuine feeling, love can not.

Describe it, what does it look like, sound like and so on? I give you someone could do those things without love, so what is only done with it? You seem to have a view that Christians don't act out of love, so what is it you see, or do not see while examining their motives?

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
No, none of that is love.

So you would disagree with what Paul said was agape love?

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

I think the issue here is that the term "love" in the English language is piss poor. The Greek does a much better job by distinguishing between the many different kinds of love.

Are you familiar with them?

Originally posted by @ghost-of-a-duke
Love is not; acting towards someone with kindness and forgiving manners, nor turning the other cheek or not rejoicing when bad things occur.

Love is love. The things you describe can be done without genuine feeling, love can not.

So you do not act in kindness to your wife because you love her?