Defining Unconditional love

Hi Taz, Big problem there. You see Hell was not prepared for you.
It was prepared for the devil and his angels before God ever made man.
You will be an intruder there.
Since it is Satan't final resting place it must exist forever.Now I would like for you to give me one reason why God should do away with hell.You don't believe it exists.You are just jerking everybody's chain and I bought it.Have fun while you can,

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"John 5:39 (KJS) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

I think you don't love me unconditionally when you point out my mistakes in public but I still love you unconditionally even though I could have been embarrassed or had my intellect injured or my self-esteem battered. Luckily I'm a bit more solid than that and I thank you for teaching me how to spell even though it was a typo.Seriously, Yes, I would like an objective definition of unconditional love. One that doesn't involve God or Jesus but from reeal life experience.

If hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, who are they? Do they know who they are? Do they know god's plan for them? I assume they are in human form, else the discussion would be redundant.

I don't believe unconditional love exists or has ever existed. If there is one condition to it then it is not unconditional. Why don't we just be honest? Why can't we say you will have to change behaviour for me to love, accept you and support you.QUOTE [The best you can do is come as close to absolutely unconditional as you can.]How do you propose we do that when we don't know what it is? I grant you that if we remove condions then we would have to be close, but what is it and is it possible?

Phew! A lot to digest. Thanks for keeping me on my toes I would just like to play devil's advocate and speak on behalf of 'abusers'. Are there any abusers (in any form) on this forum who can give us their point of view? Have any of you loved someone unconditionally but they haven't accepted you for who you are? Have any of you tried very hard to be what the other wanted you to be in order to be loved unconditionally? Have any of you been confused and can't understand what is wrong?I doubt there will be any replies. No-one thinks of themself as an abuser, even when the evidence is clear. They are who they are. Human beings with a past. A past we need to understand. They have become who they are in exactly the same way as we all become who we are. We are all the same. It is judgment that sets us apart. "Let him who is without sin throw the first stone."Who are we or you to say that loving them unconditionally is enabling them? I believe a warped version of love is the initial problem and it is that which is being enabled. How can they learn to love, support and accept when they haven't experienced it themselves?Thus far I have deducted that to love unconditionally, it must include acceptance,understanding,empathy and commitment. It cannot contain judgment or expectation. I believe this would only work when the relationship was equal. There you go, another condition to unconditional love, equality.I believe the pursuit of unconditional love actually causes more harm than good. If we didn't need it, then we wouldn't be hurt by another's treatment, or vice versa.There are many divisions within humanity and this is one of them. It's time to close the gap and to love from the heart instead of a judgmental mind.

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what part of "love your enemy" and "love your neighbor" does not include platonic love? you know. unless you think we should be having free sex (i really doubt it.)

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Equating love with sex is off the subject. Love your enemy and your neighbor is not wanting something in return? I'm not talking about wacky tv shows, I'm talking about Christian love expressed toward others with hope the same will be returned. Jesus hopes His love is returned; I hope my love is returned.

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Well, I don't know about Jesus, but if we're talking about the Abrahamic God, He most definitely expects a lot in return.

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The OT God's love is very conditional.

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Do you have children? Are they faithful to you and the sacrifices you have made for them? If they were not (and there are many who are not), how would you feel, expecially when they make all kinds of promises only to flaunt them at you at every turn and you plead with them to think, because you have also spoken about consequences, but they still do not listen?I call myself your child, I identify with you, I am identified with you. If I do not behave as should your child, I behave as if I should be someone else's child, you'd look for ways to change that, yes? What should happen to the bullheaded who will never change? You will stop calling them your children.Jesus is the Abrahamic God, and He most certainly expects something in return in reciprocation for those things He did to get it. The remarkable thing about that is, it is our decision to do or not to do. Edited by ThreeDogs, : No reason given.

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I believe that the Jesus' story shows the criteria of unconditional love> For example, there is no greater love than to lay down your life for a friend, love thine enemies, forgive them for they know not what they do and more.
The practising of unconditional love can been a burden and wonder if it is at all possible to truly love unconditionally, taking the word as literally meaning : without condition? This translates into being without judgment and putting the recipients well being and feelings first at all times.

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Can unconditional love be defined in any other way?

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I'm giving you the dictionary definition of unconditional. It means there are no strings attached. This has absolutely nothing to do with judgment. Neither is Jesus' love unconditional, since He most certainly expects something in return, since there are most certainly strings attached.un·con·di·tion·al
-adjective 1. not limited by conditions; absolute: an unconditional promise.Christ's love is limited by conditions we must meet to meet His promises of eternal life. Since we are His creatures, His property if you will, we receive all His promises. If you think about this logically, rather than emotionally, you will have a better understanding of what God means when He says ... Come let us reason together!Isaiah 1:18 (King James Version)
18Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD:

Of course not.If you can't care for your children adequately, you might give up their care to somebody else who is more capable. But that doesn't apply to God.Only the lowest of the low would disown his own children because of misbehaviour.

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“If you had half a brain, wouldn't you have realized after the second time, that it was you, not God?” -- riVeRraT (see context here)“The endearing controvertist! One needs to become acute in the ploys of his kind.” -- ThreeDogs

Thanks, three dogs, I agree with the definition of unconditional. Absolutely. Without strings. Without judgment.Literally speaking, are you saying we will recieve unconditional love in the after life IF we obey the conditions laid down in this life?How can you reason that unconditional love comes from conditional love? If we have to obey and change ourselves then we are not being loved for who we are. We cannot be who someone else wants us to be, no matter how hard we try. No matter what we project on the ouside in form of behaviour, we are the same person on the inside.The bible interpretations come in the form of emotional blackmail. Fear is no way to promote love for all mankind.

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Do you have children? Are they faithful to you and the sacrifices you have made for them? If they were not (and there are many who are not), how would you feel, expecially when they make all kinds of promises only to flaunt them at you at every turn and you plead with them to think, because you have also spoken about consequences, but they still do not listen?

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So, God's feelings can be hurt like a human parent's can?

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I call myself your child, I identify with you, I am identified with you. If I do not behave as should your child, I behave as if I should be someone else's child, you'd look for ways to change that, yes? What should happen to the bullheaded who will never change? You will stop calling them your children.

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Wow, I feel sorry for you if you had parents like that, and I feel sorry for your children, if they exist, if you feel that you could ever disown them or stop loving them.The point is, God's love is very conditional, as you've explained. this kind of contradicts the "God is Love" description we hear from Christians, doesn't it?

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Jesus is the Abrahamic God, and He most certainly expects something in return in reciprocation for those things He did to get it. The remarkable thing about that is, it is our decision to do or not to do.

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Right. God doesn't offer unconditional love. We have to do something for Him or get punished.

Hi nator, Would you please explain to me what I have to do to get God's unconditional love.Thanks in advance.

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"John 5:39 (KJS) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

Hi ThreeDogs, What tells you that you are God's creature? His property?The first man when he disobeyed God in the Garden by eating the fruit sold all mankind into slavery to the Devil. You belong to the Devil.Unless you have been born again.Jesus told the pharisees:John 8:44 (KJV) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. Would you please state these conditions?Enjoy,

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"John 5:39 (KJS) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

Hi dameeva, Fallen angels. Yes. Yes. You assume wrong. They are fallen angels not humans never have been nor never will be human. Please explain.

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"John 5:39 (KJS) Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."

If the case of the devil and fallen angels not being human is true, we have nothing to worry about, unless they are aliens.Why are we even discussing these mythical creatures and the mythical hell that they are going to and not us?Do you believe they enter us silently and unseen? I don't think so. We are born innocent and everything that enters our minds is put there by the individual's experiences.All devilish traits and all godly traits come from our upbringing. It's called being human.It's time we stopped passing the buck on to these mythical creatures and take responsibility for the whole of humanity.