Problem with "God is Love"

[STT]

I was wondering about what Love is in the phrase “God is Love”. The phrase does not carry any information if Love is God otherwise Love is something different than God which this is against simplicity of God.

 

[meltzerboy2]

Judaism avoids this statement since, as wonderful as love is, even love is too restrictive a way to define Gd.

 

[goout]

I was wondering about what Love is in the phrase “God is Love”. The phrase does not carry any information if Love is God otherwise Love is something different than God which this is against simplicity of God.

Language is a human attempt to express what we know. When we expect words to be everything for us they will fall short, and your thread will go in semantic circles.

 

[Wesrock]

Love is willing the good of another. Furthermore, God gives to everything what goodness they have without expecting or possibly getting anything in return. We could expand on this, but in such a way God’s love is perfectly selfless in its motivation.

 

[Rubee]

It refers to the Trinity: God is literally a union of love within his own self. This love pours itself onto creatures too.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Beloved, let us love one another
For God is of love and everyone who loveth is born of God, and knoweth God
He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is live

1 John chapter 4 (I cannot remember the verse numbers)

 

[Annie]

It would be interesting to see how this is written in Greek, where they have 3 words for love instead of only one, as we do.

I have heard people say that sex outside of marriage or driving someone to get an abortion is love, and should therefore not be impeded.

Obviously, we have skewed ideas of love, and even of what the “good for the other person” is.

 

[Vico]

I was wondering about what Love is in the phrase “God is Love”. The phrase does not carry any information if Love is God otherwise Love is something different than God which this is against simplicity of God.

There are many definitions of both the verb (to love) and noun (love). The theological meaning of the noun love is:

8a. God’s tender regard and concern for all human beings (Collins Dictionary, American)

9a. God’s benevolent attitude towards humankind (Collins Dictionary, British)

 

[Mike_from_NJ]

I think people (especially those evangelizing) should maybe avoid the phrase “God is love” until there is an agreed-upon meaning for love in that context.

Another problem occurs when love comes from someone who either does not know or does not believe in Jehovah. If you want to say he gets credit for love in those cases, then we can assign all sorts of attributes to beings without a whiff of proof.

 

[VanitasVanitatum]

Really “God is charity” from the Velgate and the Douay Rheims expresses the idea better.

 

[Wesrock]

Another problem occurs when love comes from someone who either does not know or does not believe in Jehovah. If you want to say he gets credit for love in those cases, then we can assign all sorts of attributes to beings without a whiff of proof.

Whether or not one acknowledges God it doesn’t change that, from the Christian perspective, any act of love is still in the image of God, a similitude of God, albeit limited.

 

[goout]

I think people (especially those evangelizing) should maybe avoid the phrase “God is love” until there is an agreed-upon meaning for love in that context.

Another problem occurs when love comes from someone who either does not know or does not believe in Jehovah. If you want to say he gets credit for love in those cases, then we can assign all sorts of attributes to beings without a whiff of proof.

Love isn’t about getting credit. It’s a act of the will simply and purely for the sake of the other. Credit is results and love isn’t contingent on results.

 

[Eric_Hyom]

should maybe avoid the phrase “God is love” until there is an agreed-upon meaning for love in that context.

Jesus must love each and everyone of us as he loves himself, if he was prepared to die for us. The second greatest commandment defines love.

 

[Rubee]

driving someone to get an abortion is love,

Wow. Interesting times, aren’t they? Do they consider this to be love towards the baby too? “O baby, I love you so much, I’ll help your mother and other people commit the grave sin of tearing you apart. ”

 

[STT]

Language is a human attempt to express what we know. When we expect words to be everything for us they will fall short, and your thread will go in semantic circles.

My argument stands regardless of what Love is, whether it can be described by language or not.

 

[STT]

Love is willing the good of another.

So God is willing the good of another? Aren’t you personifying Love?

 

[goout]

goout:

Language is a human attempt to express what we know. When we expect words to be everything for us they will fall short, and your thread will go in semantic circles.

My argument stands regardless of what Love is, whether it can be described by language or not.

I was wondering about what Love is in the phrase “God is Love”. The phrase does not carry any information if Love is God otherwise Love is something different than God which this is against simplicity of God.

Well, you’re asking a linguistic question about the meaning of words, as bolded above.
So, you’ve been given the meaning of the word as Catholics use it.
What else do you really want to know, or are you wanting to disprove something (that’s what it seems like)

 

[STT]

You mean Holy Spirit? I have difficulty accepting Love as a person.

 

[Dovekin]

I was wondering about what Love is in the phrase “God is Love”. The phrase does not carry any information if Love is God otherwise Love is something different than God which this is against simplicity of God.

That is right. We cannot speak about God because our words compare the Divine to our humanly experienced concepts. What we say is bound to be as untrue as it is true.

What we are seeking to express is that what we know of God is like what we know of the deepest connection with other persons. Thus scripture says God is love because that connects the divine simplicity to our human experience.

 

[goout]

You mean Holy Spirit? I have difficulty accepting Love as a person.

Have you ever been in love?
Being in love implies another person’s involvement does it not? So love is personified for everyone.
God is the perfect personification of the “good willing” of another.
In God, act and being are one thing, and so the act if personified.