Regarding love and faith

[Blood_Angel]

I grew up with Christian values, because in England a lot of primary schools (if not all) teach children about worshipping God, until they leave for secondary school and then it’s just religious studies.

Anyway, there’s much teenage angst and rebellion in secondary school and a lot of people become atheists from there. In my social network I don’t know anybody that kept their faith, from primary school. As an adult, everybody I know is an atheist. But I live a very ugly life, from a single parent family which left a deep rooted wound, I’ve been surrounded with alcohol and people joking about sex, everything you can imagine, about an atheist world, I’ve lived.
My point is, there’s something missing. I’ve always had a belief in love. That is something which you can’t see, you can’t prove that love exists which means atheists don’t believe in love, right? I think its true because, they swap from one relationship to another, theres a focus on sex in todays society, and in form of rebellion, I’ve never had sex. Because I value love, even though it remains hidden.

The question, then… Is what is Catholic opinion on love, regarding God.

 

[fhansen]

The Catholic opinion on love is that God* is* love (1 John 4:8). And so love is what man spurned/rejected/denied at the fall and so love is what is missing in man’s heart today, at least to the extent that he needs it in order to possess the peace and happiness and harmony with the universe and each other that he’s called to have. This is why Jesus told us on the Sermon on the Mount that love of God and neighbor are the greatest commandments, and also why “love fulfills the Law” (Rom 13:8). And this is why love is at the core of all Catholic teachings. The New Covenant promise is that only God (not mere obedience to the Law) can fill this void in man, making Him righteous again. Love is the very righteousness of God, and so love makes us just.

 

[Blood_Angel]

Thanks fhansen.

I have to agree with what you’re saying, because the lack of God is so blatantly linked to the lack of love from my experience. I long to fill that missing part of me, yet I feel so alone in fighting for this cause.

 

[fhansen]

Thanks fhansen.

I have to agree with what you’re saying, because the lack of God is so blatantly linked to the lack of love from my experience. I long to fill that missing part of me, yet I feel so alone in fighting for this cause.

Man prefers himself to God, according to the Catechism, and this is essentially why Jesus was crucified-for teaching His message of Gods love for mankind! And why He tells us that they hated Him (God)* without reason* (John 15:25). So we’re all alone in this cause, as He was, and yet Jesus tells us that He’s with us always. We need to turn more and more fully towards Him and away from this world, difficult as that can be, and embrace the love that He offers us, and support each other in the battle.

 

[JRKH]

Thanks fhansen.

I have to agree with what you’re saying, because the lack of God is so blatantly linked to the lack of love from my experience. I long to fill that missing part of me, yet I feel so alone in fighting for this cause.

Trust that you are never alone. God is always nearby - always within you.

If i mya build upon the idea of “fighting for this cause”, no organized army sends out raw recruits to do battle. First they train. They build up their strength, their techniques, their tactics. And underlying ALL of this training is Love…of Country, Homeland, Family, Ideals…

As a Christian we must do likewise. Seek out others to “train with” to help to build you up, to strengthen you in your faith. Be strong first in God who will work through you.
Learn the faith that you may be able “in season and out” to give answer to those who question.
But remember that what underlies it all is Love. Not the "romantic Love, or even worse the hedonistic love so prevelent today, but Godly Love that is constant and unbounding.

Peace
James

 

[AntiTheist]

I’ve always had a belief in love. That is something which you can’t see, you can’t prove that love exists which means atheists don’t believe in love, right?

Um, no. Assuming that by “love” you mean strong emotional attachments, a wishing well for the other, and/or a sense of devotion to another person, those things all exist.

[atheists] swap from one relationship to another

You should try not to paint an entire group of people with such a broad brush.

 

[JRKH]

Um, no. Assuming that by “love” you mean strong emotional attachments, a wishing well for the other, and/or a sense of devotion to another person, those things all exist.

You should try not to paint an entire group of people with such a broad brush.

Agree that we should not paint with a “broad brush”. Of course we must also recognize that we only “paint” from what we experience. Something that the OP mentions in his second post is that he is speaking from “his experience”.

Peace
James