Too legalistic at times

[Tis_Bearself]

What does it mean to love? We have only one word for it in our language and many if not most of the time sex is involved. Most see it as eros.

Mothers and fathers and grandparents love their children. The children love them back. It is not eros (if it is, then a crime is likely being committed).

There is usually love between other family members as well, such as brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts. It is generally not eros (if it is, then seriously dysfunctional behavior that may well be a crime is likely being committed).

Many people have a non-sexual love for their dear friends. It is not eros.

All of us Catholics and many other Christians love Jesus. It is not eros.

Christians and even good people who are non-Christian try to practice some form of “love one another”, also called “love thy neighbor”, as in the type of love that is also called “brotherhood” or “charity”, towards other people they encounter. It is not eros.

Many people have love for a companion animal, be it a dog, cat, horse, bunny rabbit etc. It is not eros (if it is, then seriously dysfunctional behavior that may well be a crime is likely being committed).

Perhaps it is too bad we have only one word for all these forms of love, but it is extremely narrow to posit that society “most of the time” sees the word “love” in terms of “eros”.

 

[MaryT777]

What THOUSAND of rules are you speaking about? I don’t believe we have too many rules and the Church has the authority to make “Rules” of some sort .

 

[DarkLight]

There are, unfortunately, also people around who do make their personal interpretations into absolute church law.

 

[Ambrose]

Perhaps it is too bad we have only one word for all these forms of love, but it is extremely narrow to posit that society “most of the time” sees the word “love” in terms of “eros”.

It was narrow and I was speaking of much of pop culture today. Maybe I should have clarified. What lets say many millennials, have done to the word is an example. I won’t list problems but their pretty evident.

Many things could have been developed a little more in my original post in order to make my point more clear.

 

[misstherese]

To obey is to love and to love is to obey.

 

[DarkLight]

I think I understand.

There is a human tendency to think, the way we do things, the way we find things, that’s how it is for everyone. I’ve had a few people on here where I’ve wanted to respond with “that is technically correct and astoundingly unhelpful.” (An example from a thread of my own way back - posting about struggling with loneliness in a society that seems to be focused on sexual relationships, and getting a lecture on the importance of sexual morality. While nothing the poster said was untrue, it was also a situation where reiterating the rules very much came off as “the rules say you have to be miserable, so deal with it”.)

 

[VeronicaAnn]

God’s Mercy is greater than we can ever imagine. I just finished St. Faustina’s Diary of Divine Mercy. You should definitely take a peek! It’s the best book I have ever read.