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Does anyone here believe in this concept? That God has unconditional love for us?

I have trouble with that concept, I suppose I find it hard already to conceptualize what is meant by love. It's a very broad term that can mean many different things. I also personally do not believe in a god, but even without a god, I think there's types of love, like the love for nature or humankind, that may be unconditional in some sense of the term. More specific kinds of love I find harder to see as a good thing if they are unconditional.

What about you?

Originally posted by Artol
I have trouble with that concept, I suppose I find it hard already to conceptualize what is meant by love. It's a very broad term that can mean many different things. I also personally do not believe in a god, but even without a god, I think there's types of love, like the love for nature or humankind, that may be unconditional in some sense of the term. More specific kinds of love I find harder to see as a good thing if they are unconditional.

What about you?

I don't believe in God, but I was curious how those that do and who also believe in unconditional love feel about it.

Technically this means God loves both saints and...Hitler. Imagine a jew killed during the holocaust in heaven stumbles across Hitler. Boy that would be awkward.

In our Religion GOD has mercy for all but also makes us accountable for our actions.

So no Hitler shouldnt end up in the same place hanging out with the good Jewish boy he killed.

He may however be hanging out with the likes of Jimmy Saville.

Repentance is a thing (hence the Merciful), but requires a major change in behaviour on top off sincerely regretting what youve done. So cant be done last minute before you die.

Originally posted by Darth Thor
In our Religion GOD has mercy for all but also makes us accountable for our actions.

So no Hitler shouldnt end up in the same place hanging out with the good Jewish boy he killed.

He may however be hanging out with the likes of Jimmy Saville.

Repentance is a thing (hence the Merciful), but requires a major change in behaviour on top off sincerely regretting what youve done. So cant be done last minute before you die.

But then what would his life be like? Or his afterlife I guess. Are we talking separate but equal? Or a lower quality version of heaven with less perks?

Originally posted by Surtur
But then what would his life be like? Or his afterlife I guess. Are we talking separate but equal? Or a lower quality version of heaven with less perks?


Whose life? The guy who repents?

Repentance (the kind thats likely to be accepted) would be like Edward Nortons character in American History X.

He literally changed as a person, so he probably wouldnt be held accountable for his previous lifestyle.

Though granted not every situation is that perfect (to analyse). But its possible to get punished for a limited time for your sins before gaining Paradise.

I believe in Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, and dynamo hum.

I don't believe in God, but I do feel a general sense of love for humanity. I want to think of it as unconditional, but I guess that word could be debated.

I'm okay with the idea of, say, killing an evil dictator. You could argue my love isn't unconditional because of stuff like that; however, I'd say I wish things had turned out differently for them. I can love and still understand the necessity of removing problematic people, until we have a better method of correcting behavior.

I wish Hitler or Kim Jong Un or Saddam Hussein or Nicolas Maduro didn't do the things they did or still do, and not just for the sake of their victims. I think it'd be great if they just had full lives spreading well-being in the world, but their experiences happened to take them down an unfortunate road.

Originally posted by Surtur
Does anyone here believe in this concept? That God has unconditional love for us?

It's good to remember that as a guideline. Just like remembering and following the ten commandments or the law. We're all humans. We all make mistakes and break the rules once in our lifetime.

Originally posted by Darth Thor
Whose life? The guy who repents?

Repentance (the kind thats likely to be accepted) would be like Edward Nortons character in American History X.

He literally changed as a person, so he probably wouldnt be held accountable for his previous lifestyle.

Though granted not every situation is that perfect (to analyse). But its possible to get punished for a limited time for your sins before gaining Paradise.

I can't get by with this though. Even in your example, just because he is really sorry, how does that help the people Norton murders in the movie? This is one of the examples that make me think there is no real afterlife as there is no way it would be fair.

Originally posted by socool8520
I can't get by with this though. Even in your example, just because he is really sorry, how does that help the people Norton murders in the movie? This is one of the examples that make me think there is no real afterlife as there is no way it would be fair.


Because otherwise theres no motive to ever change or improve yourself if your previous crimes have stained you for life (and after life).

But as I already said, there can be the case of getting punished for the crimes you committed before gaining Paradise.

Although in the made up Ed Norton case, that would at least Seem like a pretty sincere repentance. So he May not be punished for those crimes in the Afterlife. Doesnt mean it wouldnt haunt him in some way or fashion in This Life, given he has that conscious now that he didnt have before.

Yes I believe god has unconditional love. Although unconditional love doesn't mean an evil person doesnt get punished. If you love someone you will punish them for evil.

Any good parent would likely still love their child even if they tried to stab them to death.

Disowning your child does not mean you stop loving them, kicking them out, etc.

You do not simply "stop" loving your children if you're any semblance of a normal human being.

If we're talking relationships? No. Everyone has a line, cross it and you're done.

OH, THIS IS FOR RELIGION! I thought it was the philosophy forum, lol.

Big oof. Yeah, I'd say God loves everyone unconditionally.

Yeah. He loves everyone so much that if you don't believe and worship him, he damns you to enteral suffering. How loving.

Originally posted by ares834
Yeah. He loves everyone so much that if you don't believe and worship him, he damns you to enteral suffering. How loving.

Well, we don't really know what god is like... I choose to believe someone must have created us, but by giving us free will means he must be a pretty chill dude. I don't believe he's the guy from ANY of the mainstream religions, for the record.

Hell I don't think he's even against gays... -shrug-

Originally posted by Jmanghan
Well, we don't really know what god is like... I choose to believe someone must have created us, but by giving us free will means he must be a pretty chill dude. I don't believe he's the guy from ANY of the mainstream religions, for the record.

Hell I don't think he's even against gays... -shrug- You are right about free will and I believe he is the christian God. He would never hate gays but it wasnt his plan because in the beginning he made Adam and Eve in the garden. Gay people can easily seek God for guidance and he will lead them.