ATHEISTS: I'd like your perspective on ...?

Question

Love. Seriously. What is the biological point of love? It can't be for reproduction because you can love someone without wanting to bear children. It can't be for the continuation of species because you'd DIE for the simple well-being of someone you love. So what is it? For me, it's the one thing that seals my belief in God.

CLARIFICATION: I don't mean atheists CAN'T love. I mean, why is there such a thing as love if God does't exist.

Answer 1

I have to admit that as a Christian I'm not following your logic. Can't atheists still love?

Answer 2

Love is simply a term used to describe an instinct. We have lost touch with most of our instincts. Not being able to verbalized an emotion or feeling does not make it mystical. It is usually the result of instinctive thought that has been bred into us for survival. Your logic is wrong about survival. Mammals other than humans will sacrifice themselves for their offspring in order to continue the species. A species would die out if a parent who could only produce a single offspring refused to place themselves at risk to protect their child from other predators. You know, like humans. Love is great, but it is also a very narcissistic emotion. People who are obsessed with the idea of love are usually seeking something other than a strong relationship. They are probably more insecure and dependent on others. Giving and receiving love are very distinct emotions. Child-like love is about dependence. Mature love is about building security for interdependence. That means love for friends, family and children.

Answer 3

Last time I checked statistics showed that couples who were atheists tended to be better educated and had far lower divorce rate than religious people. Tell me if christians are so full of love and tender feelings then why is their divorce rate higher??? You don't have an answer for that do you?
Below is the real statistics:

Variation in divorce rates by religion:
Religion % have been divorced
Jews 30%
Born-again Christians 27%
Other Christians 24%
Atheists, Agnostics 21%

Answer 4

There are many reasons as to why love would enable a society based species to flourish. Neuroscience is still a rather new field but scientists are making discoveries every year (see the link at the end).

I would like to point out that the God of the Bible displays hate and anger more than he displays love. Simply reread your Bible taking note of the number of people God kills or orders killed.

Answer 5

Human beings, like any species that reproduces sexually, are social. Like other social animals, we function best in groups. Love is an emotion that a person experiences when bonded with another animal. It doesn't have to be a sexual attraction, it can be an emotional bond like that between parent and child or the love between people and their pets. Love is a feeling of strong happiness, just as hatred is a feeling of strong anger. It is biological, and psychological.

Answer 6

'Love' is a poetic term used to describe the emotional attraction one human feels for another. Some say it is a profound feeling of empathy for another.

It is observed in all social animals and it is a natural mechanism directly tied to our reproductive urges.

You're wrong when you say you can love someone but not want to bear children. YOU may not want to sire offspring with someone you love, but you're genes want you too. It has nothing to do with species survival, it's all about gene survival.

Also, it would be foolish for you to die for someone who does not carry at least half of your genes. Even if you love them. I know you might want to think you'd lay down your life for said someone, but I highly doubt you would. You may RISK your life, but there would have to be some chance of you being unharmed or you wouldn't take the risk for someone who was not your offspring or sibling.

You're assumption does nothing to prove God.

Answer 7

Love inspires you to help others. It binds you to other people, enables respect, tolerance and understanding and can also be traced to the one thing that is absolutely necessary for the survival of the human species: ALTRUISM. Ancient man could not have survived without banding together for hunting and foraging. Even today, in "primitive" societies, we see this happening. And take a good guess who comprises these bands of people? Family. Friends. People who love you and whom you love in return.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Love is the strongest force in the world. You don't have to believe in a god to see that.

Answer 8

Actually, there are very good biological reasons for love. Love of a child is incredibly important to the preservation of the species--babies are a lot of work, and if a mother didn't love her infant, she may decide to let it fend for itself. Romantic love is important because it serves to instill sexual desire for a person, as well as keep a family unit together until the resultant child is capable of survival.

That said, just because I don't believe god/s exist doesn't mean I don't love people...and just because I understand biological reasons for love doesn't make that love any less real. We are animals, yes, but animals who have developed great intellects and great capacities for empathy and emotion. Scientific explanations for those traits that make us unique do not diminish our emotions or their worth.

Answer 9

You are wrong, love is critical for reproduction of the species and for caring for one another. We get love not from god but from evolution and natural selection. All animal life on this planet, care for one another. They may even love each other. They take care of each other and protect each other. Why? Because of Darwinism 101, survival of the fittist. The organisms that thrive because they take care of each other last longer than the ones who quickly die out.

Answer 10

Atheists simply figured that its not necessary to believe in a god to just live. they love, cause they just do it .. why search for an explanation ?
I would call searching for explanations in old books like the bible or the qu'ran to be a waste of time. Cause if we would start voting for a specific religion we would focus on that and start to forget how to respect other believes.
I think this is the true love in atheism. I love all people regardless of their believe, cause i decided not to use an 'operations manual' about whom i have to love or not.

Answer 11

Love is motivation to look out for the well-being of others, thus it helps ensure survival. That fact makes it a trait which is favorable from a natural selection point of view. It is a reasonable thing to evolve.