Christians/Muslims etc: Why do you need a book or higher power to teach you how to LOVE?

Question

Christians/Muslims etc: Why do you need a book or higher power to teach you how to LOVE?

Shouldnt it be common sense for you to love and care for people and treat them as loving and caring as you want to be treated? Why do u need to be told this?
not to say i never i make imstakes. but once i do i learn and move on.



I once asked my Christian friend why it is wrong to kill. He told me: "Because Jesus said not to kill".......................um... personally I don't kill because i know i would not want others killing me or my family . I dont need Jesus to tell me why. Why does my friend?
He couldnt answer it. Maybe you could?

We're all selfish..its a survival instinct but we all have a conscience and should know that if we didnt act civil towards each other ..it will only lead to anarchy. right?

Please no bible verses. I want to know your thoughts through your own words.
Thanks.

Answer 1

The reason we know to do good is because God put that in each of us. We don't just do good on our own because that is not our nature.

Answer 2

You start out wrong we don't need God to teach us to love or to teach us not to kill. What you don't get is that there are four thousand years of Judeao Christian ethics and teachings that have shaped the world we live in. It may well be that you would not have same morality you do if it were not so. All you need to do to verify this is to read a little history on cultures that did not have a Judeao Christian background to see how they dealt with the ideas of love murder and the status of a man. Even in Judeao Christian history we have not looked at things as we do today.

In the end you are what you are because of all those ideas that came before you many of which are Christian in origin. You did not shape your own morals they were shaped by the society you were raised in. The best you can do is modify them after becoming an adult.

We seek God because we must it is in our hearts. It may not be so for all but for the Christian it is.

Answer 3

I am always amazed how people come on this site & want an answer, knowing this is R&S site & yet they don't want a bible verse. But since you don't want one, Then I will answer you accoring, To kill for self gain is wrong, it is also known as Murder, To kill to protect your family, is not wrong, But I would use that as the last step. How did I do without using any verses, You can give the 10 points to someone else. I am not interested in points.

Answer 4

I'm incredibly sad to see a lot of "GODDIDIT" answers, it only proves that people have a hard time thinking for themselves. You're absolutely right on all counts, though. This demonstrates that people can be loving individuals without the stern command of some egotistical god figure. Christians espouse the tautology of "God is love", but they fail to point out that their god is the leading cause of death. Reading the Bible shows a god (and a savior, for that matter) that advocates slavery, intolerance, killing, and injustice. Yet, Christians have absolutely no problem trying their hardest to rationalize what their god has done and to defend his 'goodness'. Christians... you are loving, caring people, and most of you are of sound enough mind to think for yourself and have compassion for others without the need of strict command and rule from a god or a book.

Answer 5

You seem to recognise morality is inbuilt and doesnt require religion, you understand the concept of universality though you dont put it in those terms - you dont want to be violently murdered so you'd consider it wrong to do it to other people - yet then you say we're all selfish?

No, we're thinking creatures and we don't have to be slaves to instinct but even if we did, altruism can arise from selfishness, you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. You may enjoy 'the evolution of cooperation' by Robert Axelrod - if not, just look up prisoner's dilemma. It turns out in computer simulations with each program selfishly programmed to maximise its own points winning strategies turn out to be nice and forgiving!

Answer 6

When revelation came to a people it was because they needed it. They had forgotten how to love each other, how to treat each other right, they had forgotten one God. The Torah came to the Jews so they might know One God and learn about love etc. Bible, the same. Quran, the same. Simple.

Answer 7

Just think of it when it was the VERY FIRST BEGINNING of life on planet earth starting with father of humanity ADAM

That's how life started, and before that Adam did not know what it means to love or things like that while he was in Heaven...

Now, holey books tell you in general about how things should be dealt with amongst ourselves as humans...

Our answers do not necessarily have to be always referred to what's been written on those Books, but those books are taken as a general rule all over...

For instance...If I ask you: Why do you not sleep with your neighbor's wife...

You will tell me : It is not ethical...I wish this not happen to my wife ...It is gross...It is stupid....It is...It is... It is....

You will think a hundred reasons to tell me, but to Christians & Muslims, they will short cut the story and tell you : It is against our religion to do so....

The fact remains that you & me & him & her have developed a sense of what's right & what's wrong based on what we have been taught right from the beginning...which became the general shape on which societies have gotten characterised & shaped up...

Answer 8

(Please excuse me for this re-post, but I thought it might add some light on your question.)

I confess we Christians have strayed from our origins.

Early Chrisitian attitudes: (Written by non-Christian historians before the New Testament was written)

1. If you hurt me, I will forgive you.
2. If I have hurt you, I am sorry.
3. If I am nice to you, I will go to Heaven.

I posted these three precepts in an earlier post, and;

Some (so called) fundamental Christian woman wrote me and screamed at me saying, "Nice people don't go to Heaven, only Christians go to Heaven".

Answer 9

This is a simple question, but with an endless number of answers, because each answer depends on the person. For instance, my grandmother is one of the most loving people I know, with regards to her family. She can be, however, extremely prejudiced toward other ethnic groups. When Jesus said "love one another, as I have loved you," he wasn't referring to your friends and family, but to everyone. This is a lesson she still needs to learn. My father is someone who, on the surface, seems capable of considerable love for others, but lacks an ability to be genuine and honest with everyone, including himself. For him, the Bible is an instruction book specifically on "how" to love. I personally struggle with consistent and steadfast love, and find my own support in the Bible and in my Christian brothers and sisters. Each of us is capable of love, and to an extent knows how to love, but each of us is imperfect and needs God to address our own weaknesses.

To respond to your other query, God commanded us not to murder, which is different than killing. The difference lies in the motivation. You said you would not want others killing you or your family; what if the only way to prevent that would be to kill someone yourself? That self-defense would indeed be killing, but would it be murder? Probably not, but only God knows our hearts, and only God would know the answer for sure.

It is that distinction that really defines Christianity. We are ultimately judged by our Creator not solely by our actions, but by our hearts. Only He can read our hearts, and only He can judge us. We don't enter heaven by our deeds, but by our hearts.

I hope that this gets you thinking and asking more questions.

J

Answer 10

I once asked my Christian friend why it is wrong to kill. He told me: "Because Jesus said not to kill".......................um... personally I don't kill because i know i would not want others killing me or my family .

Congrats. You've just exhibited your intrinsic knowledge of the universal law of karma. No one tells you about it but deep in your heart you know its the right thing. I have nothing against Jesus. In fact I love him to the point I studied His words seriously. Others just too lazy to think, dissect and analyze Jesus words and just simply put his words to their mouth and believe by doing so they are bonafide Christians.

Answer 11

I believe there is a one big difference.

A non-believer has no obligation to love but if he/she loves the fellow being, a sense of proudness and arrogance often come to his/her mind that he /she has done FAVOUR to the other person.

On the other hand, it is a duty of a believer to love & help his/her fellow being since he/she has been instructed to do so. Therfore the beliver will not feel proud of help which he/she has given to others and thus will not be arrogant.

" Whosoever is kind to GOD'S CREATURES, Allah is kind to him."--The Quran

" Who is the most favoured of Allah ? He from whom greatest goodcomes to HIS CREATURES."--The Quran

" All his creatures are Allah's family for thier subsistance is from
him, therefore the most beloved of Allah is the person who does
greatest good to Allah's creatures."--The Quran

" Assist any person oppressed, WHETHER MUSLIM OR NON-MUSLIM."--Mohammad.

Suppose if I give alms to the poor, I will not feel as if I have done a great job, since it is required of me.It is my duty.

This difference is quite visible.