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Are there different types of love?

WMAWMA
edited December 1969 in Personal Issues
Hey sorry if the question seems silly, but are there different sorts of love? It seems like there is, because if it's all one love wouldn't that mean you love you're wife or husband the same as you love any other person? But if that's the case why would you marry your wife? Or is there different levels of Love? Or both? Because we should love God above all else right? Or should we love everyone the same we love God? Or is it different types of love between the two? Can anyone point me in the direction of any articles or whatever.

Also, are there wrong types of love, besides lust [which isn't love at all is it?]? Like say someone is attracted to someone of the opposite sex, but doesn't lust after them or desire them in a sexual sense, sort of like a crush, it's not desireable yeah? But is a crush lust if you don't want to be physically intimate with that person? Hopefully someone will be able to help me

Comments

  • Unknown
    [quote author=WMA link=board=10;threadid=3859;start=0#msg54392 date=1147262014]
    Hey sorry if the question seems silly, but are there different sorts of love? It seems like there is, because if it's all one love wouldn't that mean you love you're wife or husband the same as you love any other person? But if that's the case why would you marry your wife? Or is there different levels of Love? Or both? Because we should love God above all else right? Or should we love everyone the same we love God? Or is it different types of love between the two? Can anyone point me in the direction of any articles or whatever.

    Also, are there wrong types of love, besides lust [which isn't love at all is it?]? Like say someone is attracted to someone of the opposite sex, but doesn't lust after them or desire them in a sexual sense, sort of like a crush, it's not desireable yeah? But is a crush lust if you don't want to be physically intimate with that person? Hopefully someone will be able to help me


    Yes, there are different forms of love. In Greek, for example, there is the word "agape" which refers to brotherly love and "eros", from which we get the word erotic, and refers to the love one might have between a man and woman - it is not the same as lust though, which is not love as you rightly said.

    In fact, certain Church Fathers, speak of how we should convert things such as our anger into zeal for God, also talk of converting our unatural lusts into "eros" for God.
  • WMAWMA
    Ok thanks for that. Would you happen to know of any resources that cover the issue more in depth?

    Also I'm assuming eros can be a non-physical love? Is such a thing sinful towards someone other than the wife?
  • Unknown
    [quote author=WMA link=board=10;threadid=3859;start=0#msg54412 date=1147268566]
    Ok thanks for that. Would you happen to know of any resources that cover the issue more in depth?


    I am not sure about something that covers the issue of love in particular, but the thing I mentioned r.e. the Church Fathers can be found in the Philokalia, which is a collection of patristic writings on prayer.


    Also I'm assuming eros can be a non-physical love? Is such a thing sinful towards someone other than the wife?

    Well, since it can be applied to God, I don't think it is restricted to physical love. I guess you could compare it to the Song of Solomon, which speaks of God's love for His people in terms of a man madly in love (eros) with his new bride.

    It is not sinful to feel such a way towards a person, but it is this type of love (as opposed to agape) that causes a man and woman to marry, and so I think once you're married it should be restricted to ones spouse.
  • Unknown
    WMA,

    I recommend C.S. Lewis' "The four loves"; he is, as you know, not an Orthodox author, but his thoughts on this matter are definitely consistent with Orthodoxy, and he explains it better than anyone else I've read.
  • hany58hany58
    hey lol, how are you going, there are difintely different types of love. The love that happens between a man and a woman through marriage is different between the love between a brohter and his sister or a guy and one of his friends. There is absolutely nothing wrong to have feelings for a girl as long as these feelings are pure in heart and include god in it. I mean doesn't include any lust, because lust is a sin as you know and it shouldn't be called love. God loved all of us in the beginning, and actually the (eros) love happened when Jacob saw richael in the (old testement). For the matter of a crush, a crush doesn't necessarily include lust, but again the problem with it that when it happens at a young age, that there is a high probability that it would change. My own opinion as well that you can't love your wife similar to any other person coz that's impossible. This sort of love makes a certain person sure about who is he/she gonna marry and can't be the same as any other love actualy
  • Gods kidGods kid
    very well put, hany.
  • Marianne87Marianne87
    There was an article i read back then...it described the kinds of love...eros..agape and so on...it's on coptichymns..and i have been looking for it but I can't find it...i will look more if I find it...it really explains everything very well.
  • Unknown
    [quote author=Marianne87 link=board=10;threadid=3859;start=0#msg54479 date=1147322997]
    There was an article i read back then...it described the kinds of love...eros..agape and so on...it's on coptichymns..and i have been looking for it but I can't find it...i will look more if I find it...it really explains everything very well.


    Here's that article you were looking for...

    http://coptichymns.net/module-pagesetter-viewpub-tid-1-pid-9.html
  • Marianne87Marianne87
    it's not that one..i saw it already...thank u thou
  • BespetnaBespetna
    I think that there are both many types of love and different lvls of love.
  • superman23superman23
    LUST: to take from the person, to only like them if they please you

    LIKE: to take and give as long as its equal, you are never giving more then you recieve

    LOVE: to give and give until your heart is content
  • Maryann23Maryann23
    nicely defined :)
  • Georgeously KoolGeorgeously Kool
    Love means to care and protect the other.Kindness
  • blingblingzz327blingblingzz327
    george there are different kinds like u and marykate and ashley HAHA JP i luv my cousin lolll :D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

    dont kill me wen u see meeeee haha lol
  • blingblingzz327blingblingzz327
    im just messin with u george :P
  • Mira8388hMira8388h
    george you can feel free to beat up marmara327 anytime!! call me if u decide to do so...!!! ;)

    i am kidding marmara327! ;D ;) :)

    pray for me
  • blingblingzz327blingblingzz327
    [quote author=bentBABAyasooa` link=board=10;threadid=3859;start=15#msg60353 date=1157559939]
    george you can feel free to beat up marmara327 anytime!! call me if u decide to do so...!!! ;)

    i am kidding marmara327! ;D ;) :)

    pray for me



    hahaha lolll :D :P
  • blingblingzz327blingblingzz327
    u BETTER not take that into consideration lol haha :-*
  • davidschanterdavidschanter
    lol................so much love
  • blingblingzz327blingblingzz327
    [quote author=davidschanter link=board=10;threadid=3859;start=15#msg60417 date=1157671616]
    lol................so much love


    ya i kno right i cant live without him lol i luv him so much when he signs on i sgn off lolzz :P
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