I would make a post on this subject regardless since it’s so important. But it’s extra important since some have the misguided notion that I’m unloving because I’m politically incorrect. Yet I’m *more* loving than the average person, detractors notwithstanding. The chief source I showcase as the standard for love is Christian scripture, since Christianity has always insisted that love is the most important thing and is always mandatory. However, most Christian believers have shown an inaccurate understanding of love. So bear with me as I navigate through a glass darkly.
Now some have said that Koine Greek, the language that New Testament scripture was written in, is the most precise instrument for expressing human thought. I disagree. I would say that instead, it is modern English. Besides, the word Koine simply means common, so that was common Greek. Furthermore, Jesus and His disciples spoke Hebrew, not Greek. Hebrew was such a limited language that written Hebrew didn’t even have vowels. This limitation is evident, since Christian scripture speaks of either love or hate, and lacks terms of degree, such as liking a lot, simply liking, indifference, dislike, and strong dislike.
For example, the Westboro Baptist cult founded by Fred Phelps tries to justify their hatred with Romans 9:13, where it references God saying “Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” Yet they should know better. Consider Luke 14:26, where Jesus says “If any man hate not his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, he cannot be my disciple.” That cannot mean hatred. It simply means to love less. Likewise Romans 9:13. Although love always wishes the best for others, love is constantly perverted into prioritizing other’s immediate gratification.
By advocating restrictions on behavior you might be accused of “hateful nonsense.” Yet love often entails forgoing gratification to obtain greater gratification much later. Sometimes love requires negating gratification for some to obtain gratification for many, or negating gratification for many to obtain greater gratification for another group of many. Love even calls for curbing the gratification of many to support the few, such as our tax money supporting the handicapped. It may even call for permanently restricting natural behavior in view of higher goals.
Now some say that the underlying Greek word agape in Scripture denotes the highest form of love. I disagree. Consider that several times Christ’s disciples were admonished to love (agape) one another. But in Titus 2:4 where it says that women are to love their children, the underlying word is philoteknos: a maternal love, not agape. No sensible person would expect mothers to love fellow believers who they know only casually more than their own children. And both husbands and wives are called to love each other, the underlying word being philandros, meaning a special affection for.
If they had this special affection for another, they would be cheating philanderers, which designation comes from that Greek word. T word eros: sexual love, does not appear, perhaps a reaction to its having been overemphasized. Also, in Matthew 22:37-39’s greatest Commandments: Thou shalt love God with all thy heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love they neighbor as thyself, the underlying word for love is agapao’. This is the same underlying word in Matthew 5:44’s admonishment to love your enemies. So word context has chief importance.
As for loving one’s enemies, there are two parts: 1) We should never hold a grudge or harbor hatred for any offense, as hate consumes the hater; it’s counterproductive. Rather, if we won’t forgive we won’t be forgiven by God, who we owe far more to than anyone owes us. Read the parable of the unmerciful servant: Matthew 18:21-35. So towards antagonistic people, we should love their humanity and apply basic morality to them. That could even help them change. But if they won’t change and are too harmful, we should cut off contact with them and respect them from afar.
Now part 2: Scripture does NOT teach us to love *everybody.* Besides, nobody loves everybody. Anybody who says they do is either lying or deluded. although God so loved the world, there comes a point when some people cut themselves off from God’s love. Some have become so hardened, they cannot be forgiven. Luke 12:10. And where is the logic in God loving somebody whom He knows He will damn? Sociopaths: those without conscience, certianly fall into the category of being unlovable.
For example, the extremely sadistic serial killers Igor Suprunyuk and Viktor Sayenko. If you watched their horrible video Three Guys One Hammer, and knew of their character and exploits, loving them would be irrational. Such maniacs have forfeited their humanity. As for Christians, Jesus stated “By this shall all know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. John 13:35. This undoubtedly includes fraternal affection, benevolence, being humane, and being courteous, expressed by the quasi-synonymous words philadelphia, philadelphos, philanthropia, philanthropos, and philo. Those who ocnsistently lack those qualities are hypocrites.
So if you completely avoid someone just because you cannot stand their personality, you have no love for them whatsoever, as love is always something active. Instead, you must learn to be tolerant and openminded. There are also bad types of love, such as philarguria and philarguros, meaning avarice or covetousness, as in 1st Timothy 6:10’s love of money. Then there is philautos, meaning undue selfishness or narcissism, and philedonos, meaning hedonism. There is also a neutral form of love: thelo, meaning choose, prefer, or delight in, such as I love pizza.
Then there are those who push the idea that we are all one race and should love everyone worldwide as blood brothers. They like quoting Acts 17:26: “He hath made of one blood all nations of men.” But this may simply be an expression for having similar bodies as designed by God. It is common knowledge that not everyone has the same exact blood. There are different human blood types incompatible with others, and genetic markings in the blood vary according to race. Secondly, the end of Acts 17:26 says “He hath determined the bounds of their habitation. This suggests fixed boundaries between the various races. Thirdly, archeological evidence suggests polygenism: the view that human races are of different origins.
The idea that DNA proves the Out of Africa theory is rubbish. Besides, most people groups prefer members of their own race and/or nationality. So if you don’t hold a special love for your own people and heritage, your people may become disadvantaged or extinct. Speaking of extinct, the primary races we must worry about in this day and age are all the wonderful species of wild animals. We must love animals, as they are as much God’s creation as humans. We must also prioritize caring for animals, as they cannot care for themselves in the face of the many actions which lead to wiping them out. Love of animals is paramount! For an excellent understanding of love, read 1st Corinthians chapter 13 (in the King James agape is translated: charity) memorize it, and take it to heart. Remember what I’ve said; avoid all stubborn paths.