Friday, March 07, 2008

Love, Love, Love...

An interesting little post, over on Pharyngula; apparently some artist (not gonna link--he likes it when you link) has claimed that atheists, as far as he can tell, do not believe in love. News to me, of course, and I am certain it would surprise anyone who knew me. I would have thought that love was rather independent of a belief in any spiritual entity. Actually... if I stopped to think about it, an all-loving, all-powerful, all-knowing god, a god that is more important than your piddling little life here on earth (hey, look at the "rapture ready" crowd if you doubt there are people who view it that way), would make the Greatest Love Story On Earth a nothing in comparison.

Think about it. An omnipotent God could create the Grand Canyon with an infinitesimal part of His Effort--no need for millions of years of erosion, hell, it could have been on an off day, and a second best effort at that. No need to feel awe at the canyon; sure, it is greater than anything humankind could do, but it is nothing for God--you should see His work on the horsehead nebula!!

So, love. Human love. That amazing thing that makes your heart, your stomach, your head run around in circles and get happily dizzy just thinking about him/her... sorry, it is only the merest shadow of a shadow of God's Real Love For You (tm). Given the least opportunity, you really ought to leave your true love to join your True Love, and never regret.

Bullshit. I'll have none of it.

“An atheist cannot believe in love”
This statement puts me at a loss for words—
I’d really like to see him try to prove
His thesis; clearly it’s absurd.
Imagine, for a moment, God existed—
Omnipotent, Omniscient, Everywhere—
And just as preachers always have insisted,
God indeed was loving, and did care.
This love from God would dwarf our mortal hearts;
Your spouse’s love is nothing next to His.
The whole of human love, the smallest part
Of God’s, for His is all there really is.
I love. That is a fact, not mere façade;
Yes, love exists, which can’t be said of God.
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3 comments:

The Ridger, FCD said...

That's a terrific point.

8:52 PM
Eamon Knight said...

In defense of my former faith (no, I don't know why, except perhaps sheer pedantry), I must point out that the general Christian view would be something like: human love is a reflection or manifestation of the larger love of God, and enables us to participate in some small way in the Divine Love which is its source. Think "Neo-Platonism". So your critique, to this ex-Christian, misses the mark.

10:00 PM
Cuttlefish said...

eamon knight--

Like so many atheists, I am also a former believer--a former born-again, actually. My verse is actually quite consistent with your protest; your phrase "in some small way" is the key. My point is precisely that--the christian view is that the greatest of human love is merely the most ephemeral shadow of, as you put it, "the larger love of God". (Of course, they do not think they are belittling human love. Rather, they are simply trying to tell us how much greater God's love is. Really, it is a case of "oh, yeah? Well, God is even bigger than that!!")

I humbly suggest that my verse does not miss the mark, but rather accepts your critique at face value. If you really think that the love you hold for your family or friends is anything more than the merest infinitesimal hint of God's love for you, you are blasphemous in your doubting of the infinite vastnest of God's love. Without which your love for anyone else could not exist. Because God loves you. Really.

If He exists.



And in truth, I really don't think about this all that much. Hardly at all, actually... probably only the slightest bit more than most believers do.

10:23 PM

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