Preventing rapists...

[olger]

No need to carry on this as a private discussion. If this is something of vital concern for Christian fathers to know, just post it all right here where you started it.

I thought you might be timorous about that. It's ok.

Blessings!

G

[Planey]

I don't know Tom personally. Like most of you, I only know him from his posts.

But on the evidence of those said posts, I have to say that 'timorous' is not an adjective I would normally associate with Tom. At all.

However, your perceptions may vary.

Graeme

[debbym]

Quote:

Poster: Tom Wetmore

That love is a principle is a thought terminating cliche. Nobody every seems to question it. The implication is that love (usually spun as love in a Christian context) is not an emotion, because emotions are not good. So in describing God as love, it seems a bit sacrilegious to suggest he would have emotions, unless you can redefine love as being something without emotion. Aha! Love is a principle. OK, let's move on now to something else to avoid this messy emotional stuff of love.

Let me tell you, true love is first and foremost an emotional feeling of strong affection and personal attachment. If it is not, it would seem rather strange to tell my wife that I love her, but feel nothing toward her. If love is just a principle, then as a matter of principle all I need to do is treat her kindly, help her as much as I can, respect her and admire her positive attributes. No need to feel anything.

Sure, there are valuable and virtuous principles that flow from a spirit (also an emotive attribute) of love. But love is at its pure essence a positive emotion. You cannot separate the emotion from love and still have love.

sincerely i believe love is a choice, a commitment based in principles.

emotions follow that choice.

bonding in early years is something that happens to us before we can make choices, emotions are something we have before choices are made. but not all bonding is love. there are fear bonds, hate bonds, and love bonds, we are social and bonding creatures.

with maturity comes choices. at some point we choose to love, and we can love even if we don't feel like it, even if our feelings don't go along with it, we can keep loving regardless. and often feelings will follow or come back to that commitment.

if love was an emotion then love would be much too changeable. this does not deny we are emotional beings, and that love is an emotional experience. and painful emotions have been known to dry up love.

But love based in principle is the love God has for us, completely unchanging and eternal, enduring through all emotional or non emotional changes. And our love for one another can be like this through His grace.