Personal Post - #2 Love

Love

“Love conquers all so you too, should be conquered by love” (Virgil). In relation to love, we decide whether or not to be ‘conquered’ by it. As humans, we possess this choice because love is not love if it is forced. The quote above, by Virgil, can be considered paradoxical because the connotation of the word ‘conquer’ is more coercive than organic. When it comes to love, there is always a choice. It cannot be manipulated or compulsory; not even a God can force love. In some religions, one cannot worship any other God or higher power, except within that specific religion; if a person does not love God, they are damned to hell. This meaning of love is not truly love at all. You cannot force love, or it is not real, and if it is not real, then it is pointless. Religion and/or God should be accepting and tolerant of all other religions and Gods. A God or religion that claims I am damned to hell if I do not return love/offer love is not a God/religion one should follow. From my perspective, a more accepting God is one who is mature and not envious. A being as magnificent and divine/glorious as God should not be a jealous being. Love in itself, requires freedom. When considering the concept of arranged marriages, a relationship is forced when the two people are not necessarily in love. Naturally as humans, we choose significant others similar to our parents. Thus, in a way, no matter what, our parents are always arranging our romantic relationships. There is an endless variation of love, and none of them are wrong. Love is a passion to know a person on a deeper level; it is understanding and revolves around the idea of closeness. It involves being sensitive to the thoughts and feelings of others and acting accordingly. Love means to hear, to be able to listen. This supports the idea that every religion has a perspective of love, and each is unique.

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