On love
Love seems to have two aspects. There is such a thing as romantic love that spontaneously springs from a person’s inner depths. It is an attraction that one could have to particular person. As a result, one is willing to do anything for that person. One would only like to see that other person truly happy.
On the other hand, there is another form of love. I would like to call it parental love. It is the kind of love that parents have for their children and that siblings have for each other. As with romantic love, the objective of parental love is to ensure the security and happiness of the other person. When I think about it, the greatest love I can think of is my mother’s love for me. In carrying me in her womb and taking care of me as I grew up, she gave up so much of herself and her time. Whatever imperfections she may have, her allowing me to be born and taking care of me is one truly great act of love. After all, she could have aborted me and I wouldn’t be writing this essay. I do not remember anymore what it was like when I was a baby. However, I am sure that my mother made a great sacrifice for the nine months I was in her tummy. I wouldn’t be here if she didn’t make that sacrifice. I’m sure she did not know who I am and what kind of person I would become. So, it was like she was loving a stranger.
The word love is itself can be used as a noun and a verb. In the case of romantic love, it is a natural reaction and feelings toward another person. One may feel it even without making any decision about it. On the other hand, while parental love also involves feelings, it is a pro-active action rather than a reaction. It involves one’s mind, a decision to take action. Thus the difference in the meaning of falling in love with a person and loving a person. The first involves mainly feelings and the second, decision and action. So, one can love another person without feelings involved.
One can love other people or neighbors and even enemies. The fulfillment of the person loving does not come from the reciprocation of his feelings by the other. Rather, the fulfillment of the person comes internally. He would feel good mainly from doing good and seeing others doing well as a result. As with parental love, loving other people is a concrete decision and action one makes and takes. It is an act of generosity. One achieves happiness from the mere accomplishment of the purpose of the action. One has to be clear though about that purpose. One can only be happy if that purpose if for the good of other people and not just oneself.
The two forms of love involve sacrifice. One will want to suffer so the loved one would not. People usually love people they know and are close to. The difference in loving neighbors or other people is that you have to love them even if you do not know them. One will have to make sacrifices and do acts of generosity to strangers.
So, a person can love anybody even those he does not know. It is a personal decision that one makes. A person can always decide not to love strangers.
On self and other people’s lives
People live in communities of people. One does not live by himself. There always other people around. One cannot do everything by himself. Obviously, one cannot plant and harvest personally the food that he would eat, weave the cloth and sew them together so one could have clothe. If people will have to do good and to do right, people will have just to care about each other.
Anything and everything we do would have an effect on society, so it would have an effect on people, and in the end on ourselves. For instance, if I don’t care about what others think, then I can do a sloppy job with my work. If I were making clothes and did a bad job at them, someone will get angry at me.
So, if I buy Nike products, I would be encouraging Nike to continue abusing children in other countries. If I don’t and more people decide to the same so Nike’s sales will go down, then Nike may rethink about its operations and stop abusing children. It is only a temporary sacrifice that one has to make to help other people. I can always buy Nike again once the company has corrected its ways. I do not need to be selfish all the time. I would be able to help other people without having to donate or give out money. The opposite is true. I would even be able to save money and help other people at the same time. I guess this is one way of loving your neighbors.
On homosexuality
Homosexuals are not evil people. They should not be condemned. Anyone who condemns them is indeed like some sexists and racists. It is not right to condemn people for whatever limitations they have or for things we may not like them.
However, what is being condemned in the Bible and Christian teaching is the acts that homosexuals commit. Sexual activities outside of marriage is considered wrong in religion and in human laws. In some US states, for instance, adultery is still considered a crime. Perhaps, no one charges or complains in court that’s why we do not hear about these cases being heard in court. We hear about people committing adultery. They are either forgiven by the spouses as Hillary Clinton did for Bill Clinton, or they divorce. Adultery is a ground for divorce. So, even if people commit adultery all the time, it doesn’t mean that it has become good or right. Both the law and the Bible say it is wrong. Even without knowing the laws, the wife of a husband involved in adultery also knows that it is wrong. It is important to note that people do not stone people to death in developed and in Christian countries. I don’t really if any country actually still allows it to happen. The laws in the Old Testament had been updated by Jesus Christ in the New Testament. So, it is wrong for anyone to be citing those passages. The same principle applies to homosexual activities. They are wrong. Sex anyway is not everything. It is not the source of happiness for people. The moral laws apply to all people. Homosexuals and adulterers are not exempted.
In addition, there are certain norms of behavior that people are expected to follow in different circumstances. It is simply a matter of respect for others. People should not condemn homosexuals. In the same way, homosexuals should not condemn those who do not agree with them. They should also not offend them. There should be mutual respect.
The Bible and the Church has set high standards of morality for people. These are standards that people should work for. If many people cannot meet those standards, it doesn’t mean that those standards are wrong. They are guides to help people lead better and happier lives. One need not follow these standards if one does not believe them. However, if one wants to be truly called a member of certain religion, then he must follow the rules however strict they are.
On killing God
In a symbolic way, I think we have killed God; at least, we have killed our faith. There is absolutely no moral justification in killing children. The only possible justification may be an accident. But for that to be justified, the action must have been done responsibly. Even if we do not believe in God, we have a natural tendency to realize to some degree what is right and what is wrong. Hurting and killing other people is one of those thing we naturally know is wrong. We can easily realize this within ourselves. We do not want to get hurt nor be killed. So, we avoid doing that to others especially helpless children who cannot defend themselves. A good person would not kill others, especially children.
On being a good person
Religion and society would have its definition of what is right and wrong and of what is a good and bad person. A good person would be one that does right in pro-active ways. The more right, helpful and loving actions he makes, the better a person he becomes. It is not a matter of conformity. After all, there can be many bad person is society that one might end following. It is a matter of decision made by the person. A person could have been forced by someone else to do good things. So, a good person is one who made the decision and took action to become good.
On my part, I guess I am just average. I am good in a passive way in the sense that I do not hurt or inflict harm to others. It is a matter that I decide on every day in dealing with other persons. I know I can be a better person if I take more concrete and pro-active action to be good.
