Classifications Of Love

[Dan]

To set some of the ground rules, when I say "love", I am not speaking of the relationship between humans and God.

When I say "love", I mean the relationship(s) between males and females, not the relationships between same sex types.



I would like to start a discussion to see who else may share my classifications, or to open myself up to the ( well deserved ) abuse of the balance of this community.

It has long been my observation / reaction that there are a minimum of 3 levels of love.

"Making love to..." is, to me, the same basic premise as "Making love at.." By that I mean that the other partner need not even be there.

"Making love with.." is the absolute minimum that I would accept. In this variation, at least both parties are present to each other.

"Sharing love with..." is my preferred definition in that both parties are present, neither party is being used, neither party is being abused and both parties are involved in sharing a gift from God.


Comments / corrections / etc?

[VoTeckam]

The greek language has many words for love. The four most prominent "types" are:

Philia: love between friends
Eros: the sense of being "in love" or romantic love
Storge: Affection, love of family
Agape: unconditional love

I think I remember hearing that there are more greek words for love but these are the four used in the new testament.

[Sirklawd]

youre right to not prefer the "making love to" version of love as it is clearly self-serving, but dont be afraid to go all the way, to demand only the best out of love.

John Paul II said that "true love is an act of the will that prefers, in a constant manner, the good of the other over the good of the self"

often people use the term, "making love" when they think of sex, but believe me if you go into sex hoping it will "create" more love between you and your partner you are in for a let down. Truthfully, love has to be present [i]beforehand[/i] in order for sex to have any meaning beyond friction and strictly personal happiness. (And these things run the danger of turning the act back towards the self, negating love). Heck even "making love with", as you define it, comes up short. From my understanding it seems you are defining a "friends with benefits" scenario.

In the ideal, love is about giving everything you are to the good of another. love is self sacrifice. Marriages and good, healthy dating relationships are based on this. Each person gives up the their time and energy, and often personal wants, to make the other person healthier and happier, etc. Sex is the ultimate end of this type of sacrificial love. The culmination of two people growing in faith with eachother, trusting that "yes, this person really [i]does[/i] want the best for me, and I for them".

So here we get to that "sharing love", but I would go one step further to "giving love". In sex the two give everything their bodies, their essence, and the [i]rest of their lives[/i] to not just eachother, but to the possible child.

Thats the ideal, and what the church teaches. And honestly, its so much better than anything the world offers. When I learned about that, there was no turning back.

[inunionwithrome]

I think that you can "love" someone and be in love with somone whom you have become friends with first. Then, as you get more serious, you start to date and maybe eventually get married. You may start to realize and become more aware of the persons sensitivities and the way that they think. Or, if you are me, you learn to fall more in love with Jesus each day for those of us who have made a commitment whether technically a consecrated woman or not. Love is something that you never stop learning and that never stops expanding our minds. Love can be complicated! Seriously complicated! Love can become desire. Desire can become Love. "Love is a Many Splendored Thing!" (A really old song title) You can vow never to hurt someone. To not commit or To Committ to that person and be faithful. Love is a life lesson. Of Faith,Hope,and Love, The greatest of these is Love! As humans, we can only TRY to figure out what love is, hope for the best, and think about what love means to us. We often think of love at Lent, Easter, Advent, Christmas...times where Christian love is prevelant! Love can mean many diffrent things to many people. Hope I could help some!