Is there any such thing as “Unconditional Love”?
Yes, A mother and/or a Father of a New Born. The reason there is “Unconditional Love” at that time is clear. Without “Unconditional Love”, the species would have died out long ago, because of this screeming, crying, loud, annoying, eating, peeing, messy, nasty little copy of a human, “Unconditionally TRUSTING YOU” to give them everything they require to survive. At that point, except in rare occasions, the parents are filled with “Unconditional Love” and commitment to this “bundle of joy” which is their future.
Maybe we should start with what we mean by “Unconditional Love”
merriam-webster.com online defines
Unconditional Love as:
1 : not conditional or limited : absolute, unqualified
<unconditional surrender> <unconditionallove>
The follow-on question must be: Except for that “Unconditional Love” between infant and parents is the above possible?
Other questions must follow:
Is there a limitation even between Child and Parent based on the age of the child?
If there is a Good and Righteous(one striving to do what is right) child and an Evil(one that does not care what you say is good and may actually strive to be against you or bad) child with the same parents, what should the parents do? Should you strive to always teach(reward good and punish bad behaviors) your values, so that they will be able to provide good in the world? I have heard arguments that you must treat both the same, with the love and compassion. Under that idea, you give only good to both and do not punish. Yet, in that answer are you teaching the good child to be bad(Why strive to be good when without effort I can have the same benefits?), and You now have no power to teach the bad to be good.
I observe it is not, allowing bad behavior to continue that brings change, but that applying a set of rules and consequences that do not change is the best process. Your word you must enforce for your children, then and only then do you deserve respect and you will be heard. Maybe not by the most evil doers, but most are not that evil, we simple teach them to be evil by not being worthy of trust and respect.
Strange but that is what the Living GOD Of ISRAEL has done. HIS rules are perfect. The consequences are also perfect.
Unconditional Love? When you have any expectation of behavior and benefit from your love, it is not “Unconditional Love”. Therefore “Unconditional Love” is only possible between a infant and its parents. Is it not greater love to teach(by your words and deeds) your expectations, then consequences for failure, and how to return, rather that to just give and expect nothing in return? As parents, our children are the seeds of the future, what are you growing with “Unconditional Love”.
Where have I learned or decided that this is the best understanding of LOVE, even “Unconditional Love”? The GOD OF OUR FATHERS, demonstrates and declares all of this and more in the Writings of Moses(TORAH, The Five Books of Moses, The First Five Book of most bibles) and in the Tanakh(Old Testament).
Does the LIVING GOD OF ISRAEL have Unconditional Love?
Examples:
THE REWARD!
Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will hearken unto My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is Mine; 6 and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. . . .
Leviticus 26:11 And I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people. 13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you go upright.
Deuteronomy 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. . . . .9 The LORD will establish thee for a holy people unto Himself, as He hath sworn unto thee; if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in His ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the LORD is called upon thee; and they shall be afraid of thee. . . .
THE CONSEQUENCES!
Leviticus 26:14 But if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not do all these commandments; 15 and if ye shall reject My statutes, and if your soul abhor Mine ordinances, so that ye will not do all My commandments, but break My covenant; . . . .
Deuteronomy 28:15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. . . . 69 These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.
THE RETURN!
Leviticus 26:39 And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them. 40 And they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their treachery which they committed against Me, and also that they have walked contrary unto Me. . . . .44 And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.
Deuteronomy 30:1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt bethink thyself among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, 2 and shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and hearken to His voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul; . . . .6 And the LORD thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. 7 And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, that persecuted thee.. . . .
Deuteronomy 30:8 And thou shalt return and hearken to the voice of the LORD, and do all His commandments which I command thee this day. . . .
These are but a few examples of what I said above, but they are part of our Covenant(Contract) with the GOD of Our Fathers. I provide you with the references and links so that you do not need to trust me to tell you the truth. You can read it for yourself, and I really do recommend that you read and understand what our FATHER wants from You..
THE AMIGHTY as “My Father”
Jeremiah 3:4 Didst thou not just now cry unto Me: ‘My father, Thou art the friend of my youth.
Jeremiah 3:19 But I said: ‘How would I put thee among the sons, and give thee a pleasant land, the goodliest heritage of the nations!’ And I said: ‘Thou shalt call Me, My father; and shalt not turn away from following Me.’
Unconditional Love from Master Of The UNIVERSE, GOD? Yes, as a parent to an infant, but we are expected to learn and grow, and so are given HIS TEACHINGS, which we should absolutely perform. If we error(sin), we can return, to OUR FATHER.
Shalom,
Yaakov
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