h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: I Corinthians Chapter 13 - Is It Really Love? - A806726
Author: Lucrecia - U199253

Time to sit back and watch the flames roll in...

Seriously, though, my long-term boyfriend and I have been trying to apply these for a while and its really helped our relationship.

-Lucrecia

PS: Links are on the way!

The Greek agape, 'love', is used in 1 Corinthians 13:1 an means 'Love' that is spiritual, not sexual, in its nature. Sexual love is eros. In the King James version it is translated as Charity.


Alji, of the Red Dragon (Swynwr y Ddraig Goch) (conducting a sun sign poll @ A712595)(Member of The H2G2 Guild of Wizards @ U197895 looking for wiz kids to join, though you don't have to be a wiz kid just know a bit about some subject that you think will be of interest to others or just bore the pants off them. This is an equal opportunities space open to all sexes, ages and abilities)

My immediate thoughts are that this is very strong personal statement, and an admirable comment on relationships and 'love'.

I am not a christian, and this is clearly a christian comment, but i feel it is also more generally applicable.

not sure what else to say , at this point, but thanks for writing, and for making me think.

spiff

I know that it isn't applicable to sexual love. Which is the reason for the part at the end about "everyone needs love from whoever."

And it's not meant to be an advocation for Christianity, although I am a Christian. It is meant to be somethings to think about from a source that one normally wouldn't think of checking in for the subject and, in my experience, it has been helpful.

Thanks for the comments!

-Lucrecia

Hi Lucretia!

Oh, love is a many splendoured thing isn't it! I did a course on relationships some long while ago and the enduring thing that I remember is about kindness. Love requires you to be kind.

There was also something about splendour and glorification. These came before kindness.

Love was distinguished from lust, or infatuation. These may or may not be a good starting point, however they are merely stages and the possibility of love may die if energy is not put into the relationship.

In the beginning, you look for your ideal. In fact, you see your ideal in whoever you fall in love with and try to make them fit into your model. You may overlook good evidence in your efforts to see your ideal This may well be the cause of the failure of a relationship. People need to realist that they are unlikely to be able to change the nature of their partner. For example, if your partner is someone who has a problem with commitment, you are unlikely to change that unless you actively address that as an issue. If your feel that people let you down, you are likely to find a partner who will let you down.

In fact, whatever your beliefs about marriage, or partnership are, they are likely to be fulfilled. If you feel that wo/men are untrustworthy, that is exactly what you will find. The universe is good at granting exactly what your expectations are!

I prefere the original King James version:

And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

I language is a bit more archiac, but then, some would say, so am I.

Or in the words of William Blake:

Love seeketh not itself to please,
Nor for itself has any care,
But for another gives it ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair.

Stuart

Hi Lucrecia,

I'm sure it's not the intention, but this does come across as very pro-Christian, but this could be easily sorted out with a quick disclaimer - something like "whether you are Christian or not, there's certainly food for thought here". I think the opening is too definite (love "all laid out for us" or something like that). I think there are interesting thoughts here, but I wonder if it's the right kind of entry for the edited guide. I think a more cautious and neutral commentary (here's some ideas, rather than here's the answer) would help, but I wonder whether there's enough factual material here as is at the moment. Perhaps a wider entry on relationship advice in the New Testament?

Don't take this as definative, though. What does everyone else think?

Best wishes

Otto

Yes I think you could change the following line;
"which is contained, of course, in the New Testament of the Bible"
to
"which is contained in the New Testament of the Christian Bible"

Alji (Member of The Guild of Wizards @ U197895)

Hi Otto,

As a lapsed Christian, I didn’t find it to be pro-Christian. It expresses an idea that can be found in many writings. I know that similar sentiments can be found in the Koran, and possibly the Talmud.

Its just that Lucrecia, being a Christian, chose to express her feelings with something she is familiar with. If any Moslems, Jews, Sikhs or Hindus wish to add there interpretation, I am sure they would be well received.

I agree that it may not be something for the Edited Guide. Probably a bit to personal, but it is certainly worthy of an audience somewhere.

Stuart

Lucrecia here!

Thanks for the comments. I was actually *trying* to have the article come off as neutral, but I can see what you guys are saying. I didn't intend to say that this is *love* all layed out for you! I meant that this is the article contains the *text of the passage* layed out! I'll be sure to change that.

And Stuart is correct in saying that if someone would like to add their religion's view on love, I'd be glad to add their 2 cents and, of course, change the title of the article and give them a credit.

I maintain that it could be suitable for the Edited Guide, however, simply as an entry about the passage and a different way to apply it then one would normally hear in church. In fact, it would be even *more* suitable with the multi-religion factor mentioned above, so again, let me know if you've got any ideas!

Well, time for an update, I suppose! Thanks again!

-Lucrecia

Unrelated note:

I know that my name is difficult to spell, but the thing that I find amusing is that everyone who misspells it does so in the exact same way! (With a "t" instead of the second "c".) I guess it's a pronunciation thing, like you expect to say a "t" in that spot! Strange huh?

It doesn't bother me, I just thought that it was interesting...



-L.

PS: To avoid hassles, feel free to abbreviate my name to L. if you wish.

Thank you Lucrecia for this timely advice. It's sad to think that the Bible is not the first place one would look for inspiration on how to love (not 'make love' but of course 'to love') as that is what Christians are called to do, that was the ultimate example Christ gives us....maybe there are a few too many noisy gongs spoiling the sound?

I do think this is timely, this verse is often quoted at weddings (the last two I went to anyway) and I often think people don't take it seriously.

It's good advice, though humans haven't been very good at taking good advice...remember the tree of Knowledge of good and evil?

I hope this gets through Lucrecia.

miztres

*skips backlog*

I like this entry, though my stomach didn't. The only thing I can think of would be a link to the appropriate section of one of the online bibles.

> "...the most important qualities of a loving relationship can be..."

I think it'd be worth slipping "of any kind" into this sentence somewhere...

good job
-Martin

I like this entry, but I don't like the title. It seems to be saying "Is the thing described in I Corinthians really love?"

How about something like:

Love - a test for the real thing

Lucrecia, I think the reason most people spell your name Lucretia is because that's the way it is normally spelt in English: The Rape of Lucretia, Lucretia Borgia, Lucretia Herschel, Lucretia Mott and so on.

Thanks for the interesting info! The advice about the title was a great idea! Consider it implemented!

-Lucrecia

There are a few small spelling mistakes which you might like to fix:

let you love go --> let your love go
truely --> truly
consistantly --> consistently
"love is eternal --> "love is eternal"
the test of time true love --> the test of time will true love

I'm sorry to see that this is still sitting here unpicked. I thought it was an interesting thought-provoking article.

yeah, this is an odd one; perhaps scouts are thinking that it is too personal; perhaps even the Christian aspect is seen as 'not quite EG'...

it's a shame, coz as it says in the intro, the comments are perfectly valid regardless of religious beliefs.

ok. i've looked at this entry quite a few times, and i have a few comments:

i find the title 'Love - A Test of the Real Thing' misleading. 'Love in 1 Corinthians 13' would be much more accurate.

i find it very unlikely that non-chritsians would bother looking in the bible for advice about love. i would suggest rewriting the entry slightly so that it is aimed at Christians as they are primarily the people who will be interested in this entry. to do that, all u really need to do is change the introduction slightly.

well, that's what i think anyway.

spook