Posted by:
exminion
(
)
Date: September 22, 2019 06:29AM
Many Mormons, and ex-Mormons don't understand the concept of unconditional love. Mormons are taught, and I suppose you agree with this, that love must be earned. You believe that love must be deserved, and that humans can be pretty awful, and undeserving of love, right? Instead, I think God loves us as children or pets.
I love my children and grandchildren unconditionally, even when they poop their diapers or are sick and contagious. I love them in whatever stage of life or whatever disposition they are in--the tantrums of the Terrible Two's--the eye-rolling disrespect of the teen-ager--and I cherish every word, every smile, every display of individuality.
I love them because they are who they are, in the moment.
Religious people say that God knows our heart, our mind, our motives. Well, in a way, we know our children's heart. For example, we know he wants that piece of candy, and we know he doesn't mean it when he says, "I hate you," when we won't give it to him.
I love my grandchildren because they are imperfect. In my eyes, they are perfect, for who they are, know what I mean? If they were perfect, they would be someone else, and not my special Dear Ones.
Another simplified example is my daughter's love for her cat. The darling fuzzy kitty goes out at night and kills cute little mice, which horrifies my daughter, and makes her cry for the dead mice. But she loves her kitty, because it is what it is, a "perfect" horrible cat.