What Is Love in FSM? (FSM vs The Media)

[Aurum]

Dear Pastafarians

I am writing to you hoping to find a stronger understanding of your views and opinions of what 'love' is. I am hoping to compare this with the unrealistic views of what the media perceives 'love' to be.

The media looks at love as a purely romantic experience between two people with who experience an unrealistic never-ending attraction towards each other (which in reality is nothing more than lust). The media also displays love to be between family, friends, and even to objects (for example: one may love his car).

I would like to know how The Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster defines 'love', and what it means to be a Pastafarian. I have attached five questions below and your answers would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I look forward to your responses.

Sincerely,
Ben Goldsworthy

1.How would The Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster define 'love'?
2.How do you and the other Pastafarians of The Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster view 'love'?
3.What types of love do you recognize? (for example: love towards a partner, love towards family and friends, love towards objects, etc.)
4.Do you find any forms of love unacceptable? (weather sexual or non-sexual)
5.How does your definition of love differ to how it is viewed on the media?

[Rev. Rowan Redbeard]

I don't know if the CotFSM has any stance on 'love', but my personal stance is close to that described by Robert Heinlein:

"Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own."



Also by Heinlein:

"Jealousy is a disease, love is a healthy condition. The immature mind often confuses one for the other, or assumes the greater the love, the greater the jealousy. In fact they are almost incompatible; both at once produce unbearable turmoil."

[Temp0ral]

1.How would The Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster define 'love'?
2.How do you and the other Pastafarians of The Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster view 'love'?
3.What types of love do you recognize? (for example: love towards a partner, love towards family and friends, love towards objects, etc.)
4.Do you find any forms of love unacceptable? (weather sexual or non-sexual)
5.How does your definition of love differ to how it is viewed on the media?

1. The feeling of a cold beer and good pasta on a warm Summer day.
2. However we feel like. I love chocolate, for example.
3. All types of love.
4. I don't particularly love filling out forms.
5. I can't think of anything for this point.

I think the point of it all is that it's up to you.

[pieces o'nine]

4. Do you find any forms of love unacceptable? (weather, sexual or non-sexual)

You're missing a comma there; FTFY.

[Aurum]

Any chance in some detailed answers?
I'm trying to write an essay on Love in the CotFSM, and the more answers the better :)
It would help me out so much!

[Animalzilla]

1.How would The Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster define 'love'?
2.How do you and the other Pastafarians of The Church Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster view 'love'?
3.What types of love do you recognize? (for example: love towards a partner, love towards family and friends, love towards objects, etc.)
4.Do you find any forms of love unacceptable? (weather sexual or non-sexual)
5.How does your definition of love differ to how it is viewed on the media?

This is my attempt at answering:

1. The COTFSM does not define love, defining something makes it less special.

2. I view love as awesome.

3. We regognise all love regarldess of what its for,

4. We do not find most forms of love unacceptable, those we do would include the love of hurting another being/entity ( For exampe child abusers )

5. Who cares about the media? we are all free thinking individuals, if we were not then we would all be christians.

I hope this helps :)

[Qwertyuiopasd]

I feel like our Noodly Lord would define love as "really really really liking something, y'know?" or "how I feel about beer, midgets, and pirates." So if your response to the loss of something loved is to spitefully turn the a/c off and the heat up to 85 or 90 F, then you might be a pastafarian.

Funnily enough though, my definition comes from my philosophy professor who gives a Neo-Thomistic account. I paraphrase here: Love consists of the disinterested* desire for the well being of and union with the beloved. There's a slightly longer definition that probably wouldn't interest anyone not interested in philosophy. :P Final ends, acts of the will, that kind of thing.

*meaning simply that it's not a desire for some other end, like loving someone so that they love you, but loving them for the sake of loving them.

Then of course, this can be expressed differently as appropriate in different relationships, to answer #4. Appropriate things to do in order to have union with your nephew are different from appropriate things to do to have union with your partner.