Love the Lord your God with all your heart ?

[ignoramus]

How can one love God with all their heart and soul if one is not first conditioned to believe in the special metaphysical properties of the heart and soul?

It's another of the bible's conundrums. Like irreducible complexity.
Basically, you cannot be a partial numbskull to be religious.
It's a gamble which you double down your whole life for.
That's the mechanics of religious addiction.

[ApeNotKillApe]

You're expected also to live in constant fear of this being while loving it and singing its praises. It's the kind of love you have for the local tyrannical dictator; adoration by ultimatum.

This resonates with me, as someone who was raised by a very violent and abusive Mother.  I was required to call her "Ma'am", kiss her goodnight, and say "I love you".  Of course, I knew that if I didn't, I would get my head put through the nearest wall.  Did I want her to love me?  Oh yes.  And I desperately wanted to not have to be afraid anymore.  That never happened.
     It strikes me as much the same with the god concept.  Sure, you're supposed to praise because you have been "saved" from the ultimate eternal torture.  (Similar to "Yay, she didn't hit me today.")  But there is this constant message of being born FILTHY and sinful, the constant fear of being truly unworthy and disobedient, and the constant begging for forgiveness and promises to do better.

You're worthless, the only thing that makes you not worthless is ME, and you if you don't obey me every second I may have to torture you forever no matter what you say. 

It also sounds a lot like an abusive husband.  

I've before made the comparison between the relationship with God and an abusive household. The abuser in the scenario is a cold and indifferent world, the victim is a fragile and ignorant primate species who's flawed brains project agency where there is none.
The world strikes the primates with unrelenting hardship: plagues, disasters, pain, death, for centuries without warning or explanation, and the primates reacts as many victims of abuse do, they come to excuse and even defend the actions of the abuser, convince themselves that the abuser knows best and that they must have deserved the punishment they got, and if they just did as they were supposed to, then they wouldn't be hurt. Problem is, this abuser is an unthinking cosmos that the primitive apes have mistaken for an angry parent.

[ignoramus]

The religious version of the Stockholm syndrome?

[ApeNotKillApe]

The religious version of the Stockholm syndrome?

An existential Stockholm, yes.

[SteveII]

I think 100% lasting love is a choice and takes work.

1 Corinthians 13 speaks what love is:

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

[brewer]

Yep, think they mistranslated obey.

[SteveII]

You're expected also to live in constant fear of this being while loving it and singing its praises. It's the kind of love you have for the local tyrannical dictator; adoration by ultimatum.

This resonates with me, as someone who was raised by a very violent and abusive Mother.  I was required to call her "Ma'am", kiss her goodnight, and say "I love you".  Of course, I knew that if I didn't, I would get my head put through the nearest wall.  Did I want her to love me?  Oh yes.  And I desperately wanted to not have to be afraid anymore.  That never happened.
     It strikes me as much the same with the god concept.  Sure, you're supposed to praise because you have been "saved" from the ultimate eternal torture.  (Similar to "Yay, she didn't hit me today.")  But there is this constant message of being born FILTHY and sinful, the constant fear of being truly unworthy and disobedient, and the constant begging for forgiveness and promises to do better.

You're worthless, the only thing that makes you not worthless is ME, and you if you don't obey me every second I may have to torture you forever no matter what you say. 

It also sounds a lot like an abusive husband.  

I am sorry for your childhood experiences. That is a sad way to grow up. 
I can see why you think that is what Christianity is about. However it is not.
We are in a state that we cannot have a relationship with God. That state can, if left unchanged forever separate us from God. However, the entire NT is about how you can repair that relationship. Once you have that relationship, like any other, it takes choices every day that keep that relationship in good repair. The Christians I know do not come close to thinking like you described. They want that relationship to succeed because it brings peace and joy. The motivation to become a Christian is not fear, it is the relationship and the repair that is desired. As you pointed out, a relationship based on fear is miserable. 
Here was a quick list I saw when I searched for Bible/Joy: http://dailyverses.net/joy

[Thomas Kelly252525]

I think 100% lasting love is a choice and takes work.

1 Corinthians 13 speaks what love is:

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

SteveII, do you think loving is the same as serving ?

---

This resonates with me, as someone who was raised by a very violent and abusive Mother.  I was required to call her "Ma'am", kiss her goodnight, and say "I love you".  Of course, I knew that if I didn't, I would get my head put through the nearest wall.  Did I want her to love me?  Oh yes.  And I desperately wanted to not have to be afraid anymore.  That never happened.
     It strikes me as much the same with the god concept.  Sure, you're supposed to praise because you have been "saved" from the ultimate eternal torture.  (Similar to "Yay, she didn't hit me today.")  But there is this constant message of being born FILTHY and sinful, the constant fear of being truly unworthy and disobedient, and the constant begging for forgiveness and promises to do better.

You're worthless, the only thing that makes you not worthless is ME, and you if you don't obey me every second I may have to torture you forever no matter what you say. 

It also sounds a lot like an abusive husband.  

I am sorry for your childhood experiences. That is a sad way to grow up. 
I can see why you think that is what Christianity is about. However it is not.
We are in a state that we cannot have a relationship with God. That state can, if left unchanged forever separate us from God. However, the entire NT is about how you can repair that relationship. Once you have that relationship, like any other, it takes choices every day that keep that relationship in good repair. The Christians I know do not come close to thinking like you described. They want that relationship to succeed because it brings peace and joy. The motivation to become a Christian is not fear, it is the relationship and the repair that is desired. As you pointed out, a relationship based on fear is miserable. 
Here was a quick list I saw when I searched for Bible/Joy: http://dailyverses.net/joy

This reminds me of a translation of part of 1 John 4:18 There is no fear in goodwill. But perfect goodwill drives out fear.

And another translation of it, There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.

[SteveII]

I think 100% lasting love is a choice and takes work.

1 Corinthians 13 speaks what love is:

1 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

SteveII, do you think loving is the same as serving ?

---

I think serving is an important part of love but not the same thing. You can serve for other motivations.

[Thomas Kelly252525]

[quote pid='1300020' dateline='1465783476']
[quote pid='1300008' dateline='1465781737']


"SteveII, do you think loving is the same as serving ?"

---

[/quote]

"I think serving is an important part of love but not the same thing. You can serve for other motivations."
[/quote]

SteveII,

Thanks.  I thought to put a definition of the word loving below.

Loving - feeling or showing love or great care

So by that definition do you think serving may be thought of as showing goodwill/love or great care ?