(August 7, 2015 at 4:37 pm)Pyrrho Wrote:(August 7, 2015 at 4:07 pm)Catholic_Lady Wrote:
But I don't need other people telling me that he does to know he does. It's not like I wouldn't know it unless others had told me. If we were the only 2 people on earth, and there was no one else to "affirm" that he loves me, I would still have just as much faith that he does.
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The point is that you can tell that your husband loves you from the same things that other people could use to determine that he loves you, by seeing his actions. That is, there is actual, real evidence that he loves you. Anyone who is present can see how he treats you. It is not something hidden or mysterious or nonexistent. It is real behaviors that anyone could see if they were in the right place at the right time. You judge that he loves you based on such things, that other people could see if they were present. And, if it were needed (though it hardly matters whether anyone else believes he loves you or not), you could point to his behaviors and thus provide evidence of his love. It is not a matter of blind faith, it is a matter about which you have evidence. That is what distinguishes the example of your husband's love for you from the case regarding the existence of God. You don't have anything real to show for God, but you do have real things to point to for your husband's love.
While you are right Pyrrho, I think her counter point would be just as valid. You don't personally know CL outside of this forum. her husband dies and she makes the claim that her husband loved her. Can you accept her claim? Do you think she has reasonable reasons to make the claim? It's kind of a rough analogy, but it certainly has some merit, IMO.
We are not made happy by what we acquire but by what we appreciate.
