Wikipedia’s article on agape<\/a> notes the following: <\/p>\n Agap\u0113<\/b><\/i> (written \u03b1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c0\u03b7 in the Greek alphabet, and pronounced \/aga’pe\/<\/i> or \/a’gape\/<\/i>), is one of several Greek words meaning love<\/a>. The word has been used in different ways by a variety of contemporary and ancient sources, including Biblical authors. Many have thought that this word represents divine, unconditional, self-sacrificing, active, volitional, thoughtful love. Greek philosophers at the Agape<\/i> has been expounded on by many Christian writers in a specifically Christian context. In this Christian context, agape<\/i> has been defined as an intentional response to promote well-being when responding to that which has generated ill-being (Thomas Jay Oord). <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Which is a long-winded introduction to my wondering why, then, this article at AgapePress.com<\/a> is so … un<\/em>agapeic. <\/p>\n A spokesman for a family-advocacy group in Washington, DC, is expressing disgust with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s swearing in of an openly homosexual man as global AIDS coordinator — and in particular, with comments she made at the ceremony. <\/p>\n Late last week, USA Today<\/em> stated that the Republican Party is facing what it calls an “identity crisis” when it comes to efforts to try to please both homosexuals and conservative Christians. The report used a ceremony at the State Department to provide a very pointed example of how the GOP seems to want the support of “values voters,” but are willing to appease the homosexual activist agenda. <\/p>\n The ceremony involved Secretary of State Rice and the swearing in of Mark Dybul, an open homosexual, as the nation’s new global AIDS coordinator — a position that carries the rank of ambassador. An Associated Press photo of the ceremony also shows a smiling First Lady Laura Bush and Dybul’s homosexual “partner,” Jason Claire. During her comments, Rice referred to the presence of Claire’s mother and called her Dybul’s “mother-in-law,” a term normally reserved for the heterosexuals who have been legally married. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Read a marvelous analysis of the article — “scare quotes” and spin language and vitriol and FRC<\/a> harrumphing and all — here<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Wikipedia’s article on agape notes the following: Agap\u0113 (written \u03b1\u03b3\u03ac\u03c0\u03b7 in the Greek alphabet, and pronounced \/aga’pe\/ or \/a’gape\/), is one of several Greek words meaning love. The word has…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[25,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gay-stuff","category-politics-law"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":136826,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2018\/06\/23\/letters-and-alphabets.html","url_meta":{"origin":9870,"position":0},"title":"Letters and Alphabets","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 23-Jun-18 4:48pm","format":false,"excerpt":"We take writing and language for granted, but there's remarkable history and variability in how it's all constructed across time and space with humanity, and even large variation today -- not just in language, but in how we convey it in writing. Originally shared by +Yonatan Zunger: This is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DgM74CBV4AE3cXb.jpgimgmax%3D660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DgM74CBV4AE3cXb.jpgimgmax%3D660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/06\/DgM74CBV4AE3cXb.jpgimgmax%3D660.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26018,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2012\/02\/04\/rick-santorum-is-a-dolt-special-privileges-for-me-not-for-thee-edition.html","url_meta":{"origin":9870,"position":1},"title":"Rick Santorum is a Dolt (Special Privileges for Me, Not for Thee Edition)","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 4-Feb-12 2:32pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Rick, hi. \u00a0I've been trying to avoid taking you to task for your doltitude for a while now, hoping you'd slip back into your richly deserved obscurity (since it's pretty clear at this point that even the GOP primary voters aren't extreme enough to pick you as their candidate, thank\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Church & State"","block_context":{"text":"Church & State","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/politics-law\/church-state"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/ricksantorum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":137074,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2018\/09\/07\/dealing-with-the-misogyny-of-ancient-art.html","url_meta":{"origin":9870,"position":2},"title":"Dealing with the misogyny of ancient art","author":"***Dave","date":"Fri 7-Sep-18 9:30am","format":false,"excerpt":"I think this article makes an interesting and positive case for addressing the misogyny and violence against women that's frequently depicted in ancient art (the examples given being from Greece).[1] Abductions and rapes and attacks -- how do we deal with the abusive treatment in an era when simply talking\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/greek-art-gropw.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":131363,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2016\/08\/27\/ancient-sculpture-is-not-a-matter-of-gray-and-white.html","url_meta":{"origin":9870,"position":3},"title":"Ancient sculpture is not a matter of gray and white","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 27-Aug-16 12:42am","format":false,"excerpt":"The Greeks and Romans both painted their marble (etc.) statuary. It's just that the paint has faded and worn off over the millennia since, leaving modern audiences to consider their white marble and other stone to be a \"classic\" look, whereas the ancients would have considered that as unfinished and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39345,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2013\/10\/23\/sing-then-o-muse-2.html","url_meta":{"origin":9870,"position":4},"title":"Sing then, O Muse!","author":"***Dave","date":"Wed 23-Oct-13 10:23am","format":false,"excerpt":"What did ancient Greek music really sound like? \u00a0The answer is not as unknowable as you might think. \u00a0Cool. How did ancient Greek music really sound? View this post on Google+","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":13583,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2008\/11\/10\/jesus_wept.html","url_meta":{"origin":9870,"position":5},"title":"Jesus wept","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 10-Nov-08 7:51pm","format":false,"excerpt":"And some Christians wonder why they have such a bad reputation in some circles. 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\ntime of Plato and other ancient authors use the term to denote love of a spouse or family or affection for a particular activity, in contrast to philia<\/a><\/i>, an affection that could either denote brotherhood or generally a non-sexual affection, or eros<\/a><\/i>, an affection of a sexual nature, usually between two unequal partners, the lover (eraste<\/i>) and beloved (eromenos<\/i>).
\nThe term is rarely used in ancient manuscripts. The term was used by the early Christians to refer to the special love for God and God’s love for humanity, as well as the self-sacrificing love they believed all should have for each other. <\/p>\n\n