actually love is produced by a hormone in the body called oxytocin, this hormone is necessary to form the attachments for love and friendships. Mothers begin producing more of it in the first trimester, and release massive amounts during pregnancy to form the bond between mother and child, thats pretty much the same in all animals.

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Yep, love, like most things in life, can be largely explained through science. The spiritual world, well, I believe that exists very separatly from the real world.

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Capitalism has always been a failure for the lower classes. It is now beginning to fail for the middle classes. - Howard Zinn

I lack expertise, but I doubt that love can be reduced to this oxytoci alone, even though it probably plays an important role. A purely hormone regulated reaction probably hardly could master the complex demands of very complex social interactions. The cortex probably plays a decisive role on this process as well.

To put it in other terms, while oxytocin may cause many signs of love, without the brain being fully involved into the decission of higher oxytocin levels, not the whole "program" of love will unfold.

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"Every country gets the cuisine it deserves"

well, No u misunderstood me, of course there has to be the human element, as in all things relating to us, but without these hormones it would be nearly impossible to form any sort of relationship from what i understand. i also wonder what studies have been done into sociopaths, if they lack these hormones, it could help explain their disconnect from humans outside of themselves, perhaps an early indicator

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Well I'm an atheist, and the concept of love is one which like many, no matter how much science tries to define it, will remain abstract and subjective. Love can translate into many things, but in my mind love is most closely defined as, an extreme and overwhelming passion for mankind and/or reality. My very existence illicits strong emotions and even further, the country in which I live and environment I have experienced are both reasons to love. Love can be everything, love can be nothing, and love can be both.

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OBAMA IN '08
Change We Can Believe In

Oh, than excuse my comment above.
While I don't know the details about the role of hormons in this regard, it seems perfectly possible that without them it would be very hard or even impossible to feel love and friendship.

Hormons are an essential comunication means between the brain and different cells of the body. Nerves simply can not do the whole job alone. It may prove also as error to see hormons and the neurologic network as seperate systems. Maybe seeing them as two different but strongly interconnected means of the same system would be more appropriate.

The difference for us simply is, that while manipulating nerves is still a real tought job, manipulating hormon levels has become pretty easy in comparision.

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"Every country gets the cuisine it deserves"

I believe in evolution and the Bible.

good for you change, too bad you believe in the pope though

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"For every man there is a purpose he sets up in his life, let yours be the doing of all good deeds." - Qur'an
Give every man your ear, but few thy voice. Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment.[Hamlet] -Shakespeare, William
Where there is doubt, there is freedom -Latin Proverb

And why is that "Too bad"?

It is "too bad" that you do not believe in religion of any kind.