I thought it would be interesting to raise a question that was brought up by Mike Purbrick (anybody know him) at the MTS (England, 1992). The question relates to whether a resurrected peson is really the same person if they are only genetically identical and somehow impregnated with the memories of the deceased. In short, if my spirit is not personal to me, and no part of me survives to the resurrected being then can it really be me, or is it just a copy?
It is apparent that according to JW thinking, God could resurrect more than one of me. Each would be me genetically. Each could be invested with my memories, but could both be me? Indeed could either be me if the spirit does not survive death?
Mike's comment was that it was best not to think about such things, but I hope somebody here will have an opinion.
Death and Resurrection
by pascaljon 4 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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pascaljon
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hooberus
If you actually get a witness to think about this, it can be effective in getting some of them to question their faith. below is from an earlier post of mine:
Lets assume that the WT is right and that mankind does not have a separate soul. Hense according to WT doctrine man is essentially only a body. So that when a person dies all that is left is the dead body. The WT teaches that the original body will remain in the grave forever and will never be resurrected!! So it is a hopeless religion!!
Remain dead in Paradise Earth Forever!
CASKETSThe WT teaches that Jehovah finds some dirt somewhere and forms a new body (which never existed before!). Jehovah then creates this new body to look like yours before you died. This new body then takes your place and lives forever in paradise earth while your original body remains in the grave forever!!!!! There is no connection between the original person that died and the new person/body which takes their place!!!!
The Bible on the other hand teaches the resurrection of the original body that died (albeit restored to perfection) see Isaiah 26:19.
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City Fan
I think this is a very interesting question jon and one I used to think about!
The WTS teaches that at death we return to the dust and have no separate spirit that continues on. The soul is the physical body and the spirit is the 'breath of life'. (If I'm wrong please correct me!)
I think to live forever there has to be a continuous line of consciousness and awareness. Once that line is broken then that being has ceased to exist. A resurrected or re-created body would be a perfect copy of a person, identical genetically with the same memories but would not be that person. Even using the same atoms to recreate the body would not recreate the original life as the line of consciousness has been broken. Your cloned body would then live forever thinking they were you but you would know nothing about it.
To live forever would require a spirit separate from the body.
It's only my opinion though!
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amen
city fan,
I agree with your statement.
To live forever would require a spirit separate from the body.
That was my missing link. The JW doctrine always scare me, you are sleeping until the resurection.
The only problem how can we know for sure we have a spirit beside the bible tells us so?
amen
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pascaljon
So, does this mean we are all in agreement here?
With regard to often quoted Bible verses in Ecclesiastes, would you agree that Solomon is simply expressing a human perspective on mortality? Nevertheless, the old testament doesn't give much information on the life to come. Presumably this was intentional, but why?
Further, if the spirit survives death, can it be destroyed? Or does an immortal spirit necessitate the existence of some kind of hell, presuming there is not a universal salvation? If a spirit is created though, presumably sometime before birth, why can it not be destroyed? Also, why is the resurrection important ( meaning the reuniting of body and spirit) if the spirit is happily existing after death without the body?
I would love to state my opinion on these subjects, but to be honest I only have questions and no real opinion. My thoughts turned to John's words to the effect that it has not yet been shown what we shall be, but we know that when he (Christ) appears, we shall be like him and ... then I can't remember what it says. Also, when Job says something like... If an able bodied man dies, can he live again? All the days of my confinement I shall wait. You shall call and I shall answer you... does this reflect an acknowledgement that his knowledge was limmited? I think I'm still learning to admit I don't know many things. The JW insistence on having an answer for everything (even if it was obviously wrong) really annoyed me but it also rubbed off. I no longer think the judgement will depend on ability in doctrinal exposition.