Anyone Here of the Anointed? (page 5)

Sunnygal41

SunnyGal:That wouldn't be the orthodox Christian viewpoint.

Yes, LT, but, add the next dimension of not being a "Christian" and you just about have it.
Terri, of the unorthodox, un-Christian Class

LittleToe

Reading a different translation, and applying it personally, might well help (as that is just one of the artificial barriers put up but the WTS).

I recommend picking up "The Message" and starting at the gospel of John. Read it like a novel, if you like and see if you relate or connect to the principle character.
Personalise it, and see what happens...

Terri:

logansrun

I don't think there's any doubt that the New Testament has been distorted into a "two-class theology" by the JWs. If one were to take it seriously as the word of God then it would seem that all Christians are "annointed."

Rather than turning off all critical thinking and reading the Bible as if it some sort of first-century "love letter", why not read it as you would any other ancient, pre-scientific religious document? A sense of realism never hurt anyone.

B.

Narkissos

I guess the question about "heavenly desire" should be reversed. I mean, who really wants to live forever on earth?

Of course we are humans and all our desires are "earthly". AND as homines sapientes we know we are mortals and at least imagine our death as a somewhat unpleasant experience (understatement intended). Yet we also know that death is an unescapable part of life. And that any kind of individual (i.e. human, earthly) eternity is just nonsense.

So it is pretty natural that all our dreams of eternity should imply a somewhat modified life. "Heaven" is just a way of expressing it.

The WT plays on (1) earthly nature and (2) natural fear of death to persuade people that they desire something, namely living forever on earth, which they actually cannot desire.

I made a big step toward the exit the day when I confessed to myself that I had actually never desired "eternal life" in such a literal sense.

logansrun

Will the person that can logically or scientifically explain how disembodied, non-physical existence is possible please step forward?

Narkissos

Bradley,

I don't know if you are reacting to my previous post or more generally, but in any case I'll try to put it more clearly (?): to me life and eternity are antithetical concepts; "eternal life" is actually an oxymoron, the signifié of which does not belong to "reality" in any sense but to imagination.

Satanus

Logan

You could try reading a dozen or so nde's (near death experiences). They might give you some ideas. I recommend that many, because reading just a few can leave you thinking that these people are seeing a hallucination of something that they think they are supposed to see. Reading a larger sample gives more variety, but you can still pick out the similarities.

SS

logansrun

SaintSatan,

NDE's can easily be explained away as neurophysiological firings gone haywire.

Narkissos,

My comments were said as a generality, not specifically toward yours. I agree with you completely on the eternal life thing.

B.

Satanus

Logan

In some cases there was no brain activity, so it could not be going haywire, if it didn't exist.

SS

logansrun

SaintSatan,

Would you care to provide a scientifically peer-reviewed article to back up what you just said?

B

Anyone Here of the Anointed?

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