The Liars' Gospel

by Ruby456 13 Replies latest jw friends

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  cofty

  Hi Ruby. Sorry I missed this. The book sounds really interesting.

  she then replies "then my son Yeshoshuah lives in your heart"

  I actually think the resurrection myth probably began in such a mundane way. A sense of the ongoing presence of a loved one, group dynamics, and a realisation that the mission could go on regardless of Jesus' death.

  These were men who had abandoned their wives, children and businesses to wander around Palestine preaching. I doubt if any of them were motivated to admit they were wrong and go home to domestic life. Just as the Adventists reinterpreted their expectations after the "Great Disappointment" of 1844, and the Bible Sudents did the same in 1914, it was decided that Jesus was alive in a funny sort of way if only you have "eyes of faith" to "see" him.

  I have argued with Cofty enough over reality - Tammy

  If you ever decide to discuss reality please let me know.
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  Ruby456

  cofty - you gave me a huge laugh this morning in your comment to Tammy

  I actually think the resurrection myth probably began in such a mundane way. A sense of the ongoing presence of a loved one, group dynamics, and a realisation that the mission could go on regardless of Jesus' death.

  These were men who had abandoned their wives, children and businesses to wander around Palestine preaching. I doubt if any of them were motivated to admit they were wrong and go home to domestic life. Just as the Adventists reinterpreted their expectations after the "Great Disappointment" of 1844, and the Bible Sudents did the same in 1914, it was decided that Jesus was alive in a funny sort of way if only you have "eyes of faith" to "see" him.

  Indeed great disppointment or great disappointments, I think, are crucial to understanding where our fresh ideas come from to give us a sense of continuity that overcomes a huge break with the past. The great disappointment during the 1st century was the destruction of the temple and the oppressive conditions before and after. Our great disappointment, I think, has to do with coming to the realisation of the emptiness of the corporate nature of our existence as Jehovahs witnesses. I guess this then brings us to asking what is reality really? Is it emptiness/meaninglessness or does it have even more terrifying meaning than it is possible for us to live with? Some say that in Europe we tend to go for the latter whilst in America they are confronted more with the former. I'm not sure how true this is and it may be too much of a generalisation.

  which brings me to your reality Tec and what i understand of it. To me it is loosely anti corporatist and tending towards empowerment through individualism in that each person must hear the voice of Christ for themselves receiving a kind of call in the process and develop the conviction that the call comes from Jesus himself leading to a life of devotion to Jesus. Excuse me trying to take an objective stance to what is obviously very personal to you
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  Decided

  I'm more mystified about a God and his way of creating so many living things that all die after having sex to make more dieing things. Almost all creatures eat other creatures, even viruses, cancer, etc. I can't seem to make sense of it all, even though humans have the most advanced brain of all creatures on earth. I guess I could just have faith in something others believe in, but I would have to decided which religion has the right answers. I might have to handle snakes, roll on the floor and speak a strange language, drink wine and eat crakers, read a book that is impossible to understand most of it unless a spirit comes down and gives you the meaning.

  I'm having a hard time dealing with life and especially death since most of my age friends and relatives are dying almost every week.

  Ken P.
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  cofty

  Hi Ken P/Decided.

  For me it was when I really dared to acccept the lack of purpose in the unviverse that everything fell into place. Life really is random. There is joy and love as well as pain and despair just as we might expect.

  We can posit a benevolent god and his daibolical nemesis if we want but what does it add?

  We are the lucky ones. We got some time to exprience life and wonder about it.

  Of course this all makes sense on a sunny Saturday afternoon with football on the TV, but on the middle of a "Dark Night of the Soul" we naturally desire more.