Here are the letters and responses to the letters so we can have the proper context of the whole thing. --VM44
http://www.caymannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000036/003648.htm
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Thank you for the Da Vinci Code
Friday, July 7, 2006
Dear Sir:
Scorpions are fascinating creatures. I developed a keen interest in them from an early age, particularly one night after waking up to find I was nesting two such creatures under my pillow. You see these creatures crave warmth; I suppose that kind of warmth is too close for comfort.
I was ever more intrigued recently as I stepped into my bathroom to find one perched on the wall, tail coiled, poised for attack, clutched between its forceps was the fattest, slimiest cockroach, a discovery for me — up to this point I had not realised that scorpions were predators to roaches.
Locked in an enchanting (read deceptive) embrace, much like the church and the world, were these villains of “grime”.
Compelled by the desire to spare the little fellow, I soon recovered from my stupor in time to submit to my base instinct, I squashed the predator and prey beneath my slippers.
Housewives can now breathe a sigh of relief with this revelation and share on roach spray.
Dan Brown is an interesting writer, captivating millions with his novel, the “Da Vinci Code.”
He might not be a scorpion (maybe a Libran or Sagittarian) however he has managed to evoke sufficient venom, to discomfort millions of Christians the world over. Liberals and extremists are choice candidates to be blamed for the confusion and crises in our society — which end of this polarity Mr Brown occupies is left to one’s opinion.
Not since Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses has there been so much controversy in one book, as humans we have not learnt to respect other peoples’ beliefs.
Recently one converted Muslim had to flee to Italy to preserve his life. A woman pregnant with an adulterer’s child had to seek refuge in the court to avoid a flogging to death.
Real world, real situations, real people. I share in the adulation, the success and praise, which Mr Brown is receiving at this time, the exuberance despite religious outery. Brown offers intellectual respite, fulfilling academic cunosity. A literary masterpiece, his work should not be prejudiced by religious bias. His work stands alongside greats such as Renoir, Picasso, Beethoven, it is fulent at its profoundest.
In opening this hornet’s nest Brown has helped to expose some of the weaknesses of the Christian body, the failure of the leaders to disseminate sufficient information within the churches.
So many believers are at a loss for words when challenged to defend their faith, they so easily resort to quoting scriptures, this option is ineffective in winning souls or convincing naysayers.
He has brought about some amount of transparency to many groups such as Opus Dei; and the Priory of Sion. Whoever heard of the previously little known groups, produced in secrecy. His work has created an awakening, brought more relevance to Christianity.
Church leaders now have their hands full with damage control, writing books to counteract disclosures in the novel and to defend the faith.
We are unsure of Mr. Brown’s religious affiliation if any, but there are within the Christianity community groups that offer claims, which are equally as controversial as Mr. Brown’s book.
The christadelphans for an example, there is no devil. Jehovah’s witness claim Jesus is not the son of God. We remember Jim Jones down in Guyana, and more recently WACO.
Quite another group claim that there are souls in heaven waiting for bodies and that the more children we have the better for the kingdom. They also allow for men to have more
than one wife so as to fulfil this expectation.
Brown seems to have committed the unpardonable sin — because of his talent and intense research, he has managed to produce a masterpiece.
A religious thriller.
If as the devil’s pawn he has ruffled a few feathers, Christianity stands only to benefit. He has infused new life into the believers’ agenda. One principle of resolving life to dying plants, is to cut off dead branches, pruning as it is called; by this the stock sprouts new branches and is reforested.
A similar process occurs in an organism, as it tries to expel toxic substances, by this it restores life to it and changes its body equilibrium. The church should use these examples as a means of resuscitating itself. Expunging poisonous doctrines and maturing correct posture in its attempt at Christianising the world.
Mr Brown has provided ideal food for witness; alongside the bible it serves as a formidable approach to witnessing evil commit good, as the scorpion and its prey. So was Jesus married? Not in the sense as portrayed by the novel. Jesus is married to the church; the scripture describes it as a bride arrived for her husband. The rapture will see Christ referring for all believers to participate in the marriage feast.
He will arrive fast before the antichrist, the platform from which Mr. Brown laid the foundation.
If I might offer a word of consolation, it could be worse. Imagine someone writing a book about finding Moses’ grave or about the past life of Jesus or that Mary the mother of Jesus, as a promiscuous life.
So let us remain calm, and steady as we continue on this sojourn.
At least he has helped us to demonstrate our tolerance as against the intolerance of other religions. Which other religion can anyone write about in such a way without incurring the
wrath of the adherents.
That is the role of a novelist, to make fiction real, maybe the church has been filled to sleep for the glory that, reality now looks like fiction.
Christopher Sutherland
http://www.caymannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000037/003794.htm
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
You might want to straighten out the false comment
Wednesday, July 12, 2006Dear Sir:
You might want to straighten out the false comment published in the article "Thank you for the Da Vinci Code" by Christopher Sutherland. He erroneously said that "Jehovah's Witnesses claim Jesus is not the son of God."
The fact of the matter is that they are one of the few religions that truly do classify Jesus as the Son of God, rather than making Jesus, God himself. If lies like this one are not corrected, people begin believing them, and thereby bring reproach on them and also on God.
Imagine how hurt Jesus must feel, when people go around making him equal to his almighty father Jehovah God? (Philippians 2:5-6). Keep this mental attitude in you that was also in Christ Jesus, who, although he was existing in God's form, gave no consideration to a seizure, namely, that he should be equal to God.
Any Jehovah's Witness will tell you that Jesus is the Son of the Almighty God Jehovah.
Mike Trissel
http://www.caymannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000039/003943.htm
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Watch Towers teachings are convoluted
Monday, July 17, 2006Dear Sir:
As is typical of Jehovah's Witnesses (JWs), Mike Trissel failed to completely explain the WatchTower Society's teachings on the nature of Jesus Christ; probably because he himself does not understand the WatchTower's convoluted teachings.
First, the WatchTower Society teaches that humans do not have a separate soul-spirit that is the essence of an individual. Instead of the soul and spirit returning to God for assignment to paradise or Hades when the body dies (awaiting resurrection), JWs teach that humans totally cease to exist when the body dies. Instead of believing that the "resurrection" will be the future uniting of the soul and spirit with the body (as taught in the Bible), JWs teach that the "resurrection" will be a "replication" of the previously existing human; with the previously existing "thought patterns" (recorded by God) installed in a new body.
It is essential to understand the above when trying to figure out the convoluted WatchTower teachings about who is "Jesus Christ". Since the Bible plainly teaches that Jesus existed as the divine "Word of God" prior to coming to live on earth and that He returned to heaven thereafter, JWs must attempt to explain who is/was "Jesus Christ" consistent with their teaching that humans have no separate soul-spirit. Jehovah's Witnesses teach that prior to living on earth as the human named Jesus, the "Word of God" was merely an archangel named Michael.
JWs believe the "Word of God" was merely a created being like all other angels. Rather than being "divine", Michael was mortal. The only thing "special" about Michael as compared with other angels or archangels was that he just so happened to be God's first creation; with God then using Michael to carry out the rest of God's creation works. Michael was superior to other angels only via the instances of authority granted exclusively to him.
Jehovah's Witnesses teach that Jesus Christ was a 100% mortal human when here on earth. Since Jesus Christ did not have a separate spirit-soul living within his human body, then it was impossible for him to have been both the "Son of Man" and the divine "Son of God" (as taught in the Bible). JWs teach that when the human named Jesus was crucified that he completely ceased to exist.
Since Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe that the mortal human named Jesus also had a divine soul-spirit that was a continuation of his previous existence in heaven, then by necessity, the JWs must believe that Michael the Archangel completely ceased to exist while Jesus was using Michael's "thought patterns", which God had installed in the newly created human named Jesus while he existed here on earth.
When Jesus was resurrected on the third day, Jehovah's Witnesses believe that instead of being "resurrected" as "Jesus Christ" with a "glorified body", that God "replicated" him back to existing as Michael the Archangel. As a reward for not sinning against God while living on earth as a human, JWs believe that God granted Michael an "immortal" existence in heaven; though still as an angel.
Yes, all this "mess" is difficult to understand and follow, because it does not make sense. However, this is what the WatchTower Society teaches. JWs will deny much of the above, because they don't follow nor understand it themselves.
Mark Jasper
http://www.caymannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000041/004145.htm
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
No such thing as 'Watchtower' teachings
Monday, July 24, 2006Dear Sir:
When I read Mark's comments (The Watch Towers teachings are convoluted), I remember when I was not a Witness and felt the same way.
Although Mark does not have a complete view of our understanding of the Bible, I will assume he is sincere. I know I was sincere when I thought the Witnesses were a cult. Mark does not even know that there is no such thing as "Watch Tower" teachings. If he had done his research he would know that he was discussing the teachings of a religious organization called Jehovah's Witnesses, not one of their publishing corporations called the Watchtower. They are two different entities: one is religious and the other is a publishing entity.
Most Jehovah's Witnesses are not members of the Watchtower Society but they are members of a religious organ called "Jehovah's Witnesses." But Mark's error is common;
I once was part of that movement so against the Witnesses I did not even know who they were. Mark should be forgiven.
Now to the issue: I am inviting Mark to contact me and to discuss each of the issues that he has raised. I am ready.
Hal Flemings