FunkyDerek:
Sorry for the delay in replying, but a family member went into I.C.U. yesterday and things have been a little hectic. Now, getting back to your post:
I need to preface this with a couple of my thoughts and opinions. First, when I used to get in discussions with my JW friend, they would always ask "Where is that in the Bible"? which, for the the most part I would have to do some research. One day we were debating several things out of the Bible and each of us were coming back with seemingly contridictoring scriptures, when I just blurted out, "You know, when it comes to scriptures, if I have to pick and choose between what the Apostles said and what Christ said and did, I could care less what Peter and Paul's opinions were....I will always take the example of Christ. He accepted everyone and tried to show them the better way. He never shunned, and even carried on conversations with woman (a big no no back then). Of all the scriptures, his example and words are profoundly of more value and for me and superscede any others." Of course, typical of my JW friend, they went off not speaking to me for a couple of days, which I could never understand until I came to this board.
Secondly, one of my favorite scriptures is the last verse in the book of John - "And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen." For me, this is one of the biggest clues as to the "is the Bible true or not" issue...but that is for another post.
NOW, one of the major themes of the Bible undoubtably is FAMILY. From Adam and Eve, through the promises given to Abraham and his descendents....Issac, Jacob, and his 12 sons that would establish "Israel" , Ruth and her mother-in-law, David, Solomon, and even going beyond Joseph, Mary and Jesus...etc.,etc., etc. all proclaim FAMILY. (Heck, you could fall asleep just trying to read the geneologies with all the begatting.) Since another major theme of the Bible is that of the Messiah and his mission of the atonement, common sense would indicate that our eternal future and happiness wasn't meant to be spent alone, but with those that we love and those who walked this mortal plane with us.
I don't think I can point to a certain scripture and say it says here that "God is Pro-family and wants all of us to be together after this life"...but who's to say that wasn't said, seeing that we only have the 'tip' of the iceberg, so to speak, of what was said and done. I can point to an incident from the scriptures that is also one of my favorites that is very inciteful - I believe it is in Luke. It's the story of the Widow of Nain... Jesus was walking with His disciples outside of this city and crossing his path was a funeral procession. There is no indication that anyone even knew who He was. Reading the story you can feel the compassion He had as a distant observer for a mother and widow, as her only son was being carried to his final resting place. Witnessing this heart renching scene, and without even being asked, He went over and restored this young man's life to his mother. Every other miracle story the Savior is being asked to do this and do that - in this one he felt compelled to act out of total compassion.
I once told my JW friend, who wanted me to "prove" everything with scripture, "the Bible is a great way to begin to know about God, but it's only one source of revelation...it only teaches you 'intellectually'...other sources of revelation (prayer, life experience, etc) is where you begin to know God.