Thanks TJ, thanks for your post and safe trip wish. I must say I'm so waoed by how "superstitiously" suspicious Witnesses are of everything. Remember, even the world we live in has a superstitious and violent history, but we're trying to give it an "alternative" meaning; the cloths and shoes we wear may have been produced by slave labour, yet we try to give our use of them an "alternative" essence; if you wear jewelry, their raw material may just be from some of the blood fields in Africa (if you've heard about "blood diamonds"); the greatest invention of recent history, the internet, is used by many for unspeakable immorality, superstitions and evil, yet you're using it for an alternative purpose, even creation is shrouded in superstitions, it just depends on which you choose as "good" or "bad" superstitions...these are the choices the world makes to be convenient for habitation and aspiration...Yet I must say cynical superstitions that Witnesses seem to tag to everything just make me wonder if they would not rather seek another planet that's void of such "superstitions", "pagan" practices; a "sanctimonious" world. I am a liberal and respects everybody's reasoning or belief. I also believe that the world and everything on it is absurd; we simply give the absurdity a logical commonsense, an alternative essence, reason why the world is habitable. This is my viewpoint about religion and spirituality: I believe in God and his only begotten son and in the trinity (however liberal this belief may be) and do not believe in radical and extremist religious doctrine, spirituality matters more to me ("spirituality" to me may be far from what you consider it to be). That said, I would love that you give me simple answers to the following questions:
1-Who is Jesus Christ and what does he represent to you?
2-Do you allow only some bible verses to interpret themselves to you and then you interpret other verses for the bible?
3-What happens to people after they die (sinners and righteous, if any, alike)?
Many Thanks TJ. Forgive my frankness, yet I have to be. I should be very satisfied with a direct and precise response.
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2 comments:
Hi Prince, thanks for your comments. I can understand how odd we may sound to you.
You mentioned how our views "make [you] wonder if [we] would not rather seek another planet that's void of such 'superstitions', 'pagan' practices; a 'sanctimonious' world." Essentially, yes. Not another planet, but a new 'world' here on earth. Jesus himself said this separation would be true of his followers:
“Also, I [Jesus] am no longer in the world, but they are in the world and I am coming to you. Holy Father, watch over them . . . I have given your word to them, but the world has hated them, because they are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world. I request you, not to take them out of the world, but to watch over them because of the wicked one. They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world." (John 17:11,14-16)
The early Christians adamantly refused to mix in foreign superstitions and festivities with true worship. Even the Jewish observances, from the Mosaic Law, were done away with:
"You are scrupulously observing days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that somehow I have toiled to no purpose respecting you." (Galatians 4:10-11)
We are not social reformers; we merely live in the world as ambassadors or representatives of Christ's incoming government. So while we can't put an end to all those examples you presented, we make ourselves 'no part' of them by actively participating in them. Only God's Kingdom will solve these problems fully.
It may be worth your consideration to take some time to read about how this refusal to get caught up in worldly trends has, at times, come at great cost to Witnesses, but has helped us to maintain our integrity. For example, you may find this account insightful.
I'll answer your questions in another comment. Thanks!
OK, here are your questions:
1-Who is Jesus Christ and what does he represent to you?
Jesus is the promised Messiah, the Son of God. (Mat. 16:15-17) He was the first and only direct creation by God, everything else having been created through him. (Prov. 8:22-31; Col. 1:15; Rev. 3:14; 1 Cor. 8:6) As king of God's Kingdom, he "will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms" now on earth in the battle called Armageddon. (Dan. 2:44) Then he will restore humankind, and the earth, to God's original purpose, at that time returning full sovereignty to his God and Father. (1 Cor. 15:24)
2-Do you allow only some bible verses to interpret themselves to you and then you interpret other verses for the bible?
Our standard is to allow the Bible to interpret the Bible wherever possible. For example, the book of Revelation, which uses many symbols and metaphors, promises that under God's Kingdom rule there would be "a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more." (Rev. 21:1) Is there really going to be no water on the earth?
The prophet Isaiah earlier made this insightful comparison: "But the wicked are like the sea that is being tossed, when it is unable to calm down, the waters of which keep tossing up seaweed and mire." (Isaiah 57:20) This view of the meaning of "the sea" for Revelation is then confirmed by the promise David was inspired to make of that time: "And just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more . . . But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth." (Psalm 37:10-11) This, of course, is the new world that we look forward to that I mentioned in my previous post.
If you feel that we interpret certain verses "for the Bible", I'd be happy to take a look at them.
3-What happens to people after they die (sinners and righteous, if any, alike)?
They're dead, which means dead. They are not alive somewhere else in some other form. The Bible says, "the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all." (Eccl. 9:5) It is simply a state of non-existence.
This is the whole point of the coming resurrection that Jesus preached. It means that people will again have a chance at life. It has been promised that "there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous." (Acts 24:15) Though, the Bible does acknowledge not everyone will be resurrected, and some who are will again lose their right to life through their own disobedience, like Adam.
I hope those were direct enough answers. I'd be happy to clarify or explain more fully any of these answers.
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