Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
You didn't answer any of my questions, then tell me I am creating a "false choice set." Okaaaaaaaay!
|
I've been thinking of how to communicate more clearly. What I keep coming back to is logic. It's how we make sense of the world, largely (we also use feelings, which create values). Logic is how we assign meanings to words and phrases, which meanings then preclude others. If I'm riding a horse, by definition I'm not riding a camel. Each action by definition and common understanding forbids the existence of others.
Likewise, if a jury is told that I was seen by multiple witnesses riding in a sailboat in the park at 3:15 pm, they won't convict me of robbing a bank at the same time, because the one act precludes the other. All these are common, well-understood aspects of human existence. It's how we got to be who we are - it's the foundation of how all our thoughts got constructed.
On this thread, original poster 'Unreg' was citing Athanasius that everlasting life meant to become God, and 'Trapped' was saying not necessarily so, and I chimed in: my comment was that the word life had various meanings in WL's oeuvre, which meanings were often unreconciled, and even in direct contradiction, and these conflicts were plain to see, and that the contradictions typically were never addressed. Instead, church meetings were thought-less cheerleading sessions. So to me, looking back, the whole LC experience became a make-believe built on WL's words, which words meant whatever he needed them to mean at any moment, never mind that the logic of his constructs hopelessly conflicted with other statements.
I gave an example: in the
RecV there's a footnote that says that the 'ethnon' getting healed by the leaves of the tree of life are unbelieving gentiles who help the persecuted Jews and the Christians in the Great Tribulation. They live forever, but don't have eternal life. I remarked that this is nonsensical. If you live forever, by definition you have eternal life. Then I was told by 'Ohio', don't so quickly dismiss Lee's teachings here, because he got them from reputable scholars whose books were widely published. So I read one of those books, which said, those who are healed by the leaves of the tree of life are mortals, not immortal, yet they enjoy perpetual health.
Again, my comment was that this was nonsensical - the word 'mortal' has a root 'mort' which means death. To be mortal is by definition to experience death, or to die. There's simply no such thing as a perpetual mortal. This is nonsensical. I hope that this is more plainly put than the first time.
Now, I'd like to conclude by making three related points. First, I don't need to go on the internet, and read about Timothy Lee and the World's Fair of 1962, or Daystar ten years later. I can see in the published footnotes of Living Stream Ministry the errors that Lee's logic led him to. His entire mental construct was built on some sort of grainy sand, and I as Christian shouldn't come under its influence.
Second, that everyone can read this footnote, and no one points it out, shows that there's in fact some undue influence here. People are probably cowed, scared to talk about what's right in front of them. Surely I'm not the first to notice this glaring discrepancy! To some extent, there may be cultural influence, as the Chinese don't speak ill of top leadership, even when they're clearly wrong. But I think that this transcends culture, and over-rides clear NT direction, and permeates and pollutes everything. It creates its own culture: "Don't speak. Don't notice. Don't think."
Last, that if one points out the obvious, and gets labeled "negative" or "rebellious" or "full of hatred, finger pointing and blaming" then this confirms the suspicion that mind control techniques are indeed at work. This response is deflection, a go-to tool of cults and abusers.
Now, some points made in the past several thousands of posts were perhaps laced with bitterness, with unresolved childhood issues, with insinuations and innuendos and veiled and not-so-veiled judgments against others. Not demonstrations of love but a kind of haughtiness and sneering. And for that I do apologize. I'm working out my issues as well, sometimes kind of publicly, and for that I repent. The Lord taught us to pray, "Forgive us our trespasses, even as we forgive others their trespasses against us." Grace, peace, and truth be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.