But you then proceed to verify it, in your next post? Go look, I'll wait.
You mean, since there is a lot of speculation about what happens after death, that verifies that there is something all of us don't understand about death? I guess I see your point. But it's too strong of a statement. Some of that speculation could be correct. For example, my own speculation is that there is nothing after death. Our consciousness ends. We don't find ourselves (our spirit, or soul, or anything) in some new reality. I could be right, and if so, there is nothing of significance that I don't understand about death, as you asserted. (I say "of significance" because the physiological details, though not completely understood by me, have no bearing on the aspect of death under discussion -- whether there is "something" afterward.)
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Yes, exactly. Only I'm coming to see "too strong a statement" as "not strong enough by half." I would argue that if your consciousness just ended, you would be um, dead right, lol, but also making this verse a lie. Therefore, your consciousness does not end. Our perceptions here are the height of irrelevance, mine included, which you might note you have yet to hear.
Yes, exactly. Only I'm coming to see "too strong a statement" as "not strong enough by half." I would argue that if your consciousness just ended, you would be um, dead right, lol, but also making this verse a lie. Therefore, your consciousness does not end. Our perceptions here are the height of irrelevance, mine included, which you might note you have yet to hear.
That verse isn't necessarily a lie, if there is no consciousness after death. There could be other ways a day of someone's death is better than the day of his birth. Some people, anyway. So yeah, if the verse has to apply to everyone, I suppose it would require an afterlife of some kind. (If it's true, as it is in your opinion.)
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Well, it's in the MSS, and I've yet to find a lie in here. And, I've already taken "no consciousness..." as far as I could...
Some verses, you cannot tell if they are a lie or not. You assume they are not. Which is fine, if that's your preference.
Some verses look like lies, but again, you require them not to be. For some reason. For example, Psalm 14:1. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." You probably believe this is true, but only because you feel that you must believe it's true. If it looks like an atheist does a good thing, you have to think it isn't really a good thing. You have to believe that man's righteousness is filthy rags. You have to believe that there is none righteous, no not one.
I see no value in such beliefs, nor in trying to believe things because I am told I have to.
And by the way, there are no original MSS. They are all gone. We have only copies of copies etc.
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Some verses, you cannot tell if they are a lie or not. You assume they are not. Which is fine, if that's your preference.
Some verses look like lies, but again, you require them not to be. For some reason. For example, Psalm 14:1. "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." You probably believe this is true, but only because you feel that you must believe it's true. If it looks like an atheist does a good thing, you have to think it isn't really a good thing. You have to believe that man's righteousness is filthy rags. You have to believe that there is none righteous, no not one.
I see no value in such beliefs, nor in trying to believe things because I am told I have to.
And by the way, there are no original MSS. They are all gone. We have only copies of copies etc.
So much of that ends up being how you take it in though, I think. I believe there is none righteous, no not one, but I also believe that that is for me, alone, and I don't apply that to other people, as much as I am able, which is a little more every day. My understanding of the parable of The separation of sheep and goats leads me to believe that self-described atheists may participate in the Kingdom, and has led me to the general conclusion that the sounds that come out of one's mouth after being asked "So, what do you believe in?" are pretty much irrelevant.
I see no value in beliefs that do not edify one, and encourage anyone that holds beliefs that they are not edified by, that were handed down, to by all means toss those puppies out, they are useless to you anyway if you are not living them. You would eventually, or more likely immediately, do this in your heart anyway. The fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom, and if you end up having to toss every single thing that you have been told from the Bible, and start over, it will only bring life.
Yes, split hairs on the MSS, though, due to the multiples of witnesses, I would say. Lol, we have a veritable cloud; so many that we are able to debate the finer points, and mis-translations become glaring. If you go searching for parallels to any other work, you will find none--not if you reduce the number to a tenth, or even a hundredth the number of witnesses to the original MSS. Christ often read from a similar translation, notably with no remarks as to its validity.
So Timmy... I kind of new here... you make references to your brothers death and I am sorry to say I don't know the story... and with you having 17,000 odd posts I am probably not up for trying to research it... So give me a brief rundown if you don't mind about how you got where you are with all this and where the death of your brother fits in.
So Timmy... I kind of new here... you make references to your brothers death and I am sorry to say I don't know the story... and with you having 17,000 odd posts I am probably not up for trying to research it... So give me a brief rundown if you don't mind about how you got where you are with all this and where the death of your brother fits in.
He died of cancer in 2002, after literally hundreds of people had been praying for his healing. A few months before he died, a visiting preacher told me God told him he would be healed. This was a few years before I left the Assemblies of God, which was a few years before I left Christianity. In fact, I was still a Christian when I started posting on AFF.
His death was a factor in that, but not as big as one might think. It was just one of many factors. One of the many times things didn't work like I thought they should. Some others: I didn't have much peace or joy. I had depression. That started long before my brother's cancer, and it got worse, more frequent bouts and deeper, until I left the AG. I'd say it was 90% better, then, and is still pretty much under control. I don't think it changed much when I left Christianity. The Pentecostal world was not a good place for me!
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Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
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