Bolshevik

Christ left, ascended, transfigured, flew off on a magic cloud for a reason, so The Comforter would come. Why? I dunno. The disciples staring up into the sky makes me think they were feeling a loss. Sounds like they enjoyed his presence. An angel had to nudge them to keep going. 10 days later something, or someone else, was sent. Here's Jesus, then take him away, now here's The Comforter. What's happening here? The Comforter takes the place of The Absent Christ? No, people still want Jesus back. The Comforter is an interesting name. Comforting what? Who? How? Why?

I think of when people stopped going to fellowship after years of going. How much time was given to wonder what happened? I remember direction to feel hurt, by their betrayal. Not their absence. If a loved one died? They're just sleeping. Carry on. Some people never feel the presence of others. And that makes the sting of absence impossible for them to feel. To feel the void is to feel existential pain, wouldn't that be? Ideology is often used to fill a void. The busywork of "the ministry" and the intellectual farce of "the word" numbs self awareness, and the acknowledgement of the void.

Fahrenheit 451?

Thanks for the response, Charity. I get the idea, or at least I see supported, TWI promised relief from some other condition that was present. Do you think the "The Absent Christ" phrase conjures up some sort of longing in people's minds?

I received a hand written letter in the mail from a Jehovah's Witness yesterday. Apparently my new pen pal lives across town. I don't even know any Jehovah's Witnesses. But they know me . . .

Maybe. I'm curious about the relationship people have with Christ. Wouldn't he warn them away from Fellowship in the first place?

If Jesus is not absent, why direct people into The Way International?

The counterculture, the anti-nuclear-family stance? A wife with numerous partners. Each man needs to reduce his self worth. The reasoning sounds the same.

The thread is specifically about The Word of God is The Will of God and how the turn of phrase is deception. I'm not and nobody here is claiming to know exactly what God's will is, but this phrase certainly puts VPW in the driver's seat, assuming one accepts it at face value. Sooner or later VPW's behavior as a sexual predator usually comes up, and phrases went along with it. It is important to touch on this aspect of him. I feel I've heard his phrases other places, though. He is a known plagiarizist. That's one idea. Now a lies are lies, and twisted minds think alike. So there's that too. Using "love" and associating it with what is usually unacceptable behavior is something I seem to be recognizing more of. "Love of God in manifestion in the renewed mind in the household. . . ." Love associated with gibberish, then that gibberish can be associated somewhere else (if A=B and B=C then A=C) It's as if some think "love" is a magic word that can make others do whatever they want.

Let me be clear, Victor Paul Wierwille deserved to have his skin slowly peeled from his entire body. Nothing VPW did hasn't not been done before, and will be repeated many times into the future. On one hand we have Victor Paul Wierwille, descriptions of his sexual behavior are very limited. He was not known for creativity. He lied to people and used language to equate one term with another to get people to act against their better judgement and self-interest. Among these ideas was to confuse serving God and loving others with language that resulted in others allowing themselves to be used for sex and acquiring resources. anything unclear or left out here?

I think the phrase "anything done with love of God is okay" . . . that's the basic reasoning . . . a person does as they please because it's all about love and when you listen carefully the other party has to reduce themselves, because love is limited and comes from a dispenser, so they begin to associate abuse with love . . . and reality is distorted . . . good is evil and evil is good . . . pain is happiness and happiness is pain . . . and you end up with a number of people taking care of one central person

*scratches scalp*

Victor Paul Wierwille did not invent evil. He was just a vector for it. He could have easily borrowed from the thinking of the 1960s. Free love with no cost? I don't see the difference between VPW's logic and what I have been referring to. They are one in the same. I think sociopathic is one of terms used. Narcissistic is another.

20 years ago it was called the "hoe phase" . . . later it's the carousel.

I read that and I know VPW was being a criminal pervert. I also hear in that an idea that is prevalent today . . . young women are taught by each other to take on as many men as possible at a young age . . . does that benefit themselves, or someone else? . . . Did VPW plagiarize this idea?

Yeah I'll jump between TWI meanings and my understanding of Christianity meanings. The Bible is also basis of basis of culture. Yes "The Word" in TWI was diversion tactic by VPW. TWI emphasized Christ as "just a man" . . . The phrase in the wikipedia link above . . . The real problem is the fact that Jesus is both present and absent,[42] an ambiguity which points to a "something more" Victor Paul Wierwille gave answers to "apparent contradictions" . . . handing out an easy button in removing ambiguity, paradox, mystery. And making himself out to be a great one. Perhaps we need ambiguity? Perhaps paradox drives thoughts and actions forward? To think and do things that would otherwise not occur to us?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_of_Jesus

Mike's apparent anger toward Christ and emphasis on obedience . . . that's Wayworld . . . that's the annihilation of the individual

Aside from Christianity, Our culture emphasizes the existence of the individual and free speech. Which we may take for granted. (Jung argues Christ is a symbol of the self) . . . There's a discussion in there of the role of Christianity and the development of these concepts . . . VPW obviously would need each person to squash that understanding of ourselves

No need to apologize, Dude. I'm emphasizing . . . The Bible itself is not Christianity . . . If all the Bibles disappeared from Earth would Christians suddenly forget what they are about? Transfiguration . . . yeah not a word they use

I didn't say you did. The thread is about the absent Christ, which the Word takes the place of. In TWI The Word is The Bible. There's multiple canons out there. Which one is it would be a remark to TWI. Bible worship precedes VPW. But Christianity is at least hundreds of years older than all versions of The Bible. Christ ascended, assumption, in a cloud which is a common symbolism 2000 years ago, which people back then would have understood. Heaven is not outer space. There's refence in the Bible to be absent from the body, which means we died. But the dead are not alive in TWI. Then there's the Trinity. Christ is a man and God. He is both. He is absent and present. He is absent as a Man, present as a God?

Nice, a lot to digest here. Yeah my statement was brief and the best I understood, it's incomplete. Mathew 6 is a good example, it could be read by a Wayfer in light of The Law of Believing, and thus expect results. Or . . . The point is seek ye first The Kingdom of God . . . there's one central point . . . one main goal . . . after which all other decisions flow. Focusing exclusively each day on what to eat isn't much of a life, is it? But you will still need to make decisions about what to eat, it's just not the central theme of the day.

I sense a spiritual anger . . . lovy-dovy Jesus is an issue . . . interfering with obedience?

. . . I haven't known myself for 47 years . . yet …after 47 years of marriage I think I’ve demystified how marriage works. . . . One hard lesson might be is not to try to understand all of it. If you touch a bubble it pops. Smell the flowers don't pick them. Or demystifying things isn't always to everyone's advantage.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascension_of_Jesus Clouds! Symbolism! Clouds!