Faith & Spirituality Journal (2019)

Selection of entries from the journals of Miguel Angel Torres, edited by Emmanuel Goldstein:

February 10, 2019

Found myself in agreement and learned something new during the Jehovah Witness meeting this morning. It concerns the scripture at Luke 23:43 which describes the final part of the conversation between Jesus and thieve who believed. In the Study Bible and NWT it reads “And he said to him: Truly I tell you today, you will be with me in paradise”. In the KJV it reads: “And Jesus said unto him: verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with me in paradise”. The exegetical issue at hand is what Jesus meant. Did He mean that the thieve would be with Him in paradise that same day? It depends on how one places the comma in the sentence, either before or after the word “today”. The Jehovah Witnesses argue in favor of the after. They argue that Jesus could not have meant the same day because after His death He would be buried for three days and then be resurrected. The logic is flawless and convincing. I find myself in agreement with the Witnesses on this point. This means that there is a fatal contradiction at the root of Christendoms theology when it comes to the exegesis of this passage.

I am still inclined to believe that Jesus was executed on a cross and not nailed to a torture stake, but that is a separate issue.

March 6, 2019

Read the Acts of Paul and Thecla. In particular the Beatitudes of Paul. Thecla's story is one of many in the Apocryphal Acts which portray women giving up riches and sexual activity to follow the Apostles. She is an aristocratic woman who, despite great opposition, upon hearing the preaching of Paul, renounces her family and fiance to follow him. She eventually becomes a missionary and lives out her life teaching the Gospel. It is a very fundamentalist document; it advocates Celibacy (abstinence from marriage), Chastity (abstinence from sex) and finally Encratism (abstinence from sexual activity within marriage). This radical rejection of sex was in reaction to the rampant sexual immorality in the pagan Greek and Roman world. By the standards of this version of Acts the Jehovah Witnesses are permissive. The book also relates the various tortures early Christians had to endure under persecution. Thecla escapes being burned at the stake and being devoured by wild beasts at the arena through the miraculous intervention of Jesus. She also baptizes herself. The Virgin Thecla lives out the rest of her days as a hermit healing the sick and expelling demons and evil spirits. In the end Jesus takes her. At times the book reminded me of the story of Daniel in the lions den and also of the Acts of Thomas which also advocates Encratic ideas. But I can see why although it was a popular story, the book was not included in the New Testament canon. If the Roman Christian polity had become Encratist; sexual reproduction would have ceased and society would fallen apart. The orthodox compromise was to allow sexual activity only within the context of heterosexual marriage. In the Catholic Church only priests and monks where required to be celibate and chaste. Among Jehovah Witnesses sexual activity is only permitted in context of a heterosexual marriage, but oral and anal sex are prohibited. The Protestant Reformation after Luther allowed for the marriage of pastors. Personally I agree with the Metropolitan Community Church, I do not find sexual expression (Gay, Bisexual or Heterosexual) to be inherently evil, as long as it is effectively consensual and among adults.

The Beatitudes of Paul:

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are they who keep their flesh undefiled, for they shall be the temple of God.

Blessed are the temperate, for God will reveal himself to them.

Blessed are they that abandon their secular enjoyments, for they shall be accepted of God.

Blessed are they who have wives, as though they had them not, for they shall be made angels

of God.

Blessed are they who tremble at the word of God, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are they who keep their baptism pure, for they shall find peace with the Father, Son,

and Holy Spirit.

Blessed are they who pursue the doctrine of Jesus Christ, for they shall be called the sons of

the Most High.

Blessed are they who observe the instructions of Jesus Christ, for they shall dwell in eternal

light.

Blessed are they, who for the love of Christ abandon the glories of the world, for they shall

judge angels, and be placed at the right hand of Christ, and shall not suffer the bitterness of

the last judgment.

Blessed are the bodies and souls of virgins, for they are acceptable to God and shall not lose

the reward of their virginity, for the word of their Father shall prove effectual to their

salvation in the day of his Son, and they shall enjoy rest forevermore.

March 7, 2019

Read up on Encratism in Wikipedia. The term comes from the Greek and means “self controlled”. Advocates of Encratism abstained from sexual activity, marriage and consumption of meat. They believed that sexuality was created by the Devil. It was a doctrine popular in the second century AD. It was declared heretical in the early church. Eventually Encratism became mixed up with Gnosticism and Docetism. The Acts of Paul and Thecla and the Acts of Thomas both promote Encratic views. These books were popular in the early centuries of Christianity, specially in the east; notably in Syria. The Acts of Thomas was declared heretical by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent. Like I wrote before; I do not find sexual expression (Gay, Bisexual or Heterosexual) to be inherently evil, as long as it is consensual and among adults. I do not agree with Encratism because in the Book of Genesis, God told Adam and Eve at the Garden of Eden to be fruitful and multiply, obviously implying the precondition of sexual union for their procreation. According to the Book of Genesis, God designed and created the male and female sexual organs. My hypothesis is that Encratism was popular in the Greco-Roman polity in the early years of Christianity because it was a radical way to differentiate Christians from the rampant sexuality of paganism.

March 8, 2019

Read The Shepherd of Hermas. A book of visions, mandates and complex parables. The Lord is God and The Son of God is His beloved. The only basis for divorce is adultery, and those who marry after divorce, even on grounds of adultery, commit adultery. The divorced must be chaste and celibate for the rest of their lives. The baptized Christian who sins after baptism can not be saved.

The Church is a stone tower and there is no salvation possible outside of it. Salvation comes from constant fasting, prayer and confession of sin. A tormentor angel punishes the sinful while unrepentant. Sin is purged through repentance and enduring torment. Because of original sin we are all inclined to sinful behavior and it is therefore necessary to constantly confess sin and/or endure torment for it. Works are necessary to positively demonstrate adherence to Christian values. Adherence to the message of the Son of God is the only way to reconcile with The Father. The book dates from the late first half of the second century AD. It was a popular book among Christians in the second and third centuries. It was considered canonical by early Church fathers including Iraneus. It was part of the Codex Siniaticus and Codex Claromontanus; listed after the Acts of the Apostles. It was not included in the New Testament list of Athanasius in 365 AD because it suggested and encouraged Montanistic (Pentecostal visions) and Docetic (Jesus as only divine and only apparently human) views.

March 9, 2019

(9:44 Hrs.)

Read The Apocalypse of Peter, an early Christian text of the second century, and the third letter of Paul to the Corinthians (considered to be pseudoepigraphical). Both are part of the New Testament apocrypha. The Apocalypse of Peter offers a detailed version of hell. Hell is a place where tormentor angels torture the wicked. The Apocalypse condemns homosexuality, abortion, blasphemy, adultery and usury. It graphically illustrates the tortures the condemned have to endure for eternity. The third letter of Paul to the Corinthians (which is considered canonical by some Eastern Churches, notably the Syriac) condemns those who deny the resurrection of the flesh and who those who advocate docetic doctrines, namely that Jesus did not suffer on the cross but only appeared to do so.

(12:00 hrs)

Read The Gospel According to Phillip. A Gnostic text from the third century. The Gospel according to Phillip defends the tradition that Jesus gave Mary Magdalene special insight into His teachings. The Greek manuscript describes Mary Magdalene as “koinonos”, meaning “companion”. This may or may not imply a romantic or sexual relationship. The Gospel emphasizes the sacraments of baptism, chrism (unction), and marriage. It explains the meaning of the mystery of the Bridal Chamber. Marriage is conceived akin to spiritual union and is described as indissoluble.

“The Lord did everything in a mystery, a baptism and a chrism and a Eucharist and a redemption and a bridal chamber”

“And the companion of the […] Mary Magdalene [...loved] her more than [all] the disciples [and used to] kiss her [often] on her [...]”

Due to its Gnostic content, The Gospel According to Phillip is considered non-canonical, apocryphal and heretical by the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Churches.

April 20, 2019

Where I currently stand in terms of Theology:

1. Points of agreement with Jehovah Witnesses:

• I believe in one God. The God of Abraham and Moses.

• I believe that Jesus was the Son of God, the Messiah and that He was resurrected and lives.

• I agree that the Trinity doctrine is false.

• I agree that The Father is greater than The Son.

• Jesus is not God. He was a perfect man who never sinned.

• The Holy Spirit is not a person, rather it is the dynamic power of God in action.

• Astrology denies Free Will.

• The penalty for sin is death, not hellfire.

• The dead are preserved in God's memory until the resurrection.

• Jesus was not born on December 25th, rather it is likely that He was born in October. The

actual date of His birth can not be precisely defined.

2. Points of disagreement with Jehovah Witnesses:

• 607 BCE. I agree with the consensus view among secular historians and archaeologists that

the date of Jerusalem's fall to the Babylonians took place in 586-87 BCE. Therefore I doubt

the teaching that Jesus returned in 1914 and then chose the Bible Students as the true

religion in 1919.

• The word “Jehovah”. The term is an English word coined in the 13th century. Jesus never

used the word “Jehovah” because it did not exist in the Aramaic or Hebrew vocabulary of

His times. A more probable hypothesis is that the correct pronunciation for YHVH is

“Yahweh”; but the actual pronunciation is lost to history.

• 1975. This incident proves that Jehovah Witnesses have engaged in false prophesy in the

past. It calls into question the notion that Armageddon is imminent and near.

• I disagree with the Jehovah Witness practice of shunning disassociated persons. The

Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 18) and well as the European Convention

of Human Rights (Article 9) guarantees the right of all individuals to leave any religion or to

change religions.

• I do not believe in the historical existence of Adam, Eve and Noah. I do not believe that

the Garden of Eden ever existed. I do not believe the Noachian flood ever happened.

Because I do not believe that Adam and Eve existed I do not believe in the doctrine of

original sin. I believe that I am only responsible for the sins I have committed and that the

penalty for sin is death.

• The Book of Daniel was not written by Daniel . The Book was written as a compilation by

successive groups of scribes over a period of two or thee centuries. This is the consensus

among Biblical scholars. Many of the so-called prophesies in the book where written after

the events took place.

• God influenced the process of evolution to create humanity. I agree with the scientific

community consensus that evolution is a fact. Personally I believe that God created

evolution.

3. Issues where I am undecided:

• Hell might exist.

• The immortality of the soul is a possibility.

• Reincarnation is a possibility.

• The dead might be conscious while in context of dwelling in God's memory.

***

ANSWERING HONESTLY TO THE QUESTIONS FOR UNBAPTIZED PUBLISHER

QUALIFICATION:

• He believes that the Bible is the inspired Word of God.—2 Tim. 3:16.

I believe that the Bible is a book written by men that has God as a subject. The men who wrote it may or may not have been inspired. Mormons claim that the Book of Mormon is inspired, Muslims claim that the Koran is inspired. Every religion claims that its holy scriptures are inspired. Not all Christians recognize the Jehovah Witness New World Translation of the Bible as faithful. However, I agree that the Jehovah Witness faith relies on the New World Translation of the Bible as its standard for judging right from wrong. I understand that in order to belong to the Jehovah Witness community I must adhere to this standard. I have no problem with submitting.

• He knows and believes the basic teachings of the Scriptures so that when asked questions, he will answer in harmony with the Bible and not according to false religious teachings or his own ideas.—Matt. 7:21-23; 2 Tim. 2:15.

I am familiar with Jehovah Witness theology. I am capable of answering questions about Jehovah Witness beliefs in context of public witnessing as the ocassion might arise.

• He is heeding the Bible’s command to associate with Jehovah’s people at congregation meetings if he is able to do so.—Ps. 122:1; Heb. 10:24, 25.

I attend Jehovah Witness meeting twice a week regularly and have associated weekly with Jehovah Witnesses for the past five years (as of April 2019).

• He knows what the Bible teaches about sexual immorality, including adultery, polygamy, and homosexuality, and is living in harmony with those teachings. If the person is living with one of the opposite sex who is not a relative, the two must be properly married.—Matt. 19:9; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Heb. 13:4.

Although I am a Gay Man, I have not had homosexual sex encounters since June of 2013. Since that time I have been celibate and chaste. I know that joining the Jehovah Witnesses implies that I can not engage in homosexual sex hencefort. I am willing to abide by that.

• He is heeding the Bible’s prohibition against drunkenness and is free from all nonmedical use of addictive or mind-altering natural or synthetic substances.—2 Cor. 7:1; Eph. 5:18; 1 Pet. 4:3, 4.

I am XXX. That means that I am free of addiction to alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. I quit smoking tobacco for good on April 4, 2019. One month prior to the interview.

• He sees the value of avoiding unwholesome association.—1 Cor. 15:33.

My best friends are Jehovah Witnesses. I am not associated with anyone who is alcohol or drug addicted. I am not associated with the Gay scene.

• He has definitely broken off membership in all false religious organizations with which he may have been affiliated. He has ceased attending their services and sharing in or supporting their activities.—2 Cor. 6:14-18; Rev. 18:4.

I have prioritized attendance to Jehovah Witness meetings above those at LK. Although I was raised Catholic and was involved with the Pentecostal Movement between 2006 and 2013; I have no association with either the Catholic or Pentecostal Churches. I have not attended Pentecostal services in several years. I keep my involvement with LK at a minimum required to keep my rental agreement with them.

• He is free from all involvement in the political affairs of the world.—John 6:15; 15:19; Jas.1:27.

Although I am partial to the politics of Revolutinary Socialism; I am not involved with any form of political activism or retain membership in any Socialist or Anarchist organization or collective.

• He believes and lives in harmony with what Isaiah 2:4 says about the affairs of the nations.

I am not involved in any form of government work or hold elected or appointed public office of any kind.

• He really wants to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.—Ps. 110:3.

To become a Baptized member of Jehovah Witnesses is my goal.

***

DEDICATION PRAYER

Drafted: May 15, 2019

Recited: July 19, 2019

”Supreme God who sent Jesus Christ, I approach you now in prayer in order to make a personal dedication to serving your purpose by means of furthering the ministry begun by Jesus Christ. Although there are many Christian denominations, I have chosen Jehovah Witnesses as the denomination within which I have decided to perform my service to your cause. The Jehovah Witnesses are an imperfect organization made up of imperfect men and women, but I believe their hearts and intentions are in the right place. I ask that you send the Holy Spirit to help me and to inspire me as I perform my service with the Jehovah Witnesses. I ask in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, AMEN.”

***

JEHOVAH WITNESS BAPTISM

September 22, 2019

It is done. Now it is official. I am now Brother Torres. Today I was baptized by immersion as one of the Jehovah Witnesses. It took place in context of the circuit assembly “Love Builds Up”. There where one thousand people in attendance and seven baptismal candidates. Six males (including young man in his 20’s and a young boy of 13) and one female. For the actual baptism we went to a nearby hotel, it took place in a Jacuzzi. Today is a turning point and milestone in my life. I will be living differently. Now I must live according to rules and regulations. I must be very careful. Definitely I will fade away from LK quietly, without hurting their feelings. I am glad I quit smoking for good. Now I am an established non-smoker after five and a half months. Many people from the Karlstad South congregation congratulated me today. For the first time Alf addressed me a “Brother Torres” when we said goodbye today. Alf and Susanne both took photos of the baptism, so I will be able to upload them to an album on Google Photos. I studied with Alf for FIVE YEARS. It took me that long to finally take the plunge. But this is it. I plan to make Jehovah Witnesses my exoteric religion for good. Esoterically I will still (secretly) read Tarot and the revolutionary socialist press. I will still (secretly) keep up to date with the Ex-JW community, but only as a lurker. Now I am actually a PIMO.

***

One Year After Baptism >>>  https://christiananarchistheretic.blogspot.com/p/pimo-2020.html

***

(C) Miguel Angel Torres, Emmanuel Goldstein. 

Faith & Spirituality Journal (2018)

Selection of entries from the journals of Miguel Angel Torres, edited by Emmanuel Goldstein:

January 1, 2018

There are a number of issues I have been thinking about in view of recent dreams. In specific, the issue of what my beliefs are and what my practices will be, concretely and honestly, as I seek to join Jehovah Witnesses. In further entries I will seek to clarify myself, but I will begin with the issue of the immortality of the soul.

Jehovah Witnesses teach that ''at death a person ceases to exist''; they base this teaching on “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.'' from Ezekiel 18:4. It is one of the basic teachings of Charles Taze Rusell. Since we are all guilty of both original sin and personal sins we are destined to die; because the penalty for sin is death.

Furthermore they teach that ''The Hebrew word ne′phesh, translated “soul,” means ‘a creature that breathes.’ When God created the first man, Adam, He did not infuse into him an immortal soul but the life force that is maintained by breathing. Therefore, “soul” in the Biblical sense refers to the entire living being.'' Thus the Witnesses deny that being is a dual construct of separate physical and spiritual components. They maintain that this idea of duality is derived from pagan Greek philosophy and ancient Egyptian beliefs.

While I understand the Biblical and semantic logic of Jehovah Witness argumentation; I am inclined to keep an open mind and believe that something akin to the immortality of the soul or at least the survival of some form of consciousness after death might be a possibility. First, there is the point made by Rene Descartes in his ''cogito ergo sum'' statement that there is indeed a duality present between the physical body and metaphysical consciousness. All thought is non-physical, yet it exists. Descartes identified the mind with consciousness and self-awareness and distinguished it from the brain as the seat of intelligence.

Among the many philosophical arguments for dualism, I find the measurement argument most compelling. The brain (as a physical entity) can be measured using physical measurement instruments, yet humans possess mental qualities (thoughts, free will, desires and sensations), that can not be measured by physical measurement instruments. Therefore humans are more than just physical beings because there is a physically immeasurable dimension to our beings. This ''physically immeasurable dimension'' may or may not be a soul; but it is possible that it survives physical death in some form. Second, there is the testimony from Near Death Experience studies. Thousands of people worldwide have reported NDE's. The documentation provided by Near Death Experience studies that there might be Life After Death and that consciousness might survive the death of the biological brain is important. The transcendental (or survivalist) interpretation of the NDE phenomena contends that the experience is exactly what it appears to be to the persons having the experience. According to this interpretation, consciousness can become separated from the brain under certain conditions and glimpse a spiritual metaphysical realm. Third, a scientific approach suggesting survival is associated with the hypothesis of Orchestrated

Objective Reduction, which states that consciousness manifests in living things through quantum micro-tubules in the brain and that consciousness is actually a non-local property. According to this hypothesis consciousness in the brain originates from processes inside neurons, rather than from connections between neurons (the conventional view). According to this hypothesis, consciousness might survive the death of the brain through the processes of quantum superimposition and quantum entanglement.

I have decided that while a member of the Jehovah Witness community I will publicly and in context of the congregation uphold their teachings on the matter of the immortality of the soul, but privately and secretly I will keep an open mind.

January 26, 2018

Points of agreement: I agree with Jehovah Witnesses that Jesus is not the same person as God. That The Father is greater than The Son. I agree that the doctrine of the Trinity is false. I agree that astrology is premised upon a denial of human free will, a quality which I believe is God given. I agree that Jesus was not born on December 25th.

Points of disagreement: I do not believe that Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 607 BCE (I agree with the consensus view of most scholars that the event took place in 586 or 587 BCE). I do not believe that Jesus returned invisibly in 1914. I do not believe that Jesus chose the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania as the true religion in 1919. I do not believe that Jesus is the same person as the Archangel Michael. I do not believe that Jesus was nailed to a ''torture stake'', I believe (along with the majority of historians) that He was crucified. I do not believe that Adam and Eve existed historically. I do not believe that Noah existed or that the global flood was an historical event. I do not believe that ''Daniel the prophet'' wrote the Book of Daniel. I doubt that Daniel existed historically. I do not believe that God's name is ''Jehovah''. On the issue of the immortality of the soul and on the issue of the existence of hell I keep an open mind. I neither agree nor disagree with Jehovah Witnesses. I maintain that it is possible that an aspect of consciousness might survive the death of the biological body and brain. It is possible that this information is stored in Gods memory awaiting resurrection. It is possible that we are awake while existing in the context of Gods memory. It is also possible that a hell type realm might exist. At least 20 percent of subjects who have experienced NDE's report having had distressing hell type experiences where they have visited or viewed dark and depressing areas or are accosted by what seem to be hostile or opposition forces or presences. Jesus Himself referred to hell several times.

February 25, 2018

My Compromise:

1. There is ultimately an absolute truth out there.

2. Only God knows what the absolute truth is.

3. Jehovah’s Witnesses are an imperfect organization made up of imperfect

men and their theology is consequently imperfect.

4. But the Jehovah’s Witnesses truth is closer to the ultimate truth of God than are the versions of truth associated with the Churches of Christendom.

5. Therefore, I choose to follow the Jehovah’s Witnesses, for lack of anything better or more perfect.

March 4, 2018

I have been meditating on the issue of works and faith. The Bible is quite clear that works must complement faith in order to attain salvation (which objectively means being remembered in God’s memory after death). Salvation comes from Grace by means of Faith AND Works. So Luther and Calvin where wrong on this issue. They maintained that salvation comes from Grace through Faith only.

“Wisdom is proved righteous by its works” - Matthew 11:9

“So, too, faith by itself, without works, is dead” - James 2:17

The question is then what should be the content of our works. First of all we must be merciful and forgiving, second we must look for opportunities to help others (like in the parable of the Good Samaritan), and third we must evangelize (for me this means eventually participating in field service with Jehovah Witnesses).

There is also the issue of prayer:

The model prayer was enunciated by Jesus in the “Our Father”. The prayer must be addressed to God (The Father) in the name of Jesus Christ (The Son). But the prayer must also be humble, since we are seeking God’s Grace.

Luke 18:10-14 (21st Century King James version)

10: “Two men went up into the Temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.”

11: “The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank thee that I am not as other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.”

12: “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess’.”

13: “And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!”

14: “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other; for everyone that exaltheth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”

Faith is still fundamental to Works:

Hebrews 11:27

“By Faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the King: for he endured as

seeing Him who is invisible”.

March 19, 2018

Matthew 6:25-34 (NWT)

“25 On this account I say to you: Stop being anxious about your lives; as to what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you will wear. Does not life mean more than food and the body than clothing? 26 Observe intently the birds of heaven; they do not sow seed or reap or gather

into store houses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? 27 Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span? 28 Also, why are you anxious about clothing? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin; 29 but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30 Now if this is how

God clothes the vegetation of the field that is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe you, you with little faith? 31 So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to wear?’ 32 For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 “Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you. 34 So never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own troubles.”

March 20, 2018

Now I am beginning to understand that my approach to the situation with Jehovah Witneses is metamodernistic in nature. “The term metamodernism was introduced as an intervention in the postpostmodernism debate by the cultural theorists Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker in 2010. In their article 'Notes on metamodernism' they assert that the 2000s are characterized by the return of typically modern positions without altogether forfeiting the postmodern mindsets of the 1990s and 1980s. The prefix 'meta' here refers not to some reflective stance or repeated rumination, but to Plato's metaxy, which intends a movement between opposite poles as well as beyond.” - Wikipedia, Metamodernism.

I oscillate between the Jehovah Witness congregation and the Ex-JW community on Facebook and YouTube. Between LK (Liberal post-Lutheranism) and JW (Fundamentalist Restorationism). Between Revolutinary Socialist Marxist-Trotskyism and the Moral and Aesthetic conservatism of the JW’s. The Jehovah Witnesses have become the common denominator for the three dualities I deal with.

“Van den Akker and Vermeulen define metamodernism as a continuous oscillation, a constant repositioning between positions and mindsets that are evocative of the modern and of the postmodern but are ultimately suggestive of another sensibility that is neither of them: one that negotiates between a yearning for universal truths on the one hand and relativism on the other, between hope and doubt, sincerity and irony, knowingness and naivety, construction and deconstruction. They suggest that the metamodern attitude longs for another future, another metanarrative, whilst acknowledging that future or narrative might not exist, or materialize, or, if it does materialize, is inherently problematic.” - Wikipedia, Metamodernism.

The modernist pole is the JW’s, who constitute a construct of imagined, universal “truth”. The post-modernist pole is constituted by an ongoing relativistic deconstruction of that imagined, universal “truth”. I long for an ultimate “truth” while knowing that understanding of that ultimate “truth” might not materialize. I maintain that the ultimate truth exists, but that only God can perceive it.

“The artist Luke Turner published a metamodernist manifesto in 2011 calling for an end to "the inertia resulting from a century of modernist ideological naivety and the cynical insincerity of its antonymous bastard child", and instead proposing "a pragmatic romanticism unhindered by ideological anchorage."

The “truth” constructs of Jehovah Witnesses and of the World Socialist Website (two sects) are ultimately romantic. I approach them in a pragmatic sense.

p.s.

“The metamodern structure of feeling evokes an oscillation between a modern desire for sens and a postmodern doubt about the sense of it all, between a modern sincerity and a postmodern irony, between hope and melancholy and empathy and apathy and unity and plurality and purity and corruption and naïveté and knowingness; between control and commons and craftsmanship and conceptualism and pragmatism and utopianism. Indeed, metamodernism is an oscillation. It is the dynamic by which it expresses itself. One should be careful not to think of this oscillation as a balance however; rather it is a pendulum swinging between numerous, innumerable poles. Each time the metamodern enthusiasm swings towards fanaticism, gravity pulls it back towards irony; the moment its irony sways towards apathy, gravity pulls it back towards enthusiasm.“- What is Metamodernism.

“3. Movement shall henceforth be enabled by way of an oscillation between positions, with diametrically opposed ideas operating like the pulsating polarities of a colossa electric machine, propelling the world into action. “ - Metamodernist Manifesto (2010)

“6. The present is a symptom of the twin birth of immediacy and obsolescence. Today, we are nostalgists as much as we are futurists. The new technology enables the simultaneous experience and enactment of events from a multiplicity of positions. Far from signaling its demise, these emergent networks facilitate the democratization of history, illuminating the forking paths along which its grand narratives may navigate the here and now.” - Metamodernist Manifesto (2010)

March 22, 2018

Today I went to the weekly Thursday Jehovah Witness meeting. They went over the 2015 iteration of the Generations teaching. It is basically a convoluted jumble. The original generations teaching became untenable in 2014, so they had to come up with a “fix” to stretch it. They will end up having to ditch it all together within 15 to 20 years. The reasons I do not buy the “new light” is because (1) I do not believe in the 607 B.C.E./1914/1919 teaching (because the archaeological evidence points to Jerusalem falling to the Babylonians in 587 B.C.E.) and (2) I do not agree with the Jehovah Witness definition of the term “generation”. They claim that a generations is any group of people living at the same time; when in fact -from a sociological perspective- a generation is either a group of people who are born on the same year or who differ and descend from the generation of their parents. The premises of the “overlapping generation” teaching are false. I believe that when Jesus stated that “this generation shall not pass” (Matthew 24:34); He was referring to the future destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 A.D. The 1914/1919 teachings were made up by Jehovah Witnesses under Judge Rutheford. Originally the Bible Students (under C.T. Russel) taught that Jesus had returned invisibly in 1878.

March 29, 2018

I.

There is no perception of objective truth possible in politics, religion, history or journalism. In this field subjectivity is the norm. The “truth” of science is relative to time and place, since it changes as new discoveries are made at different times and places. Only God can perceive the total objective truth of the multiverse.

II.

“Marxist materialism, reduced to its essentials, involves commitment to the following propositions: 1. The material world exists independently of human (or any other) consciousness. 2. Real, if not total or absolute, knowledge of the world is possible and has, indeed, been attained. 3. Human beings are part of nature, but a distinct part. 4. The material world does not derive, in the first instance, from human thought; human thought derives from the material world.” - John Molyneux, “Marxism and Religion” (2008)

I tend to agree that the material universe exists separate from human consciousness and independent from God. I maintain that He exists outside timespace. I agree that absolute knowledge of the universe is possible, but I do not agree that such understanding has been achieved by human science. The “truth”

of science is relative and partial. Always incomplete and subject to change. It is undeniable that human beings are part of nature and that we are distinct from (most) animals in that we posses consciousness of self. I agree that human ideas in part develop and are shaped by material reality. They are subject to change relative to time (history) and place (cultural context). But God can also shape human ideas through His word (which could be The Bible, The Koran or the Book of Mormon), and through the influence of the Holy Spirit. I reject absolute materialism in that I believe in the existence of a spiritual dimension and of God.

p.s.

“In the social production of their life, men enter into definite relations that are indispensable and independent of their will, relations of production which correspond to a definite stage of development of their material productive forces. The sum total of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation, on which rises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness. The mode of production of material life conditions the social, political and intellectual life process in general. It is not the consciousness of men that determines their being, but, on the contrary, their social being that determines their consciousness.” - Karl Marx

“...Mankind must first of all eat, drink, have shelter and clothing, before it can pursue politics, science, art, religion, etc...” - Karl Marx

This in a self evident, axiomatic truth. One of the few statements of objective truth (outside those of mathematics) that humans can perceive. “The foundation of irreligious criticism is: man makes religion, religion does not make man.” - Karl Marx.

I agree with this statement in principle, but I do not believe that man created God. I maintain that God exists, and I believe that He created man through influencing the process of evolution in order to bring about the existence of homo sapiens, sapiens (With homo sapiens, neanderthal being a prototype). The various religions (including Christendom) are man made. They are attempts at mediating the relationship of man with God and making sense of the spiritual. God created Man and Man invented religion, but religion can and does influence social behavior and informs the ethics of man.

“The revolutionary opposition to feudalism was alive throughout all the Middle Ages. According to conditions of the time, it appeared either in the form of mysticism, as open heresy, or of armed insurrection.” - Friedrich Engels.

“Christianity was originally a movement of oppressed people: it first appeared as the religion of slaves and emancipated slaves, of poor people deprived of all rights, of peoples subjugated or dispersed by Rome...” - Friedrich Engels.

The majority of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Karlstad-South congregation are members of the blue collar working class.

“Marxists take as their point of departure not the religious beliefs of the movement’s leaders or of its supporters, or the doctrines and theology of the religion concerned, but the political role of the movement, based on the social forces and interests which it represents.” - John Molyneux.

April 12, 2018

Matthew 6:25-34 (2013 NWT)

25“On this account I say to you: Stop being anxious about your lives as to what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your bodies as to what you will wear. Does not life mean more than food and the body than clothing? 26Observe intently the birds of heaven; they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth more than they are? 27Who of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his life span? 28Also, why are you anxious about clothing? Take a lesson from the lilies of the field, how they grow; they do not toil, nor do they spin; 29but I tell you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed as one of these. 30Now if this is how God clothes the vegetation of the field that is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much rather clothe you, you with little faith? 31So never be anxious and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or, ‘What are we to drink?’ or, ‘What are we to wear?’ 32For all these are the things the nations are eagerly pursuing. Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.33Keep on, then, seeking first the Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these other things will be added to you. 34So never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Each day has enough of its own

troubles.”

Jesus and Marx contradict each other. I must have the courage to have faith in the words of Jesus. The Leap of Faith is complete only when we are able to unconditionally trust in God. He will not abandon His own.

April 22, 2018

Some interesting quotes that highlight the difference between the physical/material and spirit, additional counterpoints to Marxist materialism:

“The (thing) having been generated out of the flesh, flesh is, and the (thing) having been generated out of the spirit, spirit is.” - John 3:6 (New Testament Kingdom Interlinear)

“(5:)For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh but those who live according to the spirit on the things of the spirit. (6:) For setting the mind on the flesh means death, but setting the mind on the spirit means life and peace.” - Romans 8:5-6 (Jehovah Witnesses Study Bible)

Clearly the Bible shows that the Spiritual substance of a person is superior to the material biological body. There is a clear difference between the spiritual and physical aspects of a person. This suggests that something like the Cartesian soul might exist; although it does not suggest that the soul can exist independently or is essentially immortal. I propose the compromise that there is a possibility that the spirit or at least an aspect of consciousness does survive the death of the biological body and brain (what I call the anima) through a process of quantum cohesion and superimposition. Further, I propose, that in order to survive, this entity must join a larger field of consciousness. I call this larger field of consciousness the Mind of God. The Spiritual essence of a person might survive death contained within the mind and memory of God. He must have a body of cohesive information contained in His memory in order to remember a person prior to resurrection.

May 14, 2018

I agree that Jesus is not God. I agree that the Trinity doctrine is false. I agree that Astrology denies human free will. I agree that Jesus was not born on December 25th. I agree that the political, economic (commercial) and religious (Babylon the Great) systems are probably controlled by Satan. I still keep an open mind on the issue of the Immortality of the Soul and on the issue of the existence of Hell.

May 20, 2018

They call “truth” a construct of lies. All based on the 607BCE/1914 teaching. They are an aggregate of fundamentally irrational and insane psychologies. Subjectivity can never be objective. All ethics and morals are subjective, because they are premised upon subjective interpretation of text. All subjectivity is a statement of opinion. All objectivity is a statement of fact. Subjective “truth” is sectarian. Objective truth is universal. They interpret the Bible through the lens of the organization. No different from the Catholic Church.

May 25, 2018

Jehovah Witnesses teach that the Kingdom of God is the invisible government of Jesus Christ that has been in power in heaven since 1914. That this kingdom will destroy the human governments during the Battle of Armageddon and then inaugurate the millennium when Earth will become a paradise and where all the “other sheep” within Jehovah Witnesses will have everlasting life in restored youth and perfect health. They point out that the phrase “the Kingdom of God is within you” found in Luke 17:21 can be translated as “among you”, “in your midst” or “in the midst of you”. It all depends on how one translates the Greek. Today on one of the Christian Anarchist community pages on Facebook I found the following posting:

“While the Christians, like the Jews before them who threw away the Key of Knowledge, look for the Kingdom to come outwardly upon the earth, the Gospel itself states that the Kingdom will never come upon the earth, because it is within you – and it is therein that you must seek it: "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God comes not with observation: Neither shall they say, See here! or, see there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21). If the words of Jesus are true – and the Kingdom is within you – then the question that Christians should be asking, is how must the Kingdom be entered? The answer is the proper application of the Key of Knowledge by turning the scriptures within your own mind and being – i.e., "How terrible it will be for you experts in religious law! For you hide the key to knowledge from the people. You don't enter the Kingdom yourselves, and you prevent others from entering" (Luke 11:52). Thus, in understanding these words spoken to the Pharisees, the questions must be asked: How did the Pharisees and Jewish authorities "...hide the key to knowledge from the people"? Why did Jesus condemn the leaders of the Jews for failing to enter the Kingdom themselves? -- i.e."...You don't enter the Kingdom yourselves"! And how did the religious leaders of the Jews "...prevent others from entering?" That the primary objective of the Gospel is to prepare and enable the seeker/disciple to enter the Kingdom, is further demonstrated in Jesus' condemnation of the blind religious leaders as seen in the words: "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to" (Matt 23:13 NIV). Which means that the Kingdom of God is not something that will come if we wait for it – but rather, it is a reality which man must seek and find – within himself.

In the Bible translation known as The Message, the above reality of Jesus' words with respect to the usage of the Key of Knowledge is portrayed in true clarity. In this translation when Jesus turned to the Jews who had claimed to believe in him and said: "If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you" (John 8:31-32 The Message) -- and once again, neither Christian or Jew who have thrown away the Key of Knowledge can understand these words which are of the utmost importance. Jesus didn't say that they would believe the truth – or that they would discern what they believed would be dogmatic truth out of the scriptures or some book written by other men – but rather, Jesus conveyed to them that if they follow in The Way, that they "...will experience for yourselves the truth...and it is this SELF-EXPERIENCED TRUTH that...will free you" from the error and ignorance that consumes the people of this world – and especially the blind guides who portray themselves as rabbis, teachers, clergy, religious leaders and authorities. Taking the above one step further, I fully realize that many Bible translations simply refuse to interpret Luke 17:21 correctly. In analysis of this great biblical controversy, Robertson’s Word Pictures of the New Testament writes: “What Jesus says to the Pharisees is that they, as others, are to look for the kingdom of God within themselves, not in outward displays and supernatural manifestations. It is not a localized display ‘Here’ or ‘There.’ It is in this sense that in Luke 11:20 Jesus spoke of the kingdom of God as ‘come upon you,’ speaking to Pharisees”. The article then goes on to add that the only other instance of the Greek word “entos” being used in the New Testament, is at Matthew 23:26, where the Pharisees are told to clean “the inside of the cup”.

Moreover, the Wescott and Hort Greek text, as well as most other authorities, render the translation of this word: “inside of you is”. Which means that the original teachings of The Way was a system whereby the seeker/disciple takes the yoke of Messiah/Christ upon themselves – picking up their own cross and travailing in The Way – which enables the disciple to enter through the "narrow gate" and dwell in the Kingdom, while still physically alive in the body – overcoming the division of heaven and earth within the person – i.e., the Lord commanded his followers to "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" (Matt 7:13-14 NIV). Because the

Church threw away the Key of Knowledge, and adopted pagan dogmatic doctrines of belief, the Christian world sits idly complacent on the side of the "broad-way...that leads to destruction" -- giving lip service and worshiping their brother, that they must themselves imitate, in order to enter into Life. And it was for this reason that the Adam Clark Commentary stated that if the original Gospel portrayal of the historical man Jesus was correct, that "...the whole Christian system is vain and baseless"!!! (see The Ten Words).” 

After reading this posting I have decided that I will keep an open mind on the issue of the nature of the Kingdom of God. Both translations: “within you” (inside of you is) and “in your midst” (among you) are equally valid. So it is a matter of choice what to believe. I will keep both variables in mind. On the other hand Jesus also said that no one can say that The Kingdom is here or there. This fact fundamentally undermines the Jehovah Witness understanding.

p.s. It was explained to me that the reason Jehovah Witnesses prefer the “in your midst” interpretation, is the context. Jesus was telling the Pharisees that He was the personification of the Kingdom among them.

June 19, 2018

The JW meeting on Sunday was a study about the meaning of freedom. For Christian s freedom is understood to be freedom form slavery to sin and freedom from death. The first is a precondition for the second. We liberate ourselves from sin by adopting Christian values, and as a consequence we can honorably claim the possibility of resurrection in the new paradise Earth. Salvation comes from Divine Grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The relationship of Christian freedom to Free Will is instrumental. We are free to choose but our choices have consequences. This reminded me of existentialism. Nothing could be further from the doctrines of Liberalism which emphasize the autonomy of free will in context of the rule of law, or of Atheist Anarchism which emphasizes the autonomy of free will against both religion and the political State. The problem is which brand of “Christian values” is the correct one. Catholic, Mormon, Pentecostal, Jehovah Witness… all are ultimately equivalent. I choose Jehovah Witnesses, but I am clear that that does not make their brand any more correct or “true” than any other. It is personal solution-choice.

July 2, 2018

I have attended the Jehovah Witness convention in Stockholm. There was a lot of information dispensed in the various talks and videos, but on this entry I want to focus on (1) the issue of Eschatology and (2) on the issue of the prophet Jonah.

The Jehovah Witnesses maintain that the end of the present system of things (The political, religious and commercial system of Satan) will follow the following pattern: First, a declaration of “peace and security” from the political rules of the world. Second, the destruction of Babylon the Great (the empire of false religion which is the spiritual subset of Satan’s system); this will happen when the political rulers of the world move to destroy the various religions. Third, a rain of hailstones (the Witnesses believe this will literally happen). Fourth, the attack of Gog of Magog on the Jehovah Witnesses. Originally the Witnesses believed that Gog of Magog was Satan, but according to new light dispensed in 2014-15 Gog of Magog is a coalition of political governments or nations. Fifth, the battle of Armageddon, when Jesus leading a heavenly army will destroy the combined armies of the Worlds nations. Sixth, the reconstruction of the earth into a paradise following the establishment of the Kingdom. Seventh, the final test; when Satan is unleashed from his prison for one last time.

All of this may or may not happen. After my disappointment with Pentecostalism and their failed predictions regarding May 2011 and December 2012 I am averse to eschatological speculation. I listen to what the Witnesses teach and I am willing to promote their understanding in context of field service; but I remain privately skeptical. The Witnesses are careful not to set any dates (probably an effect of the failure of their 1975 prediction), and on that I agree with them. Only the Father knows the day and the hour. That is what I believe. 

On the issue of whether the prophet Jonah existed. The consensus among historians is that a prophet Jonah probably existed in the 8th century BCE (783 to 743 BCE) under the rule of King Jeroboam II of the Northern Kingdom of Judah and that he did preach to the people of Nineveh (the capital city of the Assyrian Empire at the time); but the story that Jonah was swallowed and then vomited up by a large fish or whale shark is probably not true. That aspect of the story is likely a parable. The idea that Jonah was swallowed by a shark whale in the Mediterranean sea is not accepted as credible or possible by Ichthyologists. 

It is an imperfect organization; made up of imperfect people; led by imperfect men who are not inspired. The theology and leadership are bound to be flawed.

July 31, 2018

My Philosophical Stance:

1. Socratic foundation: I do not know what I do not know. I know nothing.

2. Soren Kierkegaard: Leap of Faith. Life in tension. Classical existentialism  prefigures metamodern outlook.

3. God Exists: As Supreme Observer. As First Cause.

4. Pragmatic Metamodernism: Subjective “truth” is relative, but there are many “truths”. Belief is a psychology. Pure subjective “Truth” is Sectarian.

5. X will always equal X. Objective truth exists in mathematics and the scientifically verifiable.

6. Platonic Dualism: I oscillate between the materialist/rational and the spiritualidealist/irrational.

7. The abstract Forms; Justice, Mercy and Ideal Aesthetic Beauty exist perfectly in the mind of God.

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(C) Miguel Angel Torres, Emmanuel Goldstein