It's not a numbers game, as is common in your circles. Lot's of talk about how many are converting, where, and what the conversion rate is compared to other countries...etc. This is seen as a form of street cred. This is a legacy of Paul. The only number that counts is that ALL will be saved. It's only a matter of time. On an individual level, each Christ is in the process of leaving this world. His prime purpose is to go Home. He leaves a trail behind as he leaves. Some follow this trail. He is not concerned who or how many follow the trail. But all the rest depends upon him, that he fulfill his special role, whatever that may be. That is all that matters. The only meaning sex has is the meaning given to it by those who think about it. You will not be able to prove that sex actually has any meaning whatsoever, except what you think about it. Perhaps you think it has meaning relative to procreation. But then, why does procreation have meaning? So then you might say, well, procreation keeps the world going. And again, I ask you, what meaning does the world have? It has no meaning! But you will say, it has meaning because God our Father made it. And I simply inform you that He did not...so it has no meaning. And this is why it is important you understand this point if you intend to represent Christ in the world by calling yourself a Christian. You can have as much sex as you want, without jeapardizing your ultimate salvation. Your salvation is guaranteed by God. I myself was married to Mary of Magdala. But if you value anything in this world, you will not be free to leave the world. And this is because you will always be given what you value. If you value sex, you will be given sex as long as you want. You will simply keep coming back for more in a reincarnational cycle. You see, you cannot be saved from what you want. All the Sons of God get what they want as long as they want it. Understand? I am perfectly aware that in time, millions of years will pass before sex is seen as meaningless, valueless, and no longer wanted. It is very much a "hook" that keeps the world going. You can have sex, but you can't have an erection and a resurrection at the same time, because resurrection involves letting the world go by making everything in it meaningless to you. "Meaningless" does not imply "wrong". If you think it is wrong, you will be equally unsuccessful in resurrection. Behavior is not a learning tool. Therefore, whether you do or don't have sex has no bearing on your ability to learn the ways of salvation. I recommend you learn the ways of salvation without regard to behavior. You will find that your behavior eventually lines up with your reality, which is better than sex anyway. Is this the "ultimate gnosticism"? If so, can you prove it? And if they agree, why is that "wrong"? Jesus
There is no relationship between samosum, gaynproud, and myself except that we are all aspects of the Son of God. JohnnyK "died". Why do you keep trying to resurrect him? Jesus
Couldn't disagree more. Sex is good for males (and females). The Buddhist monks that abstain from even ejaculating get prostate stones. Ouch! Again, and to quote the top link, "sex is good for you" and necessary for health. Here's just a couple of links that document some of the research that show this: http://www.peaktestosterone.com/sex.htm http://www.forbes.com/2003/10/08/cz_af_1008health.html Remember: I'm the prudish Christian. Why am I having to tell the non-Christian these sorts of things?
Have you ever had a resurrection? It's good for you. But you wouldn't know about that, would you? How then are you able to make such a judgement about whether or not it's possible to have an erection simultaneous with a resurrection? How many times must you have sex in order to keep the body from dying? So if sex can't keep the body from aging and dying, what "good" is it? Aha! Longevity! Add ten years to an otherwise meaningless existence! Have you considered how ridiculous it is that you must constantly pamper the body to gain a few more years of health...until nothing at all can save the health and it dies? Resurrection, on the other hand, does keep and preserve the body...ageless and healthy. No longer subject to time, the age process can even be reversed. Can sex do that? Abstinence will have different effects upon the resurrected vs the yet to be resurrected. I have not recommended abstinence for the wanna be resurrected. I have simply told you the truth...it is meaningless. Have you ever considered that sex temporarily helps the body because you think it should/does? This is not different from magic. Very well then, indulge. But the fact is, you do not need it to keep the body healthy. That is the effect of resurrection. Don't assume Buddhist monks are resurrected yet. The body is totally responsive to states of mind. It actually does nothing, while mind does everything. Whether it is sick or healthy, it is all mind, all the time. The body is like Switzerland, completely neutral. It ages incrementally in one direction because of belief patterns in the mind. Resurrection breaks all worldly belief patterns, leaving the mind free to obey no laws but God's. Resurrection is concerned only about the health of the mind. Attempts to benefit the body always deprive your mind, and therefore the mind is not able and willing to maintain the health of the body past pre self-imposed limits. You are not yet willing to accept the fact that the body was made for dying. There was never a time when it was meant to live. And it is your own belief patterns that nourish, and then kill it. Thus, anything done for the betterment of the body actually kills it. Any effort to preserve it is an effort to preserve the status quo. It is not really about abstinence vs indulgence. It's about values. What you value will never be taken away from you...will never be attacked by me or our Father. The world is a place of death. It is made for dying. It is to die for. Hold value in anything in this world, and it will kill you...the body, that is. Over and over again. Technically, this could go on forever. And that is why there are no fornicators in Heaven. Don't you read your Bible? Jesus
This is a truism. Notice that the general emphasis here is where do "I" fit into the world. How and where one fits in is how he determines his "existence". He constantly resorts to comparison devices to determine his position, and therefore his existence. Blessed are those who have no place in the world. That is when they find their true place. Jesus
Sex is a way to determine existence. But existence does not determine who or what you really are. Existence determines only what you are not. If you are determined to be a man, sex will verify your existence. But then, as pointed out so far, these will also verify your existence: acronym: belt over the head with heavy skillet. TM_Direct: taxes TheDudeofLife: Waterboard screams Thunderdog: Wind passing, or passing wind. Note the commonalities: All have something to do with what can happen with, through, or to a body. There are 101 ways to verify the existence of the body. There are many ways because the body needs constant reassurance it does indeed exist. And that is because who you really are knows that it really does not exist. So there is a daily denial of who you are in favor of what you are not...a body. The bump and grind is an excellent verification device. You've heard the phrase, "Pinch me so I know this is real" ? Sex is like that. Especially S&M. It basically helps you verify the existence of a sense of "I" in this world, helping you establish where you fit into the world...what is your position in it. When it's a tight fit, you really feel "alive". When she says, "I want you", you must be you. When she says, "Oh God, O God, O God..." your special existence is well nigh proven. A tight fit says, 'Here I am'. And when you are sufficiently validated, you say, 'I am coming'. Sex simply verifies the existence of the ego sense of self-identity...which needs constant reassurance. So sex is very much about using another ego to strengthen yours by way of comparison. When two people mutually agree to strengthen each other's ego, it is often called "marriage". And this lends it some legitamacy in social circles. Still, it's just a glorified form of fornication. Jesus
Because JohnnyK would at least do some dialoguing. IAm just goes on and on and on with Carlos Santana-esque pseudo-speech.