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Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations (Read 42479 times)
I Am Dude
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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #90 - Apr 26th, 2017 at 8:16pm
 
Well I appreciate your comments and advice, although again, there was a time when I was saying the same exact things to Christians. I had many debates with Christian friends and family in which I was on your side of the argument. I haven't lost anything since then, I've gained something. I think it's a mistake to assume I am coming from a place of lacking reason, as I have not even begun to express my beliefs and the evidence which supports my reasoning. Of course, I'm not here for that, and I need to work on controlling my ego's desire to justify and prove myself, so thank you guys for helping me in that regard. I'm here to discuss ideas that come to mind as I'm reading ES's book, so I'll check in for the next one when it comes up. Peace!
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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #91 - Apr 26th, 2017 at 11:53pm
 
  Yeah, difference being is that some of the folks you are talking to are in some very real and deep senses followers of Yeshua, have been that way for years, and when you were younger, you were more anti-Christian than at least I have ever been. You keep glossing over a lot of details and specifics, like how I started reading the Bible while a teen, not because of any outside reason or influence (no friends, no family members, no group, no churches, etc), but because of being intuitively led by guidance.

  Big differences between your comparisons. Neither do you seem to be aware that one can be a follower of and guided by Yeshua, and not be a dogma loving, religious self labeled Christian.

  And transit Uranus is in fact of course not currently closely squaring your natal Sun.  And everything Cayce's work said about Uranus, the Planets, and astrology in general is just a bunch of baloney, or if not, just doesn't apply to self at all.

  The interesting thing about Yeshua and his times, and here is a lesson if one has eyes to see: The Pharisees, Sadducee's, and Scribes were predominantly "religious" types who loved debating and thinking about scripture and all the various rules and commandments, and they especially were attached to their limited interpretation of scripture. 

  When Yeshua came, he pointed out to them that they had become way overly focused on dogma and scripture--the letter of the Law, and had lost the spirit of the scripture--that they cared far more about the rules and their interpreations of scripture than they did about the living truth, which is essentially Love and about a way of livingness in relation to others. And he PLAINLY stated that some scripture and commandments were higher or greater than others. 

  Matthew 22:36-40

36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 [b]All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” *my use of bold, italics, and underline.

  Many religious Christians in our times, have become like the Pharisees, Sadducee's, etc of his times.  They argue and quibble over this or that verse, this or that interpretation, all the while missing the core spirit and essence of the NT, which is summed up in the above by Yeshua himself. They are stuck in religion and dogma. If they LIVED truth (that which is creative and expanding in essence) as he outlined, all would be opened up to and revealed to them, for perception ever follows beingness. 

  Like the Pharisees et al., they twist and interpret scripture to suit their own means and ends.

Some of Yeshua's important messages on one of the Monroe Explorer tapes
https://www.monroeinstitute.org/explorer-series   see explorer series#19
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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #92 - Apr 27th, 2017 at 12:13am
 
  During Howard Storm's NDE, he met and communicated with Yeshua and other Co-Creaotrs (he called them "Angels").  He asked them what was the best religion, expecting them to say Christianity. 

  He was surprised when they told him, the one that brings a person closest to God.

  My intuitive sense from having communicated with Yeshua during meditation and dreams, is that he is not particularly happy with how Christianity and many Christians has become.
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I Am Dude
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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #93 - Apr 27th, 2017 at 5:34am
 
Justin

I agree with a lot of what you said. I think you that guys think I've become some hardcore Christian fundamentalist, when in reality this is simply not the case. As an example, I do not follow a majority of the old testament law, particularly the ceremonial and scribal laws. I stick to the basic moral and ethical laws, understanding that one's faith in God is genuine to the extent that one is able to show love to God and one's neighbor.

I particularly agree that there is an overemphasis on rules and an underemphasis on living the Word in love and spirit among many Christians, especially those I see participating in various Christian and Bible Discussion facebook groups. One issue is that some believe that following old testament laws IS living the truth of God, as they don't understand that Jesus came to fulfill the OT law and that we are saved by his grace rather than our own acts. Of course, one's faith in Jesus is genuine to the extent that one is able to live out what he taught, so one's actions will be a reflection of one's faith.

I'm not ignoring details and specifics as you said. I myself had faith in Jesus until my late teenage years and prayed daily.  As to the things you claimed I am not aware of (following Yeshua without the dogma), this is not necessarily the case. But if one has no faith that the Bible is the Word of God, then issues arise as to who exactly one is following. If one has no faith in the Word, then where does one's ideas regarding Yeshua come from? In this situation, a person is picking and choosing what they like and don't like from the Bible, and may be misguidedly following their own ego's preferences more than they are following God.

One thing to keep in mind is that Jesus not once objected to the Old Testament being the Word of God, but on the contrary, he constantly quoted it as being truth.  Perhaps our main difference is in our faith in the Bible being the Word of God, and on the purpose for some of the OT laws that have already been discussed. If you come to learn more about my actual beliefs and how I live, you'll see that my approach is far from the extremity that has been claimed in this thread.
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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #94 - Apr 27th, 2017 at 11:15am
 
Dude:

I read what you just said and take your word for it.

Both Justin and I are very interested in what Jesus had/has to say. So much so that we reach out to him and ask him for his guidance.

Before I meditate I always say "To God, Christ and the other beings of love and light that help me and that are close to me." I say the later words because I believe that there are a lot beings that live according to God's love and will. I want to make certain that I show love, respect and gratitude to any being that is assigned to help me. If a being other than God and Christ help me, I figure they do so with divine approval.

The only being that has identified himself to me by name has been Christ. On some occasions he has referred to himself as Christ, and sometimes as Jesus. Most of the time he doesn't identify himself. Perhaps it is enough for me to have faith in what I reach out to, and the divine presence I feel.  I don't mean to say that unfriendly beings never try to contact me. There have been occasions when they tried, so I always have to use my discrimination.

Regarding the Bible, I believe it can be a source of inspiration and a way to obtain some historical knowledge. But because I am committed to living according to God's will, and don't like to see either he or Jesus misrepresented, I take care when I read a book that was written, selected and translated by men. If I can be wrong at times despite God's will, then perhaps the men who put the Bible together can also be wrong at times. It seems to me that the NT Gospels are more reflective of what is true than the Old Testament.

Regarding the issue of whether or not Jesus is God, I don't know the answer to this question. I asked this question, and even though I have received other answers for other questions, I never received a definite answer to this question. It could be that I didn't receive a definite answer because Jesus isn't concerned about this. Going by my experiences with him, even though he feels quite holy, he is also very humble, sensible, and down to earth. I doubt that he is concerned about whether or not people view him as God. He understands quite clearly why people believe in different ways, and loves all people dearly regardless of their interpretations of what is true.

Consider the below from Howard Storm's "My Descent Into Death." During his NDE Jesus took Howard on a tour and showed him the below (from page 42).

"I asked how God could let the Holocaust of World War II happen. We were transported to a railway station as a long train of freight cars was being unloaded of its human cargo. The guards were screaming and beating people into submission. The people were Jewish men, women, and children. Exhausted from hunger and thirst, they were totally disoriented from the ordeal of being rounded up and sent on a long journey to an unknown destination. They believed that they were going to work camps, and that their submission to the brutality of the guards was the only way to survive.

We went to the area where the selection process was taking place and heard the guards talking about "the Angel Maker." We went to the place the guards referred to as "the Angel Maker," which was a series of ovens. I saw piles of naked corpses being loaded into the ovens, and I began to cry. Jesus said to me, "These are the people God loves." Then he said, "Look up, Rising out of the smoke of the chimneys,  I saw hundreds of people being met by thousands of angels taking them up into the sky. There was great joy in the faces of the people, and there appeared to be no trace of a memory of the horrendous suffering they just endured. How ironic that the guards sarcastically called the ovens "the Angel Maker."

The above way of viewing things is in stark contrast to what some born again Christians contend, when they state that you better accept Jesus as your savior or you will go to hell for all of eternity. I believe they insult God and Jesus when they associate them with such beliefs. Certainly God and Jesus understand why people believe as they do, and don't judge them for not believing in a supposed "correct" way. I wonder how many people are turned off by the name "Jesus" because they don't like the "you better believe or else" talk. I believe it is a shame that some people associate Jesus' name with something that turns them off.


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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #95 - Apr 27th, 2017 at 12:12pm
 
I Am Dude wrote on Apr 27th, 2017 at 5:34am:
Justin

I agree with a lot of what you said. I think you that guys think I've become some hardcore Christian fundamentalist, when in reality this is simply not the case.


  First, thank you for the response with more details and specifics--it can be hard to know what a person does and doesn't believe when they keep everything very generalized. 

It does seem that you are going towards the fundamentalist side when you defend animal sacrifice in the OT,  imply that the entire Bible is completely the word of God and thus completely true and accurate, no questions asked or allowed, and say that Yeshua IS the original, first Creator (especially when he constantly refers to the Creator as “Abba” [Father]. A very curious way of referring to self since he supposedly was “The Creator”).  And yes, such beliefs and approaches do seem Uranian extremist to me, and speaking as a follower of Yeshua.

Quote:
One thing to keep in mind is that Jesus not once objected to the Old Testament being the Word of God, but on the contrary, he constantly quoted it as being truth.  Perhaps our main difference is in our faith in the Bible being the Word of God, and on the purpose for some of the OT laws that have already been discussed.


This is not quite fully true. It’s true that Yeshua did support some of the OT teachings verbally, BUT in action, he also contradicted certain OT scripture and the Pharisees et al. were quick to jump on him for this.

  Some examples--in the Torah you are not suppose to work or do anything other than contemplate scripture on the Sabbath--it’s a “day of rest” to follow the 7 “days” of creation and then rest in Genesis. Yeshua did various things, such as teaching, healing, and/or helping others on Sabbath day. 

   In the Torah, it says a woman accused and found guilty of adultery should be stoned to death.  Yet, Yeshua comes upon a woman in this situation, about to be stoned, and he defends her and saves her life.  He never says that she didn’t commit adultery, but by his actions and words, he indicates quite plainly that this scriptural “law” was off.  In truth, after he helps her, he tells her, “Go and sin no more”, indicating that she had been partaking in slow vibratory/unethical/limiting behavior and actions.

   Notice how sometimes when he quoted scripture, how he would say things like, “your scripture” like in the example I gave earlier, in schooling the Pharisee’s for condemning him for associating himself too much with the Creator and he says, does not your scripture say, “I have said, you are gods”.  That’s a curious use, why didn’t he say “our” instead of “your”?  By using “your”, he was indicating separation between himself and the scripture and them to some extent.  If he was so gung ho about the entire OT and everything in same, he most likely would have said “our” instead, indicating that he was just as connected to it as they were.

  These are the kind of things you begin to see when your eyes are opened up by direct, long time communion with him and what he called his/our Abba. One doesn’t need a book if one gets and lives the two greatest commandments and practices going within one’s closest to pray and listen to the Creator within. This combo of these two commandments, and his personal recommendation of the above practice to others, was his most consistent and repeated message on various levels, both in word, deed, and living example. He did not go on and on about various minor OT laws and rules, like the Pharisees et al. did with the people. He was the higher fulfillment or crowing of the history, genealogy, and teachings of the OT.  He became fully One with the Creator through constant right use of his freewill and attunement to PUL.  It also says "that the Son learned obedience through the things he suffered.” meaning, he was subject to the same laws of karma and consequence, until he became pure Love and transcended same.

  I think part of why Yeshua came when he did was to try to correct the Hebrew people and their beliefs, to try to reorient them back to the Creator and the Creator’s true ways, for they had wandered far afield from same by this point. If you read the OT, it indicates quite plainly that this happened a number of times in their history, and most of those times they ended up going through major tribulation and testing to try to reorient them back. With Yeshua, it was a more gentle and obvious reminder in some ways. 

    Note that while Yeshua spoke against and criticized the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes a number of times (the most popular, most in control, and with the most numerous adherents of the Judaic sects then), he never once uttered a word of criticism or rebuke to or about the Essenes, whom was a sect of more mystical oriented Judaism whom “lived in the wilderness” primarily to be away from what they viewed as the increasingly corrupt mainstream Judaic beliefs and peoples.  Kind of like how some folks in the US have formed small communes and intentional communities to do their own thing. 

Quote:
If you come to learn more about my actual beliefs and how I live, you'll see that my approach is far from the extremity that has been claimed in this thread.


  I'm sure in many ways you are a fine man and a more true follower of Yeshua, but it would be a mistake to think you're the only one of these here at this site.

  I want to amend or make plain some of what I said before about connection to extremes etc. I've come to view you not so much as extremist in the innate, born sense, but my intuition/guidance clued me in that you are currently under some powerful Uranus transits, and Uranus more than any other Planet or symbol represents tendencies and patterns towards the extreme and the extremist. 

  It's not that the physical Planet Uranus is somehow "causing" this.  That's ridiculous and very superstitious of a notion (which I've met astrologers that actually believe this).  Rather what's going on is that because we live in a Reality of fundamental Oneness/interconnection, different levels of our little reality can mirror others. Our inner consciousness can be reflected in the Planets in a symbolic way.  It's more akin to Jung's concept of synchronicity than anything else. 

  More specifically with astrology, these kinds of on going present and future Planetary transits and cyclic patterns, represent our going through life and our change within of attuning to different other life/self patterns within our Spirit/Disk.  In this case, I suspect you have a Christian fundamentalist pattern within your Spirit/Disk that has been coming to the fore under this current strong transit Uranus square to your natal (birth/fixed) Solar position.  I suspect that you are meant to work on this other life/karmic pattern and bring balance to him or her, and thus bring greater balance to your entire Spirit/Disk, which will lead to greater growth for you and your larger Spirit self.

   In some ways, a close transit Uranus square to one's Sun is a difficult, challenging cycle, but one filled with definite highs, and definite lows, on various levels. Try to remain temperate, moderate, and balanced while in this unusual, up down up down cycle. Because of some of those highs that you have experienced so far, you think you've found the ultimate way.  Consider that this is but a stepping stone to greater growth and more expanded truths. 

  I think you have a lot of potential, but if you get overly attached to a specific, codified belief system too much, this will end up limiting you. Direct communion with Yeshua and the Creator combined with living truth is worth so much more than any countless hours of reading and pondering scripture, especially other people's interpretations of same. And the truth is, all in all, the NT IS much faster vibratory than the OT, so focus given to the former over the latter is more innately helpful.

  Best of luck on your journey. I'm going to take a step back and not try to nudge you anymore.  It's your life and your path. I felt nudged by a combo of your guidance and my guidance in cahoots to interact, but I've been hearing/feeling recently that having some tendencies towards fixity (especially during this current cycle), if a person pushes too much, it may make you dig your heels in more.   

 

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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #96 - Apr 27th, 2017 at 12:52pm
 
ES provides some of the most astounding verifications of postmortem survival ever; and yet, when he is deluded, that delusion can be serious.  I'm trying to understand the disconnect.  What strikes me about my life of paranormal experiences are the phases I go through.  At times, I feel "in the groove" and not only have one experience after another, but also synchronistically encounter others who have had powerful experiences which have prompted a burning quest.  Apparently, there are subtle changes in my mindset that shift me in and out of "the groove," and I need to get a better handle on this.

As for Christian/ mystical experiences, I have learned one crucial lesson over the years: the most powerful, life-transforming experiences are usually counterfeited in a deceptive way (e. g. authentic speaking in tongues).  Various explanations suggest themselves for this problem.  Dark forces may seek to undermine life-changing experiences that help us make decisive progress towards PUL and a more intimate connection with God.  But often, there is an easier, lazier path to such experiences fueled by wishful thinking that leads to a counterfeit.  In my experience, the truly magical experiences tend to be more rare and result from a long, often frustrating quest mined with roadblocks and failures.  I now recognize that learning how to "pray in the Spirit" (Ephesians 6:18) has been a key element to my best and most helpful paranormal experiences.  But I drift in and out of my willingness to pay the price to pray in this way because it takes a lot of time and self-discipline.   

Dude, I'd be interested in the key factors of your spiritual evolution.  Why don't you start threads under the section "Religions and Their Beliefs" on your spiritual journey and on your burning questions about the Bible, Christianity, and spiritual experiences.  I in turn will start threads there that respond to issues that I think might enhance your journey.
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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #97 - Apr 27th, 2017 at 1:30pm
 
Don, I've found for self, that it's a combo of going through major testing, challenge, and the like, in combo with how disciplined I am or not with a combo of prayer and deep meditation. 

  I haven't always been very good with the latter, and I can look back at periods of life and see clearly the connection between greater or lesser attunement depending how how much or little I'm consistently doing the above. 

  An ironic situation happened not that long ago (about a year and a half ago).  I gave meditation and prayer advice/suggestions to a new found friend, somewhat hypocritically in the sense that I was in a phase of lack of consistent application of same in my own life. 

  A few days or so later via email, he reported back that he tried my suggestions and ended up having a very long, detailed, and vivid guidance type dream (unusual for him).  Towards the end of the dream, he seemed to receive a message for this somewhat, at the time, hypocritical self. 

Quote:
I look directly into his eyes [talking about a friend that he is viewing]. He has three of them. His third eye is located in the middle of the regular two, right above the bridge of the nose smack dab on the lower forehead. His eyes are large, a bit mismatched and asymmetrical, and they look very catlike and Egyptian. They look sort of alien. I think to myself something along the lines of “wow, his third eye is open, but it’s sort of blind or something. How could this be?” He looks like he sees with great depth, but not with much clarity, and it also looks like his particular eyes aren't really capable of too much intimacy. They are sort of opaque, sort of glazed over and yet somehow very keen and definitely very, very strong. His are the eyes of a warrior. I feel love for him. He is my friend. He is my ally, and I like being around him, but it looks like he might be a little distant. The dream continues, but these were the most important parts.


  When I read the above, for various reasons, I knew it was speaking of me (Egyptian past life, Leo Risinng/Ascendant, I came here from a different system aka was an "ET" before I took on human form, tend to be a bit detached in friendships, general intuition, etc), and the criticism parts of having eyes that don't see too clearly etc, was because I wasn't praying and meditating consistently like I knew I should be. At the time, I was working a full time and part time job concurrently, plus having my spouse demand a certain amount of my time/focus, and having a penchant for being a night owl and staying up later than I should, combined to make it hard to meditate and pray in a consistent way. 

   I've been correcting this error/lack of application (imperfectly), and it definitely makes a difference. That part of his dream was part of the impetus to try to get my butt into gear.  Also a good illustration of how we are all both teachers and students to each other at different times.  I tried to be a teacher to him, by giving him some advice and suggestions and he got a guidance message for me, and thus became in a sense, a teacher to me in that moment.
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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #98 - Apr 27th, 2017 at 2:40pm
 
Albert

The idea that belief in Yeshua is the only ticket to eternal salvation may indeed be a difficult pill to swallow. The Catholic church believes there may be salvation for those who do not come to know Him through no fault of their own, although I'm not totally convinced in their authority or interpretations. But I think our logic is probably on a lower level than that of God's and thus such things may be impossible to truly comprehend.

Justin

I don't recall defending animal sacrifice. In fact, it was one of the most difficult aspects of the Bible to accept. I came to see it in a way that could make sense, however, with the help of those wiser and more knowledgeable than myself.

I don't recall saying questions aren't allowed. I've had numerous questions, and still have many. If one believes in God's power to affect this world in any way He sees fit, then the idea that he inspired the writing of scripture in a such a way as to reflect his will and to not allow major distortions that would alter his original Word isn't so far fetched.

Regarding your ideas about Jesus and the old testament, please read this for a better understanding: http://www.tektonics.org/gk/jesusignorelaw.php You'll see he was speaking out against tradition of men rather than the Word of God. Read this to see more of how Jesus supported the OT: https://answersingenesis.org/jesus-christ/on-the-infallibility-of-scripture/

Some things in the OT are pretty brutal, but I believe that they may have been appropriate given the context of their society and God's plan for mankind. I imagine that the entire world would have been entirely corrupted in a relatively short period of time without such strict laws.

I'm currently reading both the OT and the NT, almost finished 2Chronicles and Romans. I'm also listening to lectures and debates regarding various topics discussed in the Bible to improve my understanding. I'm sure my views will evolve over time as I learn and pray more, so I think we can all just relax a bit.
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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #99 - Apr 27th, 2017 at 2:48pm
 
Don

I'm very interested to hear more about praying in the Spirit.

I will indeed make a thread about how I came to realize Christianity is true and others with specific questions and doubts.

Do you think ES was deluded or deceived in his conversations with Angels? Or with his interpretation of the Bible? Or with his insights regarding his out of body explorations and findings?
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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #100 - Apr 28th, 2017 at 7:13pm
 
Earlier in this thread I said I was working on a literal analysis of the Bible without adding anything to it. I misspoke when I used the word literal. I should have instead said "literary." There are various literary styles throughout the Bible, some being intended to be taken literally, others metaphorically, etc. For example, I don't think Jesus was saying that he was actually bread in John 6:35, but I do take it literally that he said that.

I was actually comparing my approach to the Bible with ES's, who essentially assigned a deeper spiritual meaning to even the most mundane verses, probably based on his insights from his mystical experiences. My point was that I was trying not to add my own ideas into the mix but rather take it for what it is, keeping in mind the various literary styles of course.

Don, what is your view of ES's interpretations of the Bible?
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Re: Emanuel Swedenborg's revelations
Reply #101 - Apr 28th, 2017 at 8:20pm
 


Dude: "Don, what is your view of ES's interpretations of the Bible?"

In general, ES's astral insights and discoveries are profound and ground-breaking, but his rigid preconceptions make him vulnerable to deception in 2 ways: 


(1) ES discourages others from following his lead in astral exploration because he rightly warns that regular "trips" to spirit planes can put one in contact with deceptive, even dangerous discarnate spirits.  But in my view, his own encounters with deceptive spirits sometimes fool him into confirmation of his false preconceptions, most notably his prior belief that other planets in our solar system are occupied by intelligent life.  Can we cut ES some slack by suggesting that discarnate spirits thrive in the energy fields of planets without actually occupying them "physically?"  I doubt that because the belief in intelligent life on other planets in our solar system is widely held by intellectuals (e. g. the renowned philosopher Immanuel Kant)  in ES's day.

(2) The degree of allegorical symbolism that he reads into many biblical texts is often too arbitrary and has little grounding in the original spiritual intention of the biblical authors.   On the other hand, ES often reads profound insights gleaned from his astral exploration into texts in a way that can be read with profit, especially in ES's use of Scripture to ground his insights into the transitional stages from death to postmortem destiny.  But this topic can best be assessed by considering ES's interpretations of specific biblical texts.

How can he so often obtain outstanding verifications of his afterlife contacts, when he is also so vulnerable to deception?  Ah, that is a very important question for assessing the claims of other alleged astral adepts.  I can only suggest 2 possible explanations:

(1) When ES is traveling in higher astral planes, his insights are generally valid and ground-breaking and his spirit contacts honest.  But when he unknowingly drifts down to lower planes, his spirit contacts are no longer as reliable and he is not always aware of the lower quality of the spirits that he engages there.

(2) ES's brilliant scientific mind makes him well aware of the tensions between lliteral interpretations of biblical texts and the best of scientific insights of his day.  As a result, wishful thinking makes him vulnerable to allegorical interpretations that evade this problem, but in the process loss their grounding in authorial intention. 

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