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Mortalsfool · 11-18-2007, 01:54 PM

Although Christ's rebirth remains in great dispute, the story has persisted for nearly 2000 years and is accepted as gospel by many, in spite of the fact, that there has been no evidence' to lend credibility. We are left to believe in something that is contrary to all the evidence witnessed.
With us being unable to see beyond our mortality, we are dependent on conclusions that are drawn from a scanty accounting by those that claimed to be witnesses, and here-say.' While Christ was still alive he gave us very brief witness of what he called the kingdom of Heaven' relating similes patterned after the traditions and experiences of the then present period. After Christ supposedly rose from the dead', very little additional material, if any, was disclosed with which we could hope to expand our understanding, or strengthen our beliefs in this hoped to be true' event.
There is another accounting of an event relative to Christ that has remained without satisfactory explanation, when it was said that Christ preached to the dead-after he died! This is indeed a very provocative statement about which no further clarification is offered. While this reference to the dead' is sometimes said to refer to fallen angelic spirits', there does not appear to be any evidence to support that definition; nor is there any reason to believe that these fallen spirits' were ever alive to start with. We are told that it was given to man to die and live again; and it is said that we' would derive a great benefit from deaths experience, with us being elevated to a state above the Angels. In conclusion, to assume that angelic' spirits were the dead', is a presumption that is not based on any scriptural account I am aware of. Such a claim of preaching to the dead demands consideration if you are one that accepts the Bible as gospel, and, if you believe that the dead will live again. It is the only clear reference to those that are dead, other than parable-like stories. Preaching to the dead' implies that the dead may have attributes in common with the living. In what state were these dead'? Could they hear what was preached to them? What good would preaching avail them? Did it advise, or clarify? Were they offered choices -as we are in this life- and could these choices' have contained merit similar to the value in the choices we make now? Did they have ears to hear with? Or should we reject the whole idea that Christ preached to the dead at all?

11-18-2007, 01:54 PM	#1 (permalink)
Mortalsfool Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: southside, va. Posts: 72	Christ talking to the dead Although Christ's rebirth remains in great dispute, the story has persisted for nearly 2000 years and is accepted as gospel by many, in spite of the fact, that there has been no evidence' to lend credibility. We are left to believe in something that is contrary to all the evidence witnessed. With us being unable to see beyond our mortality, we are dependent on conclusions that are drawn from a scanty accounting by those that claimed to be witnesses, and here-say.' While Christ was still alive he gave us very brief witness of what he called the kingdom of Heaven' relating similes patterned after the traditions and experiences of the then present period. After Christ supposedly rose from the dead', very little additional material, if any, was disclosed with which we could hope to expand our understanding, or strengthen our beliefs in this hoped to be true' event. There is another accounting of an event relative to Christ that has remained without satisfactory explanation, when it was said that Christ preached to the dead-after he died! This is indeed a very provocative statement about which no further clarification is offered. While this reference to the dead' is sometimes said to refer to fallen angelic spirits', there does not appear to be any evidence to support that definition; nor is there any reason to believe that these fallen spirits' were ever alive to start with. We are told that it was given to man to die and live again; and it is said that we' would derive a great benefit from deaths experience, with us being elevated to a state above the Angels. In conclusion, to assume that angelic' spirits were the dead', is a presumption that is not based on any scriptural account I am aware of. Such a claim of preaching to the dead demands consideration if you are one that accepts the Bible as gospel, and, if you believe that the dead will live again. It is the only clear reference to those that are dead, other than parable-like stories. Preaching to the dead' implies that the dead may have attributes in common with the living. In what state were these dead'? Could they hear what was preached to them? What good would preaching avail them? Did it advise, or clarify? Were they offered choices -as we are in this life- and could these choices' have contained merit similar to the value in the choices we make now? Did they have ears to hear with? Or should we reject the whole idea that Christ preached to the dead at all?