In Reply to: To Eva: The heart of the matter posted by Alan on January 06, 2004 at 02:06:45:
Eva said that she will be very busy for a couple of months so I take the liberty to interject. Please ignore me if this is out of topic but I don't think it is.
I am not a historian nor a theologian but, like Eva, have had a long journey asking questions and trying to answer them in prayerful consideration. Many of my observations and conclusions are similar to Eva's but also many are similar to yours. I am not sure that Eva is trying to dump all of Paul's writings, I am certainly not ready to do that. In fact, I think many people who want to pick and choose sections from Paul make a serious mistake. Berg was one of them. The current Family teachings don't have enough Bible in them to consider them biblical, much less new members know the bible good enough to present arguments. I think you are suggesting that Eva, by being selective, is also in error.
But we are from a different generation and our experience was more biblical in its foundation so we have arguments of a different nature. Sometimes, as in my case and Eva's and perhaps many others, our own desire to know the truth is fueling these discoveries. I am not saying that all we have is correct but that IT IS ALL we have.
I consider myself a Christian but I am more at ease with gentiles and publicans abouit spirituality, including Christianity, than with church people who go to Christian churches. This is not because I have something against church-Christianity but because of the narrow mindedness they seem to carry.
I know I am painting with a broad brush here but I don't want to imply wrong doing on the part of "church Christianity" or that it is the same as "fundamentalism" so please take me with a grain of salt, particularly for what I am abuot to say.
To me the whole Family experience, in me and in others, is related to 2 Thes 2:10-12: "...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11: And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie,
12: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
Some of us had no pleasure in unrighteousness and decided to walk away but we still have the love of the truth. We are still seeking, perhaps even in error. It behooves people who are not in error to present their cases in such a way that they are effective.
I have enjoyed your communications even when I didn't agree but I have also enjoyed Eva's direct positioning. In fact, I find that many of her views, though not necessarily as well documented as traditional church teachings, are relevant to our experiences. I find her invigorating as well because they make me think and look for answers. I am not one who things history has all the answers but that history is what we do with the questions we have at hand.
So more power to you all who have stated your positions. I hope you will continue.