From: Tim.ONeill@english.utas.edu.au (Tim O'Neill)
Subject: Re: THE DIVINE MASTERS VS DUPED CHRISTIANS
Organization: University of Tasmania (Australia)
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 01:26:29 GMT

In article <1992Nov11.201137.2273@cnsvax.uwec.edu>, mcelwre@cnsvax.uwec.edu writes:

>                Most Christians would agree, and correctly so, that 
>           Jesus Christ was a perfect living Master, and a projection of 
>           God into the physical world, God Incarnate. 

>                The followers of some of these Masters founded the 
>           world's major religions, usually PERVERTING the teachings of 
>           their Master in the process.  Christians, for example, added 
>           THREATS of "ETERNAL DAMNATION" in Hell, and DELETED the 
>           teaching of REincarnation.
Well, that gets my vote for Sweeping Statement of the Month. Could we
perhaps have some evidence for this bold assertion. When were the references
to hell added? What manuscript evidence do you have for this? By whom were
they added and why? How do you account for the fact that the idea of the
judgement and eternal damnation of the wicked was a common one in
apocalyptic Judaism of Yeshua/Jesus' time and, therefore, such statements
are entirely consistent with what he is likely to have said. Give us some
evidence that Yeshua taught about re-incarnation (a concept entirely foreign
to his cultural mileau), and I mean better evidence that the shit you give 
below. 

>           
>                The book "HERE AND HEREAFTER", by Ruth Montgomery, 
>           describes several kinds of evidence supporting REincarnation 
>           as a FACT OF LIFE, including HYPNOTIC REGRESSIONS to past 
>           lives, SPONTANEOUS RECALL (especially by young children, some 
>           of whom can identify their most recent previous relatives, 
>           homes, possessions, etc.), DREAM RECALL of past life experi-
>           ences, DEJA VU (familiarity with a far off land while travel-
>           ing there for the first time on vacation), the psychic read-
>           ings of the late EDGAR CAYCE, and EVEN SUPPORTING STATEMENTS 
>           FROM THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE including Matthew 17:11-13 (John the 
>           Baptist was the REINCARNATION of Elias.) and John 9:1-2 (How 
>           can a person POSSIBLY sin before he is born, unless he LIVED 
>           BEFORE?!). 

Robert, would you or any other New Ager who tries to run this stupid line
that Jesus taught re-incarnation on the basis of passages about the return
of Elijah, care to find the passage in the OT where Elijah dies. Don't bother
trying, because you won't be able to. Since you like capital letters so much
I'll spell it out to you. YOU WON'T FIND IT BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO THE OT,
ELIJAH NEVER DIED, HE WAS TAKEN UP INTO HEAVEN *ALIVE* IN A CHARIOT
OF FIRE. By Yeshua's time people believed that they were living in the last days
and that Elijah would soon return to earth to fortell the coming of the messiah.
Matt. 17: 11-13 is NOT a reference to Elijah's reincarnation as John the Baptist,
it is a reference to the fact that many believed that the Baptist was actually
Elijah returned. The jews believed that Elijah never died, in order to be
re-incarnated one has to die first, so the jews COULD NOT have believed that
Elijah had been re-incarnated and your arguments go down the toilet.

 [ ALWAYS use the "KING JAMES VERSION".  Later 
>           versions are PER-VERSIONS! ] 

Yeah, right. Get a hobby Robert

Tim O'Neill
Tasmanian Devil
(Who considers the only thing worse than a fundie is a new ager trying to 
cash in on christianity's popularity. What a hideous combination!)
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