Showing posts with label Fear of dying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fear of dying. Show all posts

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Dennis On: "It is Appointed Unto All Men Once to Die...."




It is Appointed Unto All Men Once to Die....
 
Dennis Diehl - EzineArticles Expert AuthorOne of the hallmark traits of the COGs is that somehow "we" are unique to the history of humans dying.  When I was a pastor, I taught the "we who are alive and remain," concept.  It was very nice knowing that of all the times in history where humans have come and gone by dying, I was NOT going to have to experience that.  Of course, that was bullshit.
 
EVERY COG minister teaches and inspires by telling the faithful that they are unique in the history of mankind and will not have to die.  We live in "awesome" times.  We are the special, the chosen  those who will not have to die as billions have before us.  We will be changed, and "in the moment, a twinkling of an eye," shall be changed. 
 
Of course, Paul was very very wrong.  The Apostle Paul, 2000 years ago, 2000 YEARS!, was wrong.  He finally had to give in to , "I have fought a good fight..." etc, but he was toast.  He had told others to think "time was short," but had to finally admit it wasn't. 
 
Much of the motivation behind the COG "time is short," is the absolute fear of death.  Everyone dies.  If you agree to show up, you agree to leave.  I would love to think that somehow I was living in a time and in touch in such a way as to never die.  I'd love to think that , "we shall not all die, but we all shall change, in a moment, in a twinking of the eye.."  but, alas, we do all die.
 
The idea that humans  can know the future is terribly flawed.  Prophecy makes us feel as if we are special and not subject to the common fate of all those before us.  The COG guru's teach as if they will not die and will live over into some kind of amazing change not common to men.  But they are wrong. 
 
Roderick C Meredith will die before Jesus returns.  David C Pack, will die before Jesus return.  Gerald Flurry will die before Jesus returns.  Joseph Tkach will die before Jesus returns.  Ron Weinland will die before Jesus returns.  We ALL will die as it is the nature of agreeing to show up! 
 
In hindsite, I realize I wanted to be special.  I wanted to be excluded from the common experience of all human beings before me.  I wanted to feel special as to being called of God.  I wanted to feel that I was among those that would not die but would be "changed."   The reality is that no one is special and that all of us will die.
 
How motivational is the idea that "you won't die as others,"  But it is a lie.  The Apostle Paul spent a few years thinking he was special in this regard.  He said, "we who are alive shall be changed," yet ultimately had to admit he was wrong.  He finally had to admit he had fought a good fight, finished his course and was going to die. 
 
Dying sucks.  But it is what ALL humans experience.  There is no way out of this biological demise.  Cells can only replicate so many times and old age is a function of the failure of cells to do this efficiently.  All life form get about the the same number or breaths.  A mouse lives about 3 years and breathes about the same number of times as a human does in 70 years.  An elephant that live 125 years breathes about the same number of times as a human at 70 years.  Life and cells last only so long.
 
So give up the idea that some COG minister can get you out of this experience.  Dying is good for our soul.  We are not, then we are, then we are not.  That's how it works.  Fighting it is futile.  Thinking that some church or religious view can free us from this reality is vain. 
 
Jesus died.  The Apostles died.  The Apostle Paul, who thought he'd not die, died. All gurus died.  HWA died.  GTA died.  Gerald Waterhouse died. Raymond McNair died.  All will die is just how it is. 
 
Learn to live now as now is all you have.  Don't give in to the "just around the corner," or "soon" types.  Reject them. Live your life in the now. Enjoy and learn as you go. 
 
The whole idea that those in the COG "know" how it all will be are wrong.  They are afraid of dying just like everyone before them and misuse the Bible to get them off the hook. 
 
NO ONE gets off the hook.  Live in the now.  Forget the past and do not speculate into the future for you will probably be wrong. 
 
Amen.
 
Dennis C. Diehl
DenniscDiehl@aol.com