Welcome back!

Hello good afternoon, Br C**,

London - dry and moderate, New York - dry and hot, Tokyo -humid and hot.

Where do we want to live?

Aside from joking, welcome back! I thought you might have decided to stay in London for a while.

Shall we take a rest for a short time to adjust this monsoon region? Here's at the midst of Asia.

Take care and see you on Thursday.

Mer

Happy birthday to me

Happy birthday to me
Friday, June 26, 2009 12:32 AM

Hi Br C**..

I have been wondering your whereabouts since I haven't heard from you for two weeks.
I just hope you are well and you are enjoying your stay in London fully, fully and fully.

So you are coming back on the 27th of June, that is the day after tomorrow.
I've got to work on Sunday evening. I turn 48 on the 28th of June, so we're going to have a small party at home Sunday afternoon. I'd like to invite you though if I recall correctly you don't celebrate anyone's birthday. I think it has nothing to do with religion, it's just a tradition. But it is totally up to you. Tell me why you don't celebrate anyone's birthday.. it's my question this time.

So I think I attend Thursday meeting on 2nd of July. Hopefully we see again on the day.

Your friend,

Mer

Ascension or resurrection?

Thanks Br H**..

Probably it might have been a matter of course there's two types of resurrections.
I myself have known it but couldn't distinguish between the two in the case of Jesus.

Is there any meaning there's two types of resurrections? Basically humans ought to be resurrected as humans again. It is unthinkable for humans to be resurrected as spiritual beings. Are they going to be angels as Michael, etc?

Jesus was an angel before his earthly birth so it is in some way logical for him to regain spiritual being. Is there any sign he is in heaven as a spiritual being right now? Why don't we use 'ascension' in Jesus' case.

Sincerely yours,

Mer

Beyond gaps

Religion is somehow based on some illogical belief so it might not be suitable for someone who always think in logic.

Despite that I hope our friendship lasts beyond basic gaps in understanding. I value Christian ethics and friendship with those who hold Christian ethics. In other words, I am opposed to worldly materialism.

I'm going to write to you again when I had some questions, till then see you!
Mer

On resurrection

Hi Br H**,

I understand resurrection in Bible almost always meant get life again on the earth as a physical being. Shadrack, Meshack and Abednego were so and some people in early Christian congregation were so.

However in the case of Jesus. He was resurrected in a physical being once, but he ascended to heaven soon after he appeared in front of his acquaintances.

I'm afraid this is not exactly a resurrection on the earth. This description suggests he lived after his death in heaven. This allows the interpretation there's a kingdom of heaven after our death.

How do you think of the meaning of his resurrection.

Best wishes,

Mer

Rules for liberation

Hello good afternoon Br D**,

I had thought your mail was lengthy..

Religion played a kind of role as regulation to excessive sexual relations. Because humans are greedy and horny. I am amazed to find Filipino or Filipina are very conservative with a view to sexual relations. I think it is because of the strong ethical influence of Catholicism.

On the other hands, look at Japanese lads! They have no religious restrictions, and they are free to love anyone. But I think it's much better to suppress their freedom. Free love is one of our fundamental human rights. Religion ought to play a tap for their free will, but not to be a lid against their natural healthy desire to seek for their opposite sex.

That's my belief. I myself had to spend a dark age throughout my twenties and it's 32 years old that I had a first date with a woman. I went to graduate school so..

Bible rules are not for suppression but for liberation of humanities.

Thanks for talk to me on the chat. I'm always available!

Sincerely yours,

Mer

Know their characters first

don is Available
don:
hallo mer!
Me:
Hi!
don:
enjoying lunch?
Me:
Yeah, already.
don:
me too
i enjoyed ur last email
Me:
Thanks! I haven't checked your last mail, though.
Do you have a class today? I guess you are sending this in your lab.
don:
not yet, will have a class tomorrow
but i have something to do in the lab after the lunch break
what are you doing today?
Me:
I'm off today and killing time in browsing internet.
don:
nice to have some time off
as soon as classes start tomorrow then we here will be kept much busy attending to insistent and persistent students
Me:
Are you going out with a girl back in your country? Among Jehovah's Witnesses?
don:
i used to, but it's hard here
you know the filipino culture, women must be courted and won over
it's not often that couples talk about marriage
some would want to enjoy time as couples, or as "steady" as we call it
Me:
It certainly depends on each individuals and many young unmarried girls want a guy to marry them. Otherwise it is out of their concern. I'm married so I cannot offer them any promise on marriage, so nine out of ten girls exclude me from their list. I love my wife so no problem though.
But there are many seductions in my life. Some girls don't want me to marry but still hope to have relations. I must be careful. But it's a sweet temptation. I think marriage certainly limits our freedom to love someone, but between unmarried people, love or pre marital relation is just a result of their free will.
don:
i understand
but im not for premarital intercourse
Me:
You say ' fornication ' is bad. If fornication means weird sexual practices I agree with them. If fornication means pre marital relations I think it's just a natural today. When Jesus said in Mattew 'except for fornication' fornication there does not mean pre marital relations for sure.
don is Available
don:
our internet connection in the lab is a little off, so i may get signed off unexpectedly
Me:
How to interpret the word in Bible varies in each individuals, but I find it
very practical when it says marriage is subject to end in some conditions
don:
nice thought
Me:
In other words, marriage is not absolute if we failed to keep its nice relations.
don:
right
mer, gtg (got to go), need to do something in the lab
thanks for the chat
Me:
Thanks. It's good not to have intercourse between you so you have no problem because your counterparts also know the circumstances. Also it's good to know their characters before marriage first.
Ok, see you again in the net! Have a good day!

Happy marriage

Hello good afternoon Br C**,

Sorry for coughing in front of you.. It was offensive!

What fornication is varies from ancient times to modern days. On the other hands, adultery usually refers to affairs with married people or a person outside of their marriage, so it becomes a cause of divorce from also a secular point of view.

If fornication means strange or weird sexual behaviour, it could become the cause of divorce from secular points of view, too. What strange or weird sexual behaviour varies in each individuals, it's just hard to define.

Anyway it was amazing for me to find how you stand on a liberal idea about divorce. Divorce is one of options for married couples.

In short, divorce is possible if two parties agree of course, and it is possible even if one party disagree with it but had it some cause as fornication in one part or the other.

I don't think porneia means premarital relations, though fornication might mean. Couples will marry after going out with one another and knowing well, so marriage is a result not a start of their partnership.

I married a lovable woman and it is just out of the question to think about the possibility of having extra-marital relations, my question about divorce in your organisation is sheer out of curiosity.

Sincerely yours,

Eiko

Happy marriage

Hello good evening Br D**,

Thank you for you let me know the account in first Samuel. I can't recall it correctly, though, I try to find the description there. Simply put, I rest assured the injunction of blood was less punishable than the violation of Sabbath.

Personally I like your standpoint on fornication. Sex ought to be held only between married couples. This is not only acceptable in Christian point of view but also in secular point of view. Reality is often very different from what it ought to be.

I must admit humans are erroneous on this matter, but humans ought to strive for realising its ideal. If married couples love one another profoundly, they cannot have extramarital relations. Let me say one excuse. I am completely faithful to my wife. I never had any extra-marital relations with other women. In the first place we didn't have to since we love one another deeply. I just observe what worldly people do and simply cast a question.

Sincerely yours,

Mer

Confession

But before I married her three years ago I had had relations with a woman. I confess I had suffered from her incessant betrayals and that caused the separation definitely.

On divorce

Hello good evening Br C**,

Sorry for not attending the meeting and not sending questions. I have just started working in a new office and I've got many matters to learn first and that's the reason of absense, not giddiness at all ;-)

No one knows whether God exists. It is very hard to verify whether God exists or not, so we need to believe in God in order to have faith. I believe in God, but my notion of God is probably different from what you grasp as God, but it's OK, we both believe in God.

In a same manner no one knows whether resurrection will take place in the future. I think resurrection is possible in future. It is not a matter of half a century or century, but tens of millions of light years ahead in such a sense as science makes almost everything possible. I think it's possible for the deceased to have new life again, but I'm afraid it's unnecessary. We have a limited life span but in such a sense as wishing our lineage last forvever.

It is just hard to verify the existence or non-existence of God and the event of resurrection and therefore you believe in God and his miraculous act.

Back in our ordinary life my question tonight is how you think about divorce. Do you admit it under some circumstances?

I hope to see you on Thursday!

Sincerely yours,

E.Onoda

Hello good evening Miss Myla,
How do you do!
Thanks for finding me and sending me a request. I appreciate that, and I hope our friendship will lasts forever.
Sincerely yours,
Eiko Onoda