Thank you for the opportunity my friend. Glad that you want this info direct from the horse's mouth, so to speak. Never accept anything from an "ex" as gospel. If anyone has ever been on the receiving end of an ex's version of events, they will know how much distortion can be applied to give a false impression.
Some of the theories and interpretations the Jehovahs Witnesses brought up in this thread have been interesting and brought some questions to mind. While it seems the Jehovahs Witness theology is heavily criticized, I do not mean a criticism by asking these questions but rather, I think that underlying the O.P. are some very interesting new questions brought up by interpretations and theology the Jehovah Witness Movement developed and adopted and teach.
Here goes....
Inside Jehovahs Witness movements’ theology
1) Do the Jehovahs Witnesses’ movement theorize that a “soul” is simply a “body” and the “breath”?
That is what we glean from the Genesis account. God formed Adam's body from the elements of the earth and "breathed" into his nostrils "the breath of life" which is "spirit" according to the original language words. By starting him breathing, God made him a soul (a breather) which is a term also applied to animals in the Genesis account.
IF SO:
2) Where does the intelligence and personal traits that are inherent in a newborn infant originate in J.W. theology? Does God create them from nothing?
If we are the product of the gene pool of our parents, this is where the bulk of our level of intelligence and personal traits come from. God does not create humans directly, but as with the animal kingdom, he allowed them to populate the earth without his intervention. If God were responsible for the individual traits in humans, then he would be to blame for all the wicked people and their activities down through time.
3) When do these intelligence and personal traits begin? Are they it created at the moment of conception or just before birth or when? Upon first "breathing"?
All the information that determines one's inherited features and personality is already in their DNA....so it begins at conception. The final molding of course is also shaped by the environment in which a person is raised and what sort of role models their parents were.
4) Where does the intelligence that is inherent in a newborn infant reside? Does the J.W. movement theorize that it is in the physical brain only? Is it in the “Breath”? Is the inherent intelligence, and Character and personality and preferences of a brand new infant stored outside of the body? Where is this “personality” stored in J.W. theology?
We believe that newborns are virtually a blank canvas, programmed by heredity and environment. All that this little human will become is gradually added to the infinite memory banks in the brain, able to store vast amounts of information over a lifetime. But God also has infinite memory and when we have breathed our last breath, all that was us is stored in his memory banks. He alone can restore life and breath to a lifeless body. This is called resurrection.
The intricate and complex functions of the human brain are not well understood at all.....but we believe that all mental function is governed by the brain. It determines thoughts, which in turn precipitates actions. (James 1:13-15) The first organ in the body to die is our brain.
The Bible also speaks of the figurative heart....the deep part of human thinking that determines whether to act on our thoughts....or not. (Luke 6:45)
5) At the death of an individual, where does the intelligent and personal traits of a person reside? Do they become non-existent or do they exist and are stored somewhere?
As above. All that we ever were as individuals is retained in God's memory and will be restored when he empowers Jesus to resurrect the dead. (John 5:28-29) Jesus calls them from their graves, restored to life, no matter how long they have been "asleep". We have the resurrection of Lazarus as a prime example. (John 11:11-14) They will have no memory of the passing of time because those who sleep are not conscious. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Psalm 146:4)
6) If they are stored, then what form does this storage take? Is it a non-personal form such as a computer record suggested by another poster?
Since no one knows the capacity of our God in this regard, or how he stores this information, we have to take him at his word....that he promises to raise the dead back to life on earth. The Jews originally had no concept of an afterlife because their scripture never mentioned it. The Genesis account merely says that Adam went back to where he came from. He didn't exist before his creation and he returned to that same state. No Jew was ever told by God that he would go to heaven in OT scripture.
This was something Jesus instituted with the new covenant....but it was something his disciples could not grasp until their anointing at Pentecost.
Not until the Revelation do we gain insight into two distinct groups of Christians....one finite group who are chosen by God to rule with Christ in his Kingdom and act as priests (Revelation 20:6; Revelation 14:1-5) and a great multitude who will be their subjects on earth. (Revelation 7: 9-10; Revelation 7:13-14; Revelation 21:2-4)
7) If the personal traits and intelligence of a dead person are stored when WHERE does the storage take place. Does God keep a memory of what this “person” and their characteristics were when they existed in his own mind or is it in a separate place, separate from God?
Since a resurrection literally means "standing up again" it seems that whatever that person was and whatever memories they had of their former life will be restored. That has to mean they will know themselves and so will their loved ones.
8) Upon resurrection, Does God take a memory of the prior person and put it into a new person in the same form it existed prior to death or does God change these characteristics and create a new and better person that is more suited for heaven? (i.e. does God create a “new” person that is like the one that died, but without many of the prior social and moral imperfections…)
Since we do not believe that the majority of Christians will go to heaven, their spiritual resurrection is very different.
Raised to be spirit beings capable of dwelling in the presence of God, they are transformed and given a completely new body...a new birth, which is what being "born again" means to us. They are born again as spirit beings....born from water (baptism) and spirit (anointed with God's spirit).
Those who experience the earthly resurrection will be raised whole and healthy, unaffected by whatever caused their death. Remember that Jesus cured the sick when he was on earth...all kinds of maladies were mentioned, but not once do we hear that anyone went back to their youth. So the resurrection will be similar I imagine. The ones who were young stayed young and the older ones stayed the age they were when sickness befell them. In the new world there will be no death, so the old will go back to the days of their youth and the young will never go beyond maturity.
I want to express appreciation in advance for the answers to these questions from members of the Jehovahs Witness movement.
While I admit that I think the more original forms of Christianity where mankind have a spirit in them seems more rational and logical to me, still I think interpretations developed in the 19th century by later Christian movements are incredibly interesting.
Thank you Clear. It is fascinating to me where the idea of an immortal soul originated.....it wasn't from the Bible, and it pervades all religions outside of Christianity as well. The Jews were the exception.....they never believed in a spiritual part of man that departed from the body, because God never taught them about such a thing. Since Jesus was Jewish, I don't believe that Jesus ever mentioned it either. There are certain things in the NT that are misinterpreted but on investigation using other scripture, we get clarification. The Bible explains itself.
@Deeje or
@Hockeycowboy,
@tigger2, or any other Jehovahs Witness who knows Authentic J.Witness theology on these points, I would be grateful for any answers you can offer on these specific questions.
Clear
ακσινεω
My pleasure....
I hope I have answered your questions satisfactorily.
