Imagine

[ted]

Well you know as for the real John Lennon. We really cant say ultimately what judgement God has made of him. Thats between God and John Lennon. I dont believe everything John Lennon thought, but I was a big fan. When you read an interview with the man it is quite apparent he had a sharp intellect, and he would have made a good writer. I think he could have been a hypocrite in some ways, but then so are we all. Definitely I dont know what he thought in his dying years, but his later songs seem to have a greater peace about them, for sure. Songs like Watching The Wheels or Living on Borrowed Time. I know during the early seventies he was supposed to have dabbled in communist thought. I am not sure whether he adopted that kind of thinking as a personal way of life or politically. I think there would be a big difference between the two. Sharing possessions and requiring from each person no more than his ability is not a bad view of things, but when you attempt to legislate sharing it doesnt become charitable. The state then decides when and how you are to share, and that can infringe upon individual rights. What am I talking about anyway? I really dont know. Someone else take over now.

It's ok, man.

Take a dep breath......there, better?

t.

[artsylady]

What Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right.

But they contradicted each other.

[RustyAngeL]

This whole idea of being "saved" is up to us..we can save ourselves!

Yes we have done such a great job of saving ourselves so far. There are no wars, no turmoil, nothing wrong in the world...oh wait, there is.

Time to let God take over. Follow the Lord. We are called to reject the sins of the world and live our lives to please Him. If all of mankind lived in unity with God, wow! What an awesome place that would be.

Beleivers have such a destination: heaven.

Good point Jadie...Yes we have done a wonderful job! If we could save ourselves then God would have given His Son for us. We cannot save ourselves and that is just a fact.

[John Lennon]

Well you know as for the real John Lennon. We really cant say ultimately what judgement God has made of him. Thats between God and John Lennon. I dont believe everything John Lennon thought, but I was a big fan. When you read an interview with the man it is quite apparent he had a sharp intellect, and he would have made a good writer. I think he could have been a hypocrite in some ways, but then so are we all. Definitely I dont know what he thought in his dying years, but his later songs seem to have a greater peace about them, for sure. Songs like Watching The Wheels or Living on Borrowed Time. I know during the early seventies he was supposed to have dabbled in communist thought. I am not sure whether he adopted that kind of thinking as a personal way of life or politically. I think there would be a big difference between the two. Sharing possessions and requiring from each person no more than his ability is not a bad view of things, but when you attempt to legislate sharing it doesnt become charitable. The state then decides when and how you are to share, and that can infringe upon individual rights. What am I talking about anyway? I really dont know. Someone else take over now.

[John Lennon]

Well you know as for the real John Lennon. We really cant say ultimately what judgement God has made of him. Thats between God and John Lennon. I dont believe everything John Lennon thought, but I was a big fan. When you read an interview with the man it is quite apparent he had a sharp intellect, and he would have made a good writer. I think he could have been a hypocrite in some ways, but then so are we all. Definitely I dont know what he thought in his dying years, but his later songs seem to have a greater peace about them, for sure. Songs like Watching The Wheels or Living on Borrowed Time. I know during the early seventies he was supposed to have dabbled in communist thought. I am not sure whether he adopted that kind of thinking as a personal way of life or politically. I think there would be a big difference between the two. Sharing possessions and requiring from each person no more than his ability is not a bad view of things, but when you attempt to legislate sharing it doesnt become charitable. The state then decides when and how you are to share, and that can infringe upon individual rights. What am I talking about anyway? I really dont know. Someone else take over now.

[John Lennon]

'What are you talking about?'...That was well put, Jefferiah! That may be the most uplifting post I've read yet! Maybe YOU should consider being a writer.

[John Lennon]

I believe what people call 'God' is something inside all of us. What Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong. John Lennon-1980.

His views were based on ideas that excluded any concept of sin and a Holy God. It was just feel good spiritualism and a lie.

sw

Lennon trusted his own heart, and no he did not veiw this guilt-ridden 'sin' concept within spiritualism.

Neither did George Harrison. This is where the different translations come into play.

[Jefferiah]

In the song Imagine with the line "imagine there is no heaven", I am not sure what John Lennon personally intended. Nevertheless I see something in the line which may have some value. I think I may have posted this before. But Jesus said stuff about doing good to those who are good to you means nothing, because even the pagans do that. Its not unconditional good, and when we do good with heaven in mind, we are placing a condition upon it. Though I think most Christians understand that sentiment anyway since we believe we dont go to heaven because of our goodness. I dont know if I have ever done unconditional good myself. But maybe heaven has more to do with that than with where it is actually located. I mean if it has lots of nice clouds and marble staircases, thats all well and good, but thats the window dressing. Nice clouds and marble staircases are meaningless without being good to your neighbour. I am not very nice to my neighbours. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is among us I think, in the book of Luke. So maybe it is something that is more subtle than a big forceful miracle. or perhaps we could say the biggest forceful miracles are gentle and subtle.

[dgolvach]

I love the Beatle's music. Abbey Road is the best album ever made in my opinion. John was a very creative guy but didn't have a clue about the real world and the forces behind it. His song, Imagine was the nothing more than the worthless ramblings of a Yoko Ono style utopian. Paul wrote "Live and Let Die". That has more to do with reality than Imagine(sadly). And don't think for a minute that John would have givin up his riches and status for the "Dream" of "imagine no possesions". Like many other big stars on record or the big screen, he liked to preach to his audience about what "they" could do to make the world a better place. Its sorta like the stars who push the "Enviroment" agenda. In reality, they burn up more fossil fuels in a day then many of us common folk do in a year. Susan Surranden shows up to the Oscars in her Hybrid car. She parks it in one of her 15 room mansions. Michael Moore owns stock in Haliburton. Rockstars and Moviestars are all full of crap.

Dan

[Jefferiah]

You make a good point about stars preaching. I think it brings us to an impasse about humanity and its efforts to do good. Its a huge impasse, paradoxical. Because we all have our ideas about what makes a better world and we all are part of the problem. On one hand if we say "lets do all do this (a certain good thing which will help the environment or etc)" we are preaching something and to some degree we are certainly not practicing it and people can cite us on this and say "look he says do this but he worked for Enron." On the other hand are we to not say that thing which is right for us to do? Its confusing, isnt it? I certainly have no answer for this paradox. I think John Lennon may have been aware of this paradox for sure. He probably knew it applied to himself as well. I think in the song revolution you can find evidence of this where it says "you say you got a real solution, well you know, we'd all love to see the plan". Hypocrisy is just another thing we are all guilty of.