Shiranui, thanks for asking about this. Its not a slander.
I began to realize some ways back that this is about the Catholic walk, and I came to believe that eternal life is the life you invest in the church, not some ghostly apparition of yourself or regrown flesh. A man is nothing before God and in all of eternity. Now the member of the Church has placed themselves onto a boat waiting for the world to be cleansed of evil (though Church members do good works I'm not saying you are the Watchers or something like that). You plan to be in that boat indefinitely until the LORD has provided dry land. Perhaps the evil will destroy one another or will all convert or will learn to be good, but ideally your church will begin to shine so that all men will be drawn towards God through Jesus.
- I Peter 3:20-21 who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- I Peter 2:21-23 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.
- Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
I Peter is very explicit and reveals your church's purpose. I did not reveal it. It was revealed when the scriptures were translated into English. You are in the church, because you believe God's glory is eternal but your individual glory is not. Your baptism places you into an ark where you have food and shelter and are dry while everyone else is drowning. Think of it this way: What you do through Christ is eternal, but what everyone else does is temporal.
Your life is invested in renewing the world, but you must rely upon your symbols and limited revelations to call the weak & foolish. You aren't allowed to attract people by argument, by convincing them, by reasoning with them. The wise must fend for themselves. (I Corinthians 1:20) There is no bullhorn calling people into the ark. People think you're as crazy as old Noah, because you are so disciplined and because they don't get it. They don't get it, because it is a vailed purpose calling upon only the foolish, not upon the wise. If wise people were being called, then your church would merely be a collection of wise people instead of a transformed people. As you progress in understanding the NT writings it requires you to understand the OT ones as well, and then you become more & more silent. Finally you would rather listen than talk and no longer believe that talking accomplishes anything eternal. James writes about this at length.
