Weird V: Evil Spirits in Your Intestines

There are some strange and far out passages and descriptions in Swedenborg's Writings. What are we to do with them - embrace them or keep them at arms' length? Todd looks at one of these teachings and offers a way we can use them in developing a fuller New Church outlook. -Editor

It's been a while since my last installment of “Weird.” The original idea behind them is this: perhaps the New Church isn't as weird as it should be. What would the church look like if we actually embraced some of the seemingly weirder teachings in the Heavenly Doctrines? What would happen if we put it on the line: the second coming has already happened, there are beings on other planets, and there are spirits with us that have a profound effect on our thoughts and emotions.

That last one is a biggie in my opinion. All through the Heavenly Doctrines we are told again and again how closely we are connected to other spirits, and how they profoundly influence us. Now I've been through most of the General Church's educational system, and while I heard plenty about the second coming, and occasionally a reference to other worldly beings, there were regrettably few references to the spirits that are with us. I'm starting to think that is because we're not wanting to be that weird.

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