[jameses mum]

jameses mum - Just curious have you thought of the scenario where you are wrong about it all and because you don't believe in Jesus and God that when you die you don't go to heaven and you end up in hell.........

It could be a possibility right??

I meet with a no of bereaved mums who have lost their babies like myself and i am amazed at the amount of people who just don't believe in Jesus and God.... I just fear for them that is all that what happens if I am right and they are wrong

Sort of like Pascal's Wager - I may as well believe, because I have nothing to lose and everything to gain?

Yes, I have thought about the scenario you describe. I have done a lot of soul searching throughout my life, especially during the the dark times, and the bottom line, for me, is that I just don't have any religious beliefs. There have even been times when I have prayed for some sort of sign, because faith would have made it easier to bear what life was throwing at me. But nothing happened.

I don't believe in heaven or hell or an afterlife. I think we have this life, right here and now. I believe in the resilience of the human spirit and the inherent goodness in the majority of people. Maybe it is because I was not raised in a religious household. Maybe it is because I believe in science. I enjoy reading/discussing theology, but the faith part eludes me.
And if I am wrong, well so be it.

[caroldiem]

jameses mum - Yes there's no science behind faith that's for sure thankyou for answering my question

[Saecularis Angel...]

I don't get what is wrong with me why can't she come to me in my dreams

I don't think it's a matter of anything being wrong with you. Think of it this way - Paul talks about each person being given different spiritual gifts, as of wisdom or knowledge or faith or what have you. He doesn't list revelation in dreams, but I can see how it could fall into the same kind of thing. And the point is that each of us is given different gifts, and we're meant to use them to help one another. So others might be having dreams which comfort you, and you might do something else which serves them. The mutuality builds up the whole community. The question might not be, what is wrong with you? But, what is the gift you have that others might not?

Do any of you have any thoughts on the youtube video i posted in my first post about the 4 year old boy who died and went to heaven but then returned?

I've heard/read of a lot of these. I put them down to a kind of hallucination in the near-death state, and I don't trust them.

[**Xena**]

I don't no but then I am not Christian but Pagan.

I do however believe in something I call the 'life stream' in which all living things return to the Earth and nourish it. That our spirits live on in a way through the Earth if that makes sense.

[fairyflosser]

I know what you mean. I feel hell would be unfair and cant get my head around it. But, here is my take on with a few different ideas related to the subject: Only God has the divine nature to understand why he does what he does, we are not suppost to know. some things are left hidden for a reason.

If God inspired the bible and all its writings, then heaven and hell would be truth. In the bible it says jesus does not lie. In fact, he is the only one who has never lied.

If you believe in the bible as complete truth, you would have to conclude that the road to heaven is narrow.The reason for this is most people do not want to be disciples or followers of jesus. This means to be in close relationship with him daily and obeying his laws to the best of your ability.

God also says in the bible, how can light be with darkness? it doesnt make sense that people who dont wish to be in heaven with God will be. Thats like me inviting an enemy of mine to my birthday party.

God does say in the bible that he is made it clear of his existence through creation. In my experience, most people believe or want to believe in God, but dont take it a step further and find out what he wants for their lives/ enter a relationship with him by prayer/ reading of his word. so yes, i do believe in heaven and hell because the bible says its true, and i believe it is the inspired word of God that is totally relevant for today.

[trishalishous]

I wish I did, but I don't have faith. I'd love to think that we will see our loved ones again

[leisamd]

Yes I do.

[crackles]

Well, nowhere in the bible does it mention u go to heaven when u die or anything about immortality of the soul. The only person who has gone to heaven is Jesus and that was only after he was raised to life again. He will return to earth again when God sends him to set up God's kingdom on earth. In short, heaven is where God dwells.

As for hell... It simply means a covered place ie grave. Eg you hell potatoes meaning u cover them with dirt. The different meanings for 'hell' in the bible are 'sheol' and 'hades' which simply means a covered place ie the grave and 'Gehenna' which just refers to the rubbish dump that was always burning just outside Jerusalem.

So in short when u die your breath returns to God who gave it in the first place (ecclesiastes 12v7) and then your body gets buried in the ground (or cremated, whatever) and that's it. The dead don't know anything.

The resurrection of the faithful is a whole different topic

This post has been edited by crackles: 21/01/2013, 01:27 PM