Thoughts on the After-Life

1st Internet Question: DO YOU BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION? FOR THOSE WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND REINCARNATION, IT'S A PROCESS WHEREBY YOU LIVE A NUMBER OF LIFE-TIMES IN ORDER TO PERFECT YOUR LIFE THAT COULDN'T BE ACCOMPLISHED DURING ONE LIFE-TIME BEFORE YOU ARE ACCEPTED IN THE GREAT BEYOND. The responses come from 2 Christian websites and 1 Hindu website 1) Corbin says: I have some problems with this concept. Some say that all living beings are reincarnated, but I don't see how a cockroach can perfect itself to be a better cockroach to advance to a higher stage in life. And just thinking in terms of human beings, I don't see how one can become perfect, no matter how many life-times you live because there will always be lessons to learn. Besides if this process were true, I would feel the world should be getting better and better over such a long period of time. 2) Frank says: Maybe the cockroach can come back to a higher form because I'm sure I've met a few in my time. 3) Mary Anne says: Hebrews states that man is given once to die, otherwise Jesus would have had to suffer many times for us to put away our sin. 4) Carlos says: I believe in reincarnation. I believe that when we were created we were created out of Diety and somehow we lost our way, but as we relearn more and more of our lessons we will become more and more of a Diety until that time when we learn all of our lessons which will cause us to become a pure Diety again. And you can't do this in one life-time. It will take many life-times. 5) Will says: I agree with Chris, but I go even further. Before the time of the current chaos, death was not. Spirit could change from form to form at will, that it might come to understand all things, and actions in the universe. After chaos began, death became the new reality required to become aware of the totality of the Cosmic illusion which is now petrified. Before chaos the Cosmic illusion was fluid and spirits flowed through it like a river. I personally have no recollection of being an animal, but I do have a recollection of living as a tree. 6) Mat says: I believe in reincarnation too because more and more pyschologist are finding evidence of its existence, usually through hypnosis. 7) Tom says: I don't believe in reincarnation for a number of reasons. These are as follows, that in reincarnation. 1) Evil doesn't really exist. 2) Whatever happens in life should be accepted as being good. 3) There is no moral standard for right and wrong. 4) It generates no social compassion. 5) Over such a long period of historic time, the world should be improving. 6) No explaination as to where evil really came from. 7) Then Jesus must have been reincarnated too. 8) Sins cannot be forgiven. And 9) you have to work for your Salvation, whereas in Christianity Salvation is a free gift. 2nd Internet Question: IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE IN REINCARNATION, DO YOU BELIEVE IN LIFE AFTER DEATH, AND IF SO, HOW DO YOU ENVISION IT? 1) Eddy says: The Resurrection. This is what we are promised. 2) Mathew says: The difference between the resurrection and reincarnation is very little, if not at all. 3) Otto says: First, death is the separation of the soul from the body. While the body sleeps, the soul is given a foretaste of what is likely (but not certain) to be its eternal state; this is often called the "intermediate state". At the resurrection, the soul and body (in its spiritual state) are reunited for the judgement which determines one's eternity. 4) Sally. Says: I think that heaven and hell are here on earth. It is all a state of mind and how people look at you. For example, when you die, it depends on how people see you and think about you, and they will never forget that image, and this is eternity. And I also believe in a heaven and a hell, where every event will be judged as being good or bad, which will also determine how we live in eternity. 5) Mat says: Yes. No idea. 6) Brad says: I can hope for a life after death, particularly one that might let me make some amends for sad decisions made in this life. However, I have no reason to expect it. Under the circumstances, envisioning it would be fruitless speculation. 7) Corbin says: I don't believe in reincarnation, but I know there is life after death, and even though I enjoy this life very much, and do not really know the specifics of the after-life, I know it's going to be better than the present life. 8) Michael says: I think it's impossible to conceive of - clearly it won't be an existence in the same way as we know it now, as it will exist in the spiritual parallel rather than in a bodily sense. But I have some sympathy with what Bran said - is there really any point in thinking about it, when there is so much life to live now? It can give us hope, but I think there is a genuine danger of becoming so other-worldly, that we forget about being Christians today. 3rd Internet Question: DO YOU BELIEVE IN A HELL IN THE AFTER-LIFE, AND IF SO, HOW DO YOU ENVISION THIS? OR DO YOU BELIEVE THIS HELL IS HERE ON EARTH WHILE WE LIVE? 1) Shirley says: Neither. Hell is not a place of torment. It is simply the common grave of all mankind. No one is conscious of being in hell. It is a place of darkness, silence, and total inactivity. (Ecclesiastes 9:5,10, and Psalm 146:4) 2) Ralph says: The Old Testament shows little, if any, knowledge of the type of hell populated by mainstream Christian religions. It seems to me that hell - along with the concept of a devil and the after-life - was an idea evolved over time, probably greatly influenced by the Hellenistic concept of the underworld. I don't see the Hebrew scriptures dealing with this concept much at all. 3) Saul says: Hell is the effects of believing in and consequently experiencing oneself as separate from God. 4) Jack says: Lowest common denominator is hell. It is a place where God is not, so I don't want to be there. God is light and love, so Hell will have none of either. Can you imagine how life would be in total darkness and total hatred.. Not a place I wanna experience whether there is fire or not. I don't think you have to be a rocket scientist to make that decision. 5) Alice says: I've often wondered if hell is here on earth. The only thing I'm reasonably certain of, is that Hell is separation from God. 6) Mary Jane says: Hell is other people. Separation from God? How can that be possible? How can there be anywhere or anyone or anything that is not sustained by God's will? In my mind it's a logical impossibility. So what am I left with? A reality that is chosen to be experienced in such a way by the belief systems of other people, and by myself. These collective belief systems can create nightmares out of waking reality: The Holocaust, apartheid, sexual slavery in the far east and eastern Europe, starvation, and AIDS in Africa. Hell is a here-and -now kind of thing that lives in our hearts when we fear and despair. 7) Edward says: Hell is nothing more than the grave and oblivion. There's no Biblical evidence for a firey hell. And I also don't believe in an eternal hell. 4th Internet Question: HAVE YOU EVER HAD A NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE? AND HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THOSE BOOKS ON NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES AND OTHER PARAPSYCHOLOGICAL BOOKS ON THE EVIDENCE OF AN AFTER-LIFE? 1) Corbin says: I had one when I was in primary school. I was hit by a car while crossing the street and was knocked unconscious. After that, I remember floating bodily above my mother in the dining room while she was cleaning the room. For many years I just thought that this was a dream, but after reading a number of books on near-death experiences, I believe that this was mine, and this helped me in being convinced that there was life after death. 2) Jim says: I would be careful with this stuff, because most of these books are into the paranormal, and that's when I believe some of the lines get crossed. 3) Mat says: I question near-death experiences. I haven't found any Biblical references for them. I saw a show once that explained them away as something the brain makes up as it thinks it's dying in order to calm itself. Pilots who go into training to handle g-force would also pass out and experience the exact same thing that people with near-death experiences would experience. I do believe in near-life experiences however. 4) Ralph says: I believe in near-death experiences. I was once dead in 1987, and my life hasn't been the same since. I believe God gives the ones that have had the so called NDE's, their experience so that some of us will know that their is life after death. My only question I have 15 or so years after my experience is, "Can there be life before death?". It is written that man cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God. 5th Internet Question DO YOU FEEL YOUR PET WILL BE WITH YOU IN THE AFTER-LIFE, OR WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL HAPPEN TO YOUR PET WHEN HE OR SHE DIES? 1) Jim says: This is based on the assumption that we will be in heaven. Basic Christian doctrine asserts that when we go to Heaven, we will be reunited with our loved ones. Since for many "our loved ones" include our pets, then our pets would indeed be in Heaven. This, therefore, clearly indicates that the pets, and all animals for that matter, possess a soul/spirit. 6th Internet Question: DO YOU BELIEVE THAT THERE IS A JUDGEMENT IN THE AFTER-LIFE AS TO WHO HAS THE GOOD AFTER-LIFE OR THE BAD AFTER-LIFE? HOW DO YOU FEEL THE JUDGEMENT IS REALLY MADE? What about babies or small children, cruel dictators, suicides, suicide bombers where the people involved feel they have good intentions, the mentally sick or handicapped who commit violence, those adults who grew up as unwanted children who commit crimes as a result, and those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their savior, but have really made some bad choices that have harmed many people because of their intolerence and segrational attitudes. 3 people stated that they believe in reincarnation so that there would be no judgement involved in that each individual would be in charge of improving themselves, no matter how many lives it takes, until they reach the state of perfection that God expects them to reach. In this case, I feel they don't really need Jesus Christ for Salvation. 1) Steven says: Jesus says that not everyone that says Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom. (Matt 7:21) I think one must first realize that not all who claim to be Christian are. 2) Corbin says: And the opposite might also be true. Those who we feel might not be Christians, or profess not to be Christians, might very well be the people God wants in heaven. 3) JB says: I believe there will be a judgement of all the people once they die, determined by who's found in the Book of Life. (Rev 20:12-15) Those who are found unworthy to be with God will experience their second death. 4) Will says: I believe that if there is a judgement, God wil be fair about it, and I will trust in His judgement.. 5) Corbin says: I believe that there will be some sort of judgement after death, and I agree with Will, in that God will certainly be fair about it. THE AFTER-LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE NOBODY REALLY KNOWS WHAT THE AFTER-LIFE WOULD BE LIKE, BUT I BELIEVE IT WILL HAVE FANTASTIC SURPRISES FOR MANY, AND BE A GLORIOUS HAVEN FOR THOSE WHO GOD FAVORS. The names of the commentarians have been changed, except for myself, to protect the privacy of the Internet contributors, but the comments are accurate.