There are many views of life after death. Here are a few options, if I've left some out feel free to let me know. I'd love to hear what view you hold and why...
- We go to heaven is paradise with God, literal streets of gold, a literal tree of life, and a crystal clear river that proceeds from God's throne. Or, we go to a literal hell where our flesh burns forever in darkness outside of God's presence.
- We attain different levels of heaven depending on how we lived on earth.
- We go to an intermediate, neutral place where we await a bodily resurrection.
- Heaven and hell are considered metaphors for our bliss or regret over what we have done and how we have lived in our time on this earth.
- When we die our body rots in the ground and nothing about us continues to exist. (annihilation)
- Our energy continues to exist (it cannot be created or destroyed), but there is no soul/spirit/self that is conscious.
- Our soul /spirit is reborn into a human fetus or newborn child.
- Our soul/spirit/energy is reborn into another living entity, not necessarily human.
- There is not enough information to make a solid decision. I don't know.
- The issue is immaterial to how I live here and now. I don't care.
16 comments:
I can only say the last 4 (before I don't care or I don't know options) I would not think happen simply based on my limited knowledge of the scriptures.
I do believe in a bodily ressurection. When though I don't know.
I do think that the good we desire now is a fraction of what is possible.
I'm not just using the Bible as basis for this. There are a lot of different theories, and I suspect that even Christians have varied views.
I'll put my cards on the table. I used to believe the first. I thought I had to believe in it to be a good Christian.
I really don't know if there is enough information to bet your life on any one of the options. Any of the above are possible, because we don't really know. Some take more faith to believe than others. Some must totally discount reason. Some are probably more likely than others.
I'm unsure if there is a literal soul. I was told that the soul was our "mind, will and emotions". Can I just say, there are some days I would not want to keep my mind, will and emotions into eternity.
I lean toward heaven and hell being metaphors and our energy continuing to exist. Rebirth could be a possibility, but not enough info there for me.
I'm tired and probably not making sense. In fact, I may delete this later....
Can I just say, there are some days I would not want to keep my mind, will and emotions into eternity...
I hear you there (having dealt with clinical depression). But perhaps part of "heaven" would be having those things all line up harmoniously. But I don't know.
That's entirely possible, however I think there are ways to "heal" our mind, will and emotions here and now, and not just in heaven. It's a matter of personal responsibility and discipline that I don't think western Christianity has a handle on IMO. That's why I've been looking into Buddhist philosophy. ☺ That being said, I just don't know if our mind, will and emotions will exist after we die, and whether or not does, we should be able to experience healing and freedom here and now, don't you think?
Maybe this is too personal or too much...
I actually thought I was going insane at one very long period. Had since childhood fought depression and anxiety. And I was angry at God because of all the years I spent going to church, reading the bible, praying, being prayed for, serving where I could in the church, obeying "leaders", going to work without hardly ever calling in sick and trying to do a decent job most of the time, tyring to love my spouse and kids...
and my spouse decided to leave...
Talk about feeling like S@#t.
Could barely function. Got out of bed only when I needed to. Moved and got a new job 200 miles away and lived with my parents for 4 months broke and just wanting to die or even pulvarize someone. Literally.
Slowly I am learning to just accept that He came to get me in spite of it all. And through this I have had some peace growing and ability to function and laugh and tell jokes again.
So I think that is some healing in this life. Still tough at times though but I am in a very different place.
I really don't know anything else. I just know that some sensitive people hurt in ways that others have no conception of. Some "self medicate" with drugs and alcohol. And some of them really have tender hearts that keep getting condemned only by Law from some pulpits instead of hearing also that He came not to condem the world...
So I guess my answer to healing in this life is that it is a "psychological issue" and not necessarily a "theological issue"
I happen to believe that Christ died for my daily sins. That gives me some peace. Some may think that is a crutch for me to get through life. And I agree. I happen to think my crutch is built on truth. Some other person may think that their crutch of... whatever... is true. And that gives them peace. I am not a crutch repairer. All I can say is this is the crutch I use and it may help someone else.
I've seen in movies though were guys using crutches and canes were hitting each other with them... and they can't stand up very well when they are doing it.
Steve,
I understand some of what you've gone through. My wife and I have both struggled with depression at times (though at the time I didn't really know that's what it was).
You said: "So I guess my answer to healing in this life is that it is a 'psychological issue' and not necessarily a 'theological issue'". I agree! I was told for years about how Jesus died to heal us etc. but nothing fundamentally changed in my life. I tried to make it look good on the outside, but there was no real change inside. I was living a lie. It's taken many years to find the truth that is within me.
I can say that I've experienced A LOT of "psychological healing" though, and I have to say that church was little if any help. My major healing has come from understanding the ego and how it works in my life, and the need for consciousness.
I'll blog some more on this later...
Interesting conversation. Thanks for sharing.
You wrote:
"but nothing fundamentally changed in my life. I tried to make it look good on the outside, but there was no real change inside"
I understand that very well.
What specific change SHOULD we have seen in our lives and who told us that we should be seeing change?
That is where I think most christians have missed it.
Our evidence is not in how we have changed. Our evidence is that he died for our guilt even when we continue to be enemies against Him (Rom 4:5, and 5:6)
That's what I am learning to rest in and that starts giving me a peace not rooted in my behavior but in His. Again may be a crutch but one that was given to me.
Thanks for the dialouge.
Steve
Steve,
Are you saying that God died to resolve your guilt, but that God doesn't effect your behavior?
I don't know if there is any change we "should" have, but I have experienced more lovingkindness, joy, and peace than at any other time in my life. So, I know it is possible, but perhaps not by traditional christian methods. I say if something isn't producing results, try something else....
I think that it is interesting that in Matt 25 the sheep did not even know that they had done the things the Lord said that they did. They were blind to their own good fruit.
A good exapmle of what you say doesn't work and needs to be changed:
I lived with some drug addicts that had a difficult time believing that they were "saved" because they were being told that if they were "saved" then they would be able to stop.
Let's say one sin no longer controls our behavior (sleeping with prostitutes for instance). Then there will be another area and then another and another. The dog keeps chasing its own tail and nipping its ends off. That is what most churches really tend to end up teaching, IMO.
But if they would teach people to admit their guilt (accept God's Law) yet simply stand in the forgiveness of God through Christ's work (acknowledge the Gospel)I bet more changes would happen without much effort.
But I have my own issues... ugh.
I understand. May I say that I've tried "admitting my guilt" and standing under God's forgiveness and it didn't do much to change me on a core level. I just repressed the sinful desires, and you're right, more were waiting once I thought I had another conquered . So, the core issue (the sin behind the sin) was never dealt with, was it? It still had control of my mind.
I have to assume there is a flaw within me, because there couldn't be a problem with God, right? Unless my understanding of God and my theories of atonement are wrongheaded. Which in my case, they were.
Flaw? FLAW?!?!? Oh noooo...
Seriously though, I know that you have been on a serious path and am interested in where you are. The interest is not a right/wrong issue with me. More of an interest in how other people who have fought depression have dealt with it.
The thing that has helped me more than any other:
Monitor how often your thoughts are about the past or the future. As long as they consume your thoughts, you cannot live "abundantly" in the present.
A lot of sense in that. We often brood over the past or get a little tense of the future and ruin the present.
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