What are your feelings on death and dying?

Mine have changed from a life long held understanding that is commensurate with traditional Christianity. There are three views of Christianity concerning death and the after experience. That of hell and burning forever in torment, the most most common, and that of simply death as an eternal sleep. Then there is in Christianity, the view of heaven and the earth made new for those not so unlucky as to go to hell.

Mine was the later two and by far the most humane.

I have given that up after being diagnoised with a terminal liver disease. I have taken the view of the 'Gita' in the second chapter that the real part of mankind does not suffer demise. Also the Buddhist view that we just keep on keeeping on infinitum.

This series of essays has explained a lot to me as well, as I have been Christian in outlook for the most of my life.

http://www.freechristians.com/Robert_D_Bri...ua_ben_adam.htm

Sorry to hear about your terminal illness.

My thoughts on death have changed from the way that I and the rest of my family were taught. We were taught by the church that when you die, you either go to Heaven or Hell. We were taught that this information came from the Bible.

In 1995 My Mother passed away. I wanted to read about Heaven since that is where she was supposed to be going right?

WRONG!!!

The Bible DOES NOT tell us that when we die we go to Heaven. It say that we go to sleep and are aware of NOTHING. So the Heaven thing is out the window. It occured to me that if the church lied about Heaven, what else did they lie about. I did some research (all from Scriptures) about Hell. It doesn't say that if you are bad you will go to Hell and be tormented forever. The close I can figure there are 3 that will burn and be TORMENTED forever, The Dragon (Satan) The Beast (the human satan possesses) and the false prophet.

The disobedient children (human) are simply destroyed.

As for the Set-Apart Ones that are obedient and keep The Father's Commands, we die, go to sleep, and then are awakened, during the 1st resurrection. These individuals are NOT judged.

The 2nd resurrection of the dead is when the books are pulled out and the remaining souls are judged, if you were truly wicked in this life you are simply destroyed.

Long story short when the Messiah returns, a NEW Heaven & Earth are created and the Father & the Son live here on EARTH with those that have washed their robes clean.

As for other religions ( I am not religious I am Spiritual) I studied those the same time I began studying the Bible. NONE of them captured my attention and fed my Spirit, the way the the Scriptures do. IMO it might be a good idea for you to read the Bible (since this is your background) and pray for undersatnding since your time is near. It's as if one must purge themselves of all the lies the church taught in order to get to and understand the TRUTH.

I have never been afraid of dying, and now that I know the truth I look forward to the experince~ the Ultimate Adventure: "Death the Final Frontier"

The Bible just uses the term "fallen asleep" to refer to loved ones who have passed on. We certainly do, according to the Bible, go to Heaven/Hell upon death. Recall Jesus telling the "thief" on the cross "today you will be with me in paradise." When the Bible speaks of those who have "fallen asleep" "rising up" it means they get their resurrection bodies.

Edit: sorry, didn't answer the OP's question: I think that (even as a Christian) when we die, we will be surprised. Even if what I as a Christian believe is true about life after death, Heaven (and Hell) will scant look like popular human conception. Regardless, I think a lot of people, regardless of faith, will be surprised. I am not as scared to die as I once was (I can't say due to age, as I am still in the "prime of my life"), because death is the one thing we can never control. Reading C.S. Lewis, Kubler-Ross, et al have greatly changed my view of death. I think the reason we fear it so much is not because it is inevitable, but because too many die who have so much to live for, and are taken before what we judge is "their time." But that is another topic altogether. I am sorry for your diagnosis. Although it is not considered terminal, my brother has Crohn's disease, and the medicine they have put him on has affected his liver in a negative way, and the "levels" are near toxic. I will keep you in my thoughts.

I am sorry about your illness. My wife was the one who help me understand death. When she died she let me and some of my friends know she was there with us. The night she died she visited a young friend and ask her to give me this teddy bear she had. The little girl had know idea my wife had just died that night. Her Grandmother was quite shocked when she insisted my wife had come to visit her. There were other things she did to let us know she was ok. It really changed my view of death. I suppose it is like stepping out of a cocoon into another form. It is something we will all find out sooner or later.
Blessings of Peace my friend.
Darkwind.

maybe this illness is for you to define the meaning of death as you see fit, i have no fear or concerns of death as there is death in all momnets i imagine it to be the greatest freedom of all....

How are you doing?????

Well, firstly, I don't believe in hell. I think the ones that do wrong get sent back to get it right, sorta reincarnation, and if you did get it right you go to heaven.

I am sorry about your disease, but dont fear death. Would you send a child into an eternity of pain and suffering? No matter how bad my child was, I could NEVER do that.

I am not afraid of death. I am, however, afraid of dying slow and painfully.

I came close to that. From the age of 13 to the age of 20 not a single day went by that I wasnt in pain, in the last 3 months I was in severe pain every other week. I finally went to the hospital, found out I had Crohn's disease and had surgery. I was 1 night from death. I don't even fear a slow death anymore, nothing could be worse than what I experienced.

I am so sorry about your illness.

I have researched a lot about death because it's something that's consumed my mind ever since I was very young. I actually had a near drowning experience at about the age of 4 years old and it's had me very confused about the things I saw as it was happening.

Basically the thing that most makes sense to me is in the Edgar Cayce material.

Check these out:

Near death experiences & the "tunnel"
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research16.html

Near death experiences & the various realms:
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research20.html

Near death experiences & hell:
http://www.near-death.com/experiences/research14.html

This one really made a lot of sense to me. I had this intense fear of being in the dark. I believe that most likely at one point in my spiritual life I may have been here and put myself thru this purification. Ever since I read this article, I've been ok with myself being in the dark and I don't have that intense fear anymore. I just remember that I alone am able to take myself out of that misery.


I dont know what anyone else thinks of these articles, but I found myself finding the most peace with myself in the information provided, compared to any other information I've read so far.

My Father is in the early stages of Crohn's....

Doctors are not always right. You seem to give weight to the scriptures. Then why not examine the possibilty of healing? It is interesting that 420 mentioned Crohn's. I had it too, but I have been healed of it. My aunt had an inoperable tumor in her throat. She too was healed of this horrible thing with absolutely no medical intervention. If you do choose to seek out healing. My recommendation would be the John G. Lake healing houses. You can google them and contact them. Best wishes and I hope you beat this thing.

Death. That one common destiny for us all. It's not how this life is left but how it's lived that makes our memory eternal in those that live on.

Death is a thing we all share. I dont mind dying the only thing that upsets me is the fact that when i die it will upset my partner and children.

i dont fear death at all. i dont believe in hell but i do believe in a heaven. if there is nothing then thats ok i wont know at the time anyways..
but then i lay down and think to myself how there HAS to be somthing...becouse just think about it somthing just couldnt come from nothing. someone had to create it.
sry about my bad english.

[quote name='truth's last stand' date='Jan 5 2007, 04:45 PM' post='1488640']
The Bible just uses the term "fallen asleep" to refer to loved ones who have passed on. We certainly do, according to the Bible, go to Heaven/Hell upon death. Recall Jesus telling the "thief" on the cross "today you will be with me in paradise." When the Bible speaks of those who have "fallen asleep" "rising up" it means they get their resurrection bodies.]


There are a lot of Scriptures that tell you the TRUTH about going to sleep vs going to Heaven. Telling people that they go to Heaven or Hell when they die is a LIE.

Let's assume for second that you are correct, that we go to either Heaven or Hell when we die---I would need YOU to explain to me the following Scriptures:


John 3:13
No one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven: the Son of Man.


Acts 2:34-35
For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'


1 Corinthians 11:30
That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:6
After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the DEAD IN CHRIST WILL RISE first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.

Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where you are going.

1 Thes 4:13
"We don't want you to be ignorant, brothers, about
those who sleep, so you may not be grieved like the rest who do not have
hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, so also God will lead
with Him those who fell asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you in the
word of the Lord [namely], that we the living, who are left for the coming
of the Lord, will NOT get ahead of those who have slept. For the Lord
Himself with a command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the
trumpet of God will come down from the sky, and the dead in Christ will
rise first. Then we the living, who are left, will be snatched together
with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we will be
with the Lord always."


Now that you have read the above Scriptures, please show me the Scriptures that state we go to Heaven or Hell when we die.

Always remember that one's soul is eternal, perfect, clean. The mind, on the other hand, is another story. Death, like life, is a personal journey, don't you find? Who are we to know the absolute truth, anyway?! Heaven, hell, they're all in the physical level. One's soul is beyond suffering. The body suffers. The mind suffers because it is trapped in the body in all its limitations, I believe. We come back to this world over and over again partly because the mind craves the senses, that I know. Vicious cycle or not, it is beyond us. We are here now. We deal with the consequences of our lives, whether we want to or not. I believe that only through the grace of God (and perhaps our "sincere" wish) do we get out of this circle. My sincere wish to my God is not to come again..., because I went through so much suffering. But what could one do if God decides otherwise? One just have to reinvent one's self, over and over, adapt to any situations. The mind is very good at that. Besides, without the body, one could never feel anything physical, the mind could never do its thing. I never fear for my soul because it doesn't feel pain. It is pure energy, afterall. The mind is the fragile one. I do not fear death, but I just don't want to come back once this lifetime is over. Actually, the last time I was gravely ill, the healing process was very painful -- imagine trying to revive your atrophied muscles and nerves...

div, welcome to UM. Sounds like you have been through the hell of physical therapy. I know what kind fight and the pain you go through to get you life put back together or at least partly anyway. I don't want to go through that kind of pain myself again.

I agree with you the soul is as eternal as the multiverse ever changing and growing.

Thank you for your support.

Peace.