celia
New Yorker
apart from out heart stopping and no longer breathing...do you think we go to another place or is that it..or what would you like to think or believe...?
What do you think happens when we die...?
- Thread starter celia
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deep
Blue Crack Addict
This question
and the FEAR of it
has EMPOWERED those who claim they know this answer for millennia.
to such an extent that people ignore atrocities before their own eyes.
on the belief that after they die, if they do as the empowered ones say, they will have a better outcome than the sufferers they ignore.
Celia,
My answer to you is why does it matter?
Live your life making choices that are correct here and in the moment.
When you leave this moral existence your life will not have been misspent.
and the FEAR of it
has EMPOWERED those who claim they know this answer for millennia.
to such an extent that people ignore atrocities before their own eyes.
on the belief that after they die, if they do as the empowered ones say, they will have a better outcome than the sufferers they ignore.
Celia,
My answer to you is why does it matter?
Live your life making choices that are correct here and in the moment.
When you leave this moral existence your life will not have been misspent.
nbcrusader
Blue Crack Addict
There is an answer. You can read it for yourself. It doesn't EMPOWER me over any other soul.
Everyone has eternal life. Where you spend it depends on the ONE you know.
Everyone has eternal life. Where you spend it depends on the ONE you know.
sulawesigirl4
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
I'll voice what is bound to be an unpopular perspective and say that I'm not sure that humans necessarily have immortal souls. From my reading it would seem to indicate that at least from a Biblical perspective, immortality is a property of the divine and although it can be given as a gift to mortals, it is not a default. The notion of the innate immortal soul seems to be more of a legacy of Greek philosophy than OT Jewish theology. That said, I believe that there has been provision made by God through his Son to extend eternal life to humanity. How exactly and who exactly will be in on that gift, I'm not precisely sure.
OP
OP
celia
New Yorker
deep said:
Oh I totally agree with you!
I don't have any strong beliefs about whether we go to another place or something but I know people that do and am interested in people's religion/beliefs...
I was thinking more along the lines of when you lose someone that you love, do you think they are sometimes still with you etc...but anyway I'm just thinking out loud...
deep
Blue Crack Addict
celia said:
I hear you loud and clear.
I live with the beautiful sorrow of having loss more than one loved one.
The sadness is compounded when they have died young.
The memory of them, their love, and decency, the shared joy I had with them lives in my heart. I try and pass on their goodness that they shared with me. To me this is eternal life enough.
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Anthony
Refugee
I don't know, and I don't think that anyone really does. Its good to have something you believe in, but when you're on the death bed, with death breathing down your neck, its very different.
Ant.
Ant.
Saracene
Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS
I'd like to believe that we do go on in some form or another after death. But I don't have any definite beliefs on the subject. Maybe life is just a process, and when it stops, well then that's it.
pax
ONE love, blood, life
Whatever the next step is--even though I'm a Christian, I don't count out the possibility of reincarnation--I know that God will be there when I die to explain whatever the next step is.
Scarletwine
New Yorker
The flame that is the human soul is eternal.
It lives on, eventually becoming one with the God father.
It lives on, eventually becoming one with the God father.
paxetaurora said:
pax
ONE love, blood, life
Some men see things as they are and ask, "Why?" I dream things that never were and ask, "Why not?"
--George Bernard Shaw
--George Bernard Shaw
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment...
-Hebrews 9:27
-Hebrews 9:27
pax
ONE love, blood, life
It all depends on the meaning of the word "die," doesn't it?
I'm not being coy. I'm serious.
I'm not being coy. I'm serious.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
bonosloveslave said:
According to "Born Agains" they've already died once.
For pax: Can you further explain your thoughts? I'm just wondering how you reconcile this with the traditional tenets of Christianity...
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pax
ONE love, blood, life
It's not that I necessarily *believe* in reincarnation. It's just that I don't totally throw it out, either. It seems to me to be reconcilable with Christianity, particularly if one is coming down on the universalist side of the eternal life debate (which I don't, necessarily, but it's something to consider).*
If God is omnibenevolent, which is to say that God is all-loving, then why not consider the possibility that God might give souls another shot at the earthly life? People screw up for all sorts of reasons, and don't seek forgiveness as they ought or don't fully accept Christ. If we assume that through the sacrifice of Christ, God demonstrated that the goal was to save all humanity from the powers of sin and death, then God does not wish to lose a single soul to those powers.
Reincarnation can be viewed as another way in which God triumphs over death and shows love for creation. This is just a possible and rough argument, and not even one I necessarily buy, but it's a perspective on the issue nonetheless.
*For those of you without a theology/philosophy background: Universalism holds that ultimately no souls are damned to hell. Some universalists simply believe that hell does not exist. Others believe that upon or shortly after judgment day, hell is either emptied or annihilated. Universalists believe that an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God would not allow souls to be condemned to hell. Again, not *necessarily* my view, but one that some people do hold.
If God is omnibenevolent, which is to say that God is all-loving, then why not consider the possibility that God might give souls another shot at the earthly life? People screw up for all sorts of reasons, and don't seek forgiveness as they ought or don't fully accept Christ. If we assume that through the sacrifice of Christ, God demonstrated that the goal was to save all humanity from the powers of sin and death, then God does not wish to lose a single soul to those powers.
Reincarnation can be viewed as another way in which God triumphs over death and shows love for creation. This is just a possible and rough argument, and not even one I necessarily buy, but it's a perspective on the issue nonetheless.
*For those of you without a theology/philosophy background: Universalism holds that ultimately no souls are damned to hell. Some universalists simply believe that hell does not exist. Others believe that upon or shortly after judgment day, hell is either emptied or annihilated. Universalists believe that an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God would not allow souls to be condemned to hell. Again, not *necessarily* my view, but one that some people do hold.
80sU2isBest
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
- Joined
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BonoVoxSupastar said:
You're exactly right. Who I was before, my sin nature, was crucified with Christ, and I was raised to newness of life In Christ. I will not die again. My flesh will perish, but that's just the vessel that contains my spirit...my "jar of clay". Who I really am-my spirit-will live eternally.
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Angela Harlem
Jesus Online
Question for anyone who believes there is more to come when we die, do you think too, that this life is the start?
I've never heard outside the typical wingnut who believes they were Marie Antoinette, a claim that there was anything before this life.
I wonder sometimes if there is an element of fear or anxiousness in our knowledge we do not know before this life, so we are afraid there might be nothing ahead so we accept too readily or with the subconcious intent of easing the mind that there is indeed something to follow.
I've never heard outside the typical wingnut who believes they were Marie Antoinette, a claim that there was anything before this life.
I wonder sometimes if there is an element of fear or anxiousness in our knowledge we do not know before this life, so we are afraid there might be nothing ahead so we accept too readily or with the subconcious intent of easing the mind that there is indeed something to follow.
Moonlit_Angel
Blue Crack Addict
paxetaurora said:
That's an excellent point. Makes perfect sense to me.
I personally think reincarnation is possible-I believe in it.
It's either that, or our spirits come back to watch over those who we've left behind. I personally think one of those two things could happen after we die.
That's my view.
In fact, I'm kinda liking the idea that this one girl mentioned once when I was talking to her, it links reincarnation and heaven-she said that her mom believed that if we are good people, we go to heaven right away when we die. If we aren't, we just get reincarnated until one of those lives is a good one that will lead us to heaven.
For me, I wouldn't exactly call that final place heaven...but I do think we go somewhere after we die. Just don't know if I'd call it heaven.
But that's another theory to throw in here.
Angela
Klaus
Refugee
I believe that in life we have the free choice to accept the good news spread by jesus christ
(no matter what you do, you will never be good enough to get into heaven by our own doings - it's much easier, we have to accept jesus as the saviour - if we do that and let jesus enter our heart we will automatically do good things, but they are not the basis for getting into heaven).
So i believe when we die we will kind of "sleep" . When Jesus comes to earth the 2nd time he will take the ones who accepted him to eternal life, the others will simply die forever (no torture, hell or something like that)
Klaus
(no matter what you do, you will never be good enough to get into heaven by our own doings - it's much easier, we have to accept jesus as the saviour - if we do that and let jesus enter our heart we will automatically do good things, but they are not the basis for getting into heaven).
So i believe when we die we will kind of "sleep" . When Jesus comes to earth the 2nd time he will take the ones who accepted him to eternal life, the others will simply die forever (no torture, hell or something like that)
Klaus
deep
Blue Crack Addict
Klaus said:
bad news for the ones that did not get the voice mail
Klaus
Refugee
deep:
well i guess he will make sure that everyone gets the chance to hear voice mail ;-) even if some of them never heared words like "Jesus" "God"
well i guess he will make sure that everyone gets the chance to hear voice mail ;-) even if some of them never heared words like "Jesus" "God"
sulawesigirl4
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
Klaus, you more or less expressed my thoughts. 
At least, after a lot of study, that's where I've been led to believe seems the most plausible at the moment.
At least, after a lot of study, that's where I've been led to believe seems the most plausible at the moment. 
ouizy
Rock n' Roll Doggie
Being not very religious, the only answer I can give is that we need to live our lives to the fullest now in the present, and then when we pass on whatever happens will happen...
I cannot prepare for that now, nor will I spend my life living a certain way just in case I will be judged after I die.
Now I am not saying that I am going to go out and be evil, but I think if there is a higher being, the life we have now is what we need to pay attention to and use to our advantage, as well as the advantage of others. This is what that higher being would have wanted, and that is why we have the opportunity to do so.
I cannot prepare for that now, nor will I spend my life living a certain way just in case I will be judged after I die.
Now I am not saying that I am going to go out and be evil, but I think if there is a higher being, the life we have now is what we need to pay attention to and use to our advantage, as well as the advantage of others. This is what that higher being would have wanted, and that is why we have the opportunity to do so.
BVS
Blue Crack Supplier
80sU2isBest said:
I have a question...When I use the term "born again" I think of someone who lived a life and then discover Christ later on in their life, they repent and become "born again". You say you will not die again, now is that a personal statement or is that a universal statement for "born agains". What if you fall from your walk and turn your back on God? Is it possible to die twice?
My other question is a person who was raised in the church all their life, grew up believing and following God...they are obviously sinners but never made that life altering turn around in their life because it was always there. When do they die?
nbcrusader
Blue Crack Addict
BonoVoxSupastar said:
Two excellent questions.
1. Can you lose your salvation? There is nothing in Scripture to support the idea that you can lose your salvation. Once we are justified before God through His grace, it is not taken away. Sure, we can stumble, walk away, get angry with God, sin (more), or backslide (the Baptist's term), but we never lose our place with God.
There are two elements that go with this. First, you must hve truly accepted Jesus and Lord and Savior. It is a confession with the mouth and a belief in the heart. If it is the mouth alone, you may fool your neighbor, but you won't fool God. Another element is that we do suffer when we fall from our walk. Our sanctification (the process which makes us more like Christ) slows down or stops. God spends our lives molding us into His perfect image through trials, tribulations, teaching, service, etc.
2. When do those raised in the Church "die" and become born again? Every person must make their own decision to place their faith in Christ alone for salvation. Their parents can't do it for them. I know many people who grew up in the church, but never make that personal committment (until later in life). Church essentially becomes a good, wholesome learning/service/fun activity once a week (this is not unusual in any way, I know many who treat our church as a country club - a place to socialize with others).
On the other hand, there are many children who make this choice as they are growing up in the Church. This is one thing that is included in most children's or youth programs at a church.
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