Thought I'd include this. It's from the book "Albert Einstein's Letters from and To Children."

Phyllis wrote and asked him if scientist's pray. I fully agree with his response.

January 24, 1936

Dear Phyllis,

I will attempt to reply to your question as simply as I can. Here is my answer:

Scientists believe that every occurrence, including the affairs of human beings, is due to the laws of nature. Therefore a scientist cannot be inclined to believe that the course of events can be influenced by prayer, that is, by a supernaturally manifested wish.

However, we must concede that our actual knowledge of these forces is imperfect, so that in the end the belief in the existence of a final, ultimate spirit rests on a kind of faith. Such belief remains widespread even with the current achievements in science.

But also, everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that some spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe, one that is vastly superior to that of man. In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is surely quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive.

With cordial greetings,

your A. Einstein

Just love that letter, post. Thanks!

All I know is my mother saw my father who was already dead just before she died and when I was trying to decide on music for her funeral a piece of China jumped off a shelf on to the floor whilst I was listening to a particular piece of music. I took this to mean that was what she wanted.

I have had many other unexplained incidents in my life so live in hope this isn't the end

day6 that's a great letter.

I like to believe there is.That I would then see those I have loved and lost but maybe come across some of my not so favourite kind .I am a Christian although I confess to not going to church a true christian in my opinion is one who will always help others in their time of need and in effect treat your neighbour as you would wish to be treated.I know of several people who never miss a sunday church service but are not what you would call caring or you could go to if you needed some help.

If we are all energy (well I was once) and energy cannot be destroyed entirely (mine was though) then......we must be recycled at some atomic level...........so, given long enough, what with re cycling being what it is......eventually, the world will get me back. Lucky eh?????

Too many people have had too many experiences to just dismiss where we go after our time on earth is up. What happens is surely up to us, if we need to learn more lessons then maybe we come back and exist again. But what I dearly hope is everyone I love and all the wonderful pets and animals I've been with on earth are there when my time comes.

I agree with you Korky about learning lessons and keep coming back, I'm certain that we'll see not only our family again but also our pets again.We are here for a reason, but our real life is the next life, we'll be just going home.

My husband died 11 months ago and we explained this to my 3 year old granddaughter by telling her that grandad was now a star twinkling in the sky so every evening she sings Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to him at bedtime. I hear her chattering to him as she moves around sometimes so I asked her last week if he answers. She said "Yes, he tells me jokes"! I can live with that as an idea but still have to face the final goodbye next month when we scatter his ashes. I'm not looking forward to that but it needs to be done...I would love to be able to believe that we will be together again one day; I was 16 when I met him for the first time and I'm 63 now so I suppose we were very lucky to be together for so long.

Christ choose his disciples which should give you all hope

, ,

Well, if there is some sort of after life it will be interesting. .. a new adventure, ..and if not, I won't care because I will be dead. So why worry.

It will be interesting to see how the different concepts of an afterlife are catered for, too. Will there be one section for the Christians with God on his throne, Jesus at his right hand, angels archangels and cherubim in attendance and everyone singing praises? Will the Muslims be in another area, each attended by their quota of 72 virgins, the Vikings somewhere else again, feasting on roast sheep and oxen, drinking strong mead from horns, singing lustily and boasting about the battles in which they died?

Where will all the animals going to be? I'm looking forward to seeing all our old pets again!

Ooh emergency grammar check! Where will all the animals be. Don't know where that 'going' came from.

I keep an open mind as to the how and where of it, but I do believe there is an afterlife. Perhaps it's merely waking up somewhere else and this life is the illusion...but one can get dizzy thinking of of stuff like that.
I do have an interesting (ghostly) anecdote however...It happened in April of 1970, the day after my grandfather died. My mom and grandma began having a heated argument over the estate. It seems my grandparents owned a second small house. When his own father (my great grandfather) died in 1959, my grandfather let his widowed stepmother move in, rent free or through some other arrangement. My grandfather wasn't rich but in the latter years he needed the extra income, yet refused to sell the other house because his stepmother was by then in her mid eighties, infirm and he didn't have the heart to evict her. After he died, my grandmother found herself in a very dire financial situation. My mother told her she really had no choice than to sell the house and went on with options for the old widow. Grandma wouldn't hear of selling and they got into a heated argument. They were really going at it, when an entire wall of floor length heavy drapery was literally ripped off a heavy brass rod, rings and all, by an invisible hand. The entire thing just collapsed to the floor all at once. Needless to say, the three of us just sat there open mouthed and completely stunned. To this day, I still can't explain what happened there, but my grandfather was known for his hot temper. I should add that his stepmother died that same year in her sleep, and grandma sold the house not long after that.

I will just wait and see

As a Christian I defintely believe there is. My faith has kept me going at dark times in my life.

Ever read "Heaven is Real?" I found it compelling. Apart from the book, my father's family believed in life after death, as I do.

I find it comforting I'll be reunited with my father's family et al, particularly my paternal grandfather
as I was only two when he died.

For those who don't believe, why not read the book, trying to keep an open mind. Then, see if you still think the same.

I want to get that book LuckyDucky. Have you read Proof of Heaven....a neurosurgeons journey into the Afterlife?, another faith enhancing book, about the American neurosurgeon who died and visited Heaven? Well worth a read.

Why would you want to read books like that? It must concentrate your mind on dieing. Not healthy, or inducive to any happiness or contentment now. They are written by charlatans. Don't go there.

Actually, why would you want an afterlife at all?

Speak for yourself Jings. A lot of us on here most certainly hope for an afterlife.

Not at all jinglebells, for me it's quite the opposite. Many people fear death, having faith in God takes that fear away. Not all books are written by charlatans. Some books bring massive comfort to a lot of people. That can only be a good thing.
Why want an afterlife? well the word afterlife is just a word, when we die we are simply going home. That is our real life. They're my beliefs anyway.

"Heaven is Real" gave me lots to think about. I don't loose
anything by believing. After all, no-one can buy time shares
in heaven - people earn the right to be there. . .

Oops, forgot I'd posted &