Everlasting Life

I am not religious but I think there is an energy left when people die. Whether it is your brains way of coping with the loss, I have no idea

Like so many, I believe in ‘something’ and like to have spiritual works to hand, like Thomas A Kempis and Sister Wendy.

I’m always bemused by relatives or friends saying “Mum will now be sitting with her sisters up there having a fine old time” or likewise. It sounds so trite, yet we hear these type of expressions over and over again. And yet the dead are to us together in their own company. Anyhow it’s all a great mystery to me.
When my late DH comes to me in dreams, it’s so real, it’s as if he never went away, so there may be a spirit world divided by a veil, I just keep an open mind.

I remember thinking, when my two DC were tiny and asleep going into their room and watching them, that they had been here before. It was a very strong feeling. Their being here they took for granted and it seemed to have nothing to do with me.
Their presence was a mystery to me. (A miraculous mystery)
And mystery is the only word to explain my beliefs.

I’m also not longing to go to heaven. This world is heaven enough for me, so I don’t see it as a better place and if there is a God, the great architect, why would I despise his creation?

MadeInYorkshire

It would be a comfort to know that I would see my daughter again, if I believed, but I don't.

In my view what sort of God would give me the life I have led, and the abuse of children and animals ...

As I said before, there is 96% of all knowledge we as humans know nothing of. That makes us realise how little we know, especially when it comes to God and the afterlife. We'll just have to wait and see, because one day we will enter another dimension and see things we cannot see now. Once we're in the spirit world we will understand so much more.

Given six months to live an elderly friend of mine with a very strong faith said “Isn’t it exciting ?” In fact she died peacefully within less than four months.

There are so many things here on Earth that we can't explain so who knows what is to follow. I have an open mind and would love to think I would be reunited with those I have loved and lost. I am a deep thinker and very intuitive but I lost someone very close many years ago and I long for some sort of sign that she is watching over me but I have never felt it and that makes me sad because she would show herself to me if she could. The grief I felt has never diminished and I know she would not want me to be sad. If I could only feel her presence once more it would be enough.

MadeInYorkshire

It would be a comfort to know that I would see my daughter again, if I believed, but I don't.

In my view what sort of God would give me the life I have led, and the abuse of children and animals ...

Many people have this question - if there is a God, why is there so much suffering?

Here's Tim Keller's take,
youtu.be/dkn5lfutSrY?si=cCS4WAbCKuMEbiXq

and some comments by Josh McDowell.
www.bethinking.org/would-a-good-god-allow-suffering/q-why-does-god-allow-evil-to-exist

There's a lot more material on this online, for example William Lane Craig's article 'The Problem of Evil'.
www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/popular-writings/existence-nature-of-god/the-problem-of-evil/.

If you’d ever seen a ghost you would know there is something else. I’ve seen 2. The first one was someone that I knew of. I’d never seen a photo of him but I knew who it was.
The other one was a cat. That was a bit embarrassing.
I was visiting a friend. I walked into the sitting room and her cat was on the sofa. I knew her cat had been very unwell but there she was, on the sofa.
I went out to my friend and said i see tiddles is ok my friend looked at me and said she died a few weeks ago

Years ago , my family had an appointment to have some injections for a trip .

Our doctor was very nice and a friend .

As we sat in his small waiting room -well stocked with toys ,books and magazines a guy joined us .
He sat at the upright piano and played softly.
I recall that he had longish , red slightly curly hair and wore dark trousers with a rather old fashioned white shirt .
At one point , he turned and smiled at us .
His face was young and fresh .

When we left , I asked my husband , "do you think that it was Dr David's boyfriend?"
"Who ?"
"The guy playing the piano."
"What guy ?"
My children chimed in .
They didn't see anyone .
But I did and it's not the first nor the last time .

I have a very dear friend whom I've known over 30years. She is a JW and truly believes that all those who join the 'truth' or get to know Jehovah will come back and there will be no sickness, no disabilities, no war etc. She believes so passionately that she cries when talking to me about it. It must be wonderful to have a faith that you truly believe in. Personally I'm not sure what I believe 🤔

Jam tomorrow.

JW aside, it is far from jam tomorrow[or is that a joke?]

Being a Christian is an enormous help and support, in everyday life.

MerylStreep

If you’d ever seen a ghost you would know there is something else. I’ve seen 2. The first one was someone that I knew of. I’d never seen a photo of him but I knew who it was.
The other one was a cat. That was a bit embarrassing.
I was visiting a friend. I walked into the sitting room and her cat was on the sofa. I knew her cat had been very unwell but there she was, on the sofa.
I went out to my friend and said i see tiddles is ok my friend looked at me and said ^she died a few weeks ago^

Well I'd love to see all the disbelievers explain that! There are a few on this thread have said there is nothing after death, so how do you explain seeing a deceased cat?

Esmay

Years ago , my family had an appointment to have some injections for a trip .

Our doctor was very nice and a friend .

As we sat in his small waiting room -well stocked with toys ,books and magazines a guy joined us .
He sat at the upright piano and played softly.
I recall that he had longish , red slightly curly hair and wore dark trousers with a rather old fashioned white shirt .
At one point , he turned and smiled at us .
His face was young and fresh .

When we left , I asked my husband , "do you think that it was Dr David's boyfriend?"
"Who ?"
"The guy playing the piano."
"What guy ?"
My children chimed in .
They didn't see anyone .
But I did and it's not the first nor the last time .

I'm a bit puzzled by this, there was a small waiting room with a piano? How can you see and hear it being played and no-one else did when it was right in front of them? A piano is pretty loud and the sound would be overwhelming in a small room. No-one would be able to talk. Didn't you find it strange that no-one was looking at him despite giving a concert in front of you?

I have an open mind and although I would like to see my deceased relatives again, I would be quite happy if when I die, that’s it,end of..

Fancythat, I don't see it as 'help and support' - I see it all as a cop out, denial, a bit too convenient. Having a faith and believing in a higher power means taking far less responsibility (just call it God's will).

It (faith) keeps you in an innocent, childlike (inferior?) position, believing we don't know it all - or are even meant to. I don't believe we're that dumb.

Churchgoing demands 'obedience' to God, that imaginary figure that takes away the worry and stress of adult life - for those who can't face it - yes, so convenient.

It is convenient. And far more besides.

Hetty58 It (faith) keeps you in an innocent, childlike (inferior?) position, believing we don't know it all - or are even meant to. I don't believe we're that dumb.

Oh believe it, we really are that dumb. As I said before humans only know 4% of total knowledge and that includes everything we know. The spirit world is another dimension but not many humans can understand that. We are flesh and blood and most people can only understand what we see and hear with our physical senses.

There is so much that we can't explain. I am mesmerised by the beauty of nature. The more I see of it the more it amazes and delights me. I find God in nature as I can't believe that atoms floating round the universe could have created all the weird and wonderful things we have in this world. But my question is who made God? And if the universe did not exist there would be nothing. But what does nothing look like? Thinking about all this can make me exhausted.

Skydancer

There is so much that we can't explain. I am mesmerised by the beauty of nature. The more I see of it the more it amazes and delights me. I find God in nature as I can't believe that atoms floating round the universe could have created all the weird and wonderful things we have in this world. But my question is who made God? And if the universe did not exist there would be nothing. But what does nothing look like? Thinking about all this can make me exhausted.

who made God?

Part of the definition of God is that he is Creator, but not himself created. He is outside space and time. Before the universe came into existence, space and time did not exist.

Scientific evidence indicates that our universe did have a beginning. But if whatever begins to exist has a cause, as seems to be the case, what caused the universe to begin to exist? Who banged the Big Bang, so to speak? The cause would have to be a timeless, spaceless, and immaterial being.

This short animated video lays out an argument for the existence of God based on the finding that the universe had a beginning.
youtu.be/6CulBuMCLg0?si=Nn0QoZof5B68fiNU

Surely, it won't matter in the "afterlife" inishowen - I don't expect it can be anything like this life.

Having faith doesn't take away worry and stress of adult life Hetty. Maybe you think that those with faith have a charmed life and never have anything to worry or be stressed about, but how anyone could think that looking at how Jews have been persecuted is beyond me, and that is just one example.

Religious persecution is happening today and even without that, faith doesn't exclude a believer from personal suffering and pain.

Smileless2012

Having faith doesn't take away worry and stress of adult life Hetty. Maybe you think that those with faith have a charmed life and never have anything to worry or be stressed about, but how anyone could think that looking at how Jews have been persecuted is beyond me, and that is just one example.

Religious persecution is happening today and even without that, faith doesn't exclude a believer from personal suffering and pain.

I agree. Having a faith doesn’t shield you from bad things happening.

Christians are actually the most persecuted religious group in the world, according to the BBC and other news groups.
www.bbc.com/news/uk-48146305

If someone is found to be a Christian in North Korea, for example, they are likely to be sent to a labour camp where they will be starved and probably tortured. Some are executed.
www.opendoorsuk.org/persecution/world-watch-list/north-korea/

But people still find it worth it not to give up.

Hetty58

Fancythat, I don't see it as 'help and support' - I see it all as a cop out, denial, a bit too convenient. Having a faith and believing in a higher power means taking far less responsibility (just call it God's will).

It (faith) keeps you in an innocent, childlike (inferior?) position, believing we don't know it all - or are even meant to. I don't believe we're that dumb.

Churchgoing demands 'obedience' to God, that imaginary figure that takes away the worry and stress of adult life - for those who can't face it - yes, so convenient.

Having a faith and believing in a higher power means taking far less responsibility (just call it God's will).

Having Christian belief means that you consider yourself accountable to God, not just yourself. So you think more about the effects of your actions, not less.

You also aim to keep God’s laws, such as not lying, not having sex outside marriage. (Assuming you take the Bible seriously and know what it says.) This is not ‘convenient’.

Then there’s the fact that UK culture is getting more hostile to Christian beliefs. Also not convenient.

As far as seeing people again goes, my friend’s mother had two husbands, both of whom predeceased her. When we were discussing life after death, and which husband she would be reunited with, she said that humans could not imagine the joy of being in God’s presence, so not being reunited with her earthly family wouldn’t matter compared to that.
I honestly don’t know what to think about afterlife, everlasting or not. Sometimes I think that sightings of ghosts etc indicate it, but then I think there is probably a scientific explanation for these hallucinations which has yet to be discovered.
Someday I may find out. Or maybe I won’t.

As I have said before, 1,000s and 1,000s of people cannot be mad or whatever word you care to call it these days.

I saw my mum around 12 mnths ago in my lounge, I mentioned it on a previous thread.

My mum died just over 3 yrs ago, I do believe/hope I will meet up with her again.

My dh died 9 yrs ago, I have never seen him, but have as others have felt, the sense of someone next to me in bed, never in a chair it is always in bed.
I'm not religious, I know I am a good Christian person.

None of us really know do we? it is an open book.