Everlasting Life

I have sat with people who are dying and have watched the light of life leave them, their soul, I suppose. And I’ve wondered, hoped, that that essence, goes on to exist on another plane. For some time after DH died, I had a very strong sense of him around the house and once I heard him say my name, very distinctly, in his lovely Welsh accent. Just that one word, but in a querying tone as if he wanted to know where I was. I couldn’t bear to think that all that love and joy, intelligence and goodness was simply snuffed out for all eternity otherwise why do we exist at all? What is it all for? I wish I had a strong faith but I don’t; I can only hope.

We do feel our lost loved ones around us because they are indelibly stamped into our very being. That does not necessarily mean we think they still exist in some form on some other plain.

Yes, but that raises more questions. As none of us can answer them, it remains a mystery.

On my parents’ gravestone is the phrase ‘Forever with the Lord’ and that suffices for now.

So do I.

I totally believe we will be reunited with our loved ones,

Hello Ladies, this is my first post, I've always believed that when we die ...we are dead until Jesus comes back to earth, the people who have died last will be the first to come back to life as they will be welcomed by people who know them and so on.

Death of the body is not the death of us. We go on. Watch NDEs on youtube and do research. There are thousands of people who have experienced life after death then decide.

Sorry but it's all jam tomorrow.

For your good you mean?

ive rejected religions but i have a feeling that something will not reject me, spirit ,god or otherwise.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

It is convenient. And far more besides.

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.

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..

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?

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?

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.