What do you believe about life after death, if you believe that it exists?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't believe in heaven and hell, but I believe in God. I think of heaven and hell as closeness or distance from God. If you were basically good in life, you will be close to God. If you hurt others, you will be far from God.
-agnostic, former cradle Catholic

Same

c



I totally agree with this. I’ve lived long enough to to believe in one thing: Karma. Because I’ve seen it in action…..my own life, and the lives of my friends and family. It’s common in the major religions of the West and the East. Good karma and bad karma happen. I believe that we all reap what we sow, both in this life, and whatever is in the next life. It takes much personal “soul work” to develop a strong, solid conscience, but it can be done. I am also a recovering Catholic. My karma ran over my dogma.😉

I wish this were true, but I’ve known lovely, lovely human beings who were struck down early in life, through horrible illness or tragic accident, the latest a
Sweet friend who was about the most wonderful person I’d ever known, not a mean bone in her body, kindness embodied, who left 2 young children and husband. Meanwhile think of awful people you know who survive well into old age with no hardships.

No karma involved. Just random good and bad luck.

[Anonymous]

Just this morning my 10 year old said, “it just seems really far fetched that after you die you suddenly get everything you ever wanted.”

So I asked him what he believes happens after death and he said he believes it’s like going to sleep except that you don’t know you’re asleep because you’re dead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe what the bible says:

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
--John 3:17

if you do not believe in Jesus, you are condemned. Your name is not written in the book of life:

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15

How does it make you feel, knowing that all people of non-Christian religions and people of no religion are going to hell?

That is not what the John 3:17 says. You don't have to be Christian to believe in Jesus's teachings. You can believe in love thy neighbor and all the other teachings of God and "believe in him:.

Also you can't just believe in Jesus and be a douche and go to heaven.

You misread what John 3:17 says. It does not say "If you believe in Jesus' teachings and love your neighbor you won't be condemned." It says, you must believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Many people believe Jesus was a "good guy" and agree that you should forgive others and love one another. Jesus commanded this. But that does not make someone a Christian, any more than doing yoga makes someone a Hindu, or admiring verses from the Koran make you a Muslim. You become a Christian when you believe that Jesus is God in the flesh, that he was born of the virgin Mary, was crucified on a cross, and rose from the dead on the 3rd day. IF you do not believe this, and the Muslims and Jews do not, then you are NOT a Christian. Believing that Jesus existed does not make a person a Christian. I believe Buddha existed and admire some of his teachings but that does not make me a Buddhist.

The previous verse 16 says that Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. --John 3:16

No you misread John 3:17. I explained it, you must live the life of Christ… he is everywhere… he is in everybody. You can’t just believe Jesus is God, You must live his teachings. It does not matter how Jesus comes to You, he may come through the Holy Spirit.

You are a Christian when you walk the life of Christ. You can’t just say I believe Jesus is God or the Son of God and “be a Christian” or “go to heaven”.

You must follow his teachings. You can’t condemn strangers to hell and go to heaven. You must repent and ask the Holy Spirit to come to
You and heal you ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe what the bible says:

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
--John 3:17

if you do not believe in Jesus, you are condemned. Your name is not written in the book of life:

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15

How does it make you feel, knowing that all people of non-Christian religions and people of no religion are going to hell?

It makes me feel the same as people on Death Row: sad, but they are receiving the consequences for their unbelief. I consider all non-Christians to be evil, even if they act good and do good deeds. They may not act evil publicly but on the inside they are indeed evil. Much of the time the evil is suppressed and does not manifest itself until certain conditions occur, such as the removal of police, Christians removed from society, or someone like Hitler using the government to approve evil.

For non-Christians and atheists, God has given them the final consequences of their unbelief. God is merciful and gives them time to repent, to believe in Jesus, but most do not.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. --John 3:19

When a person, such as a homosexual, repeatedly and willfully persists in that behavior which is disobedient to God, well, God cements that person's choice:

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient --Romans 1:27

God also passes judgment over entire nations such as telling the Israelites to go into Canaan and kill all of them and take the land. The Canaanites were evil, sacrificing their children to idols, engaging in homosexuality and bestiality and all other sorts of abominations. After awhile, God passed a final judgment upon them.

It is my opinion that God has passed a final judgment upon the Arabs and others who are evil, turning them over to Islam, Indians to Hinduism, and Jews to Judaism which denies Jesus is the Messiah thus making it an anti-Christ religion the same as Islam. All of these non-Christians are getting the fruit of the seeds which they have sown in unbelief.

And just believing in God does not make you good.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. --James 2:19

Funny thing, if the guy on Death Row repents his sin and accepts Jesus into his heart the minute before he's executed, he's saved, right?

But the baby born to a Muslim mother who dies in infancy gets eternal damnation....

Gotta tell ya, I'd rather spend eternity with a bunch of babies than a bunch of last-minute Christian converts with harrowing rap sheets. Or, for that matter, with PP.

To answer OP's question -- I do not believe in life after death in the sense that I will continue "living" as who I am now, but I do believe every living thing survives death as energy that is renewed in some new way.

Me, I hope my energy at least briefly inhabits a fly on the wall when PP crosses over and finds out he really ain't all that special just because he can quote a book.

[Anonymous]

I essentially believe in what is laid out in the movie/book Astral City. If you land in purgatory or go straight to heaven depends on two things: your actions while on Earth and the growth of your soul through multiple reincarnations.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_City:_A_Spiritual_Journey

Raised Catholic. Now exploring UU and Episcopal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe what the bible says:

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
--John 3:17

if you do not believe in Jesus, you are condemned. Your name is not written in the book of life:

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15

How does it make you feel, knowing that all people of non-Christian religions and people of no religion are going to hell?

It makes me feel the same as people on Death Row: sad, but they are receiving the consequences for their unbelief. I consider all non-Christians to be evil, even if they act good and do good deeds. They may not act evil publicly but on the inside they are indeed evil. Much of the time the evil is suppressed and does not manifest itself until certain conditions occur, such as the removal of police, Christians removed from society, or someone like Hitler using the government to approve evil.

For non-Christians and atheists, God has given them the final consequences of their unbelief. God is merciful and gives them time to repent, to believe in Jesus, but most do not.

And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. --John 3:19

When a person, such as a homosexual, repeatedly and willfully persists in that behavior which is disobedient to God, well, God cements that person's choice:

And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient --Romans 1:27

God also passes judgment over entire nations such as telling the Israelites to go into Canaan and kill all of them and take the land. The Canaanites were evil, sacrificing their children to idols, engaging in homosexuality and bestiality and all other sorts of abominations. After awhile, God passed a final judgment upon them.

It is my opinion that God has passed a final judgment upon the Arabs and others who are evil, turning them over to Islam, Indians to Hinduism, and Jews to Judaism which denies Jesus is the Messiah thus making it an anti-Christ religion the same as Islam. All of these non-Christians are getting the fruit of the seeds which they have sown in unbelief.

And just believing in God does not make you good.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. --James 2:19

Funny thing, if the guy on Death Row repents his sin and accepts Jesus into his heart the minute before he's executed, he's saved, right?

But the baby born to a Muslim mother who dies in infancy gets eternal damnation....

Gotta tell ya, I'd rather spend eternity with a bunch of babies than a bunch of last-minute Christian converts with harrowing rap sheets. Or, for that matter, with PP.

To answer OP's question -- I do not believe in life after death in the sense that I will continue "living" as who I am now, but I do believe every living thing survives death as energy that is renewed in some new way.

Me, I hope my energy at least briefly inhabits a fly on the wall when PP crosses over and finds out he really ain't all that special just because he can quote a book.

It’s why prisons and rehab love this “type” of Christianity. It was invented because people did not want to live good lives to be with God.

They twist scripture up like a pretzel to say all they have to do is accept Jesus as the lord and then they are good to go.

They are not going to be happy on reckoning day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just this morning my 10 year old said, “it just seems really far fetched that after you die you suddenly get everything you ever wanted.”

So I asked him what he believes happens after death and he said he believes it’s like going to sleep except that you don’t know you’re asleep because you’re dead.

Sounds like your 10 year old is a natural atheist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I essentially believe in what is laid out in the movie/book Astral City. If you land in purgatory or go straight to heaven depends on two things: your actions while on Earth and the growth of your soul through multiple reincarnations.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_City:_A_Spiritual_Journey

Raised Catholic. Now exploring UU and Episcopal

Purgatory is only a Catholic belief, so if you switch religions, you can kiss purgatory goodbye

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I essentially believe in what is laid out in the movie/book Astral City. If you land in purgatory or go straight to heaven depends on two things: your actions while on Earth and the growth of your soul through multiple reincarnations.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_City:_A_Spiritual_Journey

Raised Catholic. Now exploring UU and Episcopal

Purgatory is only a Catholic belief, so if you switch religions, you can kiss purgatory goodbye

This is purgatory

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I essentially believe in what is laid out in the movie/book Astral City. If you land in purgatory or go straight to heaven depends on two things: your actions while on Earth and the growth of your soul through multiple reincarnations.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_City:_A_Spiritual_Journey

Raised Catholic. Now exploring UU and Episcopal

Purgatory is only a Catholic belief, so if you switch religions, you can kiss purgatory goodbye

I’m clearly defining my own sense of spirituality. I can pick and choose what I like from any religions I want.

Catholics didn’t buy up all the real estate in purgatory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I believe what the bible says:

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
--John 3:17

if you do not believe in Jesus, you are condemned. Your name is not written in the book of life:

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15

Yeah…it’s a shame that the Bible is just a bunch of guys writing stuff, instead of an actual missive from God. I wish I could believe what you believe, truly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I essentially believe in what is laid out in the movie/book Astral City. If you land in purgatory or go straight to heaven depends on two things: your actions while on Earth and the growth of your soul through multiple reincarnations.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_City:_A_Spiritual_Journey

Raised Catholic. Now exploring UU and Episcopal

Purgatory is only a Catholic belief, so if you switch religions, you can kiss purgatory goodbye

I’m clearly defining my own sense of spirituality. I can pick and choose what I like from any religions I want.

Catholics didn’t buy up all the real estate in purgatory.

You're making up your own religion. People do it all the time and sometimes millions of others pick it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I believe what the bible says:

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
--John 3:17

if you do not believe in Jesus, you are condemned. Your name is not written in the book of life:

And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15

Yeah…it’s a shame that the Bible is just a bunch of guys writing stuff, instead of an actual missive from God. I wish I could believe what you believe, truly.

Well put!

[Anonymous]

Hell poster still ocd about hell. Get some help.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just this morning my 10 year old said, “it just seems really far fetched that after you die you suddenly get everything you ever wanted.”

So I asked him what he believes happens after death and he said he believes it’s like going to sleep except that you don’t know you’re asleep because you’re dead.

What do you believe, if you don't mind me asking?