Recently, I was at a message board for retired greyhounds. I used to own one and was once a moderator on this board. One of the topics in the "Off Topic" area caught my attention. The question posed was, "After Death, your thoughts on what happens." I began to read all the different posts and as I did, I was stunned by what people's beliefs were. Here is a little bit of a sampling of what I read.
i honestly don't know. i have a few theories, but of course, there's no way i'll know for sure until after i die (assuming any part of me still exists after death).if it's the case that we completely cease to exist after death, i am fine with that. after all, i know i would feel neither joy nor sorrow, love nor hate, etc. you can't feel anything if you don't exist, so to me, there's no point in worrying about it.honestly, i have serious doubts about the physical existence of a heaven and hell, and even if they did exist, i just can't picture myself in either place. to me, as in life, heaven and hell may just be a state of mind/circumstances. but then, if there is a hell, i sometimes have to wonder if the world we are living in is hell itself.-----------------------
I don't believe we are any different than animals or plants when they die- I think we just invent things about the other side to make ourselves feel better about the unknown... and I kind of find it a human vanity to think otherwise. I think you just ... fall asleep, you complete a cycle, and become part of the earth. It doesn't seem to be a popular belief, but it totally gives me comfort. But... since it IS the unknown, I guess that's just my way of imagining what happens so I feel better about it.------------------------------
I do not believe in anything happening after death. I admit it is scary and I don't like to think about it. But personally I think belief in an afterlife is just a fairy tale. I have no problem with it if it makes dealing with death easier, however, it makes me really sad when people spend their whole lives concerned about behaving a certain way so they can go to heaven or paradise or whatever.--------------------------------
I think I'm just a carbon-based life form and I will cease to exist when my life ends. I actually take comfort in that - knowing that I'm just a tiny drop of water in a vast ocean and that my problems don't amount to a hill of beans in this world. One of my favorite sayings is "In a hundred years it won't matter". It would stress me out to think that I would be hanging around for eternity in any form. But I suppose by religious standards I'd be going straight to Hades anyway no matter how morally I live my life, since I'm not a believer.-----------------
Decomposition. Happy worms and flowers.-----------------
What I believe . . . .we are all made up of energy which cannot be created or destroyed . . when our organic bodies cease, that energy has to go somewhere. But in this body, with my limited senses, I couldn't say where . . . .there are dimensions out there that we cannot comprehend from this 'earthly' standpoint.---------------------------------
I have to say, in 11 pages of posts, (it finally got locked because people couldn't be nice to each other) I came across perhaps, 4 maybe 5 people who spoke of Christianity, going to heaven and believing in God. Some agreed with the Christians, but refrained from making more of a comment. I have to admit, I was rather shocked at some of the answers and very sad. I wondered, did this minute group of people represent how the world at large thinks about life after death?
I'm very careful in responding on a message board. I don't want to hurt anyone, or tell them their feelings, etc. are not valid. I especially do not want to judge or force my beliefs on anyone if they are not asking for it. I did however have to speak on my own behalf with this post.
Faith in God and His grace and mercy is not something one person can give to another. It is in the heart of the believer. I believe in God because I have faith. And I have faith because God has proven Himself to me in countless ways. Without giving God a chance to do that in my life, I would not believe in Him or have the faith I have. Therefore, because I have faith in God, I have faith in His word, the bible. The bible of my God, tells me that, if I believe that Jesus died for my sins, and I accept Him as my Savior, then when I die, I will go to heaven. It all sounds so, so, ridiculous doesn't it? BUT, in the heart of the believer, it IS the truth, according to God's word. Whether you believe in the bible or not, it is still a fact that Jesus walked the earth, proclaimed to be the Son of God and God himself, and was crucified. That is the truth and has been proven. It is also true that people witness that. Even the historian, Josephus wrote about Jesus' life and crucifixion.
As a believer, I have something that is true and real according to my faith, therefore, I feel I have a good basis for why I believe I will go to heaven. What I don't understand is, for those of you who say, I believe when I die, little bits of chemicals will become something else, or I will be one with the worms or that you will just cease and there is nothing else. I want to understand HOW you have come to this conclusion. Where is your basis for believing what you believe? I mean no disrespect with this question, I truly would like to understand.
According to science, it has not been proven if one goes to heaven or hell after life. According to faith in the written word of God, it has been. If you're OK with believing that, you live, you die, end of story, then that's fine. But for anyone with even a shadow of a doubt or the slightest question in your mind, wouldn't it make sense to dig up some facts or truths, be it from science or religion? With a question as big as, where will I go after this life, it only seems fitting that we should research the options. I sure as heck wouldn't go on a big vacation without finding out how I'm getting there and at what cost.----------------
I got some responses. Mostly people challenging me for facts of this and that, which I was able to answer for each one. But not ONE person could tell me what the basis of their belief was or how they came to such conclusions. The few Christians active in that topic were accused of trying to push their beliefs on others or to convert them to their religion. We were also told, 'we can never make you an unbeliever so quit trying to make us a believer.'
I don't know why I've let this bother me so much. I was actually relieved when the topic got locked because I was becoming obsessed with following along and waiting for new responses. I guess it bothers me because it gave me a little insight to the way so many people think, and to me it was disturbing.
If you are reading this and you are not sure, or have questions as to where you will go after your life is over, please don't be satisfied with your own belief. Do a little research, question science, read the bible, ask questions or, email me if you want to and we can talk. Just please, don't do nothing.
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