Quite recently I lost my Grandma, after loosing my Grandad & another Grandma about the same time last year :(, & even though 99% of the year my family & I are not religious we have found comfort in that my grandparents are now together in heaven.  This has been echoed on many sympathy cards we have received also.

I find it very strange how something that would normally be dismissed out of hand can be so comforting in these terrible times, is it just a way of dealing with the death of people close to us? or do we subconciuously belive in these things?

It seems to be innate. There is evidence throughout history from cultures all over the world of a belief in an afterlife of some kind, whether it's 'heaven' or reincarnation, or something else.

I think with alot of people it is a coping mechanism but with most something they truely believe in.

I personally do not believe :)

Sorry about your losses.

Lucy
xx

All through the ages people of all paths and religions have believed in some form of life after death.  Whether it be heaven, the Summerlands, reincarnation, all these things bring comfort to, not only grieving friends and relatives, but to those that are about to pass on.

My personal beliefs don't include a 'heaven' as it is imagined by most people but I do believe that there is more after the physical body has died.  I believe that our soul, ethereal body, spirit whatever you want to call it, has an energy all of it's own.  It's not possible to destroy energy but it is possible to change it into another form ;)

Debs

I believe in what the Bible teaches  - that there is life after death for all who accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour :)

Me too!!! :D

Likewise. :-)

And me !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I find it hard to accept that nobody alive over 2000 years ago (ie before Christ) had a soul. Or those people who have never heard of Him. I believe that the Christian interpretation of life after death is one equal facet among others of a greater universal truth.

I am Roman Catholic, but I too believe that all faiths and paths lead somewhere and fail to understand the intolerance of people who consider their way the only way (like my Dad).

the intolerance of people who consider their way the only way (like my Dad).
I don't know which religion your dad follows, Brainless, but if he's a Christian it's likely that he acknowledges the words of Jesus as quoted in John 14:6 'I am The Way, the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me'. :)
So maybe he's really saying that Jesus's way is the only way.....

Roman Catholic, but he has some strange ideas of his own, thinks that his interpretaion is the only right one :D.

Oh well if thats the case I am going to hell!!!!!
I dont bel;ieve in christ, but if christ is who he is meant to be, then I cant see him only letting in the people who have believed in him!!!!!!
If he is that judgemental, I dont want anything to do with him!!!!!
I am Agnostic, as believe there is something after but not sure what!!!!
And Believe the Bible is the best NOVEL ever written!!!! as got so many people to believe it, I would love to meet they guy who wrote it. He is probably looking down having a great old laugh at what he started :)Same goes for the Koran etc etc
BUT each to their own, that is what I believe, I am not slammig anyone for believeing different!!!!!
Lea :)

Rather sounds like you are actually!!! With all the exclamation marks and dismissal of the Bible!!! :D

Lea, calm down (does Michael Winner impersonation)

Each of us is entitled to our own beliefs. The important thing is that we are happy with our own which doesn't mean we have to put down other people's.  Having a faith is a very special thing to those who have it.

If you have questions about who wrote the bible then Robert Beckford might answer that one for you.  He did a brilliant documentary a couple of years ago on this very subject.

It's not who wrote it that matters it was who dictated it ;)

Lea - BUT each to their own, that is what I believe, I am not slammig anyone for believeing different!!!!!
CherylS - Each of us is entitled to our own beliefs.

Thats what I said wasnt it??? Ok maybe I used to many exclamation marks for peoples likeing but thats me. I dont care if people believe in the devil or a gnat or anything inbetween. I was saying what I believe in. Not having a go at what anyone else believes.
What I dont like is people pushing their religion down peoples throats, Each to their own :0
Lea :)

Actually Lea, there is an absolute rook of evidence to authenticate the Bible, you need to see Nicky Gumble in action...there are also close links with the Moslem religion, they even have a character called Noah(but spelt differently) I believe that Christians and Moslems worship the same God!

The Bible has all the credence it needs if you study the heritage of it and the scientific side of things and how they classify ancient manuscripts to recognise their provenance. Many academics also value the Bible for the document it is, there are millions of intelligent academic people(including my hubby who has a doctorate in Physics!) that believe the Bible is the book it says it is and Jesus Christ was real and God's son. Christianity gives us free will, we're not forced to believe or do anything, we have the ability to walk away if we want. However, I have a real relationship with God and couldn't even begin to tell you how I know it's real, or the things that God has done for me. The same goes for the other Christians in the World, I ony wish we had the devoted nature of Moslems, now they KNOW how to worship!! LOL :D

Oooh wasn't going to respond to your post but ....  how does Christianity give free will?  There are plenty of non-Christians who would argue with that one, I for one.  Also I don't think intelligence has anything to do with whether you believe in God or not. 

>Also I don't think intelligence has anything to do with whether you believe in God or not. 

No, infact the nature of faith is just that.  You take on trust without any wish or need to understand the whys and wherefors. 

I agree - I know a lot of very intelligent people who don't believe because they have thought about it :D :D :D (Not just me :D :D :D ) Both my husband and son have science degrees and are non-believers :) :) :)

Daisy

That may be the case but a great many scientists of note do have faith.  When I said you don't need intelligence to have faith I didn't mean it would necessarily be a hindrance either :)  The point is faith is not something you can "work through" in a scientific or even philisophical manner.  You have either got it or you haven't :)

I was partly thinking of Dawn's post about academics being Christians - just wanted to point out that it can work both ways working it through :D :D :D

Daisy

A churchman once told me that faith and knowledge are, by definition, incompatible. Faith is belief without proof. Once you have proof you have knowledge, but the faith has been destroyed.

Well, you can choose how you treat people, how you live your life?? Who can make you do anything else? You choose whether you pick up a gun and kill someone, no one stops you...so you have free will to live your life how you want to. The 10 commandments are given to us to protect us rather than enslave us...how nice is it to kill someone? how would you feel if your husband always wanted to bonk your next door neighbour! If you sleep around chances are you end up with some veneral disease or other, look at the impact that chlamydia is having on young girls and their fertility these days??

With regard to intelligence, it seems to me that people who state they are 'intelligent themselves' denigrate Christians as they seem to think we are 'fooled' into believing in God? Actually, though, I think you will find that intelligent people DO question and make judgements about faith and our relationship with it. We also tend to question things that happen to see if they are God given or human given. There is good and bad in all walks of life, unfortunatley some people use Christianity as a shield to disguise their non God given flaws, faults and sins. Some also use religion as a stick to beat people they seem to think of as inferior in some way. And we all know about the wars started in the basis of God given glory and supremacy over other religions.

What remains are a faith driven people, not 'religious' in any way, after all, we all know people who go to Church 'religiously' every sunday, but have neither the faith nor the heart of God. They seem to think it's an insurance policy! Whereas true Christians live the life, with sin, after all we all sin, and rely on God to guide them, forgive them and create better people out of them. I am the sort of person who believes in God, but am not a fool in any way shape or form, relying on God to give me the peace, love and care I need.

I don't really think this was meant to be a discussion on why people believe, but more of an interest in what people believe and their tolerance of other peoples belief, all the best, Dawn

I don't believe that Christianity has a monopoly on goodness.  I am an atheist and also have free will but this doesn't mean I go around being bad to people or any other living creature.  I live my life around the same values as most other people but this has nothing to do with anyone's God(s).

I'm not knocking anyone's beliefs system but why am I not allowed my beliefs without religious people criticising mine?  Atheists don't normally admit they are so because of the negative reactions by other people and because religious people automatically think you are going to personally challenge their beliefs. I don't judge people by their religion and don't expect anyone to judge me because I don't believe in God.

As for the intelligence argument, I know I am of pretty bog standard average so also know I am not calling the clever card - wish I could :D 

Errmm, Cheryl, I'm not knocking your beliefs or anything...I believe everyone is entitled to believe whatever rocks their boat...which is why I don't object to Islam, moslems or the Quran...hope I didn't sound as if I was??? You obviously don't mix with the RIGHT Christians!!! :D

I was just trying to answer your questions about whether Christianity was a freedom or not? And how I feel things should be, also aknowledging that all sorts of people who proclaim to be Christians, aren't really! Using it as a veil for other purposes! I truly want love, peace and cohesion...I should have been a HIPPIE!!! :P

Actually, I mix with some lovely Christians as my in-laws are RC.  In my company they don't talk about religion though and neither do I.  On the rare occasion I have got into religious discussions with other people and I mean rare occasions, I am met with the patronising shaking head type of attitude.

Personally I couldn't care less about what most people think as far as religion goes so long as they don't try and tell the majority their club is the only genuine one.  I agree Dawn, there are far too many unchristian Christians, the don't do as I do but do as I say type.

Can I join your hippie commune? :P

>I ony wish we had the devoted nature of Moslems

Is it moslem or muslim? Or are you talking about a different religion?

Same thing, different (both acceptable) spellings. :)

(Drat, too late to edit)
Actually, whether that's right or not depends on where you research.  Some sources say that the two are interchangeable, with one being more archaic than the other, whereas others say that the spelling 'moslem' is offensive.

Moslem is a variation of MUSLIM, it says so in the dictionary! :P

Because it's an Arabic word any spelling in our Roman alphabet is only an approximation. So to someone writing in English either spelling is correct. :)

I think for the most part, we all have a deep rooted 'faith' be it in one form or another.
We all use our own interpretations and to be honest I feel sorry for anyone who might think that there is nothing more after death.
Karen  ;-)

If I am totally honest with myself - I don't think there is anything after death. But it won't matter cos I'll be dead and I won't know anyway :D

Anything else is a bonus :D

I hope there is something after death or else i wont be seeing charlie again.... ;)

Donnax
(and charlie of coursex)

I agree with Carla.  :D 

You live on in the hearts of those who loved you.  :)

I like to think that what goes around comes around - eventually! The idea that those who live their lives being complete a*seholes to everyone and don't get their comeuppance in the end, and that those who go out of their way to help other people don't get some reward, is hard to take! :D

Surely the reward is knowing that you're doing good for people and knowing you're not an a*sehole. Being an ahole is punishment because everyone who isn't an ahole knows you are and you're too much of an ahole to know  :D

Being an ahole isn't a punishment until the ahole realises it though. :D

Hmm, there's a moral there somewhere :D

I can't argue with that. I don't like the idea of reincarnation - there is no way I want to be re-born into this world the way its going!

I don't like the idea of reincarnation - there is no way I want to be re-born into this world the way its going!

It depends on how deep you go with reincarnation, and also time itself.  More and more people are moving towards the thought that time isn't linear.  There is a theory which suggests that other life regression has little to do with time and that even future life regression (bit of an anomaly in terms there on my part :d ) is possible.  Most people who believe in reincarntion also believe that we choose the life we go into - which includes not only humans but animals, insects and plants too.  Everything we know of consists of energy so it's just a case of reshaping it into another form :)  So maybe there is a possibility that you could be reincarnated into what we see as a past life.  Looking into time theory is fascinating and opens up a whole new world of thinking - although it is mindblowing at times :d

Debs

>there is no way I want to be re-born into this world the way its going!

I think you might enjoy this tonight, Mrs Doom and Gloom ;) :)

:D

Knowing my luck I'll come back as a wasp... I have killed so many, quite evily, that it would be a fitting reincarnation.

That or a horsefly.

Nice.

LOL! :d

>there is no way I want to be re-born into this world the way its going!

It's always been going that way.  I will try to remember to watch the "7 sins" programme tonight but already knew that times gone by weren't a bed of roses from just tracing my family tree.

I have killed so many, quite evily, Tee hee Carla.. :-)

Although brought up as a Christian, I've crept further and further away since my early twenties. I'm a logical person and I just can't see any logic in a lot of the main beliefs. Also I have also experienced several friends and relatives who profess to be devout Christians and are the most un-Christian people that you can imagine. However, I can understand how people take great comfort in religion, particularly at times of great distress and grief. My aunt's recent funeral was a very pleasant experience :) Hopefully, I am a tolerant person of other's religions generally. Personally, I find all the posts about The Rainbow Bridge very gooey and cringe at some of them :D :D Just not my thing, but again, if it helps people come to terms with their loss then that is fine with me :) :) :)

Daisy

My friend Nick was a Christian. He belived that once you're dead you're dead. No, ghosts, no sprits, no afterlife. Nick died unexpectetly last year, aged 44, I guess he now knows what really happens! Me & his family always have a laugh about this & I'm sure he would too!