Heaven Books
Do you believe them?
- Jesus' Princess
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Heaven Books
90 Minutes in Heaven, Heaven is for Real, The Boy who Came Back from Heaven, theres lots of them out there, all claiming to have gone to heaven and returned basically. What do you think about them?
Personally, I believe The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, for various reasons, but I'm not entirely sure about some other ones. I mean, in 90 Minutes, the guy was a pastor, and probably had a lot of knowledge about the details of heaven, so he could have dreamed it. I don't know.
One thing I noticed is that in 90 Minutes, the guy said that the gates of heaven weren't covered in pearls as he thought, but that they were made out of a pearlescent material. In Heaven is For Real, the boy said that the gates had pearls on them.
Personally, I believe The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, for various reasons, but I'm not entirely sure about some other ones. I mean, in 90 Minutes, the guy was a pastor, and probably had a lot of knowledge about the details of heaven, so he could have dreamed it. I don't know.
One thing I noticed is that in 90 Minutes, the guy said that the gates of heaven weren't covered in pearls as he thought, but that they were made out of a pearlescent material. In Heaven is For Real, the boy said that the gates had pearls on them.
- John Chrysostom
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I have talked to many who have read [Edit] Heaven is for Real and they generally believe it to be true. From what little I've read of it I would tend to believe it, my big reason would be his knowledge of his sibling who died before he was born.
I believe there are near death experiences and out of body experiences, I haven't read the other two books so I can't comment on them.
I believe there are near death experiences and out of body experiences, I haven't read the other two books so I can't comment on them.
Last edited by John Chrysostom on Fri Jun 29, 2012 2:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Jesus' Princess
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Actually I think you're referring to Heaven is For Real? Alex (The Boy Who Came Back) didn't have a sibling that died, but the other little boy didAyn Rand wrote:I have talked to many who have read The Boy who Came Back from Heaven and they generally believe it to be true. From what little I've read of it I would tend to believe it, my big reason would be his knowledge of his sibling who died before he was born.
I believe there are near death experiences and out of body experiences, I haven't read the other two books so I can't comment on them.
I have only read Heaven Is For Real. I believe that particular one is true. I haven't read the other ones. So, I can't express my opinions on them.
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Honestly I would love to believe Heaven is For Real was...for real. But The thing that bothered me was his descriptions of everything, they just seemed a bit cliche, like something out of a church Christmas play.
Not to mention when he talked about Jesus, he was very un-emotionless, and very dry, I feel as if I would be just, completely speechless and boiling over and having an experience like that. I don't know, that's just what I get.
Not to mention when he talked about Jesus, he was very un-emotionless, and very dry, I feel as if I would be just, completely speechless and boiling over and having an experience like that. I don't know, that's just what I get.
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- Termite
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Remind me how old he was when the book came out? You can't expect a child to write like Shakespeare.
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I haven't read any of them, but I don't believe any of them... I don't think you go to heaven and come back. >_> Unless you're Jesus.
I have heard of some compelling near death/out of body experience types of things though (biology professor who I totally trust said when he almost died as a kid he could see the entire incident occuring BELOW HIM as he floated away). So I don't really know, obviously. I just don't really buy it--the mind is a powerful thing and could just fabricate stuff like that, it happens. And people make stuff up.
I have heard of some compelling near death/out of body experience types of things though (biology professor who I totally trust said when he almost died as a kid he could see the entire incident occuring BELOW HIM as he floated away). So I don't really know, obviously. I just don't really buy it--the mind is a powerful thing and could just fabricate stuff like that, it happens. And people make stuff up.
- John Chrysostom
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I was just reminded of this http://benedictseraphim.wordpress.com/2 ... -the-cook/
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The kid didn't actually write the book you know...I saw an interview with him.Termite wrote:Remind me how old he was when the book came out? You can't expect a child to write like Shakespeare.
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Personally, I have always been skeptical of people claiming to see the afterlife. John went to Heaven, observed it and it's recorded in the Bible. Somehow, I don't God randomly decided to start letting people into Heaven 2000 years later. There's just too many people making money off this for me to believe it.
However, I don't think any of us have the burden of proof, so ya'll can believe as you wish.
However, I don't think any of us have the burden of proof, so ya'll can believe as you wish.
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Note: My past posts do not necessarily reflect my values. Many of them were made when I was young and (in retrospect) misguided. If you identify a post that expresses misinformation, prejudice, or anything harmful, please let me know.
Note: My past posts do not necessarily reflect my values. Many of them were made when I was young and (in retrospect) misguided. If you identify a post that expresses misinformation, prejudice, or anything harmful, please let me know.
- John Chrysostom
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Well as the article I posted showed it wasn't 2,000 years later that this happened, there is a history in Christianity of this happening.
I don't believe them simply because I don't believe that people go to haven when they die (with exceptions for Moses and Elijah ), instead I believe that they "sleep" until the Messiah comes back, then are raised. But I haven't read any of the books so I can't comment on them properly.
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What do you do with the verse, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord"?
- Jesus' Princess
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That's kind of my thing as well, however, I do believe The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven, for various reasons.American Eagle wrote:Personally, I have always been skeptical of people claiming to see the afterlife. John went to Heaven, observed it and it's recorded in the Bible. Somehow, I don't God randomly decided to start letting people into Heaven 2000 years later. There's just too many people making money off this for me to believe it.
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Yes, people can make stuff up and fabricate things but I don't believe that is the case in the book Heaven is for Real. How can a kid who has never known about the things he has seen come up with them and then they be backed by biblical references and other people's experiences.The Top Crusader wrote:I haven't read any of them, but I don't believe any of them... I don't think you go to heaven and come back. >_> Unless you're Jesus.
I have heard of some compelling near death/out of body experience types of things though (biology professor who I totally trust said when he almost died as a kid he could see the entire incident occuring BELOW HIM as he floated away). So I don't really know, obviously. I just don't really buy it--the mind is a powerful thing and could just fabricate stuff like that, it happens. And people make stuff up.
That is too big of a coincidence for that to happen. The mind is a powerful thing but even it can not fabricate something from nothing that matches the bible. As Whit used to say, "I don't believe anything is a coincidence."
Heaven isn't a 'place', much less one that you visit. The only reason that the concept of a physical heaven is so popular in the church is because people desire absolute assurance of their afterlife. The Christian faith, on the other hand, gives no such assurance. In fact, the picture that the Scriptures give us is one of Christ's Kingdom on earth, not a bright and colorful location in the sky.
Fallacy of false continuum. // bookworm
Any cupcake can be made holy through being baptized in the name of the Butter, the Vanilla and the Powdered Sugar. // Kait
Any cupcake can be made holy through being baptized in the name of the Butter, the Vanilla and the Powdered Sugar. // Kait
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John 14:3 pretty much exactly says that God is preparing a specific "place" for us.Jelly wrote:Heaven isn't a 'place', much less one that you visit.
I could list multiple portions of the Bible that describe the physical properties of "Heaven". (For starters, Revelation 21:10-25.) What are you trying to deny? Do you not believe in a physical Heaven? Is the afterlife merely an emotional or spiritual state?Jelly wrote:The only reason that the concept of a physical heaven is so popular in the church is because people desire absolute assurance of their afterlife.
he/him | attorney | spartan | christian | bleeding heart type
Note: My past posts do not necessarily reflect my values. Many of them were made when I was young and (in retrospect) misguided. If you identify a post that expresses misinformation, prejudice, or anything harmful, please let me know.
Note: My past posts do not necessarily reflect my values. Many of them were made when I was young and (in retrospect) misguided. If you identify a post that expresses misinformation, prejudice, or anything harmful, please let me know.
The Bible speaks in metaphorical symbolism alll the time (especially in the book of Revelation). It's when we try to take things literally that we end up putting God in a box that we can comprehend with our minds.
I believe the afterlife is entirely spiritual. The realm of the physical is limiting; in the realm of the spiritual, the realm of God's existence, there is complete freedom. It's just entirely beyond comprehension.The Joker wrote:What are you trying to deny? Do you not believe in a physical Heaven? Is the afterlife merely an emotional or spiritual state?
Last edited by jelly on Tue Jul 17, 2012 2:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
Fallacy of false continuum. // bookworm
Any cupcake can be made holy through being baptized in the name of the Butter, the Vanilla and the Powdered Sugar. // Kait
Any cupcake can be made holy through being baptized in the name of the Butter, the Vanilla and the Powdered Sugar. // Kait
- John Chrysostom
- No way I broke the window
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So you'd pretty much say that our souls are trapped in our physical bodies right now? That complete freedom and perfection is only possible without the physical?
I ultimately believe in God's Kingdom on earth, and in my mind that looks like a sort of union between the physical and the spiritual. For this time the spiritual is invisible to us; there comes a time when our eyes will be opened.
As for the immediate afterlife -- what happens to you right after you die -- I think I agree with Moontide. A state of waiting (the restless souls under the alter from Revelation?) until final justice is delivered and God's Kingdom is established on earth.
As for the immediate afterlife -- what happens to you right after you die -- I think I agree with Moontide. A state of waiting (the restless souls under the alter from Revelation?) until final justice is delivered and God's Kingdom is established on earth.
Fallacy of false continuum. // bookworm
Any cupcake can be made holy through being baptized in the name of the Butter, the Vanilla and the Powdered Sugar. // Kait
Any cupcake can be made holy through being baptized in the name of the Butter, the Vanilla and the Powdered Sugar. // Kait