What do you think happens after you die ?

[Ella2001]

I’m waiting on “you’ll be dead and that’s that“ 🤣
but genuinely curious as to what everyone else thinks happens , I know it’ll be like before you were born , you won’t know but what if after life/recantation is a thing ? I’ve come to terms with the fact tomorrow isn’t promised but what if there’s afterlife and we get born into a horrible abusive family ? In that case I think I’d rather just be nothing ? What you all think ? Love to read these threads thought I’d make one myself 😆

If you admit you don't have all the answers and no human does, why are you certain Jesus is the only path to heaven? What about all the other religions who also believe in the same god you do, but they don't believe god sent his son to earth?

I’ve always tried to keep an open mind on this. Obviously it would be lovely if there is a heaven however I don’t want to delude myself into believing in it if it’s just my wishful thinking.

I did however read a very interesting book recently called ‘Imagine Heaven’ by John Burke, where he draws anecdotal evidence given by people who have experienced NDEs, and assimilates it into comparisons with messages written in the Bible and in Scripture. A lot of the experiences are surprisingly similar, and there are some fascinating accounts given by congenitally blind people and their experiences of actually ‘seeing’ for the first time ever.

The podcast series, ‘Let’s Talk Near Death’ by Kirsty Salisbury is absolutely fascinating too.

Jesus is the only one who lived, died and was resurrected. He lives today. His life and death was prophesied hundreds of years before he came to Earth, as was his future reign. He said "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through me". (John 14:6).

I'm not convinced other religions do believe in the same God!

'I'm not convinced other religions do believe in the same God!'

And there we are - one of the strands that has been the rope leading many of us away from believing in God.

I see the problem. The Christian scriptures undoubtedly do present believing in the divinity of Jesus as the only route to the presence of God, and therefore to heaven. Particularly the Protestant version, which says that your actions are meaningless if not motivated by faith in Jesus (can't remember how C S Lewis manages to fix this to set up his fictional vision of all religions actually believing in the Christian God - Eurocentric though this is, he's at least trying to present a solution). This means that no member of any other religion will get to heaven. Which ultimately now that we are a bit further forward in history, is a very difficult belief to sell, when we know there's nothing obviously better about Christianity than other religions. Therefore many of us come to the conclusion that heaven looks remarkably limited, and human, as an idea - and that God starts to look quite limited as well. Which obviously can't be right.

There were large numbers of other people claiming to be/thought to be the Jewish Messiah in the region around the time of Jesus — Second Temple Judaism was messianic and focused on the imminent end of the world ushered in by his appearance. The Messiah was going to be a Jewish king descended from David, who ruled over the Jews and renewed Judaism, who would either issue in an era of peace and have a male heir, or the end of times. And the gospels and other bits of the New Testament t deliberately construct Jesus as Messiah precisely because they knew of the OT prophecies. They had to, to legitimate him!

I think CS Lewis in Narnia has a nice Calormene who does good things in the name of his nasty, bloodthirsty god, Tash (who, perhaps slightly awkwardly, appears to exist), and Aslan tells him that he accepts good deeds done in Tash’s name as done in his. Quite neat!

Neat yes, but quite insulting - 'you had your own religion but luckily your rather grubby dark God doesn't have the power to stop nice clean British me deigning to accept your actions as in fact meant for me! Welcome to heaven! Cup of tea, dear boy?'

This is why Christians have the Great Commission - to go out and spread the gospels to all parts of the Earth. So that everyone will hear the message, no matter what religion (or not) they have at that time. They can choose to follow Jesus instead, or stay as they are.

Are you saying that God sits back and takes a back seat while children are abused and murdered just so the abuser can repent his sins to God and accept God in his life? Please clarify.

Beautifully put.

If religions say in their doctrine that "There is One God" It must be the same one.

I imagine that post death will look and feel just like pre-life. I.e. it'll be a great big fat non-existence.

Really sounds like a judgemental cult CrunchyCarrot. No thanks. I'd rather die a mortal death.

They don’t believe in the same God.

The writings of my superb countryman CS Lewis, wonderful as they are, aren’t Holy Scripture.

Christians don’t all follow a rule about what to believe. People might say they aren’t Christian’s in that case, but the truth is that’s not how it works.

I am sure many ‘Christians’ believe everyone’s one God must be the same God and don’t think that if a Muslim or Jew doesn’t believe in Jesus they’ve had it.

This makes no sense. Sorry.

for example :
Islam has one deity, but does not recognise יהוה

I believe you decompose

if someone believes there are multiple ways to the Father then they’re calling Jesus a liar.

Of course they aren’t.

Jesus meant the way to the father was through what he taught, which was basically a way of love.

I change my mind all the time. Lately though I can’t get my head round God being omnipotent yet allowing the suffering in the world to happen. Proper awful suffering. I think about it a lot.

“New4Old · Today 21:32
If religions say in their doctrine that "There is One God" It must be the same one.”

It makes sense to me, and Islam Christianity and Judaism are all Abrahamic religions. They may have different perceptions of God but it is the same one.

Just like there is a difference between how God is portrayed in the Old Testament and the New, but it is the same God (Universal oneness/divine force).

Jesus said "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." Yes he taught love thy neighbour as thyself, but this will not be an easy way, to follow his footsteps.

Also, if the way to God is via other religions than just Jesus, then Jesus died for nothing. He never needed to die for us because he wasn't essential for our wsalvation.

So everyone who has different religions and all the lovely kind people who dont believe in Jesus are in hell? That’s so sad. 😞

No. John 14:6 records the words of Jesus for a widespread readership in koine Greek as
“ἐγώεἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡζωή οὐδεὶς ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸνπατέρα εἰ μὴ δι᾽ ἐμοῦ”
which translates to
”I AM (egō eimi) the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (egō).

not “through my teaching”
not “through my example”
not “through the way of love”
But through ME, the egō eimi, the I AM.