About Living forever

The religious go to heaven and the non-religious go to hell. True or false? What does the Bible have to say about this?

According to Pope Francis, atheists can go to heaven  and the Bible seems to agree. Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan to explain to his disciples what loving one’s neighbour is all about. Interestingly enough in this parable the two religious people didn’t perform so well.

Last week I wrote a post about Mother Teresa being declared a saint by the Catholic Church. I mentioned how this made me think about the legacy that I’m leaving behind. I changed the banner on this blog to reflect my thoughts.

Will all of us live forever?

I say yes. Believing in Jesus and following his teachings comes with a promise of afterlife. But what if we’re not religious, and we don’t believe in heaven and/or hell?

All of us, after passing on, will live on in the hearts and memories of the people that knew us. Even a one-day-old baby will make an impression on the people around him/her.

What legacy will we leave behind? Writing a book is one of many ways to leave behind a legacy. But regardless if we write a book or not, every single day we continuously make impressions on others and affect the lives of those around us. And this is true also for people who do not do much of anything at all. Be that by choice or because of illness.
Inaction can have as much, if not a greater impact than action.

Do you know the saying that people may not remember what you said or did; but they will remember how you made them feel, a long time after you’re gone?

Jesus the Greatest Teacher that ever lived.

Jesus was the greatest teacher that ever lived for sure. His teachings live on in the hearts of billions of people today and this is millennia after his Crucifixion. Religious and non-religious people alike admire his humility, strength, compassion and try to live according to his morals and teachings. Jesus disciples saw Jesus ascend up into heaven.
But if you’re non-religious and have difficulties believing this, there is no denying the fact that Jesus is living on forever in the hearts and minds of the majority of humanity.

So is there an afterlife?

My Bible tells me yes and I believe this. But let’s assume for a moment that you’re not religious and you do not believe in an afterlife. Your words and actions and the impressions you make on the people around you will live on long after you’ve passed on.
Food for thought, I think.

When it looked like I was going to die, at some stage I was desperate to just get my paperwork and ‘smalls drawer’ in order. I did not want to be remembered as someone who left a chaotic mess behind.

I was not able to get up and sort these things myself and had to rely on others to do so for me. This taught me to deal with ‘things’ as they come up because I learned that ‘later’ may never come.

During and after my long illness I looked for and found role models and mentors, people that have gone before and I can look up to and follow. Jesus and Mother Teresa are two obvious role models that are perfect traveling companions for my spiritual journey.

For my book publishing journey I’ve found other mentors and I will share some of their websites and services with you in a future blog post.

Do you know your life’s purpose?

The other day I stumbled across a book called ‘Destination Unknown’ by John H Clark III. I do not agree with the title of the book, because as mentioned earlier I believe that my destination is known. I acknowledge however that for many people this is not the case. And I agree with John that; no matter what the beliefs, there is a sense that contemplating the great unknown—what happens when we die—creates more meaning to the days we have left on this earth.

I understand where Missy Walters is coming from. She is one of the contributors from John’s book and she mentions,

I have not read the whole book and may not agree with the majority of views but it is not about that. It is about human beings expressing their views on life after death and we’re all entitled to have our view on this without dogma getting in the way.
I post the description to John’s book below because it is an interesting exercise to read what other people’s beliefs are.

John H. Clark III wrote a book called ‘Destination Unknown.’ Below is the description of his Amazon product page.

Begin Amazon description

Do You Know Your Life’s Purpose?

Are you looking for more meaning in your life? Are you tired of just getting through each day instead of feeling a sense of purpose and direction? Sometimes the answer to a question is best explored in reverse. In order to find more purpose in life, perhaps we need to go to the end—death—and work backwards from there. Is it possible that contemplating death can lead to more meaning in life?

Is There Such a Thing as Life After Death?

What happens to us after we die? Do we see our loved ones who have passed? Do we enter a white tunnel of life? Do we go straight to Heaven or Hell? Or is there simply blackness? Since the dawn of time, human beings have been asking these very questions. The subjects of life, death, and purpose are arguably the most important we will ever encounter.

Questions of Death, Answers for Life

John Clark has tackled the weighty subject of life after death in his newest book, Destination Unknown. Through interviews with people all over the globe—Buddhists, atheists, Christians; men and women; young and old; school teachers, IT professionals, and military personnel—he has compiled a tapestry of views on death that are as diverse as the people themselves. Some believe in ghosts, spirits, and other dimensions. Some are sure they will meet God, be judged, and sent to Heaven or Hell. Some have had near death experiences. But no matter what the beliefs, there is a sense that contemplating the great unknown—what happens when we die—creates more meaning to the days we have left on this earth.

End Amazon description

Over the years I have studied and practiced different world religions and eventually embraced the Bible as God’s Holy Word and the authority in my life. As such I may share but can not endorse other views expressed on my blog.

 

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NEW BOOKS RELEASES, INTERVIEWS AND REVIEWS – As a member of the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance and as a member of the Christian Indie Authors Reading Group and as the current Co-Administrator of  OMEGA nonfiction Writers and Administrator of Christian Authors Worldwide and MIMI’s BOOK LAUNCH PARTY, I share new book releases, interviews and reviews with my readers. Stay tuned!