This blog is more than an account of Near Death Experiences. It ponders in detail the tough questions of life. Who are you, and why are you here in this physical world? What happens when you die, and is there a judgment? However, most anything could appear here. This is not a news blog, archived posts are just as relevant as new posts. Check the boxes at the top of the page for the Contents, Contact, Forum and other links.
The Christian religion is based on the life and teachings of Jesus. Jesus the Christ, Son of God is the only reason there are over a billion Christians in the world today divided into thousands of different denominations of faith.
Now, according to the Old Testament of the Bible, Adam and Eve committed the first sin, and thereby created what is known as original sin. Through the ages this weighed heavily upon some Christian faiths. They felt it necessary to harm themselves in order to atone for this original sin. They felt the need to suffer as Jesus did to wash away their transgressions and “get right” with God.
Thus began to the practice of flagellation. They made whips of bamboo and struck themselves until their backs were raw and bloody. With sharp metal objects they would pierce their tongues and other body parts. A few were known to die during these rituals.
Today, most accept Jesus as the Son of God, our Savior, who died on the cross for our sins. Those who believe are saved, and rewarded with Heaven at the end of their life. Thus we are saved from original sin, and otherwise, by faith, and not by works.
Yet, Jesus’ teachings are about a loving, forgiving God. A God that does not judge His children. Instead, God surrounds them with unconditional love. This is the God Near Death Experiencers are finding to be true when they have a NDE. I believe we need to follow Jesus by honoring His teachings.
When Jesus was teaching the call to love from the hillsides of Galilee, there were no Christian churches, no doctrines of Christianity, and no “New Testament of the Bible” to guide those who listened. He explained that He came to bring life, abundant life to those who had ears to hear and eyes to see. He asked the crowds to “seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and all other things will be added unto you.” When the question was asked: “Where is this Kingdom of God?” He replied “the Kingdom of God is within you.” The Kingdom of God is Love; universal, unconditional love. That is what Jesus taught. There isn’t any difference between the love Jesus taught, and the love millions felt in their Near Death Experiences. They are the same; they are God’s love.
In God’s golden light of love, there is peace, joy, safety and understanding. All the wisdom of the world: who you are, and what you are doing here, is explained. There is clarity of mind, and choices become easy. Love comes to all who seek; all are worthy. No one is “lost” or out of favor with God. All have made mistakes, but God’s love is greater than any mistake. There are no doctrines to follow; no rituals to perform; no money to pay. Ask God to teach you how to love.
Many times I have been approached by a person asking: “Are you saved?” I was raised in evangelical religion so I knew what they were asking. My common answer is yes. I try not to get involved in religious discourse.
But one day a young girl asked me that question. Then she told me she wasn’t worthy of God’s love until she accepted Jesus as her Savior. He had died for her sins. Accepting that belief made her worthy of God’s love.
I remembered my early struggles between religion and logic. I could not reconcile the differences and left the church. On one hand I was told God is love and on the other that He would sacrifice His own son to Himself for the sins of the world. Just didn’t make any sense.
I know well the story of Jesus’ crucifixion, I do not see the hand of God in it. It was the priests that wanted Jesus eliminated. Jesus was preaching love for all, forgiveness for all. Jesus was not preaching rules, rites, and protocol of a religion. He was preaching unconditional love for all. It was something new and the priests felt appalled that this teaching would excel their message and wanted Jesus exterminated. They were willing to tell any lie, go to any length to kill Jesus, and they succeeded.
I explained my thoughts of God to the young girl, telling her worthiness is freely given by God. Everyone is worthy of God’s unconditional love. It is the very essence of God to be forgiving, and loving. Jesus’ teachings tell us the nature of God. Jesus speaks for God, not man. The young girl relaxed her frown of determination to save me. Believing the teachings of Jesus, I was never lost.
