What happens to us when we die?

[OmarKhayyam]

I sent my Soul through the Invisible,
Some letter of that After-life to spell:
And by and by my Soul return'd to me,
And answer'd "I Myself am Heav'n and Hell:"

Heav'n but the Vision of fulfill'd Desire,
And Hell the Shadow from a Soul on fire,
Cast on the Darkness into which Ourselves,
So late emerged from, shall so soon expire.

Ah, make the most of what we yet may spend,
Before we too into the Dust descend;
Dust into Dust, and under Dust to lie,
Sans Wine, sans Song, sans Singer, and--sans End!

 

[Deeje]

Well then, I guess there really is no need to believe in "God" or follow the path of that god. An absolute death nullifies any need to believe or follow.

I did not say anything about 'an absolute death', Jeremiah. The Bible teaches resurrection not immortality. Jesus and his Apostles demonstrated on a small scale what will take place on a grand scale in the "new earth". (2 Peter 3:13)
All those who were resurrected in the Bible (with the exception of Jesus himself) were brought back to life on earth. If these ones had gone to heaven, then Jesus and the Apostles were doing them a great disservice by bringing them back to life here, only to die a second time, wouldn't you say?

Acts 24:15 says "and I have hope toward God, which hope these [men] themselves also entertain, that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous."
John 5:28, 29, "Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment."

In order to come out of their "tombs" or "graves", they must still be in them.
Jesus said his friend Lazarus was "sleeping", when in fact he had died. (John 11:11-13)
The other gifts of the spirit were also a demonstration of what was to come...healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, curing every sort of disease and disability.
The Bible does not teach that everyone goes to heaven. We are designed to live right here on earth, without sickness, old age or death. Adam ruined that for us, Jesus' sacrifice is the means to get it all back. He will take a "chosen" few from the earth to assist him, (his joint heirs. Romans 8:17) but the majority of humans will live on earth. :yes:

The earth is designed for humans and the other creatures God created to live here. He did not go to all the trouble to put us here, live a few troubled years and then die. He designed us to live here forever. We were not supposed to die. Death came with sin. (Romans 5:12) When Christ paid the ransom he canceled out sin, which in turn cancels out death.

Makes sense to me...

Deeje

 

[Smoke]

"What happens to us when we die? "

We owe the undertaker a lot of loot.

When I'm dead, I'm not going to pay him.

When we die, that which we think of as our self ceases to exist. Personally, I don't believe there's any kind of consciousness that survives death, but if there is, I think it's likely that -- as Storm says -- it would not be recognizable as "us."

What happens when we die? Well, most people simply get embalmed and take up real-estate thus denying bugs and beasts a decent meal, circumventing the natural order of decay and wasting perfectly good space.

I'd like to be cremated AND I'd like a marker placed in my family graveyard, so if I get my way I'll be denying other critters their meal, but I don't think anybody really wants that space for anything. It's so inconveniently located that I wonder how much longer I can keep on making the climb up there.

 

[cottage]

I believe in a form of reincarnation. However, I don't believe that what goes on would be recognizable as "us." I believe that the personality is intimately tied to the brain, and dies with it.

And we know that what you describe is exactly what happens. The difference being that while you use the term 'reincarnation' I simply speak of the continuation of human existence.

 

[Storm]

And we know that what you describe is exactly what happens. The difference being that while you use the term 'reincarnation' I simply speak of the continuation of human existence.

No, we don't know. That's the point.

 

[cottage]

No, we don't know. That's the point.

Originally Posted by Storm
I believe in a form of reincarnation. However, I don't believe that what goes on would be recognizable as "us." I believe that the personality is intimately tied to the brain, and dies with it.




I was just agreeing entirely with your remarks. We know that people and their personalities die and we know that human existence continues.

 

[Storm]

I was just agreeing entirely with your remarks.

I rather doubt that, as I indicated that I believe there's an immortal aspect of the self. Hence, reincarnation.

We know that people and their personalities die

No, we don't. We don't know that it's not exactly as the Christians say. I don't believe it is, but it could be.

and we know that human existence continues.

"Reincarnation" implies a good deal more than the continuation of the species.

 

[cottage]

Quote:
Originally Posted by cottage http://www.religiousforums.com/foru...hat-happens-us-when-we-die-3.html#post1594022
I was just agreeing entirely with your remarks.

Storm: I rather doubt that, as I indicated that I believe there's an immortal aspect of the self. Hence, reincarnation.
I was agreeing with your remarks, not your beliefs.
Quote:
We know that people and their personalities die

Storm: No, we don't. We don't know that it's not exactly as the Christians say. I don't believe it is, but it could be.
People live, people die. People who are alive have personalities. When people die their personalities are no longer alive. If personalities are disembodied, then they exist but are no longer living.
Quote:
and we know that human existence continues.

Storm: "Reincarnation" implies a good deal more than the continuation of the species.
With respect, the term doesn’t imply anything. It is just a definition, which is basically rebirth or reappearance in another form.

 

[Storm]

Whatever, cottage.

 

[Thief]

Thief here....
I've had a few bad mishaps along the way.
I know what it is to have my arms to be cold and numb.
I know what it is to have my flesh unresponsive and beyond pain.
I've been blind seven days.

These experiences...and some others...were strong influence.
I am sure that flesh fails....but not my mind or my emotions.

When we die we either separate from the body or fail to do so.
If we fail....the body goes in the box and the box goes in the ground.
Eternal darkness is physically real.
No form of light follows anyone into the grave.
No sunlight...no moonlight...no starlight....no philosophical light.
It really is dark down there.

If you rise from your body...the angels will be there.
They have discretion...whether you will follow...or not.

 

[cottage]

Whatever, cottage.

Oh!

<a surprised cottage picks up his toys and trudges off to look for other playmates>

 

[ProphecyKid]

When we die the dust goes back to the ground and the spirit goes back to God who gave it. The relevant scriptures have already been given by admired posters. So no immortal soul and no consciousness after death. The bible does not teach that. Why have funerals if the dead are in heaven looking down. What is everyone crying for? The dead in Christ shall rise at the second coming.

 

[OmarKhayyam]

"So no immortal soul and no consciousness after death."
correct.

"The bible does not teach that. "

Correct.

And your point is . . . ?

 

[Thief]

Thief here...Hey Kid!...
Your last post seems contrary to itself.
If the dead are in heaven looking down.....
then how can it be they wait for the Second Coming in the grave?

 

[Clover]

Life is Life, Death is Death. I do not think this is a good question, cause no one here has been dead, and then come back to life to tell the tales of Death. Some people are dead for a couple of seconds, then come back to life, but I haven't read about their stories, I did notice the one about 60 minutes in Heaven, never read it though.

I would rather spend my days, doing what I love to do, then spend 1 afternoon, contemplating, what happens after we die, cause that is a afternoon, I will never get back.

 

[Thief]

Thief here...
There's merit in living for the moment.
Life is short. Don't waste time.
However...we all die.
Death is unknown to most...only a few speak as if they are sure.
But, crossing over to the next life without making some considerations....
seems haphazard.

If you have no belief in life after death this topic will have no effect on you.
If you do believe in life after death...this could one of the most important discussions you will ever have.

The angels are watching...over your shoulder.

 

[ProphecyKid]

Thief here...Hey Kid!...
Your last post seems contrary to itself.
If the dead are in heaven looking down.....
then how can it be they wait for the Second Coming in the grave?

They are dead. If I said that they wait its an expression. They are not literally waiting. They are dead. The dead are not in heaven looking down. I did not say that. I was just making the point that if indeed they are in heaven looking down then why have funerals and why cry over a dead person who is actually in heaven looking down. but that is not true.

 

[slave2six]

"What happens when we die?"

Who freakin' cares? Worrying about it distracts from the now. The more important question is "What happens while we live?"

 

[Storm]

"What happens when we die?"

Who freakin' cares? Worrying about it distracts from the now. The more important question is "What happens while we live?"

Some people find the topic interesting. If you don't, why post in the thread?

 

[gnavillus]

I believe that when we die our body and spirit are separated. Our spirits, which can never die, go to the spirit world where we continue to to learn and progress. We will be there until at least the second coming of Christ, at which time every knee will bow, every tongue will confess, or know, that Jesus Christ is Our Lord, Our Savior, Our Redeemer, Our Mediator with The Father. At the time of His coming, there will be many spirits that will be brought to the judgement bar of Christ and receive their judgement at that time. I believe these will be many of the great and noble spirits who have come to the earth and proved their great faith in The Lord, even a perfect faith, through the way they lived their lives here on earth and in the spirit world. The rest of us will have to wait until the final judgement which will take place after the millennium. I think that many of us will think we are already in heaven while in the spirit world as it is a very glorious place. Also while in the spirit world we will be reunited with our loved ones who have died before us. Our emotions will continue to be much the same way we are now. This is who we are! At the end of the millennium, when all will be brought to the final judgement before God, perhaps at no other time than that time will we realize more fully The Perfect Love of Christ, and why He suffered for our sins and why He is our Savior and our Redeemer. He will be there for you and for me. At that time our spirits will be reunited with our perfected and immortalized bodies. We will then continue on our eternal paths. At this point I am not entirely certain as to what type of work we will be doing, but I am certain, Jesus Christ, will have plans for us. Though we will glorify Him eternally, that has never been His desire. His desire is that all glory goes to His Father. I will follow Him.