General Chat

I firmly believe in life after death and that our soul/spirit lives on. I remember the last time I saw my Gran, it was a few days before she died and she was saying strange things to my Mum about not worrying and that she'd only be over the other side etc. She said goodbye to us both that day like she knew it would be her last, I really believe that she knew her time was up on this earth, but I also know that she was not afraid to die - she knew what awaited her and was at peace with that. At Gran's funeral it was all very surreal and when we stood beside her grave to say our final goodbyes I felt her around me and new that she was watching over us. I feel her around me all the time and know that she is watching out for me - it is comforting. Until my Mother married her second Husband when I was coming up 11, I had never been made to go to church - I had gone a few times with my Gran but it was never forced. Mum's second Husband was a Methodist Minister and from that moment on I had the church well and truly shoved down my throat - eventually I rebelled and refused to have anything to do with it. Since then I have thought long and hard about spirituality and have come to fnd my own path - I do not follow any particular religion and do not feel a need to label myself. I simply believe in God and the afterlife in my own way, and it's a way that doesn't interfere with or upset anyone else. I do believe though, that most non-believers will be pleasantly surprised one day - I do not think that God would turn away anyone who basically wasn't a bad person. Kaye x

Wish someone would open the gates for the England v Sweden game tonight Jayvee, I'd go in :))))

Paul - the good news is that the invitation is open to everyone. If someone opened the turnstiles at a football stadium and invited you to come in free of charge but you refused, you could hardly call them mean when you didn't get to see the game, could you ?

There are some really interesting thoughts on here Thanks everyone for contributing. I feel like Anna really hear, read see stuff about God and am none the wiser, so I am in limbo land too:)) I'm so sorry to hear the loss of your son Anna, I feel for you. My nan was a devout catholic, well I say devout she had 13 children and never married:)) All of her children hated the religion, she made them scared of it, my Mum was told by a priest, that her children were bastards because she married in a registry office, nice man ! After that she decided not to have anything to do with the church, although because of fear she said she couldn't go to sleep at night without saying pprayers, it had been drummed into her as a child, that she had to pray, or something nasty will happen. My brother and I were never made to go in any direction as far as church went, but if I was anyhing I lean towards budhism, but as a friend said I swear to much to be a budhist :))) I do love churches though, when in Rome a couple of years ago we watched Pope Paul address the people from his window in the Vatican, thought I may have had a bit of a leaning towards the church when I saw that but nothing, I just thought blimey my Nan would be jealous :) As always when I'm in Rome I love to visit St Peters, and see The Pieta, a sculpture by Michaelangelo, it depicts Mary holding the body of her son after his death, I could look at this for hours, not sure if it's a religious feeling, or that it was carved from a single piece of marble by someone in there 20's, whatever the feeling is it's a good one, so mabe I'm not a lost cause after all, Just hope that if we have another go at this life, I am as fortunate again, to have another happy life, well so far it's been great :)) Lynda

Personally, I don't think there's anything else after we die, however I hope that I'm pleasantly surprised, although not for a while. A question, if the only way to heaven is via Jesus (to paraphrase), does that mean anyone that non Christian is barred from the afterlife then ? thats a bit mean isn't it ?

Hi Lynda It's always so interesting to read the many and varied replies to a thread like this. I have come to the not very satisfactory conclusion that I can never hope to know what the meaning of life is and what happens to our 'spirit' when our body ceases to exist. When the most learned and intelligent people who have ever lived cannot agree, what hope is there for little old me? I have a very vivid image of a program I once saw on TV. A man was doing extremely complicated mathematical equations on a blackboard and his dog - a patient and willing audience - was watching him intently but obviously didn't have a clue what it was all about. I feel like that poor dog - I look and listen and read all I can, but I am still none the wiser! God is always referred to as our Father - always a 'he'. Can those who have a strong faith in God please tell me what image they have of God? Do you see him as a benevolent old man watching over us and sitting in judgement of everything that each one of us does? Or do you see him as some sort of creative energy force? Or some other image? Please don't think Im being frivolous - I'd really like to know as this is something I really can't get my head around. My son died of cancer when he was 28 - he believed that there was nothing after death. I could accept his death more if I thought that he was wrong and that his 'spirit ' still exists somehow on some plane. I do envy those of you who have such a strong faith in whatever it is that you believe. Anna

The Christian festivals supplanted the old pagan ones, and a lot of the symbolism - particularly Easter eggs and bunnies - have nothing to do with 'Passiontide'.

The truth is none of us know,isent that what faith is? having a belief! I just hate organised religion,it is the main cause of every war! there will always be people who think that their faith is better,thats So wrong to think that way, we dont know ! My faith is strong but I would not say another persons is wrong, I just know my belief and its taken me years to find my spiritual path. I was a strong christian for many years but to be honest I found some of the people just so hypocritical and shallow, thats not what spirituality is about. Lynda,In answer to your question about 'non-Believers' they will see the same things and be judged just the same as believers, you might even find that the 'non-Believers' are the better people. Only My opinion,I dont really know,like the rest of you. but whatever you believe, I wish you well:-)))

Morning all :))) Jayvee Christmas & Easter are just holidays to some folk, nothing to do with beliefs they just don't go to work those days. As well of course, there all faiths not just Christianity. Lynda

I've always found it puzzling that a lot of people who celebrate the big Christian events such as Christmas and Easter don't actually accept the teachings of Jesus himself. He made it very clear when he said 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by me'.

I agree with...Jayvee...Denise...Joy and .Dorothy. The Bible is Gods Word and Jesus is the way. Hetty.

Mia Dolan explains it well enough for me in her books - everyone goes to the afterlife but we have to work through and come to terms with the bad things or sins we have done in our lifetime first - so it can take a lot longer for some people. That suits the way I look at things so am quite happy with it:))

This is a most interesting thread but I'm off to bed now. So I'll say goodnight and God bless you all. Joy xx

I am not sure where we go, but as I have mentioned many times, I got a message from my late mother, through an unknown-to-me medium from another city, who had no idea I would be in the church that night. The subject that was such that no-one else could have known about it from this world as I was completely alone when it happened and something I had not mentioned to anyone. The only fear I have of dying is leaving my loved ones to grieve as I know they will, and being unable to comfort them or be there for them anymore. Liz

Thank goodness you're not off anywher yet! I couldn't deal with the lack of poashness around here. I'm not sure what I believe in. All I do know is that I'm going to try and live every day as best I can, I have no excuses not to live every day as I should! xx

:))))))))))))))))) waves to louise

hi It was Linda Dearsley who wrote Doris Stokes autobiography

An Olde Crone Holden ; Dr V.P Lommel and his team at Rijnstate Hospital in Holland have researched “Near Death Experience” at hundreds of patients at hospitals across the country. These patients had been resuscitated after being clinically brain-dead and interviewed as soon as they were well enough to be gently questioned. Many reported being “out of the body” and observing from a “higher” place in the theatre the medical activities to revive them. This would have been at a time when there had been no electrical activity whatsoever in the brain and they were clinically dead. The team reached conclusions that “pushed at the limit of medical ideas about the range of human consciousness and the mind/brain relationship”. Christopher French, of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Dept. of Goldsmith College. London, observed: “If researchers could prove that clinically dead patients with no electrical activity in their cortex can be aware of what went on round them and form memories, this would suggest that the brain does not generate consciousness”. Len

Maureen, Its St Thomas of Canterbry School. Gillingham. Kent Pat

The brain sets parameters to keep us from what it considers unnecessary for our survival. Nice of it - but very annoying to those of us who like to explore beyond boundaries. I consider this as very important because so many of us think we have open minds whereas this is not so. Len