Can Our Dead Loved Ones Speak To Us?

Recommended websites on health topics Bible information
www.selfgrowth.com
Psychic and spiritualist experiences abound on the internet. As a physician who rotated through psychiatric wards in medical school, I interviewed more than one person whose problem included an encounter with a departed loved one whose wish for the patient to be with them resulted in a suicide attempt and psychiatric problems.
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TESTING THE FAITH
Bishop: Christians don't go to heaven
Anglican challenges widespread belief, says believers asleep until God returns

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Posted: February 10, 2008
© 2008 WorldNetDaily

A bishop described as "one of the most formidable figures in the world of Christian thought" is now challenging the widely held belief that Christians go to heaven when they die.
N.T. "Tom" Wright, the fourth most senior cleric in the Church of England who has been praised for his staunch defense of the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ, has published a new book in which he says people do not ascend to God's dwelling place. Instead, deceased believers are in a sleep-like state until God comes back to Earth.

"Never at any point do the Gospels or Paul say Jesus has been raised, therefore we are we are all going to heaven," Wright told Time Magazine. "I've often heard people say, 'I'm going to heaven soon, and I won't need this stupid body there, thank goodness.' That's a very damaging distortion."

Wright says much of "traditional Christianity" has been influenced by pagan philosophies. One example is Dante's "Inferno" that sets up a heaven, purgatory and hell immediately after death.

While Wright's view may seem stunning to many of today's Christians, similar views were held by some famous names in the Protestant Reformation.

Martin Luther blasted Catholic ideas "that the soul is immortal; and all these endless monstrosities in the Roman dunghill of decretals."

A decade later, English Bible translator and martyr William Tyndale echoed the idea Christians are completely dead until Jesus returns, as he voiced opposition to "heathen" ideas of people having immortal souls at birth:

Most Evangelical Christians share views from the papacy that used this doctrine to coerce money from families to get their departed loved one out of hell or purgatory to heaven.

The above article on Feb 10, 2008 from www.WND.com cited Luke 23:43-- "Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise." We forget that the Greek had no punctuation. Christ was saying, "Verily I say to you today, you shall be with me in paradise."

Facts support the latter punctuation. Christ didn't go to paradise that day. He told Mary at the tomb on Sunday morning, "I am not yet ascended to my Father:" John 20:17.

Crucifixion was a prolonged torture that brought death after days. The thief to whom Christ spoke did not die that day but had his legs broken so he couldn't run away, and they could put him back on the cross after Passover. John 19:32.

Christ's parable of the rich man and Lazarus was meeting the people on their own ground. The doctrine of a conscious state of existence between death and the resurrection was held by many of those who were listening to Christ's words. The Savior knew of their ideas, and He framed His parable so as to inculcate important truths through these preconceived opinions. He held up before His hearers a mirror wherein they might see themselves in their true relation to God. He used the prevailing opinion to convey the idea He wished to make prominent to all--that no man is valued for his possessions; for all he has belongs to him only as lent by the Lord. A misuse of these gifts will place him below the poorest and most afflicted man who loves God and trusts in Him.
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