I cant clear my head...(kinda long)?

Question

I was in my history class a few months ago and had a stirring of my soul. We were discussing how the indians were dying of disease and how the clonists were dying of the cold , everybody was dying. I got to thinking, where are all those people now? We know where their bodies are but where are they? Their consciousness, who they are, their thoughts, essentially, where are they without their bodies? I just have so many questions that remain unanswered. Nobody can know the answers to the questions I ask, they can onlt guess or inferr what they believe in. It says in the bible (if you believe in it) that if you accept Jesus into your heart you will live for eternity in heaven. What about the people who never got the chance to hear about Christ? There are still african and south american tribes living in the wild that have never heard the gospel and they die. Do they go to heaven? The bible is sometimes called the "greatest story of all time". What if thats all it is? Just a story to keep people in check, stop people from thinking too much and make the masses easier to control. Dan Brown has an interesting quote; "So dark the con of man". The quote is very true, so many cover ups and lies, who knows what the original text of the bible really said? Translated from aramaic, to hebrew, to german , to english, words and ideas get lost in the translation. I mean when we die , this is inevitable, imagine what could happen. What if thats it? Thats the end, theres no more,the t.v. is turned off and we stop existing. I suppose we wouldnt care because we cant care because we dont exist! How can we not exist?! Or a better case scenario, we live forever and ever for all eternity in the presence of G-d. Try and take that in for a minute, ETERNITY, forever....how can we even begin to gauge that? Can you imagine forever? And whos to say who is right and who is wrong when it comes to belief? I was raised this way, thus I believe this way. Ive turned down mormons and Jehovas wittnesses, what if they're the right ones and now I burn in hell for all eternity because I shunned them away. Now not that I agree with what happened on 9-11, but were those guys wrong? "Of course they were", many including myself would say. But they believed that they were doing something great, something that they were taught would please their G-d. Does that mean that they are going to hell for giving their lives for something they believed in?They believed enough in what they were doing that they were willing to kill and be killed for the sake of their beliefs and religeon. Can that really damn someone to a lake of fire for all eternity? And if theyre wrong, were the crusaders wrong? Some head honcho guy tells all these knight that its G-ds will to kill all the people who will not accept Christ. They follow as they were told. If you havent seen it, I suggest you watch Kingdom Of Heaven to get a better idea. All one man wants is more land to rule and all of a sudden G-d wills the destrution of an entire people. Moses did the same thing with the Isrealites in the desert. Told them not to attack these people or those people but when the time came to attack a group of people, he ordered everyone to be killed. It says in the bible that they Isrealites killed men,women and children,not one survivor left. What happened to all those people? This whole after life thing seems very......humanistic in its theory. If youre good, youll be rewarded, if not youll be punished. Like a dog, tell him to shake if he does, he gets a treat. If he pees on the floor he is punished. So if Im a good person and follow as closely as I can the word of G-d, then Ill go to heaven, but if I dont, Ill be damned to the lake of fire. But if there isnt anything after we die, then whats the point of living? Is it really all just cold hard math? We are a species that exists for the sole purpose of reproducing and then dyin?. Why would G-d create us? What is our purpose? Why seated around his throne are there 24 thrones with things on them praising his name all the time forever and ever? Why does he need that? Why does he need angels singing "glory glory" all the time, what does that accomplish? So we as humans have proven in our little labs that energy cannot be destroyed. It cant stop it just disperses or is reused in another form. Our bodies work off of electric current and energy, so when we die, something has to happen. But will we be aware of what is happening? I want to know where the G-d of the bible is. Where is my pillar of fire? Where is my burning bush? I want to see a sign so great that I cannot explain it away as coincidence. I want to know through and though that it came from G-d directly to me. All of this is so frustrating to think about. Its not death that scares me, its what is to come after death that fills me with fear and hopelessness. Because I know it will happen someday, and there isnt anything I can do about it. What will any of what I do matter in 90 years? Im just stuck in the rut of worry and doubt and cant seem to get y head back on straight. These thought haunt me from my day to day life and even into my dreams. (sigh) anyways thanks for listening everybody. If you have any thoughts on the matter please feel free to share. Im not closed minded when it comes to this stuff and I enjoy others input. Have a goodnight everyone........

Answer 1

Take another look at Jehovah's Witnesses. They believe the bible teaching that the dead of nearly every religion will be resurrected to perfect endless life on a restored paradise earth (although only Christians are resurrected to heaven).

(Acts 24:15) There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.


Jesus is the King of God's Kingdom, and that Kingdom will soon solve every problem humankind faces. Jehovah's Witnesses understand the Scriptures to teach that God's Kingdom will soon replace all earthly governments.
(Daniel 2:44) God of heaven will set up a kingdom... It will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it itself will stand to times indefinite

That Kingdom will rule over the vast majority of mankind, most of whom will have been raised from the dead after Armageddon.
(John 11:23,24) Jesus said to her: “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him: “I know he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.”
(Acts 24:15) There is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

Until that resurrection, there is no suffering in "hell", or the grave. Sometime after the resurrection, death and "hell" will themselves be destroyed.
(Ecclesiastes 9:5) For the living are conscious that they will die; but as for the dead, they are conscious of nothing at all
(Ecclesiastes 9:10) there is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in Sheol ["hell"]
(Revelation 20:14) And death and Hades ["hell"] were hurled into the lake of fire

While a limited number of humans will be resurrected to heaven to share in ruling over mankind, the vast majority (literally more than 99.9%) of Jehovah's Witnesses expect an EARTHLY hope, the same hope given to Adam and Eve.
(Genesis 1:28) God blessed them and God said to them: “Be fruitful and become many and fill THE EARTH and subdue it [caps added]
(Genesis 2:17) You must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die [so never eating from that tree means never dying]

Interestingly, the Scriptures are full of references to this earthly hope.
(Psalms 37:11) 'the meek will possess the earth'
(Proverbs 2:21) 'upright will reside in the earth'
(Isaiah 45:18) 'God formed the earth to be inhabited'
(Matthew 5:5) 'the mild will inherit the earth'
(Revelation 21:3) The tent of God is with mankind

Learn more:
http://jw-media.org/beliefs/trueworship.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/jt/

Answer 2

First of all, Jeremiah 7:31 says that God would never have it come into his heart to burn children alive in fire. Second, the wages sin pays is death and the Bible says that the dead are conscious of nothing at all. Third, the only hope any of us have is through the sacrifice that Jesus made of his perfect human life which sacrifice gave him the opportunity to mediate for us with God. Fourth, God is perfectly just and would never allow any person to permanantly perish without giving them a chance. Once you realize all these things, you know that the only people who remain dead (and unconscious) are those who died at God's own hand. All others will be resurrected and instructed and given a chance to obey or disobey him. The "lake of fire" is the second death which will take all those who decide to disobey him even after they are resurrected. The more you read and study the scriptures, the more simple it becomes.

Answer 3

I read your rant and know that no matter how I answer you can qualify it as a guess, but heres a postulation, what if we get, here and now a long life by pleasing God? Aren't there many people in the Bible with hundreds of years in existence? And that was when everyone walked except kings and none of them lasted their murderous offspring too long. Now. if indeed this idea has merit and the religions we know of are totally off, wouldn't it be fun to outlive those who wish you dead? Besides, seeking to please God should take you away from all those unanswerable questions till you can ask him yourself. By the way, I have a dog who demands to go outside to pee and I have never punished him when he had an accident. God doesn't punish me, so why should I punish other creatures?

Answer 4

This is a very good question well I do read the bible and it says so many things sometI'mes you get confused but I have a fresh brain and im young (11) when you pass on your soul is sent either to heaven-the kingdom of our father the lord or hell-devil anyone who does not accept the lord into their hart goes to the red guy(hell) but if you know in your heart that god is your lord and saveyer you will live in the kingdom forever and not burn in a pit in the center of the earth forever. You should go to church once to see how you like it or watch a preacher on T.V. (on Sundays only). if you would like to talk to me more here is my e-mail address it's dumb but whatever... [e-mail]

Answer 5

Wow, yes you could not clear your head...

Ask Him, if you doubt ask Him and He will answer, just be open minded, in the manner He may answer you.

I am assuming you are Jewish, which is cool because by faith in God, the Old Testament (Jews) were recieved in to Heaven. These days since Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice and atonement for sin.

There is also Grace, God knows our Heart... you have many questions in here.

Ultimately the Spirit of a person lives on in one of 2 resting places.

Answer 6

I agree that the thought of just puffing out like a candle is terrifying. However, for me, the thought of living forever is even more terrifying, whether in the presence of god, or not.

You will learn to live with your feelings. You're already becoming mature.

Answer 7

I've studied several religions & one said that they are in a kind of limbo where they will have a chance to prove themselves.

Answer 8

Wow... I wish I had an answer for everything that you have said and asked, but I think that would be pointless since those would be my answers and not yours. But if you don't mind, may I share my opinion?

I believe there is a God who created everything into being for his purpose. What that purpose is, I can't even guess. And why He would waste his infinite time on us is far beyond what my very finite mind is capable of grasping.

What I do know, in my very limited study of scripture, is that He is a God of love and a God of patience and a God of hope. In the Old Testament, or if you prefer the Torah and other scriptural writings, God does show that he is a God not to be trifled with. When He says something, He means it. But He is not a God of pointless wrath and arbitrary destruction.

Consider Adam and Eve. He created a perfect world for them. He only had one simple rule... don't touch the fruit of one tree. Of course, they did. God could have just said, okay let's start over... it only took one day to create these two... and wiped them from existence. Rather, He chose mercy... to allow them to live. Now He could have allowed them to suffer an eternity of living in futility and hard labor, being tormented by the everlasting memory of Eden and glory being in the presence of God, but so that they would not suffer eternally by living forever separated from Him, He allowed them to die... to rest from their labors. You may not think this as mercy, but I believe for them it was.

Consider Cain, the first murderer. God not only spared his life, He placed a mark on him that warned others that if any one should harm Cain, the other would be cursed seven fold! Would you protect a man who murdered your own child, even to the point you would chase down anyone who harmed him and avenge the murderer? God again shows his mercy and his love for a child that went astray.

Consider the story of Noah. Yes, God destroyed practically everything in the Flood... everything He loved and everything He even said "very good." But look how many generations of evil He tolerated. Why not start all over, after all it only took six days. Why wait thousands of years? How much death and murder did He allow because of his patience and love for those who absolutely ignored him. He waited, and waited, and waited, perhaps, I think in the His own Hope that, though He knew what would happen, man in his free will would repent. Only when nothing else could be done, did He allow the Flood... yet, even yet, He saved a remnant. Why? Hope.

Consider Moses and the Israelites wandering in the desert. He saves them from slavery, He provides for their every need in ways miraculous... what do they do? Whine about the desert, whine about food, whine, whine, whine. What does God do? He is patient. He does discipline but he does not abandon. He continues to love and provide, and He waits. And in the end, He gives them the land of promise.

What about the people who already occupied the promised land? God was patient with them. He waited and waited. I am sure He sent prophets to instruct and to guide, just as He sent Jonah to Nineveh centuries later. We just don't know to the extents of what God did in order to turn those who turned against him, because they never repented and their existence would only cause more harm to those who trusted in him. We do know that several times in scripture, God has mentioned that a people's sin has not yet come to fullness, indicating that He would not destroy even if there was a chance. Moses asked about Sodom and Gamorrah, what if there is 100... 50... 20...10 who have not turned from God in the entire city, would He destroy the city? God's reply, He would save an entire city just for the 10. He is a God of mercy.

Jump to the New Testament. Why would God be so narrow in his choice of who would be saved? Why allow millions of "good" people die because they did not choose to follow Jesus? One way to look at it is why even save anybody? We are all goof ups. Even the best of us has faults that are so deep that we try to either hide them so that know one around us knows how much we have screwed up, or we rationalize by them thinking at least I am not as bad as the next guy, or we have ignored them so long that we don't even acknowlege them anymore. God gave his own perfect Self to make up for the imperfections in us with His own blood. "There is no greater love than this, but for a man to give up his life for another"... except perhaps for the God to give up His life for His creation.

I am sorry if these answers seem simple or simplistic... I don't think anyone wants to read any more of my babbling :) I am not a philosopher, a theologian, or even all that sure of anything myself. I have never claimed to have the answers to all the hard questions, and there are times that I have questioned even everyday things. I wish I could answer the all your tough questions, but I am not God. I only hope that you will find the answers that satisfy not only your intellect but the heaviness on your heart.

Answer 9

Um, I need Cliff's Notes...

Answer 10

You just need to answer one question -- What is the real "good".

Meanwhile sweet dreams. ;)