A friends mother died, and I have a question. he has a fear that she is not in heaven!what doI tell him.?

Question

Almost a year ago, a close male friend of mine, mother passed away, she drank allot and her body was sick because of it, my friend has one worry that he says he thinks about all the time, his mother was a atheist, and he is scared that she is not in heaven because of this, and the thought that she could be in "hell" scares him, and he tries not to think about it, I was in the room in the hospital when she died, I and my mother prayed for her when she was dieing, I told him that I believe that she is in heaven, because he always said that she was a great mother, that she loved him and his brother, and he loves her, he is such a good, loving and kind person, I have never met such a great person, I have known him since I was 10, and I'm 31! but I told him I think she is in heaven because she loved her children, and that she is so loved, that God knows how loved she is by her son's that she would not go to a bad place because she did do something very right by her children,

Yes, we are really in our 30's!!! and I am Catholic, and do believe in a after life, I don't think we just die, and that's it! there are so many miracles that I have been given, and I know of a few people that when they were on there death bed, talked to there own parents or loved one's, or could see them before they died, and they were happy, and on there way to heaven!!

REV R! You are very wrong about a few things, you do not need to be qualified to answer these questions that he had!! I have met a few priests or Minister, who are the worst people you could ever meet!!! and this is a "calling" there are some that are good and some that are not!!! so they know it all because they are a minister or whatever, no! are they going to heaven? there was a minister in the room, and he was no help, said a few nice words, but mostly nosy! could of been better for sure!! what get's you to heaven, I don't think you must be perfect! but a good, kind heart!!! and I'm qualified to say that.

Answer 1

There are those who will tell you that if she did not accept Jesus as her savior that she is in hell. They are wrong. The greater church does not teach that. What I am going to say is mostly the teaching of the Church plus some of my own opinion.

When a person dies they will get another chance to know about Jesus at that time. God is a god of Love and He wants everyone to be with Him. Only if the woman chose to be without God all the rest of eternity would she go to hell. On this earth she did not believe. But once she knows that God does exist she is given a choice. From the sound of the type of person that she was, I think she chose to be with Him.

When I was a child I heard a preacher say that the greatest love one could have for another was to give that person their place in heaven. The preacher was talking about Jesus and us, but I did not understand that at the time. Later when my father died I told God that if my father was not accepted into heaven that I would give him my place. I have a different understanding of God now, as a more loving God who whould not send anyone to hell. But for a while I felt that if I were a good person I could win a place for my father. Since my father was a better person than I could ever hope to be, I am sure that he is in heaven now. Tell your friend not to worry. Also worring can not accomplish anything. If he takes the worry and makes a good life for himself and serves everyone person as if that person were Christ, when he dies he will see his mother waiting for him in heaven.
Peace.

Answer 2

Hello s
I'm sorry to hear about your friend's mother. It must have been a very traumatic time for him & also you for watching her die. Death is not a natural thing.
Originally, God made mankind perfect without death as a prospect. It was only through Adam & Eves disobedience that death was spread to mankind. (Romans 5:12)
Because it was God's original purpose that mankind should live forever, he will fulfill that purpose one day again
(Isaiah 55:10,11)

Also, the bible speaks of a time when the dead will be raised up (righteous & unrighteous) - (John 5:28,29)
They will be raised onto a paradise earth as God originally intended. (Psalm 37:29)

Until that time, the bible shows us that the dead are not conscious of anything, they are no where else but are as asleep in the ground (Ecclesiastes 9:5,10)
This is comforting because they are nowhere suffering or living anywhere without us. They have a wonderful hope for the future & when they are raised up it will be like the next moment to them, they will be unaware that time has passed.

This may be contrary to what you have been led to believe but please check up the scriptures in your bible. I used to believe that you go to heaven when you die but now from looking at the scriptures I know otherwise.

As for hell - there's no such place as a fiery hell. A loving God wouldn't create or allow such a place. (1 John 4:8)
The word translated hell in the bible simply means the common grave of mankind. I can give you scriptures for you to check up to show this if you want.


:)

Answer 3

im sorry to hear of your friends loss. I can understand how he may feel and be scared that his mother, because of some of the things she may have done in her life have now made her end up being in "hell". The Bible actually only refers to the term hell a couple of times in the bible, its translate to the words Sheol and Hades and it really just means the grave. The bible says in the Book of Genesis that when someone dies they just return to the ground, their soul dies.

The teaching of an eternal hellfire where bad people go is not a bible teaching (you can do a google or yahoo search on the words "origin of hellfire" something along those lines and learn that it was made up centuries ago and it is so far off from what the Bible really teaches us about life, death and a resurrection hope for the future.

God is a loving God and would never send people to burn in a firery torment. Heaven, from the book of Revelation is talked about how a certain number of 144,000 will go to become rulers with Jesus and his father to be part of their Kingdom (the kingdom you pray about in the Lords Prayer) and God really created Humans to live on the Earth, thats where our main desire to live isn't it?

Assure your friend that there is a resurrection set for the future, those ones will be brought back to life on the earth and will have the prospect of never dying at all, not getting sick, no wars, etc. There really is a better life ahead.

I commend you for the great caring you have for your friend to try and help him through this hard time. It's hard enough losing someone you love, but to think they are not safe makes grieving even harder. I hope things ease for you soon.

http://www.watchtower.org/e/t15/article_01.htm

Answer 4

Heaven will not exist until the resurrection, and only God knows who will be there. Why worry now ? There are many misconceptions about these biblical Places called Heaven And Hell, and popular mass mis understandings and misinterpretations. The Bible has written over many, many times that all dead KNOW NOTHING and are ASLEEP. This seems to be a very consistent teaching of the Bible. Shes asleep.

Answer 5

His mother is just where she knew she would be dead. No heaven --No Hell --no get out of jail free card. Hell is made up to scare folks into worshipping a God.
She made her mark while living on the living and that was important to her: to be a loving mother. I do feel for your friend as I lost my mom this year too . He should always take comfort in the fact that he had a loving Mom. Many people do not have this

Answer 6

If he has a fear that she might have "gone to hell", then we can at least say that she did things he didn't like. Sounds like he was never accepting of her atheism. Was that all? Too bad he never got to reconcile the differences with his mother. He should be focusing on what little memories he has of her, rather than wondering where she "is" (if such a thing is possible).

Nice to see that this religion of his, which teaches him that his mother is the kind of person will burn for eternity, is "comforting" him so well. Are you guys really in your 30s?

Answer 7

I can not offer any hope for if she was not saved, there is no hope for her. I do not know if she was ready when she died or not; only God knows. But you friend having the fear he as concerning her, If I read this post carefully

AND

correctly, I am afraid he may be correct. You be the judge. I am only giving what I feel is correct.

I HOPE I AM WRONG AND HE IS WRONG.

I can not end without saying that

NO

person can serve God with the nature they were born with. It takes a radical execution of that nature

BY

God, followed by the infusion of God's Holy Spirit into that life to make the person fit for heaven and that person can truly serve God.

Answer 8

The true history of hellfire --explained in depth in this on-line set of Bible-based articles-- will put his mind at ease:

What Really Is Hell?
http://watchtower.org/e/20020715/article_02.htm

"...Death and Ha′des were hurled into the lake of fire. This means the second death, the lake of fire. Furthermore, whoever was not found written in the book of life was hurled into the lake of fire." --Revelation 20:14,15

Hades is the common grave of mankind, & here signifies that the cause of man's death --inherited sinfulness-- will be totally done away with. But, before that, all of the dead (who have not willfully & knowingly sinned against God's holy spirit) wil be recreated, & retaught --this time 100% truth--, and allowed to make a fully educated choice as to what course they will take. Only after everyone has 'shown their true colors' will judgements be made.
Actually, Satan --as well as those mentioned in the quoted Scripture-- will die for all time. They will simply cease to exist.

"...There is no work nor devising nor knowledge nor wisdom in She′ol/[Hades], the place to which you are going." --Ecclesiastes 9:10

(She'ol is Hebrew, & Ha'des is Greek, for:
*the common grave of mankind*.)

Our Creator is a God of Love,
but, >not< love of torture!!

The Resurrection A Glorious Prospect
- Confusion About the Teaching of the Resurrection
- “Women Received Their Dead by Resurrection”
- Resurrections During Jesus’ Ministry
> Reunion With Loved Ones--A Glorious Prospect
- The resurrection will reunite relatives with their loved ones!
http://watchtower.org/library/w/2005/5/1/article_02.htm

Death--The Only Remedy!
- What Is Meant by “Resurrection”?
- Who Will Be Resurrected?
- Resurrection to Life in Heaven--For Whom?
- Who Will Be Resurrected to Life on Earth?
http://watchtower.org/e/20060315/article_02.htm

Inheriting a Restored Earth...
http://watchtower.org/e/20041001/article_02.htm

Life in a Peaceful New World
- How It Is Possible for You! http://watchtower.org/library/t15/peaceful.htm

So,
--in the sense that those who will be resurrected are in God's memory-- there is a very good chance that she is in heaven. (;

Answer 9

To get to heaven there are thngs you much do: 1. you must believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, 2. you much be baptzed for the forgiveness of your sins, 3. you much seek after His righteouness, 4. and you much forsake sin. Heaven is my throne said the Lord. As for your friend he can relax, his mother is in the hand of a just God.

Answer 10

After you die your spirit goes to one of two places

Spiritual Paradise or spiritual prison. In Paradise as it sounds, things are pretty nice, you don't do much resting, its all missionary work to go over the the spiritual prison and preach the Gospel there. People from spiritual prison are in as the name implies, a bad state. When Jesus Suffered in the garden he helped to bridge the gap between prison and paradise so that the missionary work could commence.

while i don't know where his mother went i am sure she will end up in a good place. sure maybe she drank, maybe she hated Christians just because, but all of that is forgivable, i wouldn't worry about it to much if i where him.

hope you are able to help him out.