My pastor preached about hell yesterday, and he related a story (I think he said it was in one of John Bevere's books)about a person who died and began a descent into hell. There was some creature or whatever that took hold of him to pull him into hell, but then another (from the illustration I assumed it was Christ) also grabbed him and said, "He is mine, you cannot have him." This person was then revived after 45 minutes and remembered this experience.
Okay, previously in church, I have always been told that these NDE's are just a crock. I was SHOCKED to hear this story coming from this pastor in this church (a pretty conservative AOG church). So I'm just wondering, Christians, where does your particular denomination stand on this subject? Are NDE's real, or are they some kind of hallucination or spiritual deception?
2007-08-20 02:01:43 · 14 answers · asked by Starfall 6 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
chameleon--I'm sorry if you took offense to the way I worded the question. I wasn't intending to exclude others' points of view; I just wanted to get the views of other Christians because I have never heard of a NDE being discussed in a sermon in church. I did not mean it to sound like I was not interested in what other religions believe. If someone from another belief system, or even an atheist, wants to give their views, that's great; I'm open to hearing what you have to say too.
2007-08-20 05:38:00 · update #1
I hear about these alot.....
We believe them to be true
2007-08-20 02:07:10 · answer #1 · answered by primoa1970 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Wouldn't it be interesting if you opened the doors to include non Christians in that scenario? (And by that I mean people of all other religions as well as agnostics and atheists). In fact, then it could become downright fascinating question couldn't it?
The reason I say that is because my father had an NDE after being a lapsed catholic for 60 years, and then shortly after that my mother had an NDE after becoming a Christian at the age of 55. They both have very interesting and absorbing tales to tell but because you have made the boundaries so narrow I don't believe that either of them fall into your restrictive category. Pity.
2007-08-20 02:20:33 · answer #2 · answered by chameleon 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My experience was very real. I was in a car accident 9 years ago. I should not be here today. At 45 MPH, I slid on ice and sideswiped an electrical box, which made the air bag deploy, then I hit a really large tree head on. That was around 11:00 PM.
At 3:00 AM, I awoke in the hospital and shocked the paramedics and doctors. They worked on me for 3 hours and gave up.
In the meantime, I visited with my grandmother, who had long since passed away. She showed me and told me that I had to go back, because there were so many people who still needed me. My parents, my children and other loved ones. Since I've been back, both of parents had strokes which eventually killed them, but in the interim, I was the one responsible for taking care of them, which is what I've done for the last 5 years. They are both gone now, but I have an Aunt in a nursing home , who relies on me so much. and I am very, very close with my grandchildren and have helped my children through many situations, that may have come out very different, if I weren't there.
If it weren't for my visit in the afterlife with my Grandmother, lives of many others, would be very different right now, and not necessarily for the better.
2007-08-20 02:17:49 · answer #3 · answered by Funny Girl 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My church doesn't believe that our loving God sends people to an eternal hell we believe that if you are not saved your soul is burnt up and completely annihlated.
The bible says that God has the power to destroy souls and it always perplexed me that we were taught about this God that could do something as cruel as keeping us in eternal pain. Until I studied it with an open mind.
Therefore I can't agree with your Pastors story. Remember that Pastors are human too. Interestingly I was told by an AOG pastor recently that God doesn't care about the small details in our life and that he may not even be concerned about my husband who the Doctors say is going to die of his brain tumour. So I don't know about these AOG pastors.
2007-08-20 02:17:47 · answer #4 · answered by Daisy 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Remember, these experiences are exactly that; a persons' personal experience. The spirit realm is as real as you & I, but difficult to experience, unless one is spiritually gifted, or otherwise traumatized...which opens them up to the spirit realm.
There are many Scriptural accounts of people having encounters with the spirit realm. Allow the Scripture to be your guide.
Remember that todays' society puts wisdom (mental) over spiritual. Does what you heard yesterday line up with Scripture? You'll find your answer by starting there.
2007-08-20 03:03:21 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Near Death Experiences are neurophysiologic reactions caused by severe cerebrovascular dysfonctions. If you ever come back from clinical death, it is because you were never really brain dead in the first place. Religions are very clever at exploiting fundamental fears like the fear of death, a perfectly natural phenomenon (that can be tamed) which helps us, on conscious and subconscious levels, to survive. Don't be manipulated by the fearmongers, who will then control your life.
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2007-08-20 02:14:23 · answer #6 · answered by par1138 • FCD 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I believe in them but never had one.
My fiancé had a simular story - going to hell that is. He was around 13 at the time and there were 2 men, an old man (evil) and a young man (good). He also saw red lights and fire, a red sun in a rainbow sky and blue waterfalls over black rocks.
Both men were trying to get him follow him one way. The old wanted to go into the blackness; the young wanted to take him into the light. He chose the light which turned out to be his hospital room - that was when he finally came back after emergency surgery (terrible plane crash - almost died of course).
That's his story and to me its believable.
2007-08-20 02:09:38 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Well there is no proof that the people are actually telling the truth or if they were just some kind of Hallucination. Sadly most churches and Pastors are resorting back to scare tactics.
2007-08-20 02:07:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
There are some excellent books out there that have been around for years Roberts Liardon was swept away to heaven and shown much to come back and tell that we were missing because we did not know how to ask God or even realize He had it for us, others have seen Hell so they could come back and describe also..very interesting subject..requires much prayer so you do not believe everything you read and use discernment
2007-08-20 02:06:03 · answer #9 · answered by Southern Comfort 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My dad knew a man that refused to be saved. But when he was dieing, he ask for my dad to be there. Right at the point of death, he said to my dad, " pull me up Clarence, I can feel hells fire on the bottoms of my feet". My dad and the pastor pulled him up in the bed, then he died.
2007-08-20 02:39:04 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
NDE are nothing more then the brain playing tricks on people due to a chemical imbalance or lack of oxygen. I think its funny how people relate fiction as truth
2007-08-20 02:11:39 · answer #11 · answered by John C 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋