newwayknight wrote on Aug 7th, 2006 at 7:35pm:AH1976 wrote on Aug 7th, 2006 at 5:28pm:While I dont want to draw this thread into a religious one it has to be pointed out that in all of Bruces books and all the other material I have read I have never come across an overly religious theme to the more level-headed afterlife research. Don't get me wrong im not denying the existance of God or Heaven but by citing certain Jesus quotes are you not enforcing the idea that one religious is right at the expense of others?
I don't think that is necessarily so. One of the things that I find fascinating is how alot of what I've learned about Bruce's experiences, NDE's, etc. does not necessarily conflict with the Christian faith. In fact, alot of these things tend to confirm it, on an even more mystical level.
There are legacies of confirmational experiences and personal experiences by the multitude both in the history of the Christian faith (saints, miracles, visions, etc.) AND in the things experienced by people on this board and around the world.
It is not automatically unreconcilable, and as we do not possess all knowledge, who is to say it is not at some high level all reconcilable?
I always love the idea that what is impossible with man is possible with God. That leaves a ton of room for lots of new knowledge and revelation for us!
I apologise for kinda starting a slightly off-topic debate, but a lot of whats said here goes over my head so I dont get many chances to post. I appreciate what your saying but it seems to me that and your right Bruces own experiences don't conflict with the Christian faith, but he himself sais Christians end up in their own idylic vision of heaven all together, suggesting that the afterlife is what we make it. From his books I get the impression there is a 'central core' that sort of organises it but that everyone else is free to do as they wish Christians have their heaven, Satanists have their hell and pie eaters spend their time flying round the clouds on a giant blueberry pie if thats what they choose.
Now fair play people suggesting that this is all actually heaven or that heaven comes after, and that God created all or God is our father etc but it seems to me when they do this in their head they see it in their own religious sense whether thats Christianity, Catholicism etc. And as you say since we don't know all then maybe if the afterlife is religious maybe Christianity is the true religion, maybe the Greeks were right with their many gods but the point I was badly making was that people seems to still have this 'the afterlife is christian cos im christian and it must be right' mindset.
ps. sometimes I ramble sometimes I dont make my point very well, maybe this is one of those times