The original article, Ex-atheist describes near death experience was shared at SouthCoasttoday.com.
At first, I wasn't going to post this. I found myself judging whether or not this man's experience was a genuine conversion. As one commenter over at the first link stated,
"I have to say that I am very suspicious (not to mention skeptical!) of these experiences."
and
"Plenty of them have no Christian imagery at all, no heaven or hell."
"I think its foolish in the extreme to draw any conclusions from this. Christians, especially, should rely on faith and not spurious "studies" which prove nothing."
Before I share what I think, I wanted to see what others who read here think about this?
Christine
To his amazement, the cruel merciless beings were incited to rage by his prayer. They screamed at him, 'There is no God! Nobody can hear you!"
ReplyDeleteEither this was a near-death experience, or he was just recalling the goings-on from an Atheists of America meeting.
Ha ha ha haa!!
ReplyDeleteYeah...really Doug!
Good and funny point!
There have now been many thousands of documented cases of near-death experiences: deeply mystical, often ineffable experiences – the very essence of the religious experience. These accounts have a consistent internal structure and, cross-culturally, they reflect universal elements. That is, although no two experiences are identical, they all share at least some common elements. Just a few examples are that many experiencers have out-of body experiences (viewing their surroundings from above or outside their bodies while they are clinically dead or unconscious), meeting and communicating with mystical beings or deceased relatives, having a life review in the presence of "spiritual guides," etc. Not everyone has all of these elements but these are just some of the universal elements that are a part of near-death experiences
ReplyDeleteExperiencers cut across all religious traditions including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, etc. Almost all report that their lives are dramatically changed after their experience, including often becoming more spiritual, more loving and caring, and frequently changing their work lives to the caring or teaching professions.
The website of the International Association for Near-Death Studies at www.iands.org is one of the best and most reputable sources of information about this. In particular, you might want to check under the Research tab for published papers outlining new findings from the most current research, particularly the two written by Dr. Peter Fenwick and Dr. Pim Van Lommel.
During the past 30 years, near-death experiences have been the focus of many scientific studies at universities and medical centers throughout the U.S. and around the world. Many medical professionals who have seriously studied the research – and it is extensive – no longer dismiss this phenomenon as hallucinations or caused by physiological or pharmacological factors.
Allen
Hi Allenup,
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Talkwisdom!
I have mixed feelings about "near death" experiences. Some of the reports have sounded genuine (meaning, biblically accurate) whereas others have been truly bizarre and lean more towards New Age thinking.
Some authors have not been honest in their presentations of so-called "near death" experiences. There was a book called, "Into the Light" (if I recall correctly) and two versions were given (one appeared to be Christian; whereas, the other was geared more towards Mormonism). These two faiths aren't compatible (sorry to say this, but my studies and convos with Mormons have shown this to be true)and for an author to change her story for the benefit of two different audiences makes her out to be a liar.
When I have more time, I will visit the website you recommended.
To all,
I have been very busy trying to find a small home, townhouse or condo for my daughter and two roommates to rent for the upcoming semester at college. It has been like a nightmare! We found the perfect place, but with a dozen applicants (who applied earlier than we did) we just found out that we weren't chosen. We were so disappointed!! The place would have been perfect!! Arrgghhh!!
Well, we are trusting God to help lead us to find an even better place! We must remain diligent in our search, continue to be prayerful and most of all be patient!