(Part 2 of 3 in a series about the connection between life and death…)
In this space, I’ll always try to focus either on what I can verify, or what others can verify for me. It’s part of that “truth” thing I’m promising with this blog. But with that promise comes a warning. For some topics, what I CAN 
say will be limited! Life after death is clearly one of those topics. I haven’t died or experienced near-death – nor do I know others who have.
But I HAVE read a lot about it.
As mentioned in my previous post, my wife’s sister is dying. Slowly. Almost agonizingly slowly. But soon the end will arrive. What next?
Obviously, her body stops functioning. Her heart stops, her breathing stops, her brain stops, and all that remains is a corpse – a shell that housed a living person, with a personality, an intellect, a character, a way of seeing the world. Those things vanish from this planet with her final breath.
A BELIEVER’S VIEW
Most humans believe some part of us continues living in some other sphere – another dimension outside this four-dimensional world we inhabit today. Some call it spirit, some call it soul. Still others say we re-emerge in the form of another earth-bound being.
None of this is provable scientifically, of course. Religions have their doctrines and dogmas about heaven, paradise, nirvana, the spirit world, and such. It’s a mixed bag of similar and competing views. These teachings have been passed down for centuries from some original inspiration – Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed and others. Each shared a vision of the next world, and taught their followers what to expect. Faith informs us of the truth of their words, but we can’t experience this “truth” outside some commitment to belief.
A SCIENTIFIC VIEW
Scientists are often skeptical about embracing the concept of an afterlife. This is rooted in the scientific method, itself, which demands concrete, demonstrable proof to support a hypothesis. But science is moving in new directions – with theories that allow for parallel dimensions, even parallel universes. Indeed, today’s “string theory” of physics suggests that worlds may exist which we can’t even perceive. So why is belief in an afterlife so far-fetched?
WHAT CAN “NEAR-DEATH” TEACH US?
My sister-in-law is a Christian believer. She attended church regularly. Her family and fellow church members expect to join her in heaven when they die. But of course, this is not proof, this is faith. Can we know any of this with certainty?
Years ago, I became fascinated with research connected to what is now termed “near-death experiences.” In the late 1800s, Dwight Moody, M.D., wrote a seminal book about patients he had known who had died and returned to life. More than a century later, his book, “Life After Death” remains an important work in this growing field. It appears science now allows that death may not be the end of life, after all.
Of course, religious scholars, atheists, scientists and philosophers all have their say about this research – both positive and negative. We’re disinclined to accept anything that doesn’t confirm with what we’ve been raised to believe, or decided to believe as adults. So, not surprising, both believers and nonbelievers are skeptical.
THE HEART OF THE AFTERLIFE DEBATE
But that speaks to the REAL question – should our beliefs shape how we view the evidence we find, or should the evidence shape our beliefs?
Those who’ve temporarily died often tell stories that don’t align with the official doctrine of most churches. And yet, regardless of their diverse religious convictions, many of these people share similar near-death experiences. Does this mean the afterlife is a “big tent” that integrates many faiths? How can this be, when almost every religion excludes other religions from experiencing their particular brand of “heaven”?
Personally, I believe in heaven awaits me when I leave this planet. But I won’t be shocked to find people of many faiths joining me. In fact, I look forward to meeting them there!
What about you? Do you believe in life after death? Why? What’s your criteria for who’s “in” and who’s “out” of heaven? How can we know if that’s correct? And why should we care?
What do you think?
Also, if you’ve had a near-death experience – or know someone who has – tell us about it! I’d love to know what awaits my sister-in-law…
Jeff
