So I was just reading an article in a monthly publication I get and it was discussing an issue that author had with the wildly popular book "The Shack." The entire article was based on the premise that the book was theologically dangerous in that it taught that the dead go to heaven and can communicate with us after they die.
Having read through the book twice, I did not get this impression at all, but this author comes from a religious environment that does not permit encroachment into any area of church doctrine, particularly the state of the dead. Now, to get it out of the way, I believe that when a person dies, they know nothing. Their spirit, or breath, or life-force returns to God from whence it came, and if they accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior then they will be raised to life again when Jesus returns to take us all home.
However, what I want to discuss this week is a Christian's ability to look past theological differences and learn to see the heart of the person behind the ideology. So many times in my life I have seen people react to a theologically "incorrect" statement in such a way that I know they are not listening to what else is being said, instead focusing on the one thing that was "wrong."
It makes me want to ask if they would walk up to a grieving widow, who believes her husband is in a better place and say, "Well, actually, your husband is dead and will stay dead until the 2nd coming of Jesus. Now that you know the truth, I hope you are comforted." I mean, COME ON! Seriously?!??!? What a person believes about the state of the dead is not going to save them. Granted, believing that people go to heaven right after they die can lead to spiritualism and other occult activities, but I think most of the people who fall into those practices more than likely have not sought out help in getting past their grief. What those people are looking for is peace that their loved one is ok. The last thing we should do in that situation is destroy their entire ideology by "correcting" it. Perhaps over time we can lead them into what the Bible teaches about the subject, but can't we get over the "truth" at some point and just comfort the person?
I had a friend whose dog died about a year and a half ago now and they took it very hard. The question came up during a particularly difficult time after we buried the dog whether or not pets go to heaven or not. Instead of saying, "Well, there's no theological evidence of why they would go to heaven," I simply replied, "I don't know-I would imagine that God would want us to all be as happy as possible, so maybe." At least it gave that person some hope instead of completely shutting down the possibility. I have no idea what God's policy is on pets, so why should I try and answer for Him?
What do you think? I'm glad you guys are commenting, it means that we're discussing things that are hitting a chord. :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
Hi Tim!
This is a very sensitive topic for myself as I suffered the loss of my father at a particularly difficult time in my life.
When he died, people would tell us the same thing you just mentioned: he's in a better place. At the time people didn't understand that his particular faith didn't reflect their beliefs (the state of the dead as unknowing). It made me absolutely furious because the way it feels to a person who is grieving is that when a time of mourning is taken, people should understand that time is set aside for the dead. This means if individuals care enough, they should take the time to understand what *that* person believed in and honor it. It is *not* a time to proselytize or 'comfort' someone with your understanding of death/resurrection/afterlife, etc. The person will more than likely become more upset or angry, much like I did.
As for people who practice 'occultism' or 'spiritualism', perhaps, for them, it is a preferred method to accept their grief and in some ways, work past it. Usually, in those cases the death is traumatic: that of a child, a murder, a suicide and there's no closure for the people who are left behind. When they feel they have some closure, they accept what has happened and can move on. Am I saying this is right? Perhaps not for me, but I am saying that it can serve as a function.
There is no 'correct' way to respond to death and grief. I actually took a class in psychology called "death and dying" and it was a wonderful way to help me acknowledge and communicate with others more effectively when death occurs. What I discovered was that it's much more positive for the bereaved to do the communicating: only they know what they want/need, they know the deceased the most and can understand what that person believed in. One should really only offer help and do all the listening.
Well said! I'm actually surprised that more people aren't commenting-this is supposedly a pretty "hot topic." Hmmm....
It's a 'hot topic' but it's also a sensitive one. Death is the great equalizer and it's also the most powerful at evoking deep-rooted emotions and beliefs. This is why I feel people should keep their personal faith to themselves and acknowledge the needs of the bereaved during such a difficult time.
somehow when i was little i got the idea that my fish wouldn't be in heaven, but my dog would...lol...i'm not sure how that happened, but now, I think if having your pet in heaven will add to your happiness, then totally!! God want's the best for us, and if having a pet in heaven would make our joy complete... :)
...on a slightly different note...i'm in a clinical class on family nursing which brings up other questions/situations...what do you think about babies? say a baby that was still born or aborted (naturally or medically)...if it was still born it makes sense that it could be alive again, but if it never made even 5 wks, it didn't even have a placenta yet! would the woman be pregnant again? would the baby just be there? ...what if a woman died pregnant, assuming the whole death is like sleeping thing, would she "wake up" pregnant?
...also, somewhere along the way i was taught that the child's salvation (immortality) is dependent on the parents'...I'm not quite sure i can believe that though...what if one parent qualifies and the other doesn't? or what if neither parent does, but the grandparents do...i mean, it doesn't necessarily make sense.
Post a Comment