Hello everyone! I hope your having a fabulous Sunday so far and had a awesome weekend. It is still so freaking hot as all get out here in Florida. But it's beautiful here. I hope everyone are enjoying all the blogs here. We have great bloggers with knowledge and very interesting things to share with you as well. Check out the old forums and discussions on who was exposed and other information if you ever have a chance you should spend some time researching for yourself. Even older blogs. You never know which ones you have missed. It's always new to someone.
What is American Satan about? Below is one of the many, many articles I located online about it. Not to mention the trailers on YouTube and a bootleg copy of it is already out on YouTube so it can be seen now apparently. This makes me sick. It truly does. This world is becoming obsessed with the supernatural and dark things.
Darkness is taking over as I've mentioned in many past blogs the last 5 years. But we must stand firm with authority in Jesus name and banish these vile creatures. In JESUS NAME it can be done. I know I've witnessed it. Growing up with a Pentecostal Reverend as a dad you see more than him doing weddings, baptisms etc...deliverance is apart of the package too.
American Satan The Movie
'A young rock band, half from England and half from the US, drop out of college and move to the Sunset Strip to chase their dreams. Living in a van, their passion and talent exceed their means to survive. An enigmatic stranger sees their true potential and emotionally manipulates them during a time of weakness attempting to normalize satanism. Caught in the middle of a Faustian deal, their music and controversial altercations end up influencing society beyond anything this century has seen. Anything goes, it's like anarchy. But can they take back control of their destiny before it's to late?"
I challenge you to google the movies coming out. Many satanic or having demons in it. Annabelle The Possessed Doll part 2 is one of them I'm pretty sure. It's all very disturbing movies and there's always someone dumb enough to emulate what they've seen. It happens a lot, you just don't hear about it.
The news hides things. Like Pizzagate for example. Pedophiles are darn close to normalizing what they've been doing for 30 years. One person said "we can't put all pedophiles in prison there are thousands. Well build more correction facilities! God we pay enough taxes! I guess we just let them be and continue to demonize children ruining their lives forever. "I'm not ok with turning a blind eye" to sick dangerous behavior and they all worship Satan it seems I'm speaking of big names in the White House. They've covered for them this long so they easily get away with it.one man was killed who had absolute proof. But he never had the chance to report it.
Are we really being conditioned to tolerate violence by the government as many are saying? Different ages and religions too saying "we been doing it for years" or " I don't worship Satan, it's about being your own God." ? They won't admit the animal and human rituals and the blood etc...plus SPIRIT COOKING. Google that folks. It will disgust you. Soon people will attempt to emulate it like when summoning demons was a huge deal and still is sadly. Everyone was wanting to know how out of curiosity
Well that's what get people in trouble every time.
Written by Jennifer L. Auld
Looking inside the spiritual & literary worlds
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Thursday, July 20, 2017
What Does it Mean--Jesus Learned Obedience?
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
This is a brief reply, as one could easily spend an entire blog answering this question.
“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…” (Hebrews 5:8-9)
Does that imply He was not perfectly obedient early on? No!! What DOES it mean, then?
Though fully God, Jesus is also fully human. He lived a sinless life (Heb. 4:15; 7:26) and was always obedient to the Father. Nevertheless, Jesus acquired knowledge as a normal human would, and He gained experience (in His human nature)by living 33 years as a human being (Luke 2:40, 52), and He came to know experientially what it cost to walk in obedience in the midst of suffering.
In a manner appropriate to each stage of development (physically and psychologically), Jesus was perfect, and He grew in wisdom in His human nature. He was a perfect two year old…perfect four year old…perfect teenager…perfect young adult…and perfect up to His death at approximately 33 years old. He was perfect in ways appropriate for each stage of development as a growing human being.
No doubt, as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, successive temptations and trials became more difficult to deal with. It was as He obeyed His Father in the face of lifelong temptations that Jesus “learned obedience.”…His human moral ability was strengthened as He grew.
As a child, Jesus did not lack any godly traits, but He was lacking in the full experience of having lived a perfect human life, as man—obeying the Father in everything. It is in this sense, that in His human nature, Jesus “learned obedience.”
Hence, our Lord is experientially aware of the trials and temptations that we experience. Though fully God, Jesus still retains His human nature/body in heaven. So, He is tender and sympathetic to all the struggles you are facing. Look to Him for comfort, as he knows what it is like to suffer as a human. And look to Him as your Savior if you have not already, for there is no other road to heaven, but through Jesus.
Lastly, and remarkably, the lifelong perfect obedience of Jesus provides the basis for eternal salvation. Justification consists of a double transfer. Our sins were transferred to Jesus on the cross, and His 33 years of perfect obedience is transferred to our spiritual bank account. It is the robe of righteousness that surrounds us, and the Father sees Jesus’ perfect life, as He looks at us, due to our union with the life of Christ. How can you look with detachment at such a great salvation? Let us rejoice at such a great Savior and salvation!
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
This is a brief reply, as one could easily spend an entire blog answering this question.
“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him…” (Hebrews 5:8-9)
Does that imply He was not perfectly obedient early on? No!! What DOES it mean, then?
Though fully God, Jesus is also fully human. He lived a sinless life (Heb. 4:15; 7:26) and was always obedient to the Father. Nevertheless, Jesus acquired knowledge as a normal human would, and He gained experience (in His human nature)by living 33 years as a human being (Luke 2:40, 52), and He came to know experientially what it cost to walk in obedience in the midst of suffering.
In a manner appropriate to each stage of development (physically and psychologically), Jesus was perfect, and He grew in wisdom in His human nature. He was a perfect two year old…perfect four year old…perfect teenager…perfect young adult…and perfect up to His death at approximately 33 years old. He was perfect in ways appropriate for each stage of development as a growing human being.
No doubt, as Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, successive temptations and trials became more difficult to deal with. It was as He obeyed His Father in the face of lifelong temptations that Jesus “learned obedience.”…His human moral ability was strengthened as He grew.
As a child, Jesus did not lack any godly traits, but He was lacking in the full experience of having lived a perfect human life, as man—obeying the Father in everything. It is in this sense, that in His human nature, Jesus “learned obedience.”
Hence, our Lord is experientially aware of the trials and temptations that we experience. Though fully God, Jesus still retains His human nature/body in heaven. So, He is tender and sympathetic to all the struggles you are facing. Look to Him for comfort, as he knows what it is like to suffer as a human. And look to Him as your Savior if you have not already, for there is no other road to heaven, but through Jesus.
Lastly, and remarkably, the lifelong perfect obedience of Jesus provides the basis for eternal salvation. Justification consists of a double transfer. Our sins were transferred to Jesus on the cross, and His 33 years of perfect obedience is transferred to our spiritual bank account. It is the robe of righteousness that surrounds us, and the Father sees Jesus’ perfect life, as He looks at us, due to our union with the life of Christ. How can you look with detachment at such a great salvation? Let us rejoice at such a great Savior and salvation!
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
Dalai Lama on How to Be a Buddhist in Today’s World
Today the world faces a crisis related to lack of respect for spiritual principles and ethical values. Such virtues cannot be forced on society by legislation or by science, nor can fear inspire ethical conduct. Rather, people must have conviction in the worth of ethical principles so that they want to live ethically.
The U.S. and India, for example, have solid governmental institutions, but many of the people involved lack ethical principles. Self-discipline and self-restraint of all citizens—from CEOs to lawmakers to teachers—are needed to create a good society. But these virtues cannot be imposed from the outside. They require inner cultivation. This is why spirituality and religion are relevant in the modern world.
India, where I now live, has been home to the ideas of secularism, inclusiveness and diversity for some 3,000 years. One philosophical tradition asserts that only what we know through our five senses exists. Other Indian philosophical schools criticize this nihilistic view but still regard the people who hold it as rishis, or sages. I promote this type of secularism: to be a kind person who does not harm others regardless of profound religious differences.
In previous centuries, Tibetans knew little about the rest of the world. We lived on a high and broad plateau surrounded by the world’s tallest mountains. Almost everyone, except for a small community of Muslims, was Buddhist. Very few foreigners came to our land. Since we went into exile in 1959, Tibetans have been in contact with the rest of the world. We relate with religions, ethnic groups and cultures that hold a broad spectrum of views.
Further, Tibetan youth now receive a modern education in which they are exposed to opinions not traditionally found in their community. It is now imperative that Tibetan Buddhists be able to explain clearly their tenets and beliefs to others using reason. Simply quoting from Buddhist scriptures does not convince people who did not grow up as Buddhists of the validity of the Buddha’s doctrine. If we try to prove points only by quoting scripture, these people may respond: “Everyone has a book to quote from!”
Religion faces three principal challenges today: communism, modern science and the combination of consumerism and materialism. Although the Cold War ended decades ago, communist beliefs and governments still strongly affect life in Buddhist countries. In Tibet, the communist government controls the ordination of monks and nuns while also regulating life in the monasteries and nunneries. It controls the education system, teaching children that Buddhism is old-fashioned.
Modern science, up until now, has confined itself to studying phenomena that are material in nature. Scientists largely examine only what can be measured with scientific instruments, limiting the scope of their investigations and their understanding of the universe. Phenomena such as rebirth and the existence of the mind as separate from the brain are beyond the scope of scientific investigation. Some scientists, although they have no proof that these phenomena do not exist, consider them unworthy of consideration. But there is reason for optimism. In recent years, I have met with many open-minded scientists, and we have had mutually beneficial discussions that have highlighted our common points as well as our diverging ideas—expanding the world views of scientists and Buddhists in the process.
Then there is materialism and consumerism. Religion values ethical conduct, which may involve delayed gratification, whereas consumerism directs us toward immediate happiness. Faith traditions stress inner satisfaction and a peaceful mind, while materialism says that happiness comes from external objects. Religious values such as kindness, generosity and honesty get lost in the rush to make more money and have more and “better” possessions. Many people’s minds are confused about what happiness is and how to create its causes.
If you study the Buddha’s teachings, you may find that some of them are in harmony with your views on societal values, science and consumerism—and some of them are not. That is fine. Continue to investigate and reflect on what you discover. In this way, whatever conclusion you reach will be based on reason, not simply on tradition, peer pressure or blind faith.
The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, is the spiritual leader of Tibet. He is co-author, with Thubten Chodron, of “Approaching the Buddhist Path,” from which this article is adapted.
Originally published in the Wall Street Journal on July 6, 2017.
Link with photo: https://www.dalailama.com/messages/religious-harmony-1/how-to-be-a-buddhist-in-todays-world
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Thank You from His Holiness the Dalai Lama
As you are probably already aware, my life is guided by three principal commitments — to contribute to bringing about a more compassionate world; to encourage inter-religious harmony, and to work to preserve Tibet’s Buddhist culture, which is a culture of peace and non-violence, while also drawing attention to the need to protect the natural environment of Tibet. Since the Tibetan Plateau is the source of Asia’s major rivers, more than one billion people depend on the water they provide.
Tibet’s Buddhist culture is derived from the traditions of India’s historic Nalanda University, which encouraged dependence on reason and logic over reliance on mere scriptural authority. It adopted an empirical approach, like science, which included a thorough knowledge of the workings of the mind and emotions that remains extremely relevant today.
These are commitments by which I abide myself, but I often ask brothers and sisters who show me affection and respect to consider joining me in upholding them.
In short, may I request you please to help others whenever you can and if for some reason you can’t do that, at least to refrain from doing anyone any harm.
With my prayers and good wishes,
The Dalai Lama
Leh, Ladakh, 9 July 2017
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Dalai Lama Meets with Teachers & Business Leaders in Newport Beach
Meetings with Teachers and Business Leaders
Newport Beach, CA, USA - Anaheim city school principals and teachers, friends of Mayor Tom Tait came to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama this morning. In his introduction to His Holiness Mayor Tait mentioned the positive change that the City of Kindness project, and participating in the One Million Acts of Kindness campaign, has brought to Anaheim’s schools. He recalled that when Ven Tenzin Dhonden heard about what they were doing, he brought Mayor Tait to meet His Holiness in Dharamsala, for which he thanked him.
“Firstly, I very much appreciate this opportunity to meet with people who are actively involved in education,” His Holiness began. “Our common goal is to build a happier humanity. The greater part of this century is still ahead of us. I believe that if we start working now on this with a clear vision now, the later part of the century could be happier and more peaceful.
“These days if a human being is killed by a tiger or elephant it’s news, but to be killed by another human being is no longer extraordinary. Meanwhile, despite every human being having a right to be happy, we see images on the television of numbers of children dying of starvation. How can we remain indifferent? These people are our brothers and sisters. We have to do something.
“Violence has long been part of human history, but in the past, involving hand to hand combat, its impact was limited. Today, we have weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear weapons, that are so powerful, the whole of humanity is endangered. Violence derives from anger and anger clouds our ability to think straight and properly assess what is happening. Anger in turn is related to fear and anxiety.
“One of the lessons we need to learn is how to cultivate those positive emotions that counter destructive emotions like anger and fear. Compassion, for example, brings self-confidence and the ability to act transparently. It strengthens trust which is the ground for friendship.
“All the major religious traditions teach about love and to protect that message they also counsel tolerance and forgiveness. However, these days, when 1 billion people claim to have no religious faith, instead of relying on faith alone, we have to use our intelligence to examine whether anger brings any benefit. If we’re honest we’ll see that anger ruins our peace of mind. Fortunately, one of our qualities as human beings is our ability to reinforce such human values as warm-heartedness.
“In education we should explore how to build on those human values that are based on scientific findings, common experience and common sense. In India and here at Emory University work is going on to prepare a curriculum to bring this exercise into schools. We aim to teach that on a mental level kindness and compassion give rise to lasting joy. They reduce fear.”
His Holiness explained that we will only make the 21st century an era of peace on the basis of inner peace. However, he said, we won’t overcome anger and establish peace of mind just by praying for it. An outbreak of fire will not be quenched by prayer alone, it’s far more important to prevent its breaking out in the first place.
In answering questions from the audience His Holiness made clear his view that ancient Indian psychology is relevant today, since it clearly explains how to increase positive emotions and reduce negative emotions. He pointed out that we all, even animals, have a basic seed of compassion, a wish for others to overcome suffering, but to raise and extend it to the point where we actually act on it takes training.
He recommended adopting different approaches, experimenting and sharing what we learn with each other. He also remarked that anger and aggression sometimes seem to be protective because they bring energy to bear on a particular situation, but what needs to be acknowledged is that that energy is blind. He stressed that it takes a calm mind to be able to consider things from different angles and points of view.
Noting that more and more people are paying attention to kindness, the evidence of the naming of a City of Kindness in Anaheim and a Compassionate City in Louisville, is that a revolution is taking place in education. He asked the teachers of Anaheim to help lead that revolution in the right direction.
Meeting Orange County business leaders in the afternoon at the behest of Noah McMahon, His Holiness picked up his earlier theme that despite great material development people are increasingly showing interest in achieving peace of mind. He again stressed that, if we make efforts now, it is possible to envisage a happier more peaceful world emerging later in the century. He reiterated that scientists revealing findings that basic human nature is compassionate is a source of hope. He mentioned the power of being able to smile.
Speaking of peace in the world prompted His Holiness to discuss the need for global demilitarization. He spoke with regret of the money spent on weapons, but also of the dangers of a policy of mutual destruction. Mentioning a dream of a world without borders, a truly global world, he wondered whether he would be thought unrealistic.
He declared that the world belongs to the 7 billion people living in it, just as American belongs to the American people. He expressed regret at the US’s withdrawal from the Paris Accord. He speculated that if there were more women leaders the world might be a more peaceful and co-operative place.
Challenged to say whether religion might have outlived its usefulness, he mentioned three aspects of religious tradition. The religious aspect involves the practice of love and compassion, the philosophical aspect, concerning, for example, belief in a creator or the law of causality supports this practice. But there is also the cultural aspect, influenced by social conventions. When this aspect is judged to be out of date, he said, it should adapt. His final remark was to note that while people go to great lengths to look physically attractive, inner beauty is far more important and a stronger basis for lasting relationships.
original link and photos: https://www.dalailama.com/news/2017/meetings-with-teachers-and-business-leaders
“Firstly, I very much appreciate this opportunity to meet with people who are actively involved in education,” His Holiness began. “Our common goal is to build a happier humanity. The greater part of this century is still ahead of us. I believe that if we start working now on this with a clear vision now, the later part of the century could be happier and more peaceful.
“These days if a human being is killed by a tiger or elephant it’s news, but to be killed by another human being is no longer extraordinary. Meanwhile, despite every human being having a right to be happy, we see images on the television of numbers of children dying of starvation. How can we remain indifferent? These people are our brothers and sisters. We have to do something.
“Violence has long been part of human history, but in the past, involving hand to hand combat, its impact was limited. Today, we have weapons of mass destruction, such as nuclear weapons, that are so powerful, the whole of humanity is endangered. Violence derives from anger and anger clouds our ability to think straight and properly assess what is happening. Anger in turn is related to fear and anxiety.
“One of the lessons we need to learn is how to cultivate those positive emotions that counter destructive emotions like anger and fear. Compassion, for example, brings self-confidence and the ability to act transparently. It strengthens trust which is the ground for friendship.
“All the major religious traditions teach about love and to protect that message they also counsel tolerance and forgiveness. However, these days, when 1 billion people claim to have no religious faith, instead of relying on faith alone, we have to use our intelligence to examine whether anger brings any benefit. If we’re honest we’ll see that anger ruins our peace of mind. Fortunately, one of our qualities as human beings is our ability to reinforce such human values as warm-heartedness.
“In education we should explore how to build on those human values that are based on scientific findings, common experience and common sense. In India and here at Emory University work is going on to prepare a curriculum to bring this exercise into schools. We aim to teach that on a mental level kindness and compassion give rise to lasting joy. They reduce fear.”
His Holiness explained that we will only make the 21st century an era of peace on the basis of inner peace. However, he said, we won’t overcome anger and establish peace of mind just by praying for it. An outbreak of fire will not be quenched by prayer alone, it’s far more important to prevent its breaking out in the first place.
In answering questions from the audience His Holiness made clear his view that ancient Indian psychology is relevant today, since it clearly explains how to increase positive emotions and reduce negative emotions. He pointed out that we all, even animals, have a basic seed of compassion, a wish for others to overcome suffering, but to raise and extend it to the point where we actually act on it takes training.
He recommended adopting different approaches, experimenting and sharing what we learn with each other. He also remarked that anger and aggression sometimes seem to be protective because they bring energy to bear on a particular situation, but what needs to be acknowledged is that that energy is blind. He stressed that it takes a calm mind to be able to consider things from different angles and points of view.
Noting that more and more people are paying attention to kindness, the evidence of the naming of a City of Kindness in Anaheim and a Compassionate City in Louisville, is that a revolution is taking place in education. He asked the teachers of Anaheim to help lead that revolution in the right direction.
Meeting Orange County business leaders in the afternoon at the behest of Noah McMahon, His Holiness picked up his earlier theme that despite great material development people are increasingly showing interest in achieving peace of mind. He again stressed that, if we make efforts now, it is possible to envisage a happier more peaceful world emerging later in the century. He reiterated that scientists revealing findings that basic human nature is compassionate is a source of hope. He mentioned the power of being able to smile.
Speaking of peace in the world prompted His Holiness to discuss the need for global demilitarization. He spoke with regret of the money spent on weapons, but also of the dangers of a policy of mutual destruction. Mentioning a dream of a world without borders, a truly global world, he wondered whether he would be thought unrealistic.
He declared that the world belongs to the 7 billion people living in it, just as American belongs to the American people. He expressed regret at the US’s withdrawal from the Paris Accord. He speculated that if there were more women leaders the world might be a more peaceful and co-operative place.
Challenged to say whether religion might have outlived its usefulness, he mentioned three aspects of religious tradition. The religious aspect involves the practice of love and compassion, the philosophical aspect, concerning, for example, belief in a creator or the law of causality supports this practice. But there is also the cultural aspect, influenced by social conventions. When this aspect is judged to be out of date, he said, it should adapt. His final remark was to note that while people go to great lengths to look physically attractive, inner beauty is far more important and a stronger basis for lasting relationships.
original link and photos: https://www.dalailama.com/news/2017/meetings-with-teachers-and-business-leaders
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Dalai Lama Visits Boston, MA
Addressing 2000 Tibetans in Boston
Boston, MA, USA [June 25, 2017] - On a bright and breezy morning His Holiness the Dalai Lama drove across Boston today to address a gathering of 2000 Tibetans from the city and up and down the east coast. Backstage he met and comforted the elderly and infirm.
The event began with a representative delivering a citation from the Governor of Massachusetts, another presenting a gift from the Mayor of Boston and the President of the Boston Tibetan Association making his report. His Holiness began,
“I’m here to meet Richie Davidson, so the opportunity arose also to meet all of you. Like Tibetans everywhere, you are keeping the spirit of Tibet alive. We’ve been in exile 58 years. In India we have the CTA. Major monasteries have been re-established and are thriving. Tibetans in exile are scattered all over the world, but wherever we are we form local communities, as you have done here, to preserve our identity and traditions. Those who live in free countries outside Tibet have a responsibility to keep up our spirits to encourage our brothers and sisters in Tibet who remain impressively determined.
“In the face of restrictions on education in Tibetan, their spirit remains strong. But they are not free to do what they want. There is discrimination when Tibetans’ loyalty to their community is regarded with suspicion and labelled splittist, while Chinese loyalty to their community is praised. There needs to be equality.
“Historically Tibet was a free and independent country in the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries, after which it fragmented. What has since held us together is our common religion, culture and language. Today, it’s very important that Tibetans of the Three Provinces remain united. While remaining within the PRC we want genuine autonomy so we can continue to keep our culture, language and traditions alive.”
His Holiness recalled that in 1959 nobody knew what would happen to Tibetans who had become refugees. The priority was finding ways to survive and the Government of India were generous with their help.
“There was a time when Tibetan Buddhism was dismissed as Lamaism as if it was not a proper Buddhist tradition,” His Holiness remarked. “Since we came into exile we have been able to show that it is in fact a pure and complete form of Buddhism. The tradition handed down to us from Nalanda includes profound philosophy and logic, as well as a rich understanding of the workings of the mind and emotions. We have kept this alive for more than 1000 years and now are in a position to draw from it to make a positive contribution to the well-being of humanity.
“Lately in India I’ve been urging people to study, to develop a sound understanding not content to rely only on faith. In monasteries and nunneries from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh efforts are being made to study. It’s on this basis that Buddhism will last for centuries to come. China was historically a Buddhist country following the Nalanda tradition as we do. What the Chinese lacked was the command of logic and epistemology that we have maintained and a corresponding path of rigorous study.
“In 7th century, Thönmi Sambhota devised a Tibetan script or improved on what already existed taking the Indian alphabet as a model. In 8th century, Trisong Detsen turned not to China, but to India to invite Shantarakshita to Tibet. Right from the start, he, and following him, his student Kamalashila, established the importance of employing logic and reason. It’s because of this that over the last more than 30 years we have been able to hold fruitful conversations with modern scientists. Scepticism about the mind’s being any more than a function of the brain has given way to an acknowledgment of neuroplasticity, recognition that developing the mind can change the brain.
“We have a responsibility to uphold this Nalanda tradition that has been handed down to us, not out of attachment, but because it provides us an opportunity to be of service to others. Ensuring that the younger generation have a command of Tibetan ensures that they too have access to it.”
His Holiness concluded his talk by guiding the audience in generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta as they recited the common verse for taking refuge three times:
After that he gave the transmission of the mantras of the Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Arya Tara, Hayagriva and so forth and encouraged those gathered to make their lives meaningful.
His Holiness mentioned that in 2015 his physicians found indications of prostate cancer and decided to give him focused radiation treatment instead of surgery last year. This year his recent check-up at the Mayo Clinic has revealed all traces have gone. His Holiness declared that he’s physically healthy, mentally sharp and sleeps well.
After lunch His Holiness joined his old friend and Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Richie Davidson and business leaders discussing human well-being. He told them that it’s basic human nature to be warm-hearted because our lives depend on having a sense of care for others. But the pressing reason for exploring well-being today is that we find ourselves facing problems that are prompted by anger, self-centredness and intolerance.
“We are all endowed with a biological seed of compassion, but we have to nurture it with intelligence. If we don’t change direction, this century will end up like the one that went before overwhelmed by intimidation, violence and bloodshed. Nobody wants that.
“If something is worth doing, do it. If, in fact, you fail, there’ll be no cause for regret. You can try again. To die without even having tried, will be to die disappointed. We all have opportunities to contribute making a better world; we must seize them with far-sighted vision. I’m encouraged that so many people are becoming interested in the well-being of humanity. This is surely a sign of hope.”
Early tomorrow, His Holiness will fly from Boston to Frankfurt; the first leg of his journey back to India.
original link + photos: https://www.dalailama.com/news/2017/addressing-2000-tibetans-in-boston
The event began with a representative delivering a citation from the Governor of Massachusetts, another presenting a gift from the Mayor of Boston and the President of the Boston Tibetan Association making his report. His Holiness began,
“I’m here to meet Richie Davidson, so the opportunity arose also to meet all of you. Like Tibetans everywhere, you are keeping the spirit of Tibet alive. We’ve been in exile 58 years. In India we have the CTA. Major monasteries have been re-established and are thriving. Tibetans in exile are scattered all over the world, but wherever we are we form local communities, as you have done here, to preserve our identity and traditions. Those who live in free countries outside Tibet have a responsibility to keep up our spirits to encourage our brothers and sisters in Tibet who remain impressively determined.
“In the face of restrictions on education in Tibetan, their spirit remains strong. But they are not free to do what they want. There is discrimination when Tibetans’ loyalty to their community is regarded with suspicion and labelled splittist, while Chinese loyalty to their community is praised. There needs to be equality.
“Historically Tibet was a free and independent country in the 7th, 8th and 9th centuries, after which it fragmented. What has since held us together is our common religion, culture and language. Today, it’s very important that Tibetans of the Three Provinces remain united. While remaining within the PRC we want genuine autonomy so we can continue to keep our culture, language and traditions alive.”
His Holiness recalled that in 1959 nobody knew what would happen to Tibetans who had become refugees. The priority was finding ways to survive and the Government of India were generous with their help.
“There was a time when Tibetan Buddhism was dismissed as Lamaism as if it was not a proper Buddhist tradition,” His Holiness remarked. “Since we came into exile we have been able to show that it is in fact a pure and complete form of Buddhism. The tradition handed down to us from Nalanda includes profound philosophy and logic, as well as a rich understanding of the workings of the mind and emotions. We have kept this alive for more than 1000 years and now are in a position to draw from it to make a positive contribution to the well-being of humanity.
“Lately in India I’ve been urging people to study, to develop a sound understanding not content to rely only on faith. In monasteries and nunneries from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh efforts are being made to study. It’s on this basis that Buddhism will last for centuries to come. China was historically a Buddhist country following the Nalanda tradition as we do. What the Chinese lacked was the command of logic and epistemology that we have maintained and a corresponding path of rigorous study.
“In 7th century, Thönmi Sambhota devised a Tibetan script or improved on what already existed taking the Indian alphabet as a model. In 8th century, Trisong Detsen turned not to China, but to India to invite Shantarakshita to Tibet. Right from the start, he, and following him, his student Kamalashila, established the importance of employing logic and reason. It’s because of this that over the last more than 30 years we have been able to hold fruitful conversations with modern scientists. Scepticism about the mind’s being any more than a function of the brain has given way to an acknowledgment of neuroplasticity, recognition that developing the mind can change the brain.
“We have a responsibility to uphold this Nalanda tradition that has been handed down to us, not out of attachment, but because it provides us an opportunity to be of service to others. Ensuring that the younger generation have a command of Tibetan ensures that they too have access to it.”
His Holiness concluded his talk by guiding the audience in generating the awakening mind of bodhichitta as they recited the common verse for taking refuge three times:
To the Buddha, Dharma, and the Highest Assembly
Until enlightenment I turn for refuge.
Through the store of wisdom and merit accrued by giving and other virtues
May I achieve Buddhahood to benefit all wandering beings.
After that he gave the transmission of the mantras of the Buddha, Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri, Arya Tara, Hayagriva and so forth and encouraged those gathered to make their lives meaningful.
His Holiness mentioned that in 2015 his physicians found indications of prostate cancer and decided to give him focused radiation treatment instead of surgery last year. This year his recent check-up at the Mayo Clinic has revealed all traces have gone. His Holiness declared that he’s physically healthy, mentally sharp and sleeps well.
After lunch His Holiness joined his old friend and Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Richie Davidson and business leaders discussing human well-being. He told them that it’s basic human nature to be warm-hearted because our lives depend on having a sense of care for others. But the pressing reason for exploring well-being today is that we find ourselves facing problems that are prompted by anger, self-centredness and intolerance.
“We are all endowed with a biological seed of compassion, but we have to nurture it with intelligence. If we don’t change direction, this century will end up like the one that went before overwhelmed by intimidation, violence and bloodshed. Nobody wants that.
“If something is worth doing, do it. If, in fact, you fail, there’ll be no cause for regret. You can try again. To die without even having tried, will be to die disappointed. We all have opportunities to contribute making a better world; we must seize them with far-sighted vision. I’m encouraged that so many people are becoming interested in the well-being of humanity. This is surely a sign of hope.”
Early tomorrow, His Holiness will fly from Boston to Frankfurt; the first leg of his journey back to India.
original link + photos: https://www.dalailama.com/news/2017/addressing-2000-tibetans-in-boston
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Can Unfinished Business, Premature/Violent Death, etc Cause a Person to Get Trapped?
By Reverend Mark Hunnemann
It just so happens that as I am finishing this blog, tragedy struck our apartment complex. Cops and CSI units have descended upon our little village. A young woman in her 30’s, with children (though taken away by the courts), was apparently dead for a week in her bathtub…the stench was so horrible it posed a biohazard. I’m speculating, but given her serious drug/heroin use, it may have been an OD…maybe a suicide, I don’t know. I just looked outside and her obviously bloated body is wrapped up on a gurney. So sad. From a human perspective, her death is marked by all the things I am discussing in this blog: unfinished business, premature death, highly emotional death…..and perhaps violence. So, I’m reminded in a visceral way that this issue is one that affects us all, in some fashion. Troublesome deaths happen all the time. My point is that this discussion is far from being merely academic. My heart aches for a woman I knew, who died a tragic death.
There is a monolithic consensus in the paranormal community (which is bleeding over into culture in general) that certain kinds of death may lead to entrapment here on earth. These alleged ‘death criteria”, as I refer to them, include: dying with unfinished business, a premature death, a highly emotionally charged death, a violent death, and a fear of hell. The last of these, the fear of hell, I have written about recently. We saw that nobody has the free will/ability after death to avoid the unavoidable summons to stand before the Judge of heaven and earth, immediately upon death. These kinds of death are assumed by the paranormal community to render one susceptible to becoming an earthbound spirit. However, I would like to humbly but firmly challenge this notion.
These criteria are repeated so often that they have almost become like a mantra. And when a group repeats a belief often enough it becomes so ensconced that it acquires a non-negotiable presuppositional status—a habit of the heart, which is not open to scrutiny. However, merely repeating over and over that certain kinds of death can cause entrapment, does not make it so…and neither does it explain HOW these kinds of death trap people. Stating a belief, does not explain that belief. And thus far, nobody has adequately explained the mechanism behind the ‘death criteria’….or how it squares with the bible.
In addition, the soul, death (including the consequences of how one dies), and the after-life are manifestly theological issues. Science can’t explain any of these three phenomena. Hence, the notion of the ‘death criteria’, since they touch on all these theological issues, requires a theological analysis. However, I have seen little theological reflection on HOW/WHY certain kinds of death would cause a person to be trapped here. Just speculation.Nowhere, I repeat, NOWHERE, in the bible are we told that certain kinds of death might cause people to become earthbound. In the book of Acts (or any historical book of God’s Word), we don’t see any examples of it either. Since the bible clearly speaks of spiritual warfare, as well as heaven and hell, then it SHOULD explain to us the reality of earthbound spirits due to how they died…if it was true. But it says nothing. The silence is deafening.
At the outset, let me give a very brief theology of death as presented in the bible. “Mot” is the Hebrew word for death, and we find it first used in Genesis 2. Adam and Eve were originally designed by God to not die. They were designed, body and soul, to live forever in Eden, IF they passed the test. But they failed miserably.
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17, emphasis added)
Sadly, the couple made a beeline for the forbidden tree. However, instead of killing them instantly like God had threatened, and as they deserved, He graciously expanded their life spans by hundreds of years. Spiritually they died instantly, but physical death was also a consequence of the Fall. Death is not normal, as many assume. Rather, it is a monstrous abnormality introduced by the historical Fall of Adam and Eve. And as we’ll see more later, the violent ripping asunder of the soul from the body at death, was not God’s original intention.
As we approach the notion of the “death criteria” we need to be reminded of the biblical view of death…at least how it began. Since we have all sinned (Romans 3:23; 6:23), and the wages of sin is death, then we are all “bene mawet” (sons of death). The bible says that we all must die due to our having sinned. (Enoch and Elijah only exceptions) Even though forgiven in Christ, we still must die because of having sinned—in Adam and in our own lives. Most significantly is that the Living God is the Lord of death. The Lord of Life is also the Lord of Death…He is the All-powerful Lord over all things. God created death, and He is Lord over its process over every living soul—which He owns as well (Ezekiel 18:4) Specifically, for our purposes, it is important that we see from the outset, that death was created by God as a consequence/punishment for sin, and He is utterly sovereign over human death….and He owns our souls. And any notion that detracts from this crucial fact must be jettisoned because it diminishes God’s ‘absolute sovereignty. His unfolding drama of redemption includes victory over death; the death of death in the death of Christ. Until the Second Coming, God Himself is the One who separates our souls from our bodies at the moment of death. He owns us, body and soul, and back to Him we go after death….for judgment.
If you are a Christian, then I assume that you accept the full authority of the Bible over every area of our life. Please read Psalm 139 slowly and carefully, and ask this question: is the God presented in this Psalm compatible with the notion of ghosts in general, and the death criteria in particular?
1.O LORD, You have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Please search us God, and show us any harmful beliefs.
Four great truths about God are revealed in the context of personal experience, in this magnificent psalm. The Bible is never speculative, and it never considers a truth “known” until it controls the life of the learner. God is omniscient/all-knowing (v. 1-6), omnipresent/everywhere (7-12), sovereign/all-powerful(13-16), and holy (17-24) The psalmist delights in the security (both in life and in death) that these traits of God ensure, and he happily recognizes the permanence of Divine companionship (v.16…whole psalm)
Security in God amidst all circumstances is the main theme of this psalm. At all times, in all places, and in all circumstances, God is in control and the psalmist is joyfully safe. This all-encompassing security includes God’s pre-planning of all his/our days and deaths…. (v.16)…which has obvious implications for our topic. And v 8 where God’’s loving presence follows us when we die (sheol). We shall return to this great psalm, but please note that the psalmist never considers the option of divine abandonment, which the notion of ghosts and the death criteria necessarily implies. Indeed, as we’ll see, all the alleged death criteria are contradictory to the central theme of this wonderful psalm.
All the laws of nature, which are God’s Laws, reveal something of His nature—wisdom, power, glory, ect. Likewise, any laws in the supernatural realm are equally God’s Laws, and should reveal something of His glorious nature. However, what do these death criteria “laws” reveal about God? Nothing good—they trivialize or deny all the attributes of God mentioned in this psalm….especially His absolute holiness and sovereignty. It seems to me that the psalmist would have been aghast at the notion that certain kinds of death would have left him stranded here on earth, until they either ‘found the light’ or accomplished their unfinished mission, That idea bespeaks more of a deistic god, who winds up the world and let it/us run our course, on our own. God forbid!
Back to the notion of unfinished business as being the cause of some people becoming trapped here. Let me ask this question: who does NOT die without some amount of unfinished business? The obvious answer is: nobody. Having experienced the death of both my parents, four siblings, and my 9 month old still born granddaughter, I know that all of them, to varying degrees, died with unfinished business. When I was 16, my brother died in a tragic accident at age 20, and I went through a ‘door’ which I wish I had never experienced…the devastation of losing a loved one at a young age. And without going into detail, some of their unfinished business was pretty significant. ALL of us will die with unfinished business. The same holds true for every person who has ever lived, except for Jesus Christ, who accomplished every jot and tittle of His Father’s will for His perfect life. Unless you, or a loved one, lived a perfect life, then you can be sure they died (or will die) with some amount of unfinished business. That raises several questions.
How can you then have peace that they are with God, if they died with unfinished business? If you are consistent, then you can’t, because there will always be the nagging doubt that they got trapped due to unfinished business.
Someone may reply: “Well, that may be so, but some people die with a lot of serious unfinished business.” True enough, but who/what decides when the ‘line’ is crossed and the unfinished business becomes serious enough to entrap them? The bible certainly doesn’t enlighten us. In fact, from Genesis to Revelation, we are never warned (as we are repeatedly about spiritual warfare here, and heaven and hell in hereafter) that we need to be prepared to possibly get stuck if we die in a certain way. If that were the case, would not God have warned us? That oversight would call into question the sufficiency of Scripture, and the Greatest Communicator would then be (and I say this reverently) a lousy communicator regarding what happens after death. The very thought is detestable and painful to write.
My point is that there is no mechanism in these death criteria. Who decides when the line has been crossed, and causes the soul (which belongs to God) to not cross over? What quantity or quality of unfinished business can derail a person from making a beeline to God’s Throne room after death? I can assure you that it is not God...not the Living God, as revealed in this psalm..The reasons I have heard paranormal investigators confidently assert why this/that person died with unfinished business, and thus was trapped, (like tension in the family or ‘premature death’), could easily be applied to many of all the people who have died since the dawn of time.
I’m 61 years old, and if I were to die today, then I can confidently assure you that I would die with significant unresolved issues. We all have skeletons in our closets. This notion of unfinished business is so ill-defined, and so subjective and capricious, that we could never have a certain hope that anybody we loved has gone to heaven. And in that sense, it is unintentionally cruel.
Repeatedly, Jesus warns us to be prepared to die, because once we die, we immediately face judgment (Hebrews 9:27) Nowhere in the bible does it ever say, or imply that unfinished business, may cause one to avert this summons before the Judge of heaven and earth. We have one chance at this thing called living, and then we pass into eternity, and no amount of unfinished business can separate us from either the love of God, or His infinite wrath—depending on our relationship to Christ.
I repeat: nobody dies with no unfinished business, and it becomes a hopelessly subjective task for the paranormal investigator to determine when the line has been crossed. Assuming that a ‘haunting’ or an entity, which is allegedly connected with a person who died with unfinished business, is circular reasoning. Nobody has yet to show how/why unfinished business can cause a soul to get trapped. Just saying it doesn’t make it so! If we followed the logic of this criterion to its logical conclusion, then EVERYONE who dies is susceptible to becoming trapped...and this destroys the certain hope which God gives to believers in Christ. Worse, it smears dung into the infinitely precious blood of the Lamb, whose death assured our salvation from A-Z…justification, sanctification, and glorification. (Psalm 23, John 10, Romans 8)
Psalm 139:16 is comforting because all the attributes of God mentioned earlier ensure that the Creator’s work covers all of our life, including our deaths. The omnipresent, omniscient, all-powerful, and holy Creator holds our souls in His tender hands throughout every second of our lives and deaths. Our lives and our deaths are under His absolute sovereign control....meaning He has decreed every second of our lives and deaths…including how much unfinished business one dies with. How could unfinished business then take Him by surprise? In fact, this verse clearly implies that, in the ultimate sense, there is no such thing as unfinished business when it comes to our deaths. That does not mean that there isn’t unfinished business on a human level, but God has sovereignly taken that all that into consideration as to when He calls us home, or to hell.(see Ephesians 1:11) 11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”
This verse is both astonishing and pivotal because it implies that every molecule, and every event (no matter how evil or tragic), is under God’s sovereign control. If God is not sovereign, then He is not God. In a sense, God has decreed everything that happens. Every event, including our deaths, has been decreed by God, and He is absolutely sovereign over the moment of our deaths, and all that it entails (means, motive, and timing).
It is my belief that the reason the notion of ghosts has exploded, even among Christians, is primarily due to a deficient view of God’s attributes as outlined in Psalm 139….especially His holiness and absolute sovereignty. Eph. 1:11 is clear that EVERYTHING is decreed by God. Our God is too small.
Listen to Romans 8:38-39….
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Did you get that?!
After reading verses 38-39 in which our union with Christ entails that nothing in all creation (that would entail unfinished business), can keep us from God, in heaven? It even mentions ‘death’! Our union with Christ is like an indissoluble, unbreakable umbilical cord which stretches from our soul on earth to God’s heart in heaven. NOTHING can break that bond...certainly nothing as universal as unfinished business.
I spent so much time on this criterion because, in a sense, all the rest, fall under this criterion in some way.
For many in America, God is either deistic in nature, or God is equated with the Universe. Either view, seriously diminishes the omnipotent love of God that is absolutely sovereign over death. My calling is to summon God’s people to re-gain a view of God’s utter holiness, and to see the notion of ghosts through God’s eyes. In my book, I go into more detail regarding the alleged death criteria.
Let us now turn to premature death. I’ll be more concise here. First, Psalm 139:16 clearly implies that there is no such thing as a premature death in God’s eyes. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Please look at this verse carefully. God’s absolute control/sovereignty over the course of our lives/deaths, was decreed before we were even born, and extends to every second of our life, and subsequent death. “Every one of them..” emphasizes the particularity and specificity of God’s control over the full course of our lives—from conception to death, and everything in-between….and all the particulars of our deaths.
Yes, in our eyes, loved ones do die young...and I’ve experienced this anguish first hand. And I certainly don’t want to diminish the pain of losing a child or something similar. And God’s tender heart is touched by this anguish. We must remember that God’s is sovereign over a Fallen cosmos. However, in the ultimate sense,,. God tells us that He is in control of every second of our lives and ultimate death—whether young or old. To the psalmist, that was very comforting and moved him to worship. So, in the ultimate sense, there are no premature deaths, in God’s eyes…and His perspective is what controls the after-life. So, the very criterion of premature death is incompatible with the bible’s clear teaching. Hence, we have no business speculating that a seeming premature death could lead to entrapment.
I ask again, who/what determines at what age that the line has been crossed to cause a person to be entrapped due dying too young? Is it 2 years old? 12 years? 22 years old? When?? I’m not being sarcastic. I’m simply pointing out the hopeless conundrum people put themselves in once they affirm that people can get stuck due to premature death.
Without meaning to, this criterion is exceedingly cruel. Taken to its logical conclusion, then all infant deaths should lead to entrapment. In fact, not a few people do believe in ghost babies…and many more believe in child spirits. How horrible!! And how anti-biblical, which implies that all children go to heaven, through Jesus.
And what of all the young men who have died in battle while serving in the US military? Millions have died in our nation’s multiple wars, and most who died were in their late teens or early twenties. Most of these KIA’s actually fit ALL the death criteria mentioned above (unfinished business, premature death, violent and emotional death, etc.). If one takes the death criteria to its logical conclusion, then almost all the millions of men who have given their lives to save ours, are shoe-ins for entrapment. What a terrible way to ‘honor’ them.
How many times have I heard that the men who died at Gettysburg or some other battle are at unrest and trapped, because they have unfinished business due to dying so violently and so young?. This notion makes me sick to my stomach…..literally.
How horrible….how absolutely cruel. If one cannot live with the logical extension of their beliefs, then there is something wrong with that belief. That is why I keep saying that the death criteria are unwittingly cruel, and are internally self-destructive—you can’t live with them in any manner that approximates consistency.
Often we hear that someone is stuck because they want to either seek revenge or get across some truth, due to how they died. However, see the below text which makes clear that a comforting truth is that GOD is the One who will take revenge. What kind of mcgod would allow us to stay here indefinitely after we die, and sinfully seek revenge, which so many alleged human spirits seem bent on? As an aside, most anecdotal evidence, as Ed Warren stated, indicates that most spirits seem to be “self-absorbed loners.” The only entities that populate the spirit realm are angels and demons.
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him who said,"Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again,"The Lord will judge his people."
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31, emphasis added)
We have lost the fear of God….that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a God who is an all-consuming fire. Reading this text, we see that it is God who takes revenge…and do we think that the Living God would allow us to stay here and avenge ourselves?
The point being that either here, or at Judgment, God will repay those who have hated us. How many times have you heard that so and so stayed behind because he either wanted revenge or to get his story out? It is assumed that the person’s anger is so strong that we forget, that the Living God is a God of infinite wrath and anger. But will not the Last Judgment deal with both issues? We have truly lost a biblical view of the mighty majesty and holiness of God Almighty. Do we really think that God will let people stay on earth and sinfully avenge themselves for decades or even centuries…as is claimed in many haunts?
Background checks are needed, but they must be done with extreme caution. Because death attracts demons, since they hate us, then it makes much more sense that the paranormal activity is demonic in nature. How people discern the alleged difference between a demonic infestation and a human haunt is fraught with peril and human subjectivity. The bible never tells us that we are to discern whether a spirit is human or demonic. For example, 1 John 4:1ff is an either/or between teachers who are animated by the Holy Spirit or unclean spirits/demons. Human spirits are not in the picture. THAT is what discernment is needed for: whether the supernatural activity is from God or Satan. We are NEVER warned in the bible to look out for human spirits…never—including those who are allegedly here due to an abnormal death.
Can we die and continue to sin grievously for an indeterminate amount of time? The notion casts a long shadow over God’s awesome holiness .
What of emotional deaths? I ask again: what death is NOT emotional, to the one dying and/or the loved ones left behind? Yes, there are degrees of emotion connected with one’s death, but there are different kinds of emotion, as well as degree..And some do die without any loved ones to mourn them, but that is not the issue.
Once again, who/what decides when a death is emotional enough to cause entrapment?
We can deal with violent death quickly because all that I said above applies here. I have heard the most absurd theories advanced simply because a person was murdered or some other kind of violent death (like death by IED) Did not God say that our deaths were planned by Him? (Psalm 139:16) Did not God say that death could not, and would not, separate us from His love in Christ Jesus? Does not v 8 say that God’s perpetual companionship follows us to death (sheol)? And if a person is an unbeliever, then they are a child of wrath, dead in sin—enslaved to sin, Satan and death….and sadly are hell-bound sinners. Upon death, God has an infinite hatred toward unbelievers who have scorned His Son. See the hatred in this psalm for God’s enemies. (Psalm 139:19-22)Their umbilical cord to hell is as indissoluble as the believer’s umbilical cord is unbreakable by virtue of our union with Christ. Ephesians/Col. says that we are already in heaven reigning with Christ, in a provisional sense, so how could manner of death keep us from heaven when we already have ‘one foot in heaven’?
Also, according to the bible, ALL deaths are, in a sense, violent. As we saw, physical death is abnormal and is a result of the historical Fall of Adam and Eve. PHYSICAL DEATH IS THE VIOLENT DISRUPTION OF THE VIBRANT FLOW OF LIFE. Please read that again. As originally created, humans are a body/soul composite. So, there is something profoundly disturbing, violent, and unnatural about the ripping asunder of the soul from the body at the moment of death. But that is one of the consequences of sin. My point is that, again, all deaths are violent in a very real sense. One could argue that God’s ripping asunder of soul from body, is at least as violent as any of the violent ‘means’ by which a person may die—like murder, suicide, ect. This is not to diminish the reality of a violent means of death, but to show that everyone’s death is exceedingly violent already. And God is the One who is the Lord over this ripping asunder process…and as Psalm 139 states, there is no place that we can escape God’s perpetual companionship…including a violent death.
Once again, (sigh), who/what decides when a death is violent enough to cause entrapment? There is no mechanism.The most violent death in history was the death of the Lord Jesus because the sinless God/man was crucified. He died so that death would be conquered…He took the sting out of it. However, the death criteria inadvertently put the sting back into death..That should raise huge red flags.
What disturbs me is that there is very little self-reflection in the paranormal community regarding their most basic tenets about how people get trapped. I get upset when I hear folks speak so confidently to a client that they don’t have to worry about the entity in their home because it is simply a trapped little child, or a benign adult….or residual energy (please see my 4 blogs on this unscientific notion).
Why is it that the vast majority of deaths with significant unfinished business, very violent deaths, extremely emotional deaths, and premature deaths do not result in a haunting or evidence of earthbound spirits? If one cannot find a discernible pattern that applies to the majority of problem deaths, then there is something wrong with the hypothesis. If this small percentage were applied to a scientific hypothesis, then it would be rejected quickly. At the very least, the paranormal community should show some willingness to subject its basic tenets to serious scrutiny.
Demonic activity is the best and most comprehensive answer which explains all the data. There is a profound irrationality at the heart of evil, especially demonic activity, that would explain the non-ability to predict results from problem deaths.
No doubt every day, there are technological advances in the paranormal community—empowering them to do that which is condemned by God (communicating with the dead), BUT there is very little desire or attempts to examine the mechanism behind the alleged death criteria. That doesn’t make sense. Folks should be looking at this relentlessly.I hope and pray that at least one person will have the courage and integrity to think for yourself regarding the death criteria...and see if it really stands up to honest scrutiny.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last,
18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. (Revelation 1:17-18, emphasis added)
In close, it seems that all the death criteria can be subsumed under the notion of unfinished business. Be that as it may, all of the death criteria are flatly contradictory to the bible. No mechanism has been suggested as to how certain people get stuck and not others. Worse, they belittle the awesome nature of the Living God, as expressed in Psalm 139. Worst of all, it dishonors the infinitely precious and efficacious blood of the Lamb which ensures that believers will go home immediately upon death..and unbelievers to hell, for spurning the blood of the Lamb.
One last comment: the soul and the after-life are manifestly theological issues, which do not lend themselves to scientific analysis. Theological concepts/issues need theological answers, or we’ll be spinning our wheels.
Heaven and earth and all that is in it was created by God and belongs to Him. (Col. 1:16)…and in Genesis 3 God created death. Death is owned and controlled by God, and every human death (manner, means, and timing) was decreed by God Almighty. Hence, the death criteria are a blatant negation of that fact.
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
It just so happens that as I am finishing this blog, tragedy struck our apartment complex. Cops and CSI units have descended upon our little village. A young woman in her 30’s, with children (though taken away by the courts), was apparently dead for a week in her bathtub…the stench was so horrible it posed a biohazard. I’m speculating, but given her serious drug/heroin use, it may have been an OD…maybe a suicide, I don’t know. I just looked outside and her obviously bloated body is wrapped up on a gurney. So sad. From a human perspective, her death is marked by all the things I am discussing in this blog: unfinished business, premature death, highly emotional death…..and perhaps violence. So, I’m reminded in a visceral way that this issue is one that affects us all, in some fashion. Troublesome deaths happen all the time. My point is that this discussion is far from being merely academic. My heart aches for a woman I knew, who died a tragic death.
There is a monolithic consensus in the paranormal community (which is bleeding over into culture in general) that certain kinds of death may lead to entrapment here on earth. These alleged ‘death criteria”, as I refer to them, include: dying with unfinished business, a premature death, a highly emotionally charged death, a violent death, and a fear of hell. The last of these, the fear of hell, I have written about recently. We saw that nobody has the free will/ability after death to avoid the unavoidable summons to stand before the Judge of heaven and earth, immediately upon death. These kinds of death are assumed by the paranormal community to render one susceptible to becoming an earthbound spirit. However, I would like to humbly but firmly challenge this notion.
These criteria are repeated so often that they have almost become like a mantra. And when a group repeats a belief often enough it becomes so ensconced that it acquires a non-negotiable presuppositional status—a habit of the heart, which is not open to scrutiny. However, merely repeating over and over that certain kinds of death can cause entrapment, does not make it so…and neither does it explain HOW these kinds of death trap people. Stating a belief, does not explain that belief. And thus far, nobody has adequately explained the mechanism behind the ‘death criteria’….or how it squares with the bible.
In addition, the soul, death (including the consequences of how one dies), and the after-life are manifestly theological issues. Science can’t explain any of these three phenomena. Hence, the notion of the ‘death criteria’, since they touch on all these theological issues, requires a theological analysis. However, I have seen little theological reflection on HOW/WHY certain kinds of death would cause a person to be trapped here. Just speculation.Nowhere, I repeat, NOWHERE, in the bible are we told that certain kinds of death might cause people to become earthbound. In the book of Acts (or any historical book of God’s Word), we don’t see any examples of it either. Since the bible clearly speaks of spiritual warfare, as well as heaven and hell, then it SHOULD explain to us the reality of earthbound spirits due to how they died…if it was true. But it says nothing. The silence is deafening.
At the outset, let me give a very brief theology of death as presented in the bible. “Mot” is the Hebrew word for death, and we find it first used in Genesis 2. Adam and Eve were originally designed by God to not die. They were designed, body and soul, to live forever in Eden, IF they passed the test. But they failed miserably.
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." (Genesis 2:16-17, emphasis added)
Sadly, the couple made a beeline for the forbidden tree. However, instead of killing them instantly like God had threatened, and as they deserved, He graciously expanded their life spans by hundreds of years. Spiritually they died instantly, but physical death was also a consequence of the Fall. Death is not normal, as many assume. Rather, it is a monstrous abnormality introduced by the historical Fall of Adam and Eve. And as we’ll see more later, the violent ripping asunder of the soul from the body at death, was not God’s original intention.
As we approach the notion of the “death criteria” we need to be reminded of the biblical view of death…at least how it began. Since we have all sinned (Romans 3:23; 6:23), and the wages of sin is death, then we are all “bene mawet” (sons of death). The bible says that we all must die due to our having sinned. (Enoch and Elijah only exceptions) Even though forgiven in Christ, we still must die because of having sinned—in Adam and in our own lives. Most significantly is that the Living God is the Lord of death. The Lord of Life is also the Lord of Death…He is the All-powerful Lord over all things. God created death, and He is Lord over its process over every living soul—which He owns as well (Ezekiel 18:4) Specifically, for our purposes, it is important that we see from the outset, that death was created by God as a consequence/punishment for sin, and He is utterly sovereign over human death….and He owns our souls. And any notion that detracts from this crucial fact must be jettisoned because it diminishes God’s ‘absolute sovereignty. His unfolding drama of redemption includes victory over death; the death of death in the death of Christ. Until the Second Coming, God Himself is the One who separates our souls from our bodies at the moment of death. He owns us, body and soul, and back to Him we go after death….for judgment.
If you are a Christian, then I assume that you accept the full authority of the Bible over every area of our life. Please read Psalm 139 slowly and carefully, and ask this question: is the God presented in this Psalm compatible with the notion of ghosts in general, and the death criteria in particular?
1.O LORD, You have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,"
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God! O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent; your enemies take your name in vain!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Please search us God, and show us any harmful beliefs.
Four great truths about God are revealed in the context of personal experience, in this magnificent psalm. The Bible is never speculative, and it never considers a truth “known” until it controls the life of the learner. God is omniscient/all-knowing (v. 1-6), omnipresent/everywhere (7-12), sovereign/all-powerful(13-16), and holy (17-24) The psalmist delights in the security (both in life and in death) that these traits of God ensure, and he happily recognizes the permanence of Divine companionship (v.16…whole psalm)
Security in God amidst all circumstances is the main theme of this psalm. At all times, in all places, and in all circumstances, God is in control and the psalmist is joyfully safe. This all-encompassing security includes God’s pre-planning of all his/our days and deaths…. (v.16)…which has obvious implications for our topic. And v 8 where God’’s loving presence follows us when we die (sheol). We shall return to this great psalm, but please note that the psalmist never considers the option of divine abandonment, which the notion of ghosts and the death criteria necessarily implies. Indeed, as we’ll see, all the alleged death criteria are contradictory to the central theme of this wonderful psalm.
All the laws of nature, which are God’s Laws, reveal something of His nature—wisdom, power, glory, ect. Likewise, any laws in the supernatural realm are equally God’s Laws, and should reveal something of His glorious nature. However, what do these death criteria “laws” reveal about God? Nothing good—they trivialize or deny all the attributes of God mentioned in this psalm….especially His absolute holiness and sovereignty. It seems to me that the psalmist would have been aghast at the notion that certain kinds of death would have left him stranded here on earth, until they either ‘found the light’ or accomplished their unfinished mission, That idea bespeaks more of a deistic god, who winds up the world and let it/us run our course, on our own. God forbid!
Back to the notion of unfinished business as being the cause of some people becoming trapped here. Let me ask this question: who does NOT die without some amount of unfinished business? The obvious answer is: nobody. Having experienced the death of both my parents, four siblings, and my 9 month old still born granddaughter, I know that all of them, to varying degrees, died with unfinished business. When I was 16, my brother died in a tragic accident at age 20, and I went through a ‘door’ which I wish I had never experienced…the devastation of losing a loved one at a young age. And without going into detail, some of their unfinished business was pretty significant. ALL of us will die with unfinished business. The same holds true for every person who has ever lived, except for Jesus Christ, who accomplished every jot and tittle of His Father’s will for His perfect life. Unless you, or a loved one, lived a perfect life, then you can be sure they died (or will die) with some amount of unfinished business. That raises several questions.
How can you then have peace that they are with God, if they died with unfinished business? If you are consistent, then you can’t, because there will always be the nagging doubt that they got trapped due to unfinished business.
Someone may reply: “Well, that may be so, but some people die with a lot of serious unfinished business.” True enough, but who/what decides when the ‘line’ is crossed and the unfinished business becomes serious enough to entrap them? The bible certainly doesn’t enlighten us. In fact, from Genesis to Revelation, we are never warned (as we are repeatedly about spiritual warfare here, and heaven and hell in hereafter) that we need to be prepared to possibly get stuck if we die in a certain way. If that were the case, would not God have warned us? That oversight would call into question the sufficiency of Scripture, and the Greatest Communicator would then be (and I say this reverently) a lousy communicator regarding what happens after death. The very thought is detestable and painful to write.
My point is that there is no mechanism in these death criteria. Who decides when the line has been crossed, and causes the soul (which belongs to God) to not cross over? What quantity or quality of unfinished business can derail a person from making a beeline to God’s Throne room after death? I can assure you that it is not God...not the Living God, as revealed in this psalm..The reasons I have heard paranormal investigators confidently assert why this/that person died with unfinished business, and thus was trapped, (like tension in the family or ‘premature death’), could easily be applied to many of all the people who have died since the dawn of time.
I’m 61 years old, and if I were to die today, then I can confidently assure you that I would die with significant unresolved issues. We all have skeletons in our closets. This notion of unfinished business is so ill-defined, and so subjective and capricious, that we could never have a certain hope that anybody we loved has gone to heaven. And in that sense, it is unintentionally cruel.
Repeatedly, Jesus warns us to be prepared to die, because once we die, we immediately face judgment (Hebrews 9:27) Nowhere in the bible does it ever say, or imply that unfinished business, may cause one to avert this summons before the Judge of heaven and earth. We have one chance at this thing called living, and then we pass into eternity, and no amount of unfinished business can separate us from either the love of God, or His infinite wrath—depending on our relationship to Christ.
I repeat: nobody dies with no unfinished business, and it becomes a hopelessly subjective task for the paranormal investigator to determine when the line has been crossed. Assuming that a ‘haunting’ or an entity, which is allegedly connected with a person who died with unfinished business, is circular reasoning. Nobody has yet to show how/why unfinished business can cause a soul to get trapped. Just saying it doesn’t make it so! If we followed the logic of this criterion to its logical conclusion, then EVERYONE who dies is susceptible to becoming trapped...and this destroys the certain hope which God gives to believers in Christ. Worse, it smears dung into the infinitely precious blood of the Lamb, whose death assured our salvation from A-Z…justification, sanctification, and glorification. (Psalm 23, John 10, Romans 8)
Psalm 139:16 is comforting because all the attributes of God mentioned earlier ensure that the Creator’s work covers all of our life, including our deaths. The omnipresent, omniscient, all-powerful, and holy Creator holds our souls in His tender hands throughout every second of our lives and deaths. Our lives and our deaths are under His absolute sovereign control....meaning He has decreed every second of our lives and deaths…including how much unfinished business one dies with. How could unfinished business then take Him by surprise? In fact, this verse clearly implies that, in the ultimate sense, there is no such thing as unfinished business when it comes to our deaths. That does not mean that there isn’t unfinished business on a human level, but God has sovereignly taken that all that into consideration as to when He calls us home, or to hell.(see Ephesians 1:11) 11 “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,”
This verse is both astonishing and pivotal because it implies that every molecule, and every event (no matter how evil or tragic), is under God’s sovereign control. If God is not sovereign, then He is not God. In a sense, God has decreed everything that happens. Every event, including our deaths, has been decreed by God, and He is absolutely sovereign over the moment of our deaths, and all that it entails (means, motive, and timing).
It is my belief that the reason the notion of ghosts has exploded, even among Christians, is primarily due to a deficient view of God’s attributes as outlined in Psalm 139….especially His holiness and absolute sovereignty. Eph. 1:11 is clear that EVERYTHING is decreed by God. Our God is too small.
Listen to Romans 8:38-39….
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Did you get that?!
After reading verses 38-39 in which our union with Christ entails that nothing in all creation (that would entail unfinished business), can keep us from God, in heaven? It even mentions ‘death’! Our union with Christ is like an indissoluble, unbreakable umbilical cord which stretches from our soul on earth to God’s heart in heaven. NOTHING can break that bond...certainly nothing as universal as unfinished business.
I spent so much time on this criterion because, in a sense, all the rest, fall under this criterion in some way.
For many in America, God is either deistic in nature, or God is equated with the Universe. Either view, seriously diminishes the omnipotent love of God that is absolutely sovereign over death. My calling is to summon God’s people to re-gain a view of God’s utter holiness, and to see the notion of ghosts through God’s eyes. In my book, I go into more detail regarding the alleged death criteria.
Let us now turn to premature death. I’ll be more concise here. First, Psalm 139:16 clearly implies that there is no such thing as a premature death in God’s eyes. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.
Please look at this verse carefully. God’s absolute control/sovereignty over the course of our lives/deaths, was decreed before we were even born, and extends to every second of our life, and subsequent death. “Every one of them..” emphasizes the particularity and specificity of God’s control over the full course of our lives—from conception to death, and everything in-between….and all the particulars of our deaths.
Yes, in our eyes, loved ones do die young...and I’ve experienced this anguish first hand. And I certainly don’t want to diminish the pain of losing a child or something similar. And God’s tender heart is touched by this anguish. We must remember that God’s is sovereign over a Fallen cosmos. However, in the ultimate sense,,. God tells us that He is in control of every second of our lives and ultimate death—whether young or old. To the psalmist, that was very comforting and moved him to worship. So, in the ultimate sense, there are no premature deaths, in God’s eyes…and His perspective is what controls the after-life. So, the very criterion of premature death is incompatible with the bible’s clear teaching. Hence, we have no business speculating that a seeming premature death could lead to entrapment.
I ask again, who/what determines at what age that the line has been crossed to cause a person to be entrapped due dying too young? Is it 2 years old? 12 years? 22 years old? When?? I’m not being sarcastic. I’m simply pointing out the hopeless conundrum people put themselves in once they affirm that people can get stuck due to premature death.
Without meaning to, this criterion is exceedingly cruel. Taken to its logical conclusion, then all infant deaths should lead to entrapment. In fact, not a few people do believe in ghost babies…and many more believe in child spirits. How horrible!! And how anti-biblical, which implies that all children go to heaven, through Jesus.
And what of all the young men who have died in battle while serving in the US military? Millions have died in our nation’s multiple wars, and most who died were in their late teens or early twenties. Most of these KIA’s actually fit ALL the death criteria mentioned above (unfinished business, premature death, violent and emotional death, etc.). If one takes the death criteria to its logical conclusion, then almost all the millions of men who have given their lives to save ours, are shoe-ins for entrapment. What a terrible way to ‘honor’ them.
How many times have I heard that the men who died at Gettysburg or some other battle are at unrest and trapped, because they have unfinished business due to dying so violently and so young?. This notion makes me sick to my stomach…..literally.
How horrible….how absolutely cruel. If one cannot live with the logical extension of their beliefs, then there is something wrong with that belief. That is why I keep saying that the death criteria are unwittingly cruel, and are internally self-destructive—you can’t live with them in any manner that approximates consistency.
Often we hear that someone is stuck because they want to either seek revenge or get across some truth, due to how they died. However, see the below text which makes clear that a comforting truth is that GOD is the One who will take revenge. What kind of mcgod would allow us to stay here indefinitely after we die, and sinfully seek revenge, which so many alleged human spirits seem bent on? As an aside, most anecdotal evidence, as Ed Warren stated, indicates that most spirits seem to be “self-absorbed loners.” The only entities that populate the spirit realm are angels and demons.
26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
27 but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.
28 Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him who said,"Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again,"The Lord will judge his people."
31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31, emphasis added)
We have lost the fear of God….that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a God who is an all-consuming fire. Reading this text, we see that it is God who takes revenge…and do we think that the Living God would allow us to stay here and avenge ourselves?
The point being that either here, or at Judgment, God will repay those who have hated us. How many times have you heard that so and so stayed behind because he either wanted revenge or to get his story out? It is assumed that the person’s anger is so strong that we forget, that the Living God is a God of infinite wrath and anger. But will not the Last Judgment deal with both issues? We have truly lost a biblical view of the mighty majesty and holiness of God Almighty. Do we really think that God will let people stay on earth and sinfully avenge themselves for decades or even centuries…as is claimed in many haunts?
Background checks are needed, but they must be done with extreme caution. Because death attracts demons, since they hate us, then it makes much more sense that the paranormal activity is demonic in nature. How people discern the alleged difference between a demonic infestation and a human haunt is fraught with peril and human subjectivity. The bible never tells us that we are to discern whether a spirit is human or demonic. For example, 1 John 4:1ff is an either/or between teachers who are animated by the Holy Spirit or unclean spirits/demons. Human spirits are not in the picture. THAT is what discernment is needed for: whether the supernatural activity is from God or Satan. We are NEVER warned in the bible to look out for human spirits…never—including those who are allegedly here due to an abnormal death.
Can we die and continue to sin grievously for an indeterminate amount of time? The notion casts a long shadow over God’s awesome holiness .
What of emotional deaths? I ask again: what death is NOT emotional, to the one dying and/or the loved ones left behind? Yes, there are degrees of emotion connected with one’s death, but there are different kinds of emotion, as well as degree..And some do die without any loved ones to mourn them, but that is not the issue.
Once again, who/what decides when a death is emotional enough to cause entrapment?
We can deal with violent death quickly because all that I said above applies here. I have heard the most absurd theories advanced simply because a person was murdered or some other kind of violent death (like death by IED) Did not God say that our deaths were planned by Him? (Psalm 139:16) Did not God say that death could not, and would not, separate us from His love in Christ Jesus? Does not v 8 say that God’s perpetual companionship follows us to death (sheol)? And if a person is an unbeliever, then they are a child of wrath, dead in sin—enslaved to sin, Satan and death….and sadly are hell-bound sinners. Upon death, God has an infinite hatred toward unbelievers who have scorned His Son. See the hatred in this psalm for God’s enemies. (Psalm 139:19-22)Their umbilical cord to hell is as indissoluble as the believer’s umbilical cord is unbreakable by virtue of our union with Christ. Ephesians/Col. says that we are already in heaven reigning with Christ, in a provisional sense, so how could manner of death keep us from heaven when we already have ‘one foot in heaven’?
Also, according to the bible, ALL deaths are, in a sense, violent. As we saw, physical death is abnormal and is a result of the historical Fall of Adam and Eve. PHYSICAL DEATH IS THE VIOLENT DISRUPTION OF THE VIBRANT FLOW OF LIFE. Please read that again. As originally created, humans are a body/soul composite. So, there is something profoundly disturbing, violent, and unnatural about the ripping asunder of the soul from the body at the moment of death. But that is one of the consequences of sin. My point is that, again, all deaths are violent in a very real sense. One could argue that God’s ripping asunder of soul from body, is at least as violent as any of the violent ‘means’ by which a person may die—like murder, suicide, ect. This is not to diminish the reality of a violent means of death, but to show that everyone’s death is exceedingly violent already. And God is the One who is the Lord over this ripping asunder process…and as Psalm 139 states, there is no place that we can escape God’s perpetual companionship…including a violent death.
Once again, (sigh), who/what decides when a death is violent enough to cause entrapment? There is no mechanism.The most violent death in history was the death of the Lord Jesus because the sinless God/man was crucified. He died so that death would be conquered…He took the sting out of it. However, the death criteria inadvertently put the sting back into death..That should raise huge red flags.
What disturbs me is that there is very little self-reflection in the paranormal community regarding their most basic tenets about how people get trapped. I get upset when I hear folks speak so confidently to a client that they don’t have to worry about the entity in their home because it is simply a trapped little child, or a benign adult….or residual energy (please see my 4 blogs on this unscientific notion).
Why is it that the vast majority of deaths with significant unfinished business, very violent deaths, extremely emotional deaths, and premature deaths do not result in a haunting or evidence of earthbound spirits? If one cannot find a discernible pattern that applies to the majority of problem deaths, then there is something wrong with the hypothesis. If this small percentage were applied to a scientific hypothesis, then it would be rejected quickly. At the very least, the paranormal community should show some willingness to subject its basic tenets to serious scrutiny.
Demonic activity is the best and most comprehensive answer which explains all the data. There is a profound irrationality at the heart of evil, especially demonic activity, that would explain the non-ability to predict results from problem deaths.
No doubt every day, there are technological advances in the paranormal community—empowering them to do that which is condemned by God (communicating with the dead), BUT there is very little desire or attempts to examine the mechanism behind the alleged death criteria. That doesn’t make sense. Folks should be looking at this relentlessly.I hope and pray that at least one person will have the courage and integrity to think for yourself regarding the death criteria...and see if it really stands up to honest scrutiny.
17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last,
18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. (Revelation 1:17-18, emphasis added)
In close, it seems that all the death criteria can be subsumed under the notion of unfinished business. Be that as it may, all of the death criteria are flatly contradictory to the bible. No mechanism has been suggested as to how certain people get stuck and not others. Worse, they belittle the awesome nature of the Living God, as expressed in Psalm 139. Worst of all, it dishonors the infinitely precious and efficacious blood of the Lamb which ensures that believers will go home immediately upon death..and unbelievers to hell, for spurning the blood of the Lamb.
One last comment: the soul and the after-life are manifestly theological issues, which do not lend themselves to scientific analysis. Theological concepts/issues need theological answers, or we’ll be spinning our wheels.
Heaven and earth and all that is in it was created by God and belongs to Him. (Col. 1:16)…and in Genesis 3 God created death. Death is owned and controlled by God, and every human death (manner, means, and timing) was decreed by God Almighty. Hence, the death criteria are a blatant negation of that fact.
Mark Hunnemann is the author of Seeing Ghosts Through God's Eyes: A Worldview Analysis of Earthbound Spirits. It's also available in eBook format.
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