October 25, 2012
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Ask Me Anything
I’m slacking again. Life’s been busy since I started my new job. So I’m going to do this again to try to get myself back in the swing of things.
Ask me anything. Anything you want in the world. If I get enough people to ask, I may answer your questions in a vlog!
Looking forward to your questions!
Comments (23)
what denomination do you belong to? i find that we are similar in political thought, and if i were to ever explore Christianity again, i’d want a similar place.
You started a new job?? What is it??
When you and Tesia met what was going on in that season of your life? Were you looking for love or simply trying to take care of the business of every day living?
What do you do when it seems that scientific data appears to refute one of your theological beliefs? Perhaps this has never happened, but pretend! And we’re not talking about “Science proves God doesn’t exist” because every way I can think of it, it seems impossible for Science to even come close to that.
I’ll get the ball rolling with an example: research into near-death and pre-death experiences, as well as studies on mediums, has resulted in descriptions on what is reported to be the afterlife. Several characteristics are quite consistent with the typical Christian theological description (total peace, a big “light” that is all-loving, non-judging, an amazing paradise). However, there are a few that don’t seem consistent either with what is described in Scripture or what is generally accepted as doctrine by the Christian community. For example, many people report that there is a Hell (not necessarily in a traditional fiery sense) but they say it’s not permanent. Also, they say that it isn’t God who keeps them there, but they keep themselves there. Additionally, many report that reincarnation is something that happens to certain people who did not learn what they were “supposed to” learn during their time on earth. If these reports continue to be reproduced (from people as diverse as Christians, Jews, buddhists, agnostics and atheists) and are consistently shown to not be the simple product of hallucinations, then how would you deal with these concepts in relation to how you believe God and the world works?
I stink at questions… but yes, you are SLACKING. lol – need a good read!
@kk_grayfox - I think this is an interesting question myself, and would love to hear the answer…
One thing that I WILL say however is that I think that some of the things people see supposedly “when they die” are a result of not actually being dead but being in a state of limbo.
I’ll give you an example… my grandmother had a stroke at the beginning of the year. She claims that she was laying on the floor for TWO days while no one found her. This is not even close to true. If anything, it was closer to two HOURS. But she swears that she came in and out of her body and “saw” what people were doing and that the time frame was two days. Unfortunately, in her mind, she’s pissed off because apparently we didn’t come to her rescue for “two days”… (that’s impossible, she lives with my parents and they saw her the night before)… But, no, she’d lay her hand on a bible and tell you it was two days.
I think she saw these things because she was in a sort of “limbo” and perhaps much of what she saw was “dreaming”… she was not actually dead.
My neighbor on the other hand (who funnily enough STILL doesn’t believe in Jesus, and loves to believe in things closer to paganism)… actually OD’d on her bedroom floor, saw herself lift out of her body, go up into the sky, into space, until she finally came to a man who was dressed all in White who touched her chest and said the words, “Not yet…” – she immediately retreated all the way back to her body and got up, now believing herself to be dead and terrified.
Unfortunately, her encounter with Jesus Himself had no actual affect on her spiritual self.
I didn’t even know that you were doing this, and I just posted one similar haha.
What is your idea of the perfect “time” with your wife?
What keeps your relationships fresh/alive/new?
Who apologizes first?
@LKJSlain - This happens every time I post this! That’s ok though
@kk_grayfox - “Near death” experiences can easily be induced when the subject is in no risk of dying and have been experienced by test pilots in centrifuges designed to simulate heavy G-loads for like 30 years. The centrifuge “smooshes” you into your seat and your blood drains to your extremities, your arms and legs swell and you pass out due to reduced blood-oxygen to the brain. You then experience vivid hallucinations which incorporate past experiences, beliefs and recent stimuli, ie a test pilot will hallucinate floating high above the ground (because they’re feeling what they feel while flying in a supersonic jet). A religious person who thinks, consciously or unconsciously that they are injured and may be dying could easily in a similar state hallucinate a common depiction of heaven or hell (or something very different). It’s like dreaming about a waterfall when you are asleep and have to pee really bad, what your body feels and what your unconscious mind thinks make up the fodder for dream state hallucinations.
Good question though.
Oh, and to ask a question – what (if any) major views have you changed in your life, religious, philosophical, political or even a prejudice?
@agnophilo - What I’ve researched on the subject indicates that the studies that have looked at simulating intense g-forces do have some quasi-similar aspects to near-death experiences, but the overlap is relatively minimal.
@LKJSlain - That second experience is gnarly! (I never use the word…haha) Pretty typical though in NDEs.
As for your grandma, NDEs and some similar experiences (e.g. mystical experiences) apparently leave the person who has experienced them to think they felt that time was altered. People say things like, “It was much slower, and yet much faster” or “time really wasn’t a factor”. Pretty bizarre, but would be consistent with the notion that people have a spirit that experiences things in a different plane of existence (e.g. space and time are non-existent or somehow different).
@agnophilo - …but, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t both different degrees of the same thing!
@kk_grayfox - Of course it is, the stimuli is not the same. It’s like comparing a daydream to a nightmare. Someone bleeding out from a gunshot wound is not going to be hallucinating about floating above a city like they’re flying a plane because their senses tell them they’re severely injured, not flying a plane. For the same reason someone bleeding to death isn’t going to hallucinate about being surrounded by water because they don’t have to pee really bad.
@kk_grayfox - This is my thinking.
@agnophilo - I disagree, but as always I appreciate your thoughts!
What do you think about Authority in ‘church’?
What was the most profound spiritual moment of your life, excluding salvation?
Are you afraid of death, why or why not?
@xXrEMmUsXx - These are brilliant questions.
@jmallory - inspired by @agnophilo ‘s thought-provoking question. Things you could write entire blogs about =] lol
Do u get offended when ur posts get no comments? I wrote a long memoir like one and no comments..so I’m hurt a little cuz I put time into it and nobody says anything…
What’s your favorite song in Handel’s Messiah?
Your commenters have very deep and interesting questions. I feel rather simple asking mine but it has come up more than once today,
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Matthew 6:25
[ Do Not Worry ] “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
Matthew 6:27
Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life ?
Thererfore, if we worry are we “denying” Christ?
What do you like about your new job?
You’re slacking! Where’s this vlog!!!!! ??!?!?!?!?!?!