There is a Heaven

[thestoat]

I remember getting into a lot of trouble at Dover Grammar for Boys when I challenged the physics teacher on gravity - "Why couldn't space be like holding a blanket and putting some tennis balls and marbles on it and they'd settle into depressions?" I was 14 and hadn't heard of Einstein. "Because I said so!" So that just confirmed my hatrred of science classes (along with math with all those ridiculous sines and cosines and tangerines).

There are a few reasons why a teacher might answer "because I said so", and some of these would apply to RE teachers too ...

1. Teacher doesn't understand the subject properly
2. Don't bother asking - the pupil wouldn't understand the answer (definitely the case with such a question)
3. Answer would take too long to explain

It is a shame though: the answer is hardly likely to inspire a child into the wonders of science, which I believe is an important part of a science teachers role. Says a lot about your physics teacher.

[loCAtek]

So he symbolically visited heaven as opposed to actually visiting heaven?

Nope, he visited the spiritual realm, but it is not like the physical one. So, his young mind interpreted it with symbols he was familiar with and understood.

Which is why the symbol of wings is used on the deceased and angels; they are beings that were once human but now exist spiritually. They possess a aura of spiritual energy and the bonds of the physical world don't hold them any longer, not even gravity. So, to us mortals they appear to fly. In depicting them, we represent that aura around them as wings, since that's what's most familiar to us, that can lift one away from the earth.
Obviously, the wings aren't physical limbs that are grafted onto flesh and blood people.

In the spiritual realm, Coltan met with deceased, angels and higher holy beings. In order to comprehend it, he symbolized the spirits as still embodied and their auras as wings and halos. Some things like the Holy Spirit, he couldn't grasp at all and could only see it as light and color.

He described the color of the Holy Spirit as 'Blue', which is probably what he saw in Jesus' eyes in the Spiritual realm, not Jesus' mortal body's eyes, which has long ago gone.

This is also why Jesus spoke American English to Coltan and not ancient Arabic; Coltan made communication at a higher plane, but understood it to be the language he was familiar with.

[loCAtek]

If

So he symbolically visited heaven as opposed to actually visiting heaven?

Yes and people were symbolicly not wearing specs, had blue eyes, had wings, and appeared as "little sisters" rather than aborted foetuses, and all sorts of handy symbolic stuff, which enebled a four year old to present a dream which has been translated into good old fashioned hard right wing American "Christianity" terms by his father..

How handy!

LOL Yup, of course you don't take your body with you; why would you want to? The itching, the aching Could you imagine being stuck for eternity as arthritic, deaf codger? How about those who die of accidents? Would they walk around heaven with holes in their chests or half a skull? If you died in a car crash would you like to spend the afterlife forever with a steering column up your nose?
I'd pity worst for the ones killed and eaten by wild beasts, their immortal remains would be permanent piles of predatory poo!

Nope, give me spirituality.

[loCAtek]

Yep, only right wing American "Christianity" profits from symbols;




$9.34



$17.99




...it's cheaper too.

[thestoat]

Yup, of course you don't take your body with you; why would you want to?

Phew! Just as well they made that rule else god would have died out centuries ago ...

[BoSoxGal]

Don't be silly, people. Everybody knows that Jesus looks like Max von Sydow!

[Gob]

(Someone had to...)

[Sean]

LOL Yup, of course you don't take your body with you; why would you want to? The itching, the aching Could you imagine being stuck for eternity as arthritic, deaf codger? How about those who die of accidents? Would they walk around heaven with holes in their chests or half a skull? If you died in a car crash would you like to spend the afterlife forever with a steering column up your nose?
I'd pity worst for the ones killed and eaten by wild beasts, their immortal remains would be permanent piles of predatory poo!

Nope, give me spirituality.

Jesus would it seems...

[Sean]

Yep, only right wing American "Christianity" profits from symbols;




$9.34



$17.99




...it's cheaper too.

Well I can't argue with that. You're comparing two works of comedic fiction.

[Gob]

Please tell me that she isn't calling "The Man Who Sued God" a way of "profiting from Christian Symbols"?

[Sean]

Yes.

Yes she is.

[The Hen]

Well I can't argue with that. You're comparing two works of comedic fiction.

I think Billy C is more of an internationally renown celebrity than Paster Burpo. That goes someways towards him being able to see a fictional film at a higher price than Mr Burpo's work.

[rubato]

Oh brother.

I went back and checked the link in the OP.

What pure horseshit.

This kind of bullshit "proof" has been around for ages.

I relies on the "children's crusade" myth that children are innocent mirrors of reality. Children are amoral and easily manipulated and their parents are liars when it suits them.

yrs,
rubato

[Sean]

Hang on, wasn't Burpo one of the lesser known Marx brothers?

[loCAtek]

Yes.

Yes she is.

Whoopsie, I'm over here folks <waves> Comparison was between Christian/religious product and Atheist/secular product, both of which are profiting.

I guess I can't compare the Coltan interviews to Connelly concerts, because the boy gives those for free and makes no profit. Besides, I'm not sure how I'd go about finding how much Connelly gets per concert gig. Any help on that? I used him as a example since he's promoted so much here; that DVD specifically quite recently. Someone's acting to help him make money.

So, if you're going to say the both are fiction, then if one can be promoted, why not the other?

[loCAtek]

Is there some objection to people having the freedom to choose their interests? Are limits trying to be imposed?


Is this not Philosophy and Religion, or Bash Dogma and Fanaticism?

[Gob]

Hang on, wasn't Burpo one of the lesser known Marx brothers?

The Marx Brothers, --(Fore L-R) Harpo, Chico, Groucho and (Rear L-R) Zeppo and Burpo, standing outside together. Photo by Peter Stackpole, 1938

[The Hen]

So, if you're going to say the both are fiction, then if one can be promoted, why not the other?

One is not being promoted as fiction, but as fact.

In any case, was this thread about book promotions or heaven and whether a child of a pastor may have had influences in his early life that could have been called upon when his body was under the stress of extreme infection or whether heaven, as often hypothesized, exists?

[MajGenl.Meade]

In an earlier interview, Colton said that his visions became more vivid as time passed.

Who'd have guessed?.........

Speaking last month about the sister he never knew he had, he said: 'She looked familiar and she started giving me hugs and told me she was glad to have someone from her family up there. 'She doesn't have a name though, she said they never gave her one. But she can't wait for her mom and dad to come to Heaven to meet her.' He went on to recount heaven in more detail, saying: 'I remember Jesus, there's streets of gold and a lot of colours. I sat on Jesus' lap and then I just felt safe. God, he is the biggest one in Heaven, he can hold the world in his hands.' He even claims he saw a glimpse of Armageddon. When asked the age-old question about what Heaven is like, Colton had a very specific description: 'Well, it’s all the colours of the rainbow, a place of beautiful shades and hues. 'The gates were made of gold and there were pearls on them. It never gets dark. It’s always bright. 'Everyone has wings and can fly except for Jesus, who hovers up and down. Everyone wears a white robe crossed by a sash of different colours and they have lights above their heads.'

At the risk of angering multitudes, I'd say that this is not even Christianity and the pastor should know better than to have allowed publication.

Sorry Loca but it really is quite awful

Meade

[Sean]

God, he is the biggest one in Heaven, he can hold the world in his hands

All together now...