Is This Our One and Only Chance at Existence?
When did you first learn that you where not here forever? Can you remember when you first encountered that which we hate to talk about? Ceasing to exist in this plane of reality? I can't remember the exact instant but I had a lot of re-enforcement in my very early years. Being in a prominent Catholic family of the diocese and the local community I went to many funerals.
I do remember though that I was extremely disappointed to find out that this exciting life I was embarking on had a terrible penalty attached. Some day some where some how that penalty would be paid. Another of life's little high points passed on to me by my very practical mother. She was never one to try and hide the truth from me in these kind of areas. Sex, that's another blog!
With all this sadness attached to the state of complete inactivity, the Catholic Church, bless them, has a humdinger of a cure for those blues. They got the life-here-after package! They have all the words and ceremony down pat. "Don't be sad, old Joe is going to a better place". I was in awe of this whole process at first; the ceremonial the music, the words of heavenly consolation and joyful expectations at being removed from the pains of this world and reborn ecstatic in a new existence, a spiritual existence. But it gets better, sometime in the future we'll be resurrected just like Jesus, whole and breathing once again!
They made it sound so good it was a wonder to me that folks did not just go do themselves in and hurry the process along. Of course that was cheating, you had to be killed by an act of God or some bad person before your soul could move on into the here-after Catholic country club.
(OT: Oh yes we had our own special part of heaven because we where the true church and everyone else were black sheep of said church. Yes they where wayward souls who had strayed from the true path who where to be pitied and prayed for in hope that they come to their senses and return to the true fold. Somehow though after Vatican II heaven got integrated in all aspects of social strata and religious belief. Of course privately we Catholics knew that we would be sitting closer to the throne so to speak regardless of who got in with us.)
So the Church's answer to the title question is: There is no "ceasing of existence" only traversing to a higher or lower plane as the case maybe, according to their definition of how you should be living your life.
My answer is: We know that matter cannot be destroyed only it's form changed. Our life force is made up of that very matter, the same that powers the universe. It stands to reason then that the life force cannot be destroyed either, just changed form and moved to another plane of existence. Whether this is conscious existence or a dream state no one knows. But remember what Einstein said about reality?
What is your answer? LFFL
TIC
I do remember though that I was extremely disappointed to find out that this exciting life I was embarking on had a terrible penalty attached. Some day some where some how that penalty would be paid. Another of life's little high points passed on to me by my very practical mother. She was never one to try and hide the truth from me in these kind of areas. Sex, that's another blog!
With all this sadness attached to the state of complete inactivity, the Catholic Church, bless them, has a humdinger of a cure for those blues. They got the life-here-after package! They have all the words and ceremony down pat. "Don't be sad, old Joe is going to a better place". I was in awe of this whole process at first; the ceremonial the music, the words of heavenly consolation and joyful expectations at being removed from the pains of this world and reborn ecstatic in a new existence, a spiritual existence. But it gets better, sometime in the future we'll be resurrected just like Jesus, whole and breathing once again!
They made it sound so good it was a wonder to me that folks did not just go do themselves in and hurry the process along. Of course that was cheating, you had to be killed by an act of God or some bad person before your soul could move on into the here-after Catholic country club.
(OT: Oh yes we had our own special part of heaven because we where the true church and everyone else were black sheep of said church. Yes they where wayward souls who had strayed from the true path who where to be pitied and prayed for in hope that they come to their senses and return to the true fold. Somehow though after Vatican II heaven got integrated in all aspects of social strata and religious belief. Of course privately we Catholics knew that we would be sitting closer to the throne so to speak regardless of who got in with us.)
So the Church's answer to the title question is: There is no "ceasing of existence" only traversing to a higher or lower plane as the case maybe, according to their definition of how you should be living your life.
My answer is: We know that matter cannot be destroyed only it's form changed. Our life force is made up of that very matter, the same that powers the universe. It stands to reason then that the life force cannot be destroyed either, just changed form and moved to another plane of existence. Whether this is conscious existence or a dream state no one knows. But remember what Einstein said about reality?
What is your answer? LFFL
TIC
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home