james bond
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- Oct 17, 2015
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Colton Burpo, when he was age 4, appendix burst and he nearly died during surgery. Afterward, he had these vivid and colorful descriptions of a place he visited. He said he visited heaven Afterward, his story took off and struck a chord with religious people because of the child's uplifting religious story and wanting to know more about the afterlife. His story became a best-selling book which in-turn became a successful movie. Afterward, a boy named Alex Malarkey, also claimed he visited heaven and had a book written on his experience. However, he revealed later that it was a lie.
Are any of these to be believed? Certainly, Alex Malarkey's story was recanted by the story teller himself, so it needs to be discarded. What about Colton Burpo's story about his near-death experience? He came out and reaffirmed his story after Malarkey's story was recanted. Credible and authoritative Christian websites, such as Answers in Genesis, states that Colton Burpo's Heaven is Real story was part of a young boy's imagination and dream.
They state, "In recent years, Christian booksellers have inundated the evangelical world with testimonies from people who say they visited heaven in near-death experiences. Their stories are full of specific details about what heaven is like, who is there, and what is happening in the celestial realm. But when we compare their claims with Scripture, it becomes clear that they are merely figments of the human imagination, not true visions of heaven as it is described in God’s Word.
The best known of all these tales, Heaven Is for Real,1 was a major motion picture, released in April 2014. It is the story of Colton Burpo, whose parents believe he visited heaven when he was just four—during surgery after a burst appendix nearly took his life. Colton’s descriptions of heaven are full of fanciful features and peculiar details that bear all the earmarks of a child’s vivid imagination. There’s nothing transcendent or even particularly enlightening about Colton’s heaven. It is completely devoid of the breathtaking glory featured in every biblical description of the heavenly realm."
Thus, Colton's story does not back up what the Bible states. He may have believed he was truthful as a little boy describing his dream, but its contents not real and imaginary. Thus, near death experiences may have been imaginary, too. If they are imaginary, then there is less evidence for the afterlife. This is not to say that the afterlife doesn't exist, but what we experience is imaginary or a dream.
The glories of heaven are still glorious, as explained in the AIG article, but none of us have seen or visited heaven just yet.
Are Visits to Heaven for Real?
What do you think?
Are any of these to be believed? Certainly, Alex Malarkey's story was recanted by the story teller himself, so it needs to be discarded. What about Colton Burpo's story about his near-death experience? He came out and reaffirmed his story after Malarkey's story was recanted. Credible and authoritative Christian websites, such as Answers in Genesis, states that Colton Burpo's Heaven is Real story was part of a young boy's imagination and dream.
They state, "In recent years, Christian booksellers have inundated the evangelical world with testimonies from people who say they visited heaven in near-death experiences. Their stories are full of specific details about what heaven is like, who is there, and what is happening in the celestial realm. But when we compare their claims with Scripture, it becomes clear that they are merely figments of the human imagination, not true visions of heaven as it is described in God’s Word.
The best known of all these tales, Heaven Is for Real,1 was a major motion picture, released in April 2014. It is the story of Colton Burpo, whose parents believe he visited heaven when he was just four—during surgery after a burst appendix nearly took his life. Colton’s descriptions of heaven are full of fanciful features and peculiar details that bear all the earmarks of a child’s vivid imagination. There’s nothing transcendent or even particularly enlightening about Colton’s heaven. It is completely devoid of the breathtaking glory featured in every biblical description of the heavenly realm."
Thus, Colton's story does not back up what the Bible states. He may have believed he was truthful as a little boy describing his dream, but its contents not real and imaginary. Thus, near death experiences may have been imaginary, too. If they are imaginary, then there is less evidence for the afterlife. This is not to say that the afterlife doesn't exist, but what we experience is imaginary or a dream.
The glories of heaven are still glorious, as explained in the AIG article, but none of us have seen or visited heaven just yet.
Are Visits to Heaven for Real?
What do you think?
