My dad enjoys the teachings of a pastor named Malcolm Smith. My parents are evangelical Christians. I'm an atheist and i was looking up Malcolm Smith because I was curious about him, since my dad listens to his cds all the time. I came across something on Christianity today saying that Malcolm Smith died. Before reading the article I told my dad and he was pretty upset and he frantically ran to his computer to look it up. I went back to mine and read the article and it was a different Malcolm Smith. When I told my dad Malcolm Smith didn't die and I was mistaken he was very pleased and said "oh thank god" or something like that. In the past Christians have explained to me that they cry at funerals because they miss their loved one who died and its hard to comprehend that they will see him again or something like that. But I've never really heard a Christian explain reactions to death such as my dad's reaction when he thought that Malcolm Smith, a man who he has never died. I didn't ask my dad because I didn't want to upset him or make him question his faith or anything (my dad's a great guy and if christianity provides him with hope I don't want to take that away from him). If Christians believe that Christians go to heaven, why did my dad view a Christian's death as a bad thing, and why was he so relieved when he found out that said Christian was still alive (especially considering that my dad does not personally know this man)? I just want to know do Christians really believe that they will go to heaven like they say they do? I'm not trying to attack Christians or anything like that, but I would like to hear from some Christians on this board an attempt to explain why Christians who claim to believe that Christians go to live in heaven when they die treat the death of a Christian as a horrible event.
He is a man your father values. I would be more astonished if he had shrugged and said he'd "see him in heaven." Your Dad is a human being, after all, something I continue to tell myself when talking to my own son.
I've read books dealing with medieval history that talk about people being hanged eagerly going to the gallows so they could get to the afterlife, and dying people being sent off like they were going on a trip, and their friends talking about seeing them "anon". I think there was a point in time when the reaction was a bit different.
Even very faithful Christians have doubts, its natural and human. Also, if someone you care about passes away, even if you believe they are in heaven, its sad. Just like if your best friend moved across the country, or if your wife whom you loved left you. They are leaving your current life, and normal people tend to get sad or upset about people leaving them.
I don't think this shows doubt from your father....there are lots of people who I haven't met who have impact on my life...who I'd be sad to see gone. Authors, pastors, artists, writers, etc...some Christian, some not. I'd be sad to see any of them go....not necessarily for them, but for me. But I'm selfish like that! As for doubt...doubt litters the Bible....Mother Theresa, among the most faithful persons I'm aware of, expressed doubt....Habakuk doubted...David doubted...and Jesus ultimately asked why he was foresaken. Faith without some sense of doubt isn't really faith...
Uhhh.... What do you expect Christians to be? Emotionless, soulless creatures who feel no pain when a loved one dies because they're going to heaven? The fact that we will meet in heaven someday is a comfort, but it doesn't erase the grief that comes with death. Death at least means that you're not going to get to see or be with the person again for the rest of your present life... This might be one of the most ridiculous questions I've ever seen here.
I think you misread his point. Since heaven is a good thing, he was asking why people would be sad that *people they don't know* died and would be going to heaven. Not loved ones. Not people that they ever see and will miss, etc.
nahhh man that whole heaven thing? we just made it up to make jews jealous. of course we believe we're going to heaven... as far as when christians die why do we cry? or feel pain? because we're human, we have emotions. if yao ming died you would feel pain, you didnt know him, you only watched an image of him on television (maybe saw him in person, but you certainly didnt know him) you can become emotionally attached to a person/object without really knowing them. your dad is emotionally attached to the cds, they bring him strength, the pastor gives him strength, so when he thought the pastor was dead it was naturally sad for him because this man no longer has his life, he preached such strong messages (im assuming since you say your dad really liked this guy), but he is no longer with us, you kind of feel guilty, like why didn't i meet this guy when i had the chance, or something like that.
It's still a ridiculous question. Of course, if you're emotionally attached to someone, you will be sad when they die. This person was someone who affected his dad's life in a significant way daily -- why wouldn't he be sad? If I heard that a Christian person dies who I don't know and have no emotional attachment to, I'd feel sorry for his family and loved ones who have suffered a loss but not for him, since I know he's in heaven. For the same reason, we don't offer prayers for the dead at funerals, we pray for their loved ones instead that they find comfort in their grief. We had a lady at our church who died recently from sickle cell disease. I didn't know her personally so I didn't feel any grief, but I definitely felt sad for her family, especially her kids who now have to live without a mother. The person who dies may be going to heaven, but that also means that they are leaving people behind on earth whose lives they affected in a meaningful way. That's the loss that is grieved.
I'm just playing devil's advocate here, but.... Wouldn't he also be happy that the person is in the ultimate good place now? So if a homeless man with no friends or family died, you wouldn't feel sad for him at all? Ultimately, I think this is a good answer - but I don't think the original question is a ridiculous one.
Back when I believed there was a heaven and that I was going there, I often doubted its existence, always had a tiny nagging feeling in the back of my head that it was all bs and I was praying to nothing. Of course, I never TOLD anyone I felt this way, because Christianity was just the WAY...the status quo. I never seriously thought I would leave religion. But I finally bought into those doubts and did what I always feared most - exploring the idea of no God. And I did, and it turned out to be by far the most liberating thing I've ever done. It started with that fear though...the doubt. So I completely understand your question. I was probably MORE torn up about death when I believed there was an afterlife. I know it's like this for some, and for others, it isn't. That's just my experience.
wait...maybe i'm missing something here. But are you asking why a person might get upset if someone they care about dies? Isnt that answer pretty obvious?
When my father recently passed away, I was not grieving for him, I was grieving for all of us whose lives he touched for he would no longer be around. I was grieving for his 2 year old grandson who would never get to know the man I did. I was grieving for his unborn grandchild who would never know him at all. I was grieving for my mother who lost her constant companion for the past 54 years.
But this goes back to his original question. So you were grieving for all the people you knew that would be affected by your father's loss - that makes perfect sense. But in the original example, the poster's dad doesn't know that guy personally, though he does have a connection to him through his sermons. But he presumably doesn't have any connection to that guy's family or friends or kids or anyone else. If the grieving is for those people, why is there an emotional attachment to those people he doesn't know, as opposed to all the thousands of other people affected daily by various deaths of people we don't know? In both cases, you'd theoretically be grieving for people you don't know.
I totally agree... Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. In my view, faith is an individual struggle, not an easy prescription of stuff to believe without question, often delivered by someone else. God gave us an extraordinary mind... and to not use it, to not question ourselves and our faith, does a disservice to the Creator. Too many people have an unquestioning approach to Christianity and their lives, as if they are afraid of what doubt will bring. In my book, that's cowardice and I believe God is strong enough and forgiving enough to withstand a little doubt and gracious enough to lead you towards faith in the midst of uncertainty.
