I believe there's some validation to another dimension that human's have not yet been able to fully tap into. I've watched enough of the ghost hunter's shows (and others) to at least have that inquisitive confirmation of the possibility of another reality. When my daughter went to Catholic classes before she ever started confirmation classes, I sat through the first class to observe. I was horrified that the Catechumen teacher told the whole fifth grade class that your pets are only spirits and they don't go to heaven. It took me weeks to get my daughter to a safe place about our pets. We love our pets and we hope to see them one day again. Would it be heaven, where would it be...is there an afterlife?
There's a STNG episode about the crew landing on a planet only to find people in pods. These people believed that when they died they had an afterlife. The crew arrived to find their bodies in these pods, no afterlife for them. This episode messed up both my husband and I for a long time. We would all like to be believe there's a place we go in the afterlife, where we will see our loved ones, our pets, be created as new, our bodies repaired and we can move about in another way but at peace. This is the hope, but I'm not sure. I had an event in my life, about 12 years ago, and I'd have to say, while I was incapacitated, blood pressure almost gone, I couldn't move, couldn't speak, did not see any light coming from the other side; maybe because I was close, but not close enough....but it was a blank space. I really don't know about the afterlife. What I do know, is that man is very guilty of creating gimmicks (shtick) and there's no doubt that has been a human dynamic for eons.
What I don't like about the Catholic religion is their claim that all Catholics to through Purgatory after death. Yeah, I can see right through that. Man, who added that in the Catholic bible probably determined that Catholics would go to church more, tithe and obey. Burning in fire until all of my sins are torched away, gives me zero comfort of an afterlife. I've known many Catholics that don't miss any church all week, because I think they are very afraid or have some private guilt that they believe on this earthly plane will be washed away so they can avoid Purgatory. I don't think so.
Faith is believing in what we can't see. Religion is a blind faith. The Christian bible has some lessons to apply to your daily life, but there's a lot in the bible that could be interpreted as very peculiar and "what were you smoking when you wrote that". No disrespect meant, just being honest. I believe that there's something to be said about the commandments for anyone, religious or not....as I don't believe in killing, causing harm etc. The screwed up part of faith is when it's taken too far.
I realize there are some that choose not to have a faith, I get that and respect that. I don't judge because I'm always in my own faith "uncertain levitation" too, and also because there's so much to question in this world we live in, especially now.
