Colton Burpo and Akiane Kramarik

[Memaw]

I finished the book 2 days ago.

I still think it’s unfair. He’s a teenager. Not all people are gifted with public speaking abilities.

My cousin is just 4 years younger than me and our conversation would go like this:

“How ya been?”

“Good”

“What’s been new with you?”

“Nothing”

“I heard you got a promotion at work”

“Yeah.”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s cool”

Awkward silence

he’s been that way all his life. Talking to him is like pulling teeth… and to see his Facebook, you’d think he lives an interesting enough life that he’d have so much to talk about. Especially when you don’t see him that often.

Just because he grew up around cameras and this story doesn’t mean he’s a natural speaker… and he is only just a teenager. Teens always want to play it a little cool. The interviews I have seen of him in recent times since the movie’s release, he looks like he’s just a shy kid.

Like I said… I researched a phenomenon for 3 years… I wrote a book and devoted an entire chapter to it… and when I was asked by the weather channel to film this phenomenon I’m really an expert on at this point… it was disconcerting - and I’m a lot older than him with more public speaking experience under my belt.

So it isn’t fair to look at interviews and say that has baring on the book.

And like I said… this happened when he was 4. 14 years have passed. Memories aren’t always stronger as you age. Sometimes, especially when something happens at so young an age… memories fade. Or sometimes you talk about something so often… you just get tired of answering the same questions over and over.

Then why did they bring him on in the first place, just to say, ’ I can’t explain it, or I can’t find the words to tell you, etc. Seems a bit strange to me for someone that’s making a big to-to about the whole thing. God Bless, Memaw.

 

[Drea_Mea]

you don’t know how you would do in that situation till it arises.

I was gung-ho about doing the Weather Channel special, up to the day it came. Once the camera turned on… I got nervous and a few times we had to take a break for me to shake it off. Harder to do that with live television. Thankfully they filmed me and we weren’t live. though I’m nervous to see if they got a good final cut for my segment.

he was asked to promote the book and movie, Hannity is a Catholic and he was interested in the story which is why he was asked to be a guest. He probably convinced himself he could do it “I’ve done it before, I’m older now” etc… it’s easier said than done once the cameras are rolling and the questions are flowing. If you haven’t been in that situation, I wouldn’t be too quick to judge.

Like I said… it took him a few years to fully tell his parents what happened in full - And you are asking him to explain something that really is not easy to explain. How do you explain the color blue to someone who has been blind all their life? It’s kind of like that. If you didn’t see what he saw… and what he saw was so unexplainable… it’s not easy finding the words. Especially when put on the spot… no matter what age.

 

[Memaw]

you don’t know how you would do in that situation till it arises.

I was gung-ho about doing the Weather Channel special, up to the day it came. Once the camera turned on… I got nervous and a few times we had to take a break for me to shake it off. Harder to do that with live television. Thankfully they filmed me and we weren’t live. though I’m nervous to see if they got a good final cut for my segment.

he was asked to promote the book and movie, Hannity is a Catholic and he was interested in the story which is why he was asked to be a guest. He probably convinced himself he could do it “I’ve done it before, I’m older now” etc… it’s easier said than done once the cameras are rolling and the questions are flowing. If you haven’t been in that situation, I wouldn’t be too quick to judge.

Like I said… it took him a few years to fully tell his parents what happened in full - And you are asking him to explain something that really is not easy to explain. How do you explain the color blue to someone who has been blind all their life? It’s kind of like that. If you didn’t see what he saw… and what he saw was so unexplainable… it’s not easy finding the words. Especially when put on the spot… no matter what age.

I just don’t fall for everything that comes down the pike. God Bless, memaw

 

[marytk]

He is fourteen not eighteen (may have turned 15 by now) but he is still a kid. I don’t think having slick rehearsed answers would make it more believable.

I agree about the cameras. I was asked once by a TV station what I thought about our football team being CO champions I had gone to every home game that year but at that moment my mind had NOTHING. She walked away and I thought of things to say. this wasn’t anything important, but on the spot it was a blank slate of a mind and I was a middle aged adult

I don’t think it is made up. I believe God can reveal himself to whomever He pleases.

 

[Memaw]

He is fourteen not eighteen (may have turned 15 by now) but he is still a kid. I don’t think having slick rehearsed answers would make it more believable.

I agree about the cameras. I was asked once by a TV station what I thought about our football team being CO champions I had gone to every home game that year but at that moment my mind had NOTHING. She walked away and I thought of things to say. this wasn’t anything important, but on the spot it was a blank slate of a mind and I was a middle aged adult

I don’t think it is made up. I believe God can reveal himself to whomever He pleases.

It wasn’t an “on the spot” interview. I’m sure they had time to prepare and were talked to before the show. I have a feeling the boy only “remembers” what his father wants him to. Seems to me more the fathers story than the boys. God Bless, Memaw

 

[Drea_Mea]

actually - most live interviews ARE on the spot. He has multiple guests and sometimes because they don’t properly plan ahead, they run over and have to push a topic off for the next show. They’ll maybe talk prior to the interview… but it’s not like a rehearsal where they go through all the questions, rehearse answers, and time everything out.

Again speaking from experience… my nephew (who is 4.5 right now) and his parents were interviewed about being in MENSA. They didn’t get a lot of face-time prior to the interview because there were other segments the news had to worry about as well. Live reports on location, guests in the studio, breaking news… there is not a lot of time to rehearse. That’s local news. Cable news done live - time is even tighter.

Lets play Devil’s Advocate and say you’re right and the father either made it all up… or took a dream Colton had and exaggerated it for a book.

He’s been living this story for 11 years. A book, A kids book, A Movie, numerous interviews… at 15 you’d think he would know the story well enough to be able to properly do an interview with a little more ease. He should have the story memorized living with his father, access to the book, etc.

So whether he really lived this: or if his father made the story up… he’s lived with the story (true or not) long enough (over a decade) to know it by memory… and he STILL doesn’t give a good interview.

So your assessment that bad interview = proof the father made it up is unfair.

Some people are just not good in front of cameras. they are not good public speakers. And at 15 (my mistake… Akiane is the 18 year old… Colton is 15) he’s a typical teenager who probably gets a little weirded out by all the attention and his brain gets jumbled. All the things he wanted to say… just don’t come out. It’s called a brain fart, and usually happens when on the spot, when nervous, or exhausted from lack of sleep.

So you can’t go by an interview and say “See that’s proof his father made it up”.

I’m not saying you’re wrong, I personally believe something happened. To what extent, I’m unsure. Dream - actual visitation - I don’t know. I want to re-read the book and go through the events again and compare them to scripture…

what I’m saying, you can’t point at a bad interview and say that is proof. It isn’t. Because again… whether a true story or a fake story, 11 years is long enough to know the story by heart… and he STILL gives bad interviews. So on camera interviews just aren’t his thing.

 

[Memaw]

actually - most live interviews ARE on the spot. He has multiple guests and sometimes because they don’t properly plan ahead, they run over and have to push a topic off for the next show. They’ll maybe talk prior to the interview… but it’s not like a rehearsal where they go through all the questions, rehearse answers, and time everything out.

Again speaking from experience… my nephew (who is 4.5 right now) and his parents were interviewed about being in MENSA. They didn’t get a lot of face-time prior to the interview because there were other segments the news had to worry about as well. Live reports on location, guests in the studio, breaking news… there is not a lot of time to rehearse. That’s local news. Cable news done live - time is even tighter.

Lets play Devil’s Advocate and say you’re right and the father either made it all up… or took a dream Colton had and exaggerated it for a book.

He’s been living this story for 11 years. A book, A kids book, A Movie, numerous interviews… at 15 you’d think he would know the story well enough to be able to properly do an interview with a little more ease. He should have the story memorized living with his father, access to the book, etc.

So whether he really lived this: or if his father made the story up… he’s lived with the story (true or not) long enough (over a decade) to know it by memory… and he STILL doesn’t give a good interview.

So your assessment that bad interview = proof the father made it up is unfair.

Some people are just not good in front of cameras. they are not good public speakers. And at 15 (my mistake… Akiane is the 18 year old… Colton is 15) he’s a typical teenager who probably gets a little weirded out by all the attention and his brain gets jumbled. All the things he wanted to say… just don’t come out. It’s called a brain fart, and usually happens when on the spot, when nervous, or exhausted from lack of sleep.

So you can’t go by an interview and say “See that’s proof his father made it up”.

I’m not saying you’re wrong, I personally believe something happened. To what extent, I’m unsure. Dream - actual visitation - I don’t know. I want to re-read the book and go through the events again and compare them to scripture…

what I’m saying, you can’t point at a bad interview and say that is proof. It isn’t. Because again… whether a true story or a fake story, 11 years is long enough to know the story by heart… and he STILL gives bad interviews. So on camera interviews just aren’t his thing.

It wasn’t a bad interview and no comparison to you or your family. He just didn’t have anything substantial to say about his experience. His father does more talking than he did. Doesn’t it seem strange that with so much to-do made over the book and the movie that his father has to do all the talking. And that they haven’t had more personal interviews with the young man. Seems the father has financial problems and maybe the book helped. Now the movie. God Bless. Memaw

 

[Drea_Mea]

You have your opinion. I’m not going to keep repeating myself.

 

[Sunbreak]

Do any Catholics here hold any credence other than “nice story”, “Lovely painting” to Colton and Akiane?

Who knows what an individual experiences? Just because we haven’t had the same experiences doesn’t mean they aren’t real to other people. I think the child, Colton, did have some kind of unexplainable experience. I also think it was embellished by his father in the book. I do, however, remember an incident with a friend’s child, who was about 3 or 4 years old. My husband called the friend’s home and the little boy asked who called. Then he just blurted out right away “Joe is coming over” without knowing who called or hearing any conversation on his father’s part that would indicate that my husband was going over there.
As far as Akiane is concerned, I think she experienced something unexplainable. What could motivate someone so young to be so disciplined with painting? Why would she want to paint Jesus when she was not brought up with religion? If you read the prose/poetry that goes along with some of the paintings, it’s amazing to see the insight that is there.
By the way, some have said that her family is Catholic. As far as I can tell by reading interviews with Akiane, she is not affiliated with any particular religion. Her father was a lapsed Catholic and the mother was an atheist.

 

[Memaw]

Who knows what an individual experiences? Just because we haven’t had the same experiences doesn’t mean they aren’t real to other people. I think the child, Colton, did have some kind of unexplainable experience. I also think it was embellished by his father in the book. I do, however, remember an incident with a friend’s child, who was about 3 or 4 years old. My husband called the friend’s home and the little boy asked who called. Then he just blurted out right away “Joe is coming over” without knowing who called or hearing any conversation on his father’s part that would indicate that my husband was going over there.
As far as Akiane is concerned, I think she experienced something unexplainable. What could motivate someone so young to be so disciplined with painting? Why would she want to paint Jesus when she was not brought up with religion? If you read the prose/poetry that goes along with some of the paintings, it’s amazing to see the insight that is there.
By the way, some have said that her family is Catholic. As far as I can tell by reading interviews with Akiane, she is not affiliated with any particular religion. Her father was a lapsed Catholic and the mother was an atheist.

There is a museum about an hours drive from here with a room displaying some of her paintings and also a video telling her story and on that video it said they have become Catholic. I have been there several times. They also have some of her painting displayed through out the Museum. God Bless, Memaw

 

[buffalo]

Shroud of Turin Image and Jesus Painting by Akiane Kramarik

**Divine Mercy and Shroud of Turin.wmv **

 

[Pax2u]

When a person and/or family makes money from a supposed spiritual experience, a warning bell goes off in my head. I agree with a previous poster who said the little boy had some sort of experience which was embellished by the father, who is now making a financial haul on the whole thing.

 

[bluerose]

All I know is, I hear “Heaven is for Real” and “God is Not Dead” and I go…

“Umm… DUH!!!”

 

[Jerurussia]

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL the movie is TERRIBLE AND NOTHING LIKE THE BOOK! T.D. JAKES SUCKED ALL THE CATHOLIC STUFF OUT, LIKE THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL AND THE VIRGIN MARY! I believe the book and Akiane and the kids at Joplin, MO tornado who saw “butterfly men” so-called because they didn’t know the word “angel” to describe the flying guys tossing cars out of the way of their families.

 

[mikekle]

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL the movie is TERRIBLE AND NOTHING LIKE THE BOOK! T.D. JAKES SUCKED ALL THE CATHOLIC STUFF OUT, LIKE THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL AND THE VIRGIN MARY! I believe the book and Akiane and the kids at Joplin, MO tornado who saw “butterfly men” so-called because they didn’t know the word “angel” to describe the flying guys tossing cars out of the way of their families.

Strange…I remember watching alot of media coverage of the MO tornado, I dont ever recall hearing about the butterfly men…do you know if any media outlet reported on this or even mentioned it? This would be amazing if true though! But if kids saw them, adults would have seen them too, so…

 

[RACJ]

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL the movie is TERRIBLE AND NOTHING LIKE THE BOOK! T.D. JAKES SUCKED ALL THE CATHOLIC STUFF OUT, LIKE THE ARCHANGEL MICHAEL AND THE VIRGIN MARY! I believe the book and Akiane and the kids at Joplin, MO tornado who saw “butterfly men” so-called because they didn’t know the word “angel” to describe the flying guys tossing cars out of the way of their families.

Interesting. Now I am glad that I did not see the movie. I tend to believe the boy, but if heaven is not like earth, I can understand why he’d have a hard time describing it. When I was 5yo and coming down from a 107 fever, I hallucinated. I would have a hard time describing my experience, since I was so young. Obviously, MY “experience” was not real, but I cannot imagine how a 4yo with limited life experience could express himself completely cogently about a paranormal experience.
I do find it interesting that in NDE’s, the people never “see” those who are still alive, only those who have died. Rob

 

[Memaw]

Interesting. Now I am glad that I did not see the movie. I tend to believe the boy, but if heaven is not like earth, I can understand why he’d have a hard time describing it. When I was 5yo and coming down from a 107 fever, I hallucinated. I would have a hard time describing my experience, since I was so young. Obviously, MY “experience” was not real, but I cannot imagine how a 4yo with limited life experience could express himself completely cogently about a paranormal experience.
I do find it interesting that in NDE’s, the people never “see” those who are still alive, only those who have died. Rob

And to top it off, he did NOT have a NDE. He was sick but not dead, even for a few seconds. Seems the father ‘remembers’ more than the boy! God Bless, Memaw

 

[theCrow]

Not to be negative Nancy, but one of my favorite passages is the:

“no eye has seen, no ear has heard…the joy that awaits those in Heaven” or something to that effect.

After seeing the kid and his family a year or so ago on the Today show,
it seems quite obvious
the book
was made for $$$$$ as the motivating factor.

But if the child is telling the truth, that is amazing. I have had an amazing dream of Heaven myself.

It was like being in a cylindrical vortex with other spirits, and the greatest feeling was of LAUGHTER. Laughter because we all knew everything

 

[7_Sorrows]

It wasn’t an “on the spot” interview. I’m sure they had time to prepare and were talked to before the show. I have a feeling the boy only “remembers” what his father wants him to. Seems to me more the fathers story than the boys. God Bless, Memaw

I agree Memaw. Colton seemed very uncomfortable during the interview and unsure what to say. It seems if the father can’t tell him
what to say he doesn’t know how to answer the questions that well.
The dad made a lot of money off of the book and movie that is for sure.

 

[mikekle]

Not to be negative Nancy, but one of my favorite passages is the:

“no eye has seen, no ear has heard…the joy that awaits those in Heaven” or something to that effect.

Well, we know for a fact that is NOT true, as there has been many verified visions of heaven by various people, saints, nuns, etc over the years, strange that a statement like that would be in there, when its clearly not accurate… maybe it was when it was written…?