Questions on the Afterlife

[TheNeutral]

There have been innumerable claims of “NDEs” in which people “die” (oftentimes in a state of mortal sin), but are given a second chance at life. While these may be considered “Private Revelation(s)”, to say that not a single instance has occurred is simply preposterous, which raises my question; Why does God opt to save some but not others? Please don’t take the ez way out and say “Because He wanted to lol”. We can do better.

Also, for those who die and aren’t saved, what is the point of sending them to HelI? Why not just leave them until the Last Judgment? What’s the point in having the “judged” burn in HelI for x amount of years, just to be taken out and reinserted afterwards? I can understand those in a state of grace getting immediate gains, but it doesn’t quite add up to inflict immediate punishment upon the “judged” (especially considering they’ll be there eternally anyway).

Lastly, is last-microsecond/planck time salvation possible? Is it really possible to repent in a billionth (or less) of a second? If so, would God ever send the urge within that time? If a bullet gets fired at me before I think to repent, how much time would I have to even run a repenting thought (since we’d have to calculate X (Time bullet takes to reach target) - {Y (Thought Process) + Z (Reaction Time)}); In other words, it’s improbable. Also, what if a bullet is coming from behind? How far does God’s grace extend, at what point does He stop resisting fate and concede to established reality (i.e. undetectable bullet = Instant-Death with no time to think)?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Personally, I’m wary to accept NDEs at evidence for multiple reasons.

Doesn’t that mean you are discounting your own father’s experience? If as you said he reformed his life after the NDE, then why would you not want to accept it?

 

[Benadam]

Father Spitzer gives a convincingCatholic view

This is about an hour
Father Spitzer talks about NDE’s

This is about 10 minutes
Father Spitzer on NDE’s

 

[adgloriam]

reform their lives based on

@Brittany this is a key criterium for discernment. The fruits it produces…Not deterministic proof, yet a fact to factor.

vivid dream

Locutions are distinguishable, as is grace sometimes.

an actual demon because it seemed so real

Since antiquity some of the extraordinary phenomenon characterizing this are clear cut as can be. Both these and cures are sometimes mistaken, and can leave room for reasonable doubt. Others times, not…

But they could also be real.

Any private revelation pertains to the person receiving it, says the catechism. Except cases like Fátima, and some of the saints, where Jesus wanted to give a specific guidance at a specific time to a larger part of the flock beyond the seer - under condition of church approval. It pertains to the person. Private testimony is worth as what it is, not to be belittled not to be taken for granted.

Fully dead means brain dead.

Fully dead means corpse. Yet the recent miracles attributed to Saint mother Theresa of Calcuta and Saints Jacinta and Francisco Marto where related to severe brain damage and NDE.

I don’t think anyone who’s been fully dead, aside from a few exceptions (Jesus, Lazarus) has come back from it.

Let me give glory to Our Lord by referencing saint Francis of Paola and the great miracles of resurrection God operated through his servant.

In eternity, there is no such thing as time.

Before the resurrection Our Lords passion all the souls were waiting to enter heaven. Saint Therese of Lisieux said she would spend her time in heaven distributing flowers on earth, and Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta said something similar. Also, the souls in purgatory all seem to express a notion of time. Our Lady the Holy mother of God Blessed Virgin Mary asked that the devotion of first Saturdays to her Immaculate Heart be instituted with the guarantee she would personally taken to heaven those souls in purgatory that had followed the devotion on the first Saturday after their demise.

say that it’s just a huge coincidence

God’s Providence is admirable. And a tear at the last moment, a single motion of repentance is enough. An example is given in the well known book “Padre Pio” by Renzo Allegri, that I’m certain is not without precedent. Also, by her own wish the “Story of a Soul” by saint Theresa of Lisieux ends precisely with the recount of such a case (although) in more elegant and tasteful manner…

And yes, to the OP wanting to analyses the in-extremis case: If you place things in those terms you know enough to better start repenting right now…

 

[Vico]

What’s the point in having the “judged” burn in HelI for x amount of years, just to be taken out and reinserted afterwards?

God is just, even though we do not understand what is just. Mark 10

18 And Jesus said to him, Why callest thou me good? None is good but one, that is God.

Haydock Commentary

Ver. 18. None is good. Of himself, entirely and essentially, but God alone: men may be good also, but only by a participation of God’s goodness. (Challoner)

 

[Kei]

I wouldn’t say brain dead is dead.

It’s a bit questionable as to what is “dead”. You say brain dead, but people have come back from that. Similarly people have come back from heart dead. I once did a study of those who were declared dead yet were alive as a point on why one shouldn’t donate their organs.

 

[Jared2914]

Also, for those who die and aren’t saved, what is the point of sending them to HelI? Why not just leave them until the Last Judgment? What’s the point in having the “judged” burn in HelI for x amount of years, just to be taken out and reinserted afterwards? I can understand those in a state of grace getting immediate gains, but it doesn’t quite add up to inflict immediate punishment upon the “judged” (especially considering they’ll be there eternally anyway).

Hell, purgatory, and heaven are outside of time. One way to think about this is that when a person dies, everything that will ever happen on earth is in the present. Jesus personally meets the person to give their particular judgment. Then the person goes straight to the final judgment, where it is revealed to all souls. There is no going to hell and waiting until some time later for the final judgment. Yes, for us on earth, the final judgment is some time in the future, but after death it is happening in the present.

Lastly, is last-microsecond/planck time salvation possible? Is it really possible to repent in a billionth (or less) of a second? If so, would God ever send the urge within that time? If a bullet gets fired at me before I think to repent, how much time would I have to even run a repenting thought (since we’d have to calculate X (Time bullet takes to reach target) - {Y (Thought Process) + Z (Reaction Time)}); In other words, it’s improbable. Also, what if a bullet is coming from behind? How far does God’s grace extend, at what point does He stop resisting fate and concede to established reality (i.e. undetectable bullet = Instant-Death with no time to think)?

That depends on the particular sins the person has on their conscience. If they only committed venial sin, they can certainly go to purgatory. If they committed mortal sin, much harder. We believe in perfect and imperfect contrition. Perfect contrition is sorrow for sins completely out of love for God. Imperfect contrition is sorrow for sins out of the fear of just punishment. In a situation you described, they would probably only have imperfect contrition, so their mortal sins are not forgiven. They would probably not be going to heaven, but only God knows their fate. We can’t speculate on where a person ends up except for canonized saints.

 

[Kei]

But I do agree with skepticism toward NDEs. I had someone type to me that they had been researching the Egyptian religion and then he had a near death experience. He saw the Egyptian pantheon.

Of course, there’s a large difference between him and other ndes: he doesn’t believe it is true.