Visions of the afterlife: Protestant vs Catholic

[AlruwhAlquds]

This may sound silly but this question pops in my head whenever I run into a near death experience (NDE) story. I hear protestant stories or those who have not been practicing Christians (non-Catholic) and they have visions of heaven or they say they speak to an angel and feel intense love once they see this “light” or what they feel to be as heaven. One experience even talked about how he felt Jesus behind him and talked to Him. When I hear Catholics and Saints who were granted visions or had NDEs there is a purgatory, sometimes they see hell and then heaven or at least the “outside” of it or they say heaven is just within reach but they aren’t allowed to see it. I know these are just stories and personal experiences, but one cannot help but wonder why is it Catholic Saints and other Catholics have these visions of hell and purgatory but no Protestant reports it? I’m a practicing Catholic and I know other saints have had intense visions of Jesus, which gives me hope. It does lead me to wonder why Protestants who have these experiences of the afterlife never see purgatory. Perhaps we are expected to not believe these stories or visions if they were not investigated by the Church.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Dlee]

How can anyone say for certain? I take your main question is why don’t protestants who have visions of heaven and/or Jesus not have visions of hell or purgatory? Maybe it’s as simple as they have not died - or they see what God wants them to see.

 

[AlruwhAlquds]

Okay I’ll just flat out ask it with the risk of getting everyone’s feathers ruffled. Is it possible that God holds us to our belief structure of Christianity that we follow on Earth in the afterlife? So a Protestant is held to Protestant beliefs and a Catholic is held to Catholic beliefs. Remember I said Christian beliefs. So we Catholics get to have purgatory and Protestants get the “fast pass” for lack of a better word because they don’t “know” as much much. Or do we Catholics have to have suffering and sorrow. But then as a Catholic, I’ve learned the more suffering we endure, the closer to God. As rich as our faith is and as beautiful as it is, it’s easy to get caught up in suffering.

 

[Gab123]

People are probably more willing to share a heavenly experience rather than a hellish or purgatorial one, and it’s probably only a small percentage of people who actually make a video and tell the world about it.

But sometimes NDEs include heavenly visions followed by hellish experiences, which deepened the loss of heaven, knowing what it is that was lost… One lady relates a vision of heaven and a feelin of love and warmth only to have it fade away in the far distance as she sunk into the abyss.

But not everyone who clinically die have experiences, as these are only granted by God to whom He wishes in order to make an impact on a soul. It could be that it is the result of someone’s prayer for them.

But Catholics on earth are part of the Church Militant and are called to make reparation of sin on earth for the conversion of sinners (message of Lourdes, Fatima, etc). Thus visions of hell and purgatory are often given to confirm and envigorate the truth about Church teaching among the flock. Our Lady of Fatima showed the children HELL in order to remind the Church that hell Is real and people go there, thus a call for reparation and prayer for the conversion of sinners

Protestants have a limited and erroneous understanding of the Communion of Saints (The Church Militant on earth, The Church Sufering in Purgatory, and The Church Triumphant in Heaven). Thus Catholics are granted private revelations through the saints and events in history in order to remind us of our responsibility as Catholics in the world; to those to whom much is given, much more will be required.

 

[AlruwhAlquds]

Thank you. Nicely put.

 

[Gab123]

So we Catholics get to have purgatory and Protestants get the “fast pass” for lack of a better word because they don’t “know” as much much. Or do we Catholics have to have suffering and sorrow.

Nothing imperfect can enter heaven, thus the perfection has to begin on earth as we are transformed from wretched sinner to the state of complete sanctification, where everything bad in us has been unmasked, uprooted, and removed. This process is called sanctification. Only saints can enter heaven, thus the mass of people who die in the state of grace most have to yet finish up the lesson of love in purgatory. But listen to this:

The more you know, the more will be required from you. Jesus explains:
“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

 

[fhansen]

Well, if this is true then Calvinists, at least, will face a rather stern and whimsical god, focused primarily on self-glorification. He’d be the direct cause of all evil and has purposefully predestined the reprobate to hell with no role for their own wills to play in the matter. Come to think of it, hell might not be such a bad alternative in this case.

 

[Techno2000]

This may sound silly but this question pops in my head whenever I run into a near death experience (NDE) story. I hear protestant stories or those who have not been practicing Christians (non-Catholic) and they have visions of heaven or they say they speak to an angel and feel intense love once they see this “light” or what they feel to be as heaven. One experience even talked about how he felt Jesus behind him and talked to Him. When I hear Catholics and Saints who were granted visions or had NDEs there is a purgatory, sometimes they see hell and then heaven or at least the “outside” of it or they say heaven is just within reach but they aren’t allowed to see it. I know these are just stories and personal experiences, but one cannot help but wonder why is it Catholic Saints and other Catholics have these visions of hell and purgatory but no Protestant reports it? I’m a practicing Catholic and I know other saints have had intense visions of Jesus, which gives me hope. It does lead me to wonder why Protestants who have these experiences of the afterlife never see purgatory. Perhaps we are expected to not believe these stories or visions if they were not investigated by the Church.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Non-Catholic woman goes to purgatory/hell.

Angie Fenimore's Suicide Near-Death Experience - Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife

 

[lilypadrees]

There are many who view OOBEs or NDEs as a bunch of hooey or a drug induced “trip.”

The way I see it, if you truly have either one (ie: not a drug induced “trip”), it’s because God allows you to have it. And regardless of whether one is Catholic or Protestant, there’s a lesson to be learned from it.

Whether or not the person actually saw a vision of Purgatory, Heaven or Hell during their experience won’t be known to them until their death.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

NDEs are not proof of an afterlife. They seem to be hallucinations brought on by lack of oxygen in extreme physical circumstances.

I believe in an afterlife because Jesus said there is one.
And I believe in Heaven/Purgatory/Hell because the Church teaches is (and has put forth a very good case for it based on Scripture).

Also, visions are private revelations and we are free to accept or reject them.

 

[Gab123]

NDEs are not proof of an afterlife. They seem to be hallucinations brought on by lack of oxygen in extreme physical circumstances.

Well, what kind of proof would you require for an afterlife?

If you get close to a fire you feel heat. When countless people across the globe report similar incidents after being clinically dead that’s as close to empirical evidence that you will get to life after death. But there are studies that clearly differentiate hallucinations brought on by drugs and lack of oxygen, and NDEs; as for hallucinations, that would not explain the many accounts of people “floating” above their hospital beds after flatlining and being able to describe everything that was going on.

God is real, and so is the separation of the spirit from the body at the moment of death. Obviously those who do not want to believe are going to dismiss the mountains of evidence, rationalize away the obvious, and raise the bar whenever there is anything that threatens their stubborness to not believe.

The evidence of God is everywhere, and He gives plenty of clues for those who are searching for Him to find Him. Those who do not want to find a Him, find plenty of excuses.

 

[chessnerd321]

NDEs are not proof of an afterlife

Metastudies of people who have had NDEs found no correlation between religion and positive experiences. This should be enough to make us scratch our heads. But further, it seemed to the researchers that NDEs are brought on not by death but by the patients subjective sense of whether or not they are in mortal danger.

So this. Jesus revealed it, so it’s true.