Is There Life After Death?

One of the key tenants of Christianity is the belief in an afterlife. But after thousands of years of human existence, is there any evidence that some part of us continues on after death? The scientist in me wants to see some proof.

Over the past 40 years, the occurrence of near-death experiences (NDEs) has increased due to higher heart-attack survival rates. This has driven more interest in the subject within scientific circles. Two studies published in Europe over the past 10 years suggest that consciousness does continue to exist after the body dies.

In 2001, The Lancet, published the results of a 13-year study of near-death experiences (NDE's) observed in 10 different Dutch hospitals. They found that 18% of the 344 patients who died reported experiencing consciousness and out-of-body experiences after they were clinically dead. And, more importantly, they were able to rule out as the source of NDEs some of the physical mechanisms that have been thought to cause these experiences -- like loss of oxygen to the brain (anoxia) or drugs being used.

A second, study conducted at the University of Southampton in the UK and published in Resuscitation in 2007, also concluded that 10-20% of cardiac arrest survivors experienced NDEs where their consciousness continued on after death. The lead researcher in this study, Dr. Sam Parnia, has kicked off a larger and longer term study into the phenomenon called the AWARE study that includes hospitals all around the world, including two here locally in Atlanta. The first results of that study should be published next year.

So while still preliminary, science does seem to be providing evidence that our consciousness continues on after our deaths. What does that mean from a religious standpoint?

Christianity tells us that our spirit is unique - that is was created at the time of our conception and that after death it goes to either Heaven or Hell based upon our actions here on Earth. Further, many believe that our spirits end up in a kind of holding pattern until the end times when Jesus returns. The experiences described during near-death experiences all point to our spirits going someplace which is peaceful and full of light. Stories of ghost sightings and the ability for psychics to "commune with dead spirits" would also suggest that our spirits are unique forms of energy that retain their separate existence after death.

But the scientist in me cannot fully buy the concept of energy constantly being created out of nothing and then taken out of the universe's pool of energy after we die to go somewhere else. Science has shown that energy is the foundation of everything. The physical mass of the universe was created out of energy during the big bang, and (as Einstein proved) can be converted back into energy under the right conditions - like over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. More recent theories state that time is just another form of energy as well. So it makes more sense to me that some part of the universe's existing energy is collected into our bodies at birth and is then released back into the universal energy supply after our deaths. Following this line of thought, "God" is really the energy of the Universe and we are "made in God's image" by taking some of that energy in to form our physical bodies at the time of our birth.

Or maybe I've just been watching too much History International.

Christianity is Not the Religion of Jesus

I've come to the conclusion that the Christian religion that has been passed down to us has very little semblance to what Jesus and his disciples originally taught. Needless to say, this has caused a bit of a religious "identity crisis" in my life.

First off, Roman Catholicism (and all it's protestant offshoots) is based upon the preaching of Paul of Tarsus - a man who never physically met Jesus. He's the one who traveled the Roman empire and converted the "gentiles" to his religious beliefs. While probably based somewhat on Jesus' teaching, Paul modified the message to fit his needs -- causing it take on a more Roman form. For instance, some scholars believe that he blended in Mithraic beliefs and traditions that existed in his home town of Tarsus. As Paul's message spread throughout the Roman world, it continued to merge with the pagan mystery religions that were popular at the time to the point where it lost most of its original identity. That's why we celebrate Christmas on December 25th and believe in a virgin birth.

Second, there is ample evidence that Paul and Jesus' true disciples back in Jerusalem did not get along very well. Paul even admits so much in his own letters:

"But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face." -- Letter of Paul to the Galatians

Biblical historian Robert Eisenman even goes further to claim that there was open hatred of Paul within the early Christians of Jerusalem, with them calling Paul the "Lying Spouter".

Since Paul was often at odds with Jesus' disciples, it's fair to assume that Paul's teachings were not always in line with what the original disciples believed Jesus taught them. 

And finally, Christianity became politicized when it became the official religion of the Roman state. We now know that many variations of Christianity existed in the years after Jesus died. The Gnostics, for instance, were extremely popular in Egypt and northern Africa. The state-friendly church establishment under Constantine decided what would become "true" Christian beliefs at the Conference at Nicea, and worked to expunge any traces of Christian belief that did not jive with this "orthodox" view. Does anyone today really believe that a group of politicians can get together for a meeting and come out with something that resembles the "truth"?

So here I am. Someone who considers himself at heart a "Christian" - believing in God, and firmly committed to doing "Christian works" to improve the world I live in. But at the same time I am someone who believes that "Christianity" as it is currently being practiced is a sham.

So, am I still a Christian? If not, what am I?

September 11th Remembered

Since I was in Manhattan on 9/11, working at a doomed dotcom startup, I can't help being emotionally drawn in to media frenzy that's currently going on leading up to this weekend's anniversary.

Luckily for me, I was uptown on 38th street at the time -- close enough to be aware of what was going on but far enough away to be out of danger.

What I remember most about that day is not the tragedy that unfolded downtown. Instead, I remember the actions of bystanders like myself. That beautiful fall day in New York was filled with moments of human beauty and compassion that makes you realize that all people have good in them, if they'd only take time out of their busy days to let it out.

I remember the parade of dust-covered zombies walking up 5th avenue towards Grand Central Station, and the shop owner along the way who gave away his stock of sneakers to the women trudging uptown in high heels.

I remember the phone call I received around 10:30am from my kid's school making sure I was OK in case my kids began asking. Strangely, it was the only incoming or outgoing call that made it through to my office that entire day.

I remember the taxi driver that pulled over outside our building, opened his doors and blast his radio so that the crowd of 40-50 strangers on the street could hear the latest news reports and share their views about the unfolding drama.

I remember all the collections of food, bottled water, and supplies that were taken up for ground zero workers everywhere in the suburbs where I lived during the days immediately following the disaster.

In short, after 10 years, I remember the good things that took place -- not the bad ones.

Communal Spirituality

As mentioned in a previous post, I believe the earliest followers of Jesus lived a communal lifestyle -- pooling their wealth, working together towards a common good, and sharing the output of their work efforts.

But the Christianity that has been passed down to us today, especially the Roman Catholic version of it, is a very personal affair. We are instructed to put all our faith in Jesus and build a "personal relationship" with him. Granted, churches are places where we all congregate together and share "the good news". But for most of us, Christianity is an internal journey we take towards spiritual enlightenment.

But modern science is starting to discover that we humans are a social animal - electrochemical processes in our brains can sense and communicate with other humans in ways we don't yet fully understand. Maybe the truth of Christianity is that we are all connected together by a universal energy we call "God", and to obtain true spirituality we need to connect at a deeper level with those around us.

For this outwardly social but inwardly shy human, that's a tall order I'm going to have trouble living up to.

The Apostle's Creed

The Apostle's and Nicene Creeds are the official rules that define you as a Christian -- if you don't believe them, you're not Christian. The Nicene Creed came out of the First Council of Nicene, which Emperor Constantine convened in 325 AD. A political gathering meant to help consolidate the power of the church under Roman authority, it produced the creed as the consensus view of what became orthodox Christianity. Those who followed any other beliefs were expelled from Christianity. 

Have you ever read the creeds - I mean really read them? Do you fully believe every line? Let's take a look...

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, the Maker of heaven and earth, 

OK, that one's easy - belief in God is definitely a prerequisite to being a Christian

and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary,

This one's a little trickier. The Jerusalem Christians, those original disciples of Jesus, believed Jesus was a prophet -- not God's son. So from a legal standpoint, none of Jesus' disciples can be considered Christian. Interesting, don't you think? 

suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried;

This one's easy as well. There seems to be enough historical evidence that these events really occurred

He descended into hell. The third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

The resurrection. Either you believe it happened or not. Pretty critical to being a Christian.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.

This last segment has some interesting gems in it. Let's take the "holy catholic church" part. Are we professing our allegiance to the church as a government body to rule over us? How about "the resurrection of the body"? Notice it doesn't say spirit. We Christians are supposed to specifically believe that our bodies will rise up eventually. Which body is that - the one when I wore diapers, or the cancer stricken one I'll eventually die in?

To me what's more interesting is what is not in the creed. We don't profess anything about doing good deeds, refraining from killing people, etc. 

Bottom line is that you don't have to be a good person to be a Christian. You just have to believe that Jesus was born from a virgin mother, was resurrected from the dead, is God not man - and of course, follow everything that church leaders say.