We had the European football, Wimbledon and of course the Olympics and Paralympics, that saw us through the summer weeks, if we had felt in need of watching the talented, athletic and energetic putting themselves through whatever sporting disciplines they have spent their lives perfecting and developing to world class levels. Each of these athletes or … Continue reading Win-win or win-lose?
My daughter Bridget died 21 months old. She had never walked or crawled but could sit propped up. She couldn’t see. She was born three months premature, the first of twins. She was a much-loved sister to my three grown-up stepsons. She gave so much joy in her short life. After the shock of her … Continue reading Little angels
Judging by the popularity of the American fantasy television series Ghost Whisperer, many people, even if they haven’t made a jump of faith, would like to believe in death survival for everyone including children who die . Some people are willing to talk privately about having felt a presence, heard a voice, or seen a ghost … Continue reading Children who die – What happens to them?
If doing bad things is caused by environmental circumstances rather than individual moral choice, then surely an eternal punishment after death would be unjust? And if you balk at the idea of evil then you may dismiss the idea of hell.
Swedenborg lived in the eighteenth century but many of the readers of his books think he has something to tell us today. This short video shows his experience of dying and what, according to Swedenborg, is in store for each of us after the death of the body. The speakers are some of the foremost scholars … Continue reading What is it like to die?
Tragedy always seems to happen somewhere in the world; like an earthquake destroying buildings, someone running amok with a dangerous firearm, or civil populations of non-combatants affected by weapons of war. Watching the television news you wonder ‘What if it ever happened to me?’ It is so easy for the innocent to suffer damage to … Continue reading Tragedy – What if it happened to me?
In the post Is there an afterlife? I pointed to a similarity between Swedenborg’s reports of his mystical experiences of life after death and numerous accounts of the near death experience. There are also striking similarities between what various modern psychic mediums have said concerning a realm of spirits with Swedenborg’s writings. These similarities are … Continue reading Life after death – What’s it like?
When one is hard up, buying a lottery ticket and thus dreaming of untold wealth has its attractions, even if in one’s heart of hearts one knows there is virtually no chance of winning. A bit of harmless fun. Or is having a pleasing fantasy any different from coming out all guns blazing to make money and lots of it? What are ethics of making money?
For me, Swedenborg is the grandfather of today’s new spiritual consciousness. The Divine revelation he received back in the 18C is concerned with our awareness of the inner process of spiritual awakening and connecting to God. Swedenborg’s books contain a wonderland of ideas which help me to understand God, truth and the purpose of my life here.
Here are his current top 3 ideas ……
Turn on the television news and there is an almost overwhelming focus on financial mess, social problems or crime. So what actually is the meaning of life? When I look around me I can’t help longing for a better kind of world. Sometimes I feel we are so used to the unsatisfactory state of things that we have given up hoping for something better.
Is idealism completely out of fashion? Have we become too cynical to have a vision of utopia? Or are we too scared of being tarnished with the same brush as the fanatical extremists who have not been slow in broadcasting their own hate filled criticism of modern life. Perhaps I’m being hopelessly idealistic but surely society could be better. How can I find my perfect society? What follows are the prejudices of an idealist.