Why Do We Tend to Automatically Believe Beings from Other Dimensions? Pt 2

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective

Last time, in the first part of this series, we discussed the subject of people who have out-of-body or near-death experiences and how they invariably believe what they experienced was absolute truth. They never seem to question it at all. It occurred, it was real, it was truthful. End of story.

I also quoted one person whom I had been having a discussion on a social network. I essentially asked him whether or not he considered the fact that there could be con artists in the spiritual realm or other dimensions. Here is his response to my queries/concerns.

“And you have no proof that con artists do exist in the spiritual realms, so we can agree to disagree. It sounds to me like you might have a very negative view of the hereafter. This is like me asking you how you felt when you climbed down into a semi-active volcano, all the way to the steam and fire coming up around your feet. Of course, I doubt you would know what it feels like. I have & have the photos to prove it. I know what it felt like to stand at the bottom of the crater of Mt. Vesuvius. I know what it feels like to enter Red China in a sewer pipe during the Cold War. I know what it feels like to tromp around in the jungles of the Philippines at night knowing Communist forces were in full force in those jungles. Why should I consider whether or not con artists exist beyond our known world? That doesn’t even make sense. For all I know, ET might be the greeter at the Pearly Gates. Take care, my friend, but do take one piece of advice. Stop turning over stones looking for something abstract. It’s a waste of time.”

My response to him was succinct and is as follows.

“No I don’t, Bob. I’m going by the overall experience of many. I base my truth on Scripture. Therefore I do not have a negative view of the afterlife at all. As a Christian, I believe the apostle Paul when he says to be absent from our bodies is to be present with the Lord (for those who are saved).

“I believe Satan exists. So did Jesus. I believe Satan’s goal is to keep people from realizing their need for salvation and I believe he has you fooled. I believe Satan and his fallen angels work to create disharmony.

“There are also many ppl who are not religious who believe in aliens, Bob. Many of these ppl attest to having experiences with some of these aliens. They also warn that not all aliens are benevolent. According to some of these ppl, some aliens hate humans.

“But you have had ONE experience which has defined total truth for you about the afterlife. You are convinced you couldn’t be conned and you are convinced that con artists do nor exist in the spiritual realm. Others who are not religious point to their own experiences and would vehemently disagree with you, Bob.

“I believe you are being extremely naive. Take care.”

If we look around at the philosophical landscape that exists today, there are many who claim to have experiences with aliens. On many occasions, they will state that they have been told by these aliens they’ve met that not all aliens are “good.” Some are “bad” or have “negative” energy toward other species, especially humans.

Yet our friend quoted above bases his complete ideology regarding what comes after this life on one experience he had that he cannot even verify and unfortunately, has no interest in even trying to verify it. For him, emotional virtue has made the decision and unfortunately, according to the Bible, it’s the wrong decision.

Last time I mentioned that I believe Satan and his network of fallen angels do whatever they can to convince people what they need to be convinced of in order to continue their erroneous belief system. In this case, the experience they provided our friend has worked like a snake charmer. He is convinced that what he experienced was true and provided an authentic explanation of the after life.

Note also our friend attacks me because he feels that I was attacking him, though I was merely trying to get him to consider the possibility that he has been hoodwinked. He said, “It sounds to me like you might have a very negative view of the hereafter.”

I’m not sure why he would think that since in another comment, I had already told him I am a Christian. The afterlife does not only not bother me, but I look forward to it! What Christian does not look forward to it? In the after life, Christians will have the real experience of having our sin natures completely removed from us. Hence, there will never be another chance to sin, to fall short. Moreover, we will be given new, glorified bodies that will never become corrupted. They will never die. Who would not look forward to that? But because I tried to direct him to simply ask questions about his “experience” he took umbrage. In essence, I attacked his “sacred cow” by daring to ask a question he should seriously consider. Jesus did that quite often and so should we in a loving, discerning way.

His examples of standing at the bottom of Vesuvius and the rest mean nothing. First of all, they were actual physical experiences that can be verified and I’m sure they were something to experience. The experience he had of dying and seeing things in the after life was something that cannot be verified. It was not physical necessarily, but ethereal. Even if it was verified that he actually “died,” no one, including him, can verify what he experienced from that point onward.

Satan is a master deceiver and the most tragic thing he does is to blind people (and keep them blinded) to the reality of the after life. Satan is powerful enough to make experiences in the spiritual realms/other dimensions to real that we would swear that what we experienced was authentic. In reality, it is nothing close to being authentic, but how can anyone know since the people who go through those experiences have nothing to compare them with? They don’t go to the Bible for truth. For them, truth is the experience itself even when other people have experiences that are different from theirs.

Our job as Christians is to preach the gospel. That will not be done the same way with every lost person we encounter. Jesus never did it the same way because it depended upon the individual. In the last article and this one, I have related my encounter with someone who swears that he knows all there is to know about the after life. I can sit here and preach to Him about Jesus, the need for salvation, the fact that he is lost, etc., and that would be all well and good. In this case though, it seemed better to start with the question about whether or not he believes that beings in other dimensions could very well be con artists.

His comment, “And you have no proof that con artists do exist in the spiritual realms, so we can agree to disagree” says it all. He has chosen to ignore common sense and logic and has simply decided that con artists do not exist in the spiritual realms. Maybe I forced him to consider something and maybe God will enlarge upon that when this same man meets another Christian who will help open his eyes. Maybe he’ll eventually meet someone who prior to being saved went through the same thing and can relate to that man’s testimony about the after life.

It’s important to remember that no farmer plants his seeds in the field one day and then goes to reap the harvest the next day. It takes time to cultivate the soil, plant the seed, water, fertilize, and even wait while nature takes its course. One day, the farmer enjoys the harvest. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:8 that “Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.”

I may never actually see someone’s soul “harvested” to eternal life. Maybe God will only use me to plant seeds or water. Maybe others will be there for the harvest. It doesn’t matter, does it? All that matters is that I am involved in the Great Commission. I know I cannot convince anyone of the truth and in the end, God is the One who harvests anyway.

Preach the gospel with your life and word. Plant. Water. Pray for people. Make the most of the time because the days are evil. Trust that God oversees the planting, watering, and harvesting of every soul into the kingdom!

Theology and Politics from a Conservative, Biblical Perspective