Dualism (Identity)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Monday, March 30, 2015, 14:43 (3308 days ago) @ dhw

DHW: you have said that when people die, their unconscious spirit returns to God, but the information that constitutes their identity (which must include consciousness) is contained in a back-up which will not be activated until the Resurrection. -This is your first misunderstanding. Information, even memories, memories of previous thoughts, feelings, opinions, loves, heartaches... these things are not conscious. They are information which consciousness acts upon. Much like the words in a book, which do not 'come alive' until there is a reader there to read them. -
>DHW:This appears to contradict the experiences of NDE-ers who claim to have met the conscious spirits of dead people in precisely the way you have described - seeing spiritually and mentally. You say this is the work of Satan, deliberately deceiving the patients, because the dead remain dead. -Two separate points here. Let's not confuse them. -Point 1: The dead remain dead. They are conscious of nothing. 
Point 2: Satan is the father of the lie. The great deceiver. Rev 12:9 The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. (Notice that it called demons "angels", because that is what they are. Just angels on the wrong side of the fight.)-->DHW:I have cited several instances in the Bible in which similar encounters take place, including that between the dead Jesus and his disciples. In the current case, you emphasized that “the vision was so vivid Peter didn't realize it was not real.” I mistakenly (my apologies) took this to mean that what you called the vision was an illusion, just as you claim NDE-ers have been hoodwinked by Satan. That's why I said it seemed pretty pointless. However, it is clear from your post that the communication made in these biblical “visions” is real. Peter, John and James did see Christ talking to Elijah and Moses, but not in the flesh. -Point1: Mark 12:27 "He (YHWH) is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken."
Point2: Elijah and Moses were not there in the flesh, that is correct. It was a vision.-
>>DHW: 1) Did Christ really talk to the conscious spirits of Moses and Elijah or not?-1) No, it was a vision, as per the clarification given by Christ himself. ->DHW: 2) Did the conscious spirit of Christ really chat with his disciples three days after his death or not?
2) Christ was resurrected. Romans 6:9 ->DHW: 3) To return to our starting point: why do you assume that the same kind of encounter is a Satan-inspired illusion when it occurs in NDEs, even though it has been pointed out to you that the patients often believe themselves to be closer to the God you yourself believe in?
3) People believe a great many things, my friend, but let me answer your question with a question. With so many beliefs that are diametrically opposed, how many can be true? Lies are designed to satisfy the emotions. They are feel goods. They are easy to believe because we WANT to believe them. It feels GOOD to think that your loved ones are waiting for you just after death. It feels GOOD to think that, with the right formula, you can talk to someone that you dearly miss. It feels GOOD to think that you can do whatever you want in this life with no consequence. -It is harder to accept that we are accountable. It is harder to accept responsibility. It is hard to accept that right now, a love one is dead because we long so much for life. We are not meant to die, and we rail against it with every fiber of our beings until we are so tired, so beaten, and so warn out that it seems like a welcome relief from the pain. -People want to believe what is soon, certain, and positive. Immediately going to heaven or becoming a spirit upon death. Immediate and eternal punishment for those that wronged us. Immediate freedom from pain, death, sickness. The truth is less palatable. When you die, you die. If/When you are resurrected, your perfection is not immediate, and your survival not guaranteed indefinitely. You will be tested again, and by your own actions your fate is decided. That is not what people WANT to believe, so they choose not to.-I will die. Personally, I do not feel I deserve any reward, resurrection, or any kindness or mercy at all. I've not been a good person in many ways, not matter how I tried. I hope for these things, and I have faith in God's love and mercy, but no expectation of it. I see the truth as beautiful. People getting a chance and succeeding or failing based purely on their own choice, made with full knowledge and eyes wide open.

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.