Hey guys. Im sorry if I offended anyone, I assure you that was not my mission. Years ago I almost lost my 9 year old sister to cancer after she was given less than a year to live. She literally walked around St. Judes Research Hospital with her bible story book talking to every kid she met. Spending so much time at the hospital was one of the most depressing things Ive ever seen in my life. It was far worse than any nursing home that I used to visit, encouraging older JW's.
Without some type of hope of a peaceful afterlife I know that my sister wouldnt have been so at peace, even though she was being pounded with so much suffering as a little girl. She made friends with many other kids and alot of times they would become penpals. Every one that she wrote to died! They ALL died! MY sister had a particular fast spreading cancer in the nasal area and was grouped with others who had very serous, fast spreading forms of the big C.
The reality is this. Good people, including kids die every minute. Some, in alot worse aflictions than Cancer in St. Jude. Whether its the truth or not, the message of a peaceful afterlife is comforting.
You take a bible story book full of colorful paradise pictures and show that to dying children and I promise
it will comfort them.
Fast forward many years and I now have a 6 year old son of my own. He is my best friend and a "mini-me" of myself, as my wife says:) We are so blessed that at this time hes in perfect health, but you never know when as a parent you have to go through something as terrible as Cancer. It can happen over night!
Since Ive lost faith in MEN (the watchtower) Ive stepped back and im looking at everything Ive ever believe as a JW alot closer with more educated and skeptical eyes. Ive started with the Bible, its origin, and how it was put together. Skeptics have pointed out many contradictions that I never knew existed. I can see how someone becomes Atheist. It seems to me that the whole atheist mentality about life is very reasonable until you die:( Be a good person, Love your neighbor ect. All that sounds great to me except, if you throw a child into that thought process. My son asked me the other day, "what happened to so and so when he died?" I just told him "well, some think he went to heaven and some think he will live in a beautiful paradise one day." We know that God will bring him back to life again.
That brought him comfort and the whole topic was dropped.
I think if I keep researching I will eventually drop the bible in my mind as being inspired.
I think I will however, always believe in a creator. Im an outdoors, nature type person and I get more out of going camping and trips to the mountains in a spiritual sence than I ever got out of the kingdom hall. To me, all I have to do is look around and I see God. Nothing gets me closer to God than being in the woods with rain slowly falling and hearing a rumble of thunder in the distance. It sends chills
down my spine.
Wow, I really got off topic I think. Bottom line is this. Children want to know everything is going to be alright. They want to live forever, just like most of us do. Im not ready to take that message of hope away from my son. I will give it to him and when he grows up he can choose to believe it, or drop it. I was simply wondering how an atheist would handle a situation where a child was thrown in. Please dont get mad at me for creating this situation, because I assure you it happens daily.
I do appreciate your comments, and the message of peaceful sleep with no more pain sounds pretty good to.
