He/she is looking down on me......

[ninerbuff]

I always hear the term, "he/she is looking down or out for you" from people who believe that a deceased love one is responsible for good fortune when something good happens. So here's what I'm wondering. What if a parent or loved one died and that person left behind took it horribly and ended up in drugs or totally dysfunctional? Now that entity "looking down" at them is what....still happy in heaven? Or sad now? Or upset because they had to leave sooner than the wanted because they weren't able to guide their loved one?
I've seen many a kid whose life gets disrupted by divorce, so I could imagine how easily it could happen if they lost a parent at a young age.
So again, if that child or loved one became an addict, dysfunctional or even a criminal because of the loss, how do you think the "soul" of the loved is feeling about this? And since there's nothing they can do about it, what happens if their child or loved one gets condemned to hell? And if it did, how happy are they now in heaven?

 

[angellous_evangellous]

To me, that's a term of endearment... a way to remember someone passed.

 

[ninerbuff]

I hear ya. But many actually believe that a deceased love one is still involved in their life by influencing "forces of nature" that we regular humans don't have control over. I'd like to hear the explanation or why they even believe it's true.

 

[astarath]

It is an idea that is not biblically founded but is more of a secular Christian term to reassure people that their loved ones are in heaven watching them. Nice sentiment, not found in the bible anywhere.

 

[ninerbuff]

It is an idea that is not biblically founded but is more of a secular Christian term to reassure people that their loved ones are in heaven watching them. Nice sentiment, not found in the bible anywhere.

So my point is, if that is the belief, what if the loved one is looking down at a child or family member that's a total wreck? or in jail? or committing crimes? Where's the "influence" now?

 

[ninerbuff]

bump!

 

[emptybe]

It is an idea that is not biblically founded but is more of a secular Christian term to reassure people that their loved ones are in heaven watching them. Nice sentiment, not found in the bible anywhere.

What about the great cloud of witnesses?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

So my point is, if that is the belief, what if the loved one is looking down at a child or family member that's a total wreck? or in jail? or committing crimes? Where's the "influence" now?

Then grandma or grandpa looking down from Heaven is very disappointed in you, so you'd better shape up so they can be proud of you again, mister.


... or something like that.

 

[james2ko]

I always hear the term, "he/she is looking down or out for you" from people who believe that a deceased love one is responsible for good fortune when something good happens. So here's what I'm wondering. What if a parent or loved one died and that person left behind took it horribly and ended up in drugs or totally dysfunctional? Now that entity "looking down" at them is what....still happy in heaven? Or sad now? Or upset because they had to leave sooner than the wanted because they weren't able to guide their loved one?
I've seen many a kid whose life gets disrupted by divorce, so I could imagine how easily it could happen if they lost a parent at a young age.
So again, if that child or loved one became an addict, dysfunctional or even a criminal because of the loss, how do you think the "soul" of the loved is feeling about this? And since there's nothing they can do about it, what happens if their child or loved one gets condemned to hell? And if it did, how happy are they now in heaven?

This is one of traditional Christianity's biggest misconceptions. It stems from a misunderstanding of what the bible reveals about the substance of man.

 

[ninerbuff]

Then grandma or grandpa looking down from Heaven is very disappointed in you, so you'd better shape up so they can be proud of you again, mister.


... or something like that.

Haha! If that were true, then my grandparents would flip over in their graves and redie again! I ain't no saint!

 

[ninerbuff]

This is one of traditional Christianity's biggest misconceptions. It stems from a misunderstanding of what the bible reveals about the substance of man.

So why do so many say it? Is it just a "hopeful" and comforting thought? If it ain't real, then why even ponder? Or are christians that believe this afraid to face the truth?

 

[Erebus]

So again, if that child or loved one became an addict, dysfunctional or even a criminal because of the loss, how do you think the "soul" of the loved is feeling about this? And since there's nothing they can do about it, what happens if their child or loved one gets condemned to hell? And if it did, how happy are they now in heaven?

Their spirit would probably know nothing about the child's misfortune. Memory is a function of the brain and the brain dies with the body. Anything left of the dead person would probably be very different to who they were in life.
Assuming the spirit retains some form of memory, how would experiencing death affect their perception? Would they see the universe on a galactic scale and understand that the suffering of their child is both temporary and insignificant? Perhaps they would reincarnate and only remember their child via a vague feeling of dejavu if they happened to encounter them.
Also I don't believe in eternal Hell, I believe we go through heaven and hell throughout our lives. Nature doesn't seem to have any species that is permanently suffering or permanently at bliss and even those with remarkably blissful or horrible lives die someday.

 

[ninerbuff]

Their spirit would probably know nothing about the child's misfortune. Memory is a function of the brain and the brain dies with the body. Anything left of the dead person would probably be very different to who they were in life.
Assuming the spirit retains some form of memory, how would experiencing death affect their perception? Would they see the universe on a galactic scale and understand that the suffering of their child is both temporary and insignificant? Perhaps they would reincarnate and only remember their child via a vague feeling of dejavu if they happened to encounter them.
Also I don't believe in eternal Hell, I believe we go through heaven and hell throughout our lives. Nature doesn't seem to have any species that is permanently suffering or permanently at bliss and even those with remarkably blissful or horrible lives die someday.

To me the "hope" that passed love ones are still around is what people want. No one ever wants to hear that they will NEVER see a person they care about again. Death is inevitable and permanent. So this fallacy of "looking in on" a loved one after death is just a way to comfort the living and nothing more IMO.

 

[Erebus]

To me the "hope" that passed love ones are still around is what people want. No one ever wants to hear that they will NEVER see a person they care about again. Death is inevitable and permanent. So this fallacy of "looking in on" a loved one after death is just a way to comfort the living and nothing more IMO.

Yep, pretty much agreed there.

 

[james2ko]

So why do so many say it? Is it just a "hopeful" and comforting thought? If it ain't real, then why even ponder?

The doctrine of the immortality of the soul came from pre-Christian Greek philosophers (Socrates and later Plato) who acquired it from paganistic Egypt and Babylon. The infiltration of this popular superstition into the churches took centuries. The early church fathers were divided on this subject. Finally, Thomas Aquinas, Italian scholastic teacher and theologian, stamped the doctrine permanently on the Christian-professing world. Not only did this doctrine become religious dogma in the medieval world, those who rejected it became branded as heretics.

Or are christians that believe this afraid to face the truth?

Sorry....I cannot speak for anyone else....