NDE patient Howard Storm was told by Jesus and his angels that any religion has its value according to its results in bringing one closest to God. 58
In a general sense, our religious efforts toward God are means, and not ends in themselves. It is Catholic theology that anyone regardless of religion or even non-religion may be saved, by obeying their conscience.MMM The greatest value of any religion is promoting moral and spiritual development in their members; in this way each religion is of great value. God gives, and uses the sacraments, but is not limited to their use alone.
MMM Both Catholic and NDE teaching have an individual’s moral conscience as the pivotal factor in salvation. Christ forms every person and every moral conscience. Layers of religions and traditions shape conscience, but Christ remains at its core, and to follow one’s conscience is to follow Christ.
Conscience may err, but we must follow both its positive promptings and its negative prohibitions, (CCC 1776). The Christian religion is the gift of most intimate union with Christ, who is God. Other religions that promote denial of self, toward union with God are of course legitimate.
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The most obvious example is the Jewish faith which contains no Christian sacraments. Yet the Jewish prophets attained deeply into Heaven. Those with a great love even prior to Judaism may also be expected to have attained Heaven.
Buddhists seeking ideal forms of love, Greek and Roman Stoics doing likewise, and anyone reaching outside of self interest is liable to incorporation into Christ. The development of the Christian religion took centuries, but at every stage God revealed ideals of personal morality through individual conscience, and religions such as Buddhism, Stoicism, Confucianism. In this way, each religion gives guidance to personal morality, which both the Church and NDE’s view as the decisive factor in judgment. Christianity is the highest cultivation of religion due to its intimate union with Christ, who is Heaven itself.
In NDE’s, agnostics and even atheists seem to be judged on their personal morality rather than any lack of religion. Most seek a relationship with God after their NDE. Many people who never practiced religion, began a deep relationship with God after their NDE. Many saw in detail the results of their large and small actions and inactions, and became much more mindful of the morality of their actions. NDE’s have a far greater moral conversion rate than any religion.
The idea that NDE’s are tricks of the Devil has no foundation. During NDE’s, patient’s are made aware of Heaven and the conditions for attaining it; Jesus is often encountered, and Hell and Purgatory are shown as places to be avoided. There simply is no trickery.
This book promotes the Catholic faith as the best means available for one’s deepest sharing in Christ. The evidence for this is the ongoing supernatural virtues of its members (Jn 10:38; Mt 17:20). These miracles are evidence beyond human abilities, and they result from a participation in the divinity of Christ. To 84
share in the divine nature of God (2Pet 1:4, CCC 398) is not frosting on the cake of salvation, but the very reason we are given creation. It is our fullest union with God, and we bring our perfected virtues of this life. Being so fundamental, we are not amazed at the side effects. Bishops around the world will investigate the occurrence of miracles in their diocese…but none will investigate why such miracles do not occur.
Sacraments offer reform of the obstacle of sin, and a renewed opportunity at divine union with God. Our divine union with Christ was God’s intended destiny for humanity (CCC 398), and it was to be made in this life. It follows that a religion devoted to union with Christ (Christianity) would the highest development in religion. Any religion can ultimately end in salvation, but valid sacraments offer a sharing in the divine person of God, now in this life.
The response of Catholic’s to NDE revelations should be one of encouragement. Recall that NDE’s are not meant to be Christian instruction or doctrine; these already exist in the Church. NDE’s confirm what is already doctrine and give us a glimpse of the pay off.
Those experiencing NDE’s are often victims of this unfair life, but they confirm that God is aware of this, and wants us to push on in faith. NDE victims of suicide are turned back at the gates of Heaven and told to stick it out. NDE’s reveal the enormous importance of our every act, and its profound consequences. NDE’s confirm the primacy of the life of the spirit and the temporary nature of our earthly existence. We should make ourselves ready to step into the next life at any moment and give good answer to Christ’s question, “What did you do with your life?”
We are joyful for those having gone before, knowing that the all loving God now fulfills their every goodness. Every 85
disorder in our lives on earth will be reformed into perfection by the efforts of the body of Christ, of which we are members. We will see every act of faith existing as eternal glory, and every day as a record existing for all time and for eternity.
Spiritual level (vibration of spirit)
NDE visitors to Heaven often speak of every entity having a unique spiritual frequency of oscillation. Catholic theology does not speak of such a spiritual oscillation at all, and there is no contradiction to existing teachings.
Such an oscillation is expected from our knowledge of science however. Physics speaks of every entity as having a wave nature, which may also become a material nature.NNN Our underlying nature is spiritual, and it may be observed in some manner. This frequency of oscillation would be an expected observation. Science currently understands that everything is based on vibrating super strings of energy.OOO
NNN The latest scientific idea of being, has matter existing as some undefined wave of energy. As a decision is needed —to remain as energy or to become matter— such as the observation of an electron; this energy “probability wave” collapses into a decision for energy or matter. These energy waves may be what we understand to be “super strings” of pure energy, which may ultimately be found to be thoughts of God, or some scientific phraseology of this idea, “ultrastasis mobilized being”.
The created moral virtues, are unstudied in such a manner, and are known only by their current existence as: patience, love, hate, faith, doubt and more. Recall that a vice is simply a virtue which is limited by selfishness, to its owner only. God does not create the vices, only the virtues.
OOO Physics of the “Big Bang” gives an indication of eternal being. It is thought that the universe was a single super dimension, static until the big bang. Religion calls this unmoved, mover, God. At this event the super dimension unfolded into specific offspring dimensions such as time and space. From theology we know that eternity is the unified existence of cause and effect, God is the cause, and God is the effect. At creation this closed cycle of eternity subdivides into lesser dimensions, that we call creation. This unfolding of dimensions were detached from God’s absolute will, making them a created entity.
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NDE visitors describe all of creation as having a frequency of spirit that is derived from the spirit of Jesus, (who has the highest frequency). This is just a rewording of the idea that all creation comes from Christ, and we are made in the image of God.
Arthur Yensen observed this aspect of spirit, as it exists in the perfection of Heaven. It was explained to him by an elder of Heaven, “Everything is maintained by an all pervading master vibration of spirit which prevents aging and breakdown. Your thoughts are vibrations which are controlled by the master vibration which neutralizes all negative thoughts and lets you think only good thoughts of love, freedom and happiness.” 59
This rather new age sounding explanation has sound basis in Christian theology. In Heaven (who is Christ), our own free wills, shall operate within the bounds of the will of Christ.
The “master vibration” that the elder of Heaven speaks of may be some principle of nature created by Christ.