I have to admit that when I first read Ray's explanation that when you die you are dead I was actually relieved. It always bothered me that people are sitting up in Heaven looking down at me making mistakes and they can do nothing about it, or worse, they are up there talking about me and laughing about those mistakes. I think it is selfish of us to wish there was a Heaven. The only thing it would do is make us feel better. We always say someone has gone on to a 'better place'. How could a place be better if it took us completely out of the loop so to speak -- able to see everything happen but unable to do anything about it. Better to be at peace, not knowing anything. That truly is a better place. Imagine going to sleep and immediatly waking back up to see Jesus. THAT is my idea of mercy. As far as ghosts go, I have never believed in ghosts. I get the prickles on the back of my neck seeing ghosts in movies and of course there were moments in my life that I would have sworn I saw something or someone that really wasn't there. But I never thought it was a ghost. There is a whole other world out there. The Bible talks of angels and devils. That is what we see and experience. It is just another temptation that we have to overcome. Those of us who don't come into contact with 'ghosts' are just like those that never are tempted to speed, or get drunk or smoke. It is just not something that would tempt us to sin, so we are never tempted with it. If you were afraid of ghosts and truly believed in them, if you were tempted to talk to mediums and get your fortune read and use a ouigi board, then you would see ghosts and hear them because God would probably send spirits to tempt you to continue to believe in it all. Believe the Bible. When you die you are dead, a peaceful death that is like sleeping without dreaming. And I also like to imagine that since our spirit (breath) goes back to the One who gave it to us (God) then our sleep will be the most comfortable sleep we have ever had, resting in the arms of the Creator. Aaaaah!
Terri