God’s Miraculous Makeover

'Our bodies will be the very same as the ones we had in life, but buff and beautiful.'

By Lisa Miller | NEWSWEEK
Published Jan 24, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Feb 2, 2009

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  • Posted By: Graycard @ 03/23/2009 1:33:36 PM

    Vanity is eternal. That's a comfort.

  • Posted By: martialguy @ 02/05/2009 11:21:11 PM

    Scientologists beliveve that:

    * Psychiatry and psychology are destructive fields which must be abolished.
    * Spiritual beings ( thetans) live many lifetimes. Thetans lived among extraterrestrial cultures before becoming trapped in bodies on Earth. Thetans were brainwashed by these extraterrestrial cultures as a means of population control
    * Thetans have existed for ???tens of trillions??? of years. During that time, thetans have been exposed to a vast number of traumatic incidents and have made a great many decisions that influence their present state. Thetans were conditioned by extraterrestrial dictatorships such as Helatrobus in an attempt to brainwash and control the population. These early events collectively are called "space opera."
    * Xenu (sometimes Xemu) was the ruler of the "Galactic Confederacy." 75 million years ago Xenu brought billions of people to Earth in spacecraft, stacked them around volcanoes and detonated hydrogen bombs in the volcanoes. The thetans then clustered together, stuck to the bodies of the living, and continue to do this today. Isolating thetans and neutralizing their ill effects are neccesary.

    Christians believe that night and day existed before the sun, the earth was flat; and the earth is just a few...thousand years old and.... dinosaurs therefore roamed in peoples' backyards.


    If you have average IQ and you research more into religions; probably you want to convert to...alcoholism

  • Posted By: sms29s66 @ 02/05/2009 12:23:34 PM

    Imagine how appalled (or apPauled) Jesus would be over what has been done in his name.

    • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/05/2009 1:07:04 PM

      A man who just wanted some Peace.

  • Posted By: louisMMVII @ 02/04/2009 5:30:32 PM

    Actually G-d is probably really excited over all this arguing! It's much more than you patronizers did on the otherside where we had it nice and comfortable. I guess you may also realize this is why we were sort of thrown out of the Kingdom in the first place. After a billion or so light years we all got lazy and patronizing and the Great Creator wasn't so happy about it. So life as we know it is the result. 6,000 years of souls will cycle thru. We're on that 6,000 yr threshold now. The last 1,000 yrs will be peaceful reconciliation which will seem as "H on earth" with real magic and alot of cool stuff headed by none other than you know who?. (Proof for the fools) By the end of this age things will be pretty much sorted out so all the doubtless will see the great transformation or ressurection. Instead of arguing I think we should focus on as Barisha said looking ahead and discover the meaning of the age we are in!!

  • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/26/2009 1:07:50 PM

    How can Jews go to heaven? Jesus taught that only Christians can go to heaven. It is not debatable.

    • Posted By: ep122 @ 02/03/2009 4:13:59 PM

      In Revelation, 144,00 Jews are the only persons who enter the kingdom of Heaven. The rest of humanity will live on the new earth. It does not make sense, but that is what the bible says.

    • Posted By: sms29s66 @ 01/26/2009 3:41:12 PM

      Define Christian.

      • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/26/2009 8:28:03 PM

        Those who believe in Jesus.

        • Posted By: skankuser @ 01/27/2009 4:48:02 PM

          But end up having different beliefs about what he did, hence, denominations.

          • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/28/2009 10:09:46 AM

            You can have as many beliefs you like, but must accept Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and try to bring Jesus's love to Jews and Muslims.

            • Posted By: catspaw @ 01/28/2009 10:34:33 AM

              Those are the written words of man, which are unfit for the spoken words of GOD. Listen with your heart not your eyes. Find true enlightment

              • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/29/2009 2:10:50 PM

                I listened with my ears and the Lord God said bring My love unto the Jews so they may believe.

                • Posted By: catspaw @ 01/29/2009 5:13:17 PM

                  And you shall be blind to what The One says to you, because The One speaks to the Heart.

                  • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/30/2009 5:47:41 PM

                    Yes, indeed the God of Christians truly does speak to my heart!

                    • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 10:57:17 AM

                      Your are blinded by the Devil

                      • Posted By: jimgreen @ 02/02/2009 2:13:21 PM

                        I do feel that what speaks to your heart may be indigestion, rather than The One. You appear apoplectic.

                        • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 4:07:29 PM

                          Have you ever walked w/ the Dead?

  • Posted By: TomCarney @ 01/27/2009 7:53:55 AM

    Muslims, Christians and Jews all believe in Heaven and Hell and the resurrection. In what form is not important, what is important is our Moral Character on Earth. How do we threat each other in this world? The greatest success is living a life that gets you into Heaven. Good is God, and God (however you call him) is great. We can all agree on what good moral character is and all religion preaches Good moral character. This is the common rallying point that we all should focus on.

    • Posted By: ep122 @ 02/03/2009 4:11:12 PM

      Jews (at least most) do not believe in Hell. The OT speaks of Sheol, a place where saint and sinner alike go after death. Hell is mostly mistranslated in the Bible from the word "sheol" and ghenna. The ideal of hell that we have today comes mostly from Dante's Inferno and Paradise Lost.

    • Posted By: Iam3rd @ 01/29/2009 12:41:20 AM

      This is just a Deist viewpoint. Living a good life is secondary to accpetance of your Saviour.

    • Posted By: catspaw @ 01/28/2009 10:52:29 AM

      I believe The One gave us all these different religions to teach us Tolerence, Acceptence and Understanding of one another. Until then, we shall live in this Hell.

    • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/27/2009 10:20:17 AM

      No, what matters is that we Christians must make clear Jesus's love to Jews and Muslims so that they accept Him and repent. Only thus can they go to heaven

  • Posted By: sms29s66 @ 02/03/2009 2:17:42 PM

    What actions do you mean? I'm not trying to be argumentative. I'd like to know. I can't see that very many people's actions have much to do with their beliefs. If you are talking about charitable actions, do you think that Christians are charitable only because it will profit them in the afterlife? If so, what sort of religion is that? It's nothing more than a bargaining game. And what makes a belief true? I imagine there are many folks out there who believe their spouses are faithful and their children are not having sex. Does that make it so?

  • Posted By: c.sadler @ 02/01/2009 3:58:37 PM

    This article outlines the classic *wish* the human race has to survive death. Its based on our fear of death. Its comical that people actually argue what or how we exist after death with there is not one shred of evidence that we do. Its all wishful thinking and we should concentrate more on the here and now and how we interact with others and just get along.

    "Neither can I believe that the individual survives the death of his body, although feeble souls harbor such thoughts through fear or ridiculous egotisms."
    ??? Albert Einstein

    • Posted By: Iam3rd @ 02/03/2009 2:06:58 PM

      I would say that ol AE can say he doesn't believe in anything after death, but everyone's actions (including his) refute any such belief. Amost all of our actions presume that we have more time on Earth than we really do. What speaks more to one's beliefs? Their words or actions?

    • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 11:18:48 AM

      We all need to read Mark Twain's Letter From The Earth. My mom says it quite enlighting.

  • Posted By: Harsu @ 01/27/2009 10:41:17 AM

    For someone who died as a baby, what form will the resuurect.ed body be. Remain as an undeveloped child or as the potential adult that the baby could have been. Is there a nursery that give the baby a good environment to grow?

    • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/27/2009 11:32:12 AM

      It depends if the baby is a Christian or not. If not, then there is no hope.

      • Posted By: sms29s66 @ 02/03/2009 11:38:43 AM

        According to Baptists, babies can't be Christians. You have to reach the age of reason (whatever that might be) in order to be born again. It involves a conscious decision. Therefore, babies are not Christians. And non-Christians by Baptist belief are not saved and therefore cannot go to heaven. That is cut and dried. No amount of double-speak can get them out of this dilemma.

      • Posted By: davie divergent @ 01/27/2009 3:14:21 PM

        I have my own theory. People with this attitude go to a place after death filled with people with the same disgusting belief and they think it's really heaven instead of hell.

        • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/29/2009 2:14:37 PM

          That's a good theory!

          • Posted By: catspaw @ 01/29/2009 5:10:34 PM

            He is talking to you idiot!

            • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/30/2009 5:38:35 PM

              That's why I said it is a good theory. It applies to Jews and Muslims.

              • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 11:15:15 AM

                Also, because of the way you believe, it does not matter if you believe in Jesus or not, The Day of Judgement you will be Judged unfit for Heaven.

                Just to let you know, I am just giving you a taste of your own medicine. Tell people that they have to believe or else. Well even if the people it states the second coming of the Christ will be the final Judgement, and how we live our lives will determined if we get through those pearly gates. Not if we believe in Jesus or not.

                • Posted By: jimgreen @ 02/02/2009 2:05:56 PM

                  I am sorry you feel bad, but unless you believe in Jesus H. Christ, you will not be able to go to heaven, no matter what else you believe.

                  • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 4:02:12 PM

                    Why do you speak Your Savior's name in vain, Jesus does not have a middle name. Therefore, what you write, you do not even believe.

              • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 10:52:48 AM

                Davie is saying YOUR belief is disgusting, and YOU are going to HELL because of YOUR belief, IDIOT!!!

                • Posted By: jimgreen @ 02/02/2009 2:09:32 PM

                  Sorry you are upset, however, Davie's theory is correct. Jews and Muslims may indeed go to a place they think is heaven, but it will not be heaven. Repent now, and read the Bible.

      • Posted By: lightningz @ 01/29/2009 3:39:17 PM

        It depends if the baby is a Christian or not. If not, then there is no hope
        I hate to say being christian has nothing to do with it at all.

      • Posted By: skankuser @ 01/27/2009 12:30:40 PM

        I certainly hope that is sarcasm. If not, and there is a hell, then I'd rather burn for eternity than worship such an a sshole.

  • Posted By: openeyes @ 01/26/2009 10:21:52 PM

    What difference does it make? I'm Christian. I believe in the second coming of Christ, but I don't think about it much. Whenever He comes, I intend to be doing what I do every day, which is the best I can make of what He asks me to do. I say, "Whatever.." to the actual nature of the resurrection, too. I'm less bothered by the uncertainties than I am by people to insist that we should -- and even can -- figure out everything there is to know about God's ways of working. A God that small is human-made, not Divine on God's own terms.

    • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/27/2009 10:22:59 AM

      You are trying to pretend that Good Works will get you into heaven. This is wrong. Only Grace will get you into heaven.

      • Posted By: Iam3rd @ 01/29/2009 12:42:33 AM

        Don't think they said anying about Good Works being the key to Heaven.

        • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/29/2009 2:16:23 PM

          Doesn't matter what they said. What matters is what we Baptists believe.

          • Posted By: sms29s66 @ 02/03/2009 10:29:46 AM

            And that's the problem with Baptists. They really are insufferable. I can't imagine a ruder, more egotistical profession than that of a Baptist missionary--Lottie Moon included. And what about the verse in James: Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only?

            • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/03/2009 11:10:09 AM

              I think I may have finally chased him off! I am so glad my Grandma was Methodist, she taught me so much about Christianity just by they she lived. I was surely blessed.

          • Posted By: lightningz @ 01/29/2009 5:34:03 PM

            1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John,[a] saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ???Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.???
            5 Then He who sat on the throne said, ???Behold, I make all things new.??? And He said to me,[b] ???Write, for these words are true and faithful.???
            6 And He said to me, ???It is done![c] I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things,[d] and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving,[e] abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.???

            • Posted By: catspaw @ 01/30/2009 10:49:23 AM

              The written word of man is an unfit vehicle for the Spoken Word of God.

              Therefore, these words I do not believe!!! I believe the words The One speaks to my Heart.

              • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/30/2009 5:45:12 PM

                Good words. A similar thought from Saint Kabir is
                Pothi padhi padhi jag mua, pundit bhaya na koye,
                Dhaayi aakhar prem ka, padhe so pundit hoye.
                It means
                Reading all the texts in the world does not make one a pundit; reading the 1 syllable of the word "love" makes one truly wise.

                • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 10:55:44 AM

                  You can't even FEEL the symbol of LOVE, because you block The One from your Heart.

                  • Posted By: jimgreen @ 02/02/2009 2:11:22 PM

                    Correct, The One is a false God, unless you accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour, He will be blocked from your heart.

                    • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 4:06:28 PM

                      The One is not Male or Female, it was man who called The One "He" and "Father" and decide that Jesus's words were saying he was the one and only Son.

                      Jesus's words were saying we are ALL CHILDREN OF GOD. But you are Blind.

            • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/30/2009 5:40:27 PM

              Wow, that's pretty scary stuff!

    • Posted By: Iam3rd @ 01/26/2009 11:32:23 PM

      Amen. I think we should keep trying to find out more about God and the universe though. No reason to shut down particle colliders. I still feel that finding out more about Creation is a worthwhile endeavor.

  • Posted By: mcleod396 @ 01/24/2009 4:20:37 PM

    There's a Buddhist meditation that involves meditating on a live human body and a dead human body beside each other.

    My conclusion was; we are the thing that animates the body.

    • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/26/2009 4:47:57 PM

      Buddhists and others who worship false Gods cannot go to heaven. read the Bible.

      • Posted By: skankuser @ 01/26/2009 7:11:05 PM

        Buddhists don't worship a "God" per say, and only Zen Buddhists have a Confucian-like "heaven" that they look too.

        But you wouldn't understand. You're too busy with your nose stuck in your own bullsh!t to understand about anything about other religious beliefs.

        • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/26/2009 8:26:33 PM

          The Dalai Lama worships Avalokiteswara (a Tibetan diety borrowed from Hinduism), so yes, Buddhists do worship false Gods. They cannot go to heaven.

          • Posted By: skankuser @ 01/27/2009 12:37:32 PM

            He doesn't worship Avalokiteswara. Some Buddhists believe him to be a modern-day reincarnation however, depending upon the sect.

            If you're going to attack something, at least get it right. You're too busy trying to figuring out ways people are going to burn in hell for not believing in your Christian stupidity.

            • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/27/2009 3:56:03 PM

              The Dalai Lama does worship Avalokiteswara. He said so in an interview I read. That the Dalai Lama is an incarnation is a different issue. But yes, Buddhists do worship Gods. It is supposed to be a Nastik faith, but the different sects have picked up dieties.

              • Posted By: skankuser @ 01/27/2009 4:47:02 PM

                Then cite your source.

                • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/28/2009 10:12:45 AM

                  It is from an issue of the Shambhala magazine. But that is besides the point. We must bring Jesus's love to Buddhists if they are to be saved. We have a Christian responsibility not to let their souls go to hell.

                  • Posted By: catspaw @ 01/28/2009 10:28:41 AM

                    Jim, if you read the teachings of the Budda, you will find the mirror the teachings of the Christ. Buddaist already know Christ, but The One has given them a different way to worship him. Accept the difference, and learn. Try to embrace what it means to be a true Christian, because you truly do not understand what it means.

                    • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/29/2009 2:12:57 PM

                      I am sorry but there is no different way to God. Jesus Christ is the way.

                      • Posted By: catspaw @ 01/29/2009 5:15:20 PM

                        You path shall end, there are more then you shall ever know becaus you are BLIND!

                        • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/30/2009 5:49:09 PM

                          Ekam Sat; Vipraha Bahudha Vadanti.
                          (There is only one truth; the wise describe it in many ways)

                          • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 11:01:23 AM

                            "The Wise Describe in Many Ways"

                            Therefore there are many paths to The One. But you choose to follow and hear only one and you feel all need to follow only one path, But the Wise Descibe In Many Ways.

                            Open you Heart to the Truth. Find the true One, then you will realize there are many paths to The One.

                            • Posted By: jimgreen @ 02/02/2009 2:14:47 PM

                              The different ways are Christian denominations to Jesus, not to your false God. Read the Bible.

                              • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 4:09:13 PM

                                I have, I have also read the Teachings of Buddha, The Quaran, and I am working on the Torah, Have you?

            • Posted By: mcleod396 @ 01/27/2009 2:52:36 PM

              Going personal is intellectually weak.

              • Posted By: skankuser @ 01/27/2009 4:46:48 PM

                Assuming your position is the correct one, and then holding that anyone who doesn't agree with you is going to hell is intellectually weak.

                • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/30/2009 5:50:24 PM

                  Correct. Don't assume anything. Simply follow Jesus.

    • Posted By: mcleod396 @ 01/27/2009 2:05:20 PM

      Any belief in specialness is the ego at work.

  • Posted By: shortimer831 @ 01/30/2009 1:49:31 AM

    Until you can reasonably prove there is a God, the articles concept of resurrection and heaven are at best wishful thinking by everyone from Pope to lay person.

    • Posted By: Iam3rd @ 02/01/2009 1:00:53 AM

      No one can 'prove' God. It is not the point.

      • Posted By: catspaw @ 02/02/2009 4:00:03 PM

        "God is within, Heaven is at hand, and We live in hell."

        The proof is within yourself, and how The One speaks to you.

  • Posted By: Barisha @ 02/01/2009 12:59:10 PM

    I agree that miracles do happen. I also believe in a resurrection of the dead the end of time. But what is key i think, is for every human being to embrace a lifestyle which promotes goodness, social justice and equality. We must ignore the nominal things which divide and focus on the significant things that unite us as Children of God.

  • Posted By: lightningz @ 01/29/2009 12:59:06 PM

    lam3rd i know more then you about the bible. and yes it matters what it says. sins an't irrelevant not even for the ones who fellow jesus. Have you really read what the new testament says. SIN does matter

    • Posted By: Iam3rd @ 02/01/2009 12:59:58 AM

      You are ridiculous, but God bless you.

    • Posted By: jimgreen @ 01/29/2009 2:05:40 PM

      You are correct. God bless you.

    • Posted By: Iam3rd @ 01/29/2009 1:10:20 PM

      It is a little disturbing that you know me so well that you can determine who knows more about the Bible. Especially since I have no idea who you are. I have read the NT though. There is also something in the OT about Pride being a sin. This applies to holier-than-thou pride as well I believe.

  • Posted By: Sabretooth1 @ 01/30/2009 2:32:39 AM

    The subject matter of this article ranks right under what color dress Michell wore today or what the first family pet had for breakfast. The only way this piece could have any value would be in the bottom of a birdcage. Even then you would have to hope the bird wasn't constipated.

    • Posted By: catspaw @ 01/30/2009 10:43:23 AM

      But it's fun to argue about, is it not?

  • Posted By: davie divergent @ 01/27/2009 3:04:06 PM

    Much of this is the usual pointless discussion that starts out with "I believe...". People believe all kinds of things, mostly wrong. This is especially true of religion since actual evidence is never forthcoming and the boat is constantly flipped around by heavy waves of bedrock lunacy.

    All this stuff about whether or not you have a body after you die and if you do what kind of body might it be is a lot of hot air and basically wasted time. Even if you are right, what are you going to tell God? "I was an obnoxious religious *** in life but who cares since I was right about what kind of body I'd have here!" Right. That'll go over well.

    If there is an afterlife and some kind of body to go with it I hope I get to hang around and watch some of these opinionated religious folks try to tell God why he didn't get the afterlife arranged in an acceptable version: "but you can't be God, it says in the bible..." or "How come my body isn't the way it's supposed to be? Who is running this place anyway? Haven't you ever read the bible?".

    • Posted By: Iam3rd @ 01/29/2009 12:47:45 AM

      Better to believe something rather than nothing though.

      • Posted By: skankuser @ 01/30/2009 8:31:22 AM

        Not necessarily. You're just regurgitating a version of Pascal's Wager for one, but also, you waste the opportunities of this life when you do carry such a belief.

  • Posted By: Sabretooth1 @ 01/29/2009 10:29:45 PM

    This article has no place in a news magazine. The resulting arguments should prove that.

  • Posted By: lightningz @ 01/29/2009 3:22:57 PM

    What matters is what we Baptists believe.

    No it don't it matters what the bible says. Also baptists or the worst people to be around besides don't they all read the same words.

  • Posted By: martialguy @ 01/27/2009 11:33:49 AM

    Things don't always work the way we think.
    A joke goes like this:
    It might be harder for a pastor to get through the Pearly Gate than a New York cab driver.
    When the pastor preaches; people might be...sleeping. When a NY cabbie drives; people might be...praying.

  • Posted By: umbrarchist @ 01/29/2009 12:26:47 PM

    Is there anything more dumb than pretending that you know what you don't know?

    When are they going to explain Melchizedek not having a mother?

    <a href=http://www.quantumcritics.com/general/star-trek-meets-the-bible.html>Bible Trek</a>

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