NewLifeFromHeaven.com Blog

After the interviews of people of faith, now it is time to turn to atheists and agnostics.
Mr. Dore, who does not like labels, said, “I’ve always considered myself a spiritual person.”
A contributing factor to his ‘spirituality’ would be his religious background. His Dad was raised Catholic, while his Mom’s background was most likely Protestant.
And yet, for Mr. Dore, spirituality is not necessarily theistic. Dore said, “The idea of God is not something I can wrap my head around.”
A probable cause of this mental inelasticity had to do with his upbringing. He said, “We rarely talked about actual religion.”
But Mr. Dore still thinks “It is important to be exposed to spirituality.”
He is open to the idea of going to church, but would prefer that they “don’t really press the religion on the audience.” Mr. Dore cited that a unitarian or universalist church could fit the ticket.
With his engagement, he is now thinking more about religion. His fiancee was raised Catholic; his fiancee’s Dad is Irish Catholic and her Mom is a Puerto Rican Catholic.
Some of his questioning revolves around prayer. Mr. Dore believes that we determine what is going to happen in our lives, and not a prayer.
The conversation then turned to the afterlife. When asked about Hell, Mr. Dore replied with a smile, “I think I’m going.”
Mr. Dore elaborated on his response. “The afterlife would be fun but I don’t necessarily think it exists. The afterlife is a phenomena you wouldn’t know anything about until you are dead.”
The specifics of the Christian afterlife were also discussed. Mr. Dore said about the existence of eternal homes, “Heaven and Hell: that is such a toss up for me.”
Furthermore, there is the Last Judgment. Dore declared, “I wouldn’t want to be judged,” but he added, “I also think I am a good person.”
As to the morality of this world, Mr. Dore said, “I would like to believe there is more good in this world than evil.”
The Religious Viewpoint now continues with more Atheist and Agnostic interviews:

Ms. Boucher said Catholic guilt has caused some turmoil in her spiritual life. This has led her to exclaim, “I just can’t make up my mind. I’m flexible. I’m willing to consider possibilities.”
On the one hand, Boucher likes the spiritual insights of the Quakers, on the other had, she said, “I am a searcher on a journey. This is sort of a way of saying I just don’t know. I like the independent study of religion.”
Boucher likened her search to taking a national roadtrip while only using state maps.
The image of America also carries a spiritual analogy for Ms. Boucher. She said, “In some ways, being an American causes me to be a seeker: we are expected to question and to seek out knowledge.”
This is not the only factor in her spiritual search. Boucher said, “It is part of my personality to question and not assume: whether this be for better or for worse.”
As to the idea of a Final Judgment after death, Boucher said, “I hope it goes well for me.”
Ms. Boucher also elaborated on what she thought the criteria for judgment was. She said, in the form of a question, “Did you generally try to be a good person while you were on the planet?”
As to her judgment, she asked the judge to “be nice.”
Boucher explained that the judgment determined our eternal state. She said, “Those who are deemed worthy, go to a very nice place; those who are lacking, go to a not very nice place, if either place exists.”

Josh Hamburg finds differing viewpoints in his household. His Mom is Roman Catholic, while his Dad is Jewish. When he was growing up, he would go to Catholic church during the week,? and temple on Friday. When he was eight years old, he decided not to go any more, but he kept his belief in higher force.
Hamburg was concerned with the discord that religion causes. He said, “Organized religion is the most divisive force, joining one would create more of a division.”
This was the reason he “did not want to be in a certain sect or denomination.”
Hamburg explained, “I only have three members in my family, and we have three different religions, so this causes some interesting dinner conversations.”
He said they will “debate over one point, and it will come down to religion.”
The range of their discussions goes from “what is kosher to international politics.”
When asked if the different faiths of Wayland have affected him, he said, “Wayland hasn’t affected my spirituality, but my outlook on other beliefs.”
Furthermore, Hamburg prays. He communicates with a higher power in his head. He said, he does “refer to this as God.”
Hamburg shared one certainty. He said, “There definitely is an after life, I don’t know if it is heaven, hell, reincarnation, but it does not end in black; otherwise your life would be completely meaningless.”

Soo Jin Lim has struggled with the numerous faiths of the family members that surround her. Her sister and mom are Catholic, her dad is an Atheist, some members are Buddhist, another one is a different kind of Buddhist, her Mom’s brother has Traditional Korean beliefs, and her Aunt is a Christian.
Lim was exasperated. She said, “It is really confusing; which one is the correct one?”
This issue has not been just a recent one. Lim said, “I’ve been dealing with this problem since 4th grade”
With resignation, Lim said, “At some point, I gave up trying to find where I am, but I kind of wish I could have faith in something, I want to believe in something, I just don’t know what it is.”
At the moment, Lim believes that there is “no afterlife: you are worm food.”
Part of her personality is tinted with logical positivism. She said, “Unless I am 110% sure of the fact, I cannot believe it.”
Sadly, she said, “I never believed in Santa Claus.”
And yet, Lim believes in some type of fate. She said, “Some things happen because they are meant to be; even if bad things happen, good can come out of it.”

Alex Korndorf went to Catholic school, but he now feels that God is no longer necessary.
He said, “I don’t see why I should believe in a god; there is no reason from science and I have no need for personal fulfillment.”
Korndorf said that the reason most people pursue religion is that they do not want to make decisions for themselves. People would rather have a set of beliefs governing the choices they have to make.
Not believing in an after life, he said, “to some extent, we all realize that this life is all we have.”
Korndorf is frustrated with anyone that sets aside reason. He has gradually grown more intolerant of religion. He said, “Religion seems like imagination to me.”
Yet, he said, “Some religions are more ethically viable than others.”
Readers, please give me some feedback on this column. Let me know if you want to be interviewed. Tell me if we should continue with people of faith or people with skepticism. Either, God bless you, or live long and prosper.

!!Quotes of Week:

Anon: “These new mice are tiny and tacky. The keyboards are clunky and are like five bucks; I think they got them at Big Lots.”

Ms. Boucher: “I would like that chair to be made out of candy so I could eat it.”

!! Pseudo Obits
In a tragic situation last Friday, Jill Nietzel and Sarah Murphy were attacked while walking past a Walkers’ Restaurant. In shock, Nietzel died of a heart attack. Murphy died of a blunt head injury. Their loving families will sadly miss these two brave women. A witness to the crime reported that “both of the ladies cried out to Super Man to save them.” This odd phenomena of belief in superheros has also been testified to in other bizarre incidents. Further research reveals that a new cult has formed around the Man of Steel. The leaders of this religion claim that Super Man offers a 50% money back guarantee if he fails to save adherents. Both families will be receiving this money.

Ready for relief from school, junior Danica Fredricks said, “I’m ready for spring break.”
She has reason for this. For one, she cites the conditions caused by the weather. Tired of the ice, Fredricks said, “I’ve slipped so many times.”
She is also empathetic towards other students. Fredricks said, “There are people who want to go back home to the weather they are used to. A lot of people hate Wisconsin just because of the weather. Wisconsin is not that bad. The nature up North is really pretty; you can boat, ski, wake board, go water tubing, or snowmobiling. In my hometown, Eagle River, WI, they really celebrate winter.”
On the other hand, Fredricks showed some frustration at how other students treat the winter conditions. She said, “Some people don’t wear coats when it’s below zero; that’s crazy. I have a big fluffy coat to keep me warm.”
Senior Lark Jackson is having both mental and physical symptoms. On her mental health, Jackson said, “For the most part, I have been pretty focused. I don’t want teachers to think I have totally checked out.”
The health of her body is a different story. Jackson said, “I have a cold, but I might have the flu; I am trying to be optimistic. The dorm life has contributed to my sickness.”
Jackson has reasons why her mind is muddled; she also knows she is not alone. She said, “I am so close to graduation yet so far. There is also an anxiety among the rest of the seniors because of college; I have had a wonderful experience during my few years, but I want to know what the future holds.
Jackson’s experience with the weather is common. She said, “I sometimes do feel unmotivated. I can attribute that to the weather. Your overall mood changes, you seem a lot more uninspired.”
But Jackson was quick to note “there is a big difference between depression and sadness.”
Sophomore Matt Hernandez differentiated between the two. “Sad is just an emotion that comes and goes; depression is long term.”
He also highlighted his own ill health. “With the winter season, I always feel so tired and exhausted.”
Unexpectedly, Hernandez went into the third person and said, “Matt has been grouchy and mean.”
Hernandez then explained his emotions. “I hate the winter. Wisconsin gets it so bad; it snows too much.”
As a cure for his malady, he suggested, “We need to leave campus some times. I get bored and depressed.”
Hernandez also cited another solution for this time of year. “Once a week, every other week, we should have off.”
His final plea was for “just one day off, that’s all we’re asking for.”
Junior Jackie Barron also echoed some of Hernandez’s sentiments. “We should have some school trips to help us out.”
Barron illustrated her reasoning. She said, “Every time I go outside and see the slush [look of disgust].”
Slush on her pants has caused extra laundry. Barron said, “I had to change pants today because they got too wet.”
Barron had one explanation for why students are sick. She said, “We eat junk.”
Junior Sara Baig is still hopeful. Baig said, “We have four weeks before we are done for break.”
And yet, she asked, “Do I look like I’m happy?”
The reason for her unhappiness was apparent. Baig said, “Look at my nose; it’s hurting. I’m dying. Don’t you just hate it when you have to sneeze and you can’t?”
When asked if she feels like she has to carry tissues with her all the time, Baig replied, “I don’t feel like it, I have to.”
Baig also commented on the slush problem. “Just like they provide teachers with laptops, students should be given long rain/snow boots.”
Junior Spencer Schumann seemed to have a horrible predicament. He said, “I used to think SAD was a fallacy; now I can diagnosis myself with it.”
Schumann cited one major cause of his illness. “After two days of class, you are already burnt out.”
When asked if his school work has suffered because of his syndrome, Schumann said, “Yes, immensely.”
All four agreed, “Wayland should have more activities this time of year.”
When asked if he was sick, junior Tyler Hill said, “No, knock on wood.”
As to the reason for his health, he said, “I have the vitality of an ox.”
When asked if he was taking any precautions to keep the germs away, he said, “I have been trying to drown everything with orange juice.”
The author asks everyone to drown their food in vitamin C. If not for you, at least for the rest of us who don’t want to get sick; and, please, cover your mouth.