"The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you" - What Churches Should First Teach

A Park around Tokyo

What Churches Should First Teach  

There is a report on an old sister of the Catholic Church who was respected as a leader of an religious organization as she behaved so religiously and devotionally.  When her death came near due to a serious sickness, she still spoke and taught as a model Christian.  But several minutes before her death, she said to a priest who visited her, "Is there really an afterlife? I am afraid of death."

Swedenborg, who saw the spirit world while living in this world in the 18th century, wrote that people cannot see the spirit world because they do not believe existence of the afterlife and they do not understand that there are spiritual persons or souls within their bodies.  And he wrote that the spiritual person or the soul in one's body is the true person of a man.       

However, Christianity is based on belief in spiritual power of Christ Jesus and existence of the God in the spiritual world.  So, it is very sorry that members of Christian churches, such as said old sister, do not believe the existence of the afterlife.  And, as they cannot see the spirit world, except those who have had near-death experiences, they are afraid of death.

It tells that Christianity of today has a serious problem.  Most of priests, pastors, and other leaders of churches seem not to fully believe the existence of the afterlife and the spirit world.  Otherwise, every church should first proclaim that there is the afterlife or the spirit world where men continue to live after death in this world, so that people should not be afraid of death.  However, even the Pope of the Vatican does not try to diffuse the notion to the world so as to save people from the fear of death. 

Swedenborg wrote that if people were given the idea of existence of the afterlife, they might try to stop efforts to go on living but would die as soon as possible when they face difficulties in living in this world.  Nonetheless, as everyman has a mission in life in this world, he should not give up his life only because he knows that he can be saved in the afterlife.  For this reason, according to Swedenborg, the afterlife is hidden from men by the God.

Nonetheless, Christ Jesus tried to save minds of poor people who were suffering in this world by preaching that they would be accepted in Heaven and become happy there.  Christ Jesus tried to save the poor by telling them that they could go on living in the spirit world and eventually in Heaven and they would be relived from pains and sufferings to be happy after death.

This is the main theme in the teachings of Christ Jesus.  And the basic notion is that there is the afterlife, which every church, including the Vatican, should first teach to their members and the general public. 

Indeed, souls of men never die in this world, but souls of evil men should die or be killed by the God in the hell.                    

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Luke 10, King James Version

8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you:
9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say,
11 Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.
12 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city.
13 Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.
14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the judgment, than for you.