the illusion of evil... by Linda Stewart, experiencer
Q: How can you say there is no devil or evil?
I state with confidence that there is no such
thing as a devil and there is no such thing as evil. This is not an opinion for me; it is a fact based on my experience. Also,
through the extensive research of Near Death literature and talking with others who have had a NDE, I have found this statement
expressed often by NDErs. In fact, enlightened spiritual seekers of many diverse paths express this same, firm conviction.
When I stood in God's presence and understood
that I was in the original source of all Love and that Love was omnipresent, it was the most profound experience of my life.
However, even if you have not had an NDE or another form of direct communication with God, surely sheer logic would confirm
that God, who created all that exists, did not create a devil and God did not create evil. Those are concepts of an expression
devoid of love. God is the Creator of all that exists and God as Love, creates only Love.
You might ask, if there is no sin, why do I see
what looks like wickedness and evil?
I answer you truly; evil is an illusion, a false
perception representing human construct rather than the truth of God. God creates only Love; therefore, any perception we
have of hate or evil can only be a projection of our limited understanding. We believe that the consequence of mistakes is
retribution. God looks upon what others might see as actions of evil with no judgment; and, therefore we can look upon
them as merely mistakes to be corrected. Remember that we are spiritual children and our understanding is limited.
When we get angry we might want to hit another
person, or give the middle finger to a person in a car who cuts us off on the highway, or wish pain or loss upon those who
have offended or hurt us in some way. Therefore, in trying to understand the powerful and elusive concept of a God who is
the Creator of all existence, we project our understanding of right and wrong and our concept of justice onto how God
must surely react.
In essence, we project a God in our image rather
than understanding that we are made in God's image. Because of the young stage of our spiritual development, when we observe
our own anger, need for vengeance, jealousy, warring ways, etc., and remember that we are told we are made in the image of
God, we make the mistaken assumption that God therefore, is angry, vengeful, jealous and warring. We have made an incorrect
assumption based on the wrong premise. When we are told we are made in the image of God, that is not referring to our earth-based
physical, egotistical, emotional body, it is referring to our inner nature of loving perfection which is our spiritual task
of uncovering.
When we pass into the next dimension and look
back on what we had thought to be life and although we had experienced the material world as a real dimension, we come to
understand that physical life does not exist except through our perception.
For anyone who has had a nightmarish experience
such as being brutally tortured, raped and mutilated, or perhaps watched a family member or friend suffer through what appears
to be the consequences of evil actions, the concept I have stated may be vehemently rejected.
And it is appropriate, on earth, to react as if
brutish, hate-filled actions are a reality by insisting that those who do not obey the laws of appropriate social behavior,
be separated from society where they can be rehabilitated (not punished). We can only react to what we understand. That is
why, as long as we are on earth, we must obey the rules of the earth. But if we
accept that earth is not our only and final home, that there is a Heaven where God is centered and to which we will return,
then we also need to prepare ourselves with understanding that is appropriate for the transition into the next dimension.
The concepts I have presented are difficult to
accept because we hold tenaciously onto this material world as our only reality. To admit this world is not real may be too
frightening for some. It takes having the perspective from outside this world to see that the life we think to be so real
is more like a dream than an actuality.
This concept may even be impossible for some,
at present, because our culture is entrenched with religious terms such as, heaven, hell, good, bad, devil, evil, etc. Many
people hold onto religious beliefs in lieu of spiritual convictions because they fear that even the act of questioning and
reexamining the dogma of their religion might hold the threat of hell, as it once did for me. But the truth remains that either
God is total goodness or there are aspects of God that are evil, and to think that God, in any way, has any form of evil in
his expression is inconceivable. I know that God, in his absolute goodness, does not visit ruin upon his creations. "
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suicide NDE... By Nadia McCafferty, three-time NDEr
(one by suicide), after which she founded Angelstaff.org., a volunteer organization that assists the terminally
ill.
The sense of isolation we feel as humans is a lonely experience. Our serenity comes to
us in small pieces. Like hungry animals we must savor each morsel with gratitude, knowing that beyond this life we will find
limitless serenity and love. As much as I wanted that, I was forced to realize that I had been tasked and that I would not
be allowed to shirk from my responsibility. My choice was simple. I could live a twisted life full of bitterness, or I could
accept my responsibility with an open heart.
One might think that such a decision would take
many years of agonizing, yet it was as though I simply thrown a switch and turned on a new light -- the light of my own responsibility.
Since that day, I've not once contemplated suicide again.
This experience changed my life
completely. Once I understood that I couldn't go back, I stopped fighting with the world and began trying to pass on
the love that I received to those around me.
In my work with the terminally ill, I draw upon
my own experiences for the benefit of those who are making their transition to another dimension. Having lost my own
fear of death long ago, I know with every fiber of my being that love can never fail us. It is this certainty that I
can pass along to people who are dying and to those that are troubled and in turmoil.