where do you think people go after they die ?
do they go straight to heaven. or there asleep until the rapture when jesus comes .
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M$6 Answers
The idea of the rapture came about many, many generations after the life of Jesus, and has become a profit machine. The "Left Behind" franchise is just a disgusting money-grubbing greed fest, and those who sell fear of the rapture to obtain control over their "flock" are equally shameful.
Read the bible for yourself, rather than allowing others to tell you what it says. To really understand it, study ancient history (not with a priest or bible study group, but in an objective history class). If you do not understand the historical construct in which the bible was written (i.e. the largely oral story telling tradition that did NOT assume stories were literal or that contradictory tales couldn't both be true in a sense) you do not understand the bible.
To conclude: Pat Robertson is not your friend. Repeat that a few times.
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M$
Science
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M$
I love it when science agrees with the Bible. :)
The answer above is exactly what the Bible says happens when we die. The "nothing" (no memories, no emotions, no thoughts) is also referred to as "sleep" (because of the anticipated resurrection) but it's understood to be the same nothingness that science agrees with.
A note of personal clarification, the typical use of the word Rapture isn't a scriptural event. It was derived from a parable telling us that not everyone will choose to go to Heaven. I prefer to refer to the event described in the askers question as the Second Coming (the first being Jesus life on Earth).
Did you know (in this context) that there will be a Third? It's all in the Bible. But don't take my word for it, read it for yourself. Many people are surprised to discover what's actually there (as opposed to what people SAY is). :)
I disagree, @silverhammer. The answer above merely states that at the point of death, the consciousness expires, but this is not something that has been empirically verified. Probably philosophy is a better term than science for this argument.
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
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M$For example, Paul writes:
"We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord ... we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. " (2 Cor. 5:6-8)
"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ... My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account." (Phil. 1:20-24)
It seems that he's talking about a state of being in which he's separated from his physical body, but still conscious and in contact with God.
The passages that discuss believers in Christ "falling asleep," when coupled with passages regarding the resurrection, seem to imply to me that the term "sleep" is chosen to reflect that what is happening is not a permanent state. When you go to sleep, you wake up again. When your soul is separated from your body (death), they will be rejoined again (the resurrection).
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M$
To add: do NOT read a version of the bible that the rapture crowd has edited. They have actually added statements to the bible that were never there, to try to convince you that (one can assume) the original authors somehow "missed" something.
Buy yourself a copy of the "Good News" translation. It is considered by many biblical scholars to be the translation most accurate to the original text (for those of us who don't have time to learn another language).