The ‘Resurrection of Lazarus’ by Antonio Badile at the Avanzi chapel in San Bernardino church, Verona. Photo: Renata Sedmakova/Shutterstock.comI read with interest John Guillaumier’s letter (‘No afterlife’, August 5) where he quotes the musings of others regarding the condition of the dead. Of course, the writers quoted could not possibly write from personal experience but only offer their own personal opinions.
He quoted the words of a correspondent (Albert Demanuele, July 18) who made the oft-repeated statement “...unfortunately, no one came back to tell us about it”. This claim, though, is flawed.
The bible records nine occasions when individuals were miraculously brought back from the dead but none of them spoke of a conscious existence prior to their resurrection. This is to be expected because the Holy Scriptures consistently teach that “The dead are conscious of nothing at all” (Eccles. 9:5). This is good news for those mourning the death of a loved one. They are comforted by the knowledge that the dead suffer no pain or torment in a so-called, afterlife.
There is good news also to anyone who contemplates the inevitability of death because the bible likens the condition of the dead to a deep sleep from which they can be awakened to find themselves in much better circumstances than previously experienced (Acts 24:15).
Recently, several thousand copies of the world’s top Christian magazine were distributed in Malta and Gozo featuring the article ‘What does the bible say about life and death?’ It can be downloaded free of charge from JW.ORG in over 300 languages. Readers of the article will find it refreshing and positive in contrast with the theories of writers who can only resign themselves to a perceived future of nothingness and hopelessness.