Source: UTK Online Reserves (reprinted with permission)
Reverend Thomas Newcastle (picture witheld) of the Neo Savior Church spoke to students at the University of Tennessee about a variety of topics, both spiritual and otherwise. The reverend is considered controversial by many in his field for his views on the afterlife and God's role in a individual's life. His speech was attended by members of the Chrisitan Student Union and the Jewish Worship Society. Below is a transcript of his speech...
What happens when we die? Life after death is a question pondered by many, an enigma that the living can never fully understand. For some, specifically those who believe in a transcendent spiritual world, the reward of a wholesome life coming to an end is the gift of heaven. Or, for the amoral and so-called unwashed masses, their punishment are the fiery depths of hell. For those who do not subscribe such religious notions, such questions are irrelevant. Their futures are no more than an eternal void of nothingness, since such beliefs in an afterlife are mere superstition and fairy tales. Other "enlightened" individuals subscribe to the notions of reincarnation and karma. Oh, he'll get it in the next life some might say. Reincarnation, like Hell, has been addressed by many religions and discussed by many theologens as two different, separate fates. But what if the two are not separate, but go hand in hand...
Why do good people die? Why would God take this man, this woman, this child away from a family that has devoted their lives to serving Him? Why would God do that? God, the Almighty, the Powerful Ruler and Creator of all things. Some simple-minded people blame it on Satan. How can this be if God, who loves us according to the Bible, is more powerful than Satan? Why do some people blame everything bad that happens on the devil and give God credit for all that is right with the world? This is a flawed logic. Some say that God created the world but has lost all interest in it and its daily routine. He is like an absentee father, if you will excuse the pun: he is there, but he doesn't really do anything. With this logic, prayers are useless, as they fall on deaf ears. The whole concept of the church is equally pointless, although some would argue this point regardless of their line of thinking. God doesn't care, right? Oh, but he does care. This World is his creation and He has given us the gift of free will. In all likelihood, God probably doesn't care that much about us. All He cares about are those of us who actually follow his Word and make it to Heaven. But what happens to everyone else? Do they go straight to hell, or suffer for a while in purgatory? Or are they reincarnated and given another shot? How about all three...
How likely is this scenario: A man who lives a sinful life, dies, is reincarnated and spends his life, his new life, suffering a hell on earth. Try this one: a man who lives an otherwise moral and upstanding life, does one thing wrong and dies before he can ask God for forgiveness. Is Hell really the answer for this individual? Would a loving, forgiving God reject this man for one indiscretion, one sin? Would a loving God reject a Jew or a Muslim simply because they are not a Christian, assuming Christianity turns out to be right? It is a relevant question. Myself, I have known more Jewish and Islamic people that have acted more 'Christian' than most people who consider themselves Christians. Then there is the great question of homosexuality which is frowned upon by both Christianity and Islam. If science proves that a child born is predetermined for homosexuality, and all children are innocent in the eyes of God, how can God deny a homosexual's place in Heaven if he is only doing what comes natural to him. He has no control over his genetic makeup, anymore than anyone here does. If God is perfect, and a child is born gay, and children are innocent in the eyes of God, and homosexuality is a sin, how can a homosexual be denied his place in Heaven for simply being who he is? He has no more control over his homosexuality than you and I do our heterosexuality. Do all of these people not deserve Heaven? According to Christianity, they do not. How about a chance at heaven? Some say these people go to Purgatory to suffer and cleanse their soul before they (truncated)
