To Hell, and Back.

If you think what Karen Armstrong wrote was bias/dangerous/bordering on extreme? then try reading this....

To Hell And Back - confession of a monk

These are extremist stories, i was really angry when i found out some people circulated these through churches(all denomination)in KL/PJ area.

There was even one Korean lady, Choo Thomas, which claim that she went to heaven and hell numerous times.(she's not Catholic, fyi, as she refer the head of the church as PASTOR and not PRIEST)

She even say that "i've not seen so many oriental people in one place in my life" when she was brought to visit hell.

She also saw her own parents there and she did question why were they in hell and was told because, well, she didn't believe in Christ.

She went on to write a book, and then it was claimed as best seller. She even said soemthing like:"as per what i wrote in my book, yada..yada..yada", to me, i read it as propogating and selling/marketing of your writing.

I seriously doubt if the above two could book a place in heaven, for openly saying what they said. All religion teaches us to do good, and to me, that is good enough to book a place myself to heaven(sic). I don't think i'm holier than the person next to me, or evil to the extend that i'll be reincarnated as a pig in my next life...so, i guess, i'm jsut average, like everyone else.

I'm born a buddhist, and somewhere along the line, my granparents embraces taoism (and hence, my dad's family turned vegetarian for like almost 25 years now), i married a wonderful catholic girl that did not place any clause for me to convert to her faith. I go to church, temple and i do believe in God, though i sometime joke that i'm Cina Murtad.

Now, why is these write up/confession dangerous?

For the older generations (like my mother in law, a practising Catholic), they tend to believe it. If it is all true, the confession that these people make, then all i can say is that HELL IS A CROWDED place, as we are all of different beliefs and teaching.

Mind you, how about those that just converted, or *born again*? These are dangerous writeups. Luckily these people are not in Malaysia, or else they would had been hauled up for deviationist teaching or propogating hatred to other religions.

At least Taoist is consistent as they believe that everyone will go to hell when they die and punished according to their sins, before they are being *considered* for an entry to heaven (macam visa la). Taoist believe that there is 18 level in hell (hahaha, chinese preoccupation with the number 8, again) and your sins will determine which level you'll be in. You don't die, you merely burn in hell, so to say.

Also, for the don't know how many time sake, Buddishism is not a religion, it's a way of life. Much like Confusionism. Most chinese in Malaysia says that they are Buddhist because the NRD form doesn't have a column to mark themselves as Taoist. ;-)

Also, it's the Taoist practice to burn paper effigies and offerings, not buddhist.

I now recalled that 2 weeks ago, when i went climbing, wifey went to church and the priest was coincidently talking about heaven, and hell.

Conclusion is that, even if you are a prostitute, you might not go to hell for your sin, because you might have a n even nobler reason why you did what you did, be it to feed the mouth of the people you love, or to fend for yourself, for fear of your life. Some does it not because they wanted to, but because, they do not have the choice.

Infact, the priest said that you might just book a place in hell if you act as if you are holier than the person next to you, or talk bad about other's religion and practices.

It was as if the priest answered my wife's worries and anxiety. You see,my mum in law brought back the vcd of the interview done by Choo Thomas, from a friend she knew from this church. Saying that this is worth seeing. My mum in law personally think that what is being said is true (which mean his only son in law will go to hell...) and my worry is that she is easily influenced. No guesses for saying that she, too, read the confession by the ex-monk.

Oh ya, ironically, the lady that gave her the vcd and write ups, aren't even christian to begin with, she's goes to church and all, but she's not christian...perhaps i better check if she has 6-6-6 on her feet....