I still have not received any reply from either the Vatican Press Office or the two newspapers which originally published the articles by the freelance reporter, Hannah Roberts. This is despite reminder follow-up e-mails. I suspect that the issue is so sensitive with some Catholics that it is controversial for them and they are taking their time with confirming the actual words of the Pope.
Like you, Tobi, I feel no need to belong to any organised religion. Some so-called religious people feel free to behead thousands of animals in one go (see our threads about Gadhimai), to wear fur coats of animals that have been skinned alive (see threads about the fur trade), to bleed animals to death without any stunning and so on.
Where we go on the astral is decided by what we do, whether we act with love and compassion for all creatures, how we conduct ourselves in this life. Yes, we all make mistakes in life (which religious people call "sins"), but the important thing is to regret them with complete sincerity and learn from them. Just as it is essential to forgive others, we need to learn to forgive ourselves as well. That is sometimes harder than forgiving others!
We all naturally pass to the level of the astral which is right for us. We are not "judged"; we just go to the right level which suits us. What is natural and simple - such as the Pope's recent declaration - is made unnecessarily complicated by some religious people. "Paradise is open to all God’s creatures"? I'll settle for that!
Just as it took many centuries for us to accept that the earth is not the centre of this universe, so we will eventually learn that passing over is a natural event and just part of the continuum of life.
Like you, Tobi, I feel no need to belong to any organised religion. Some so-called religious people feel free to behead thousands of animals in one go (see our threads about Gadhimai), to wear fur coats of animals that have been skinned alive (see threads about the fur trade), to bleed animals to death without any stunning and so on.
Where we go on the astral is decided by what we do, whether we act with love and compassion for all creatures, how we conduct ourselves in this life. Yes, we all make mistakes in life (which religious people call "sins"), but the important thing is to regret them with complete sincerity and learn from them. Just as it is essential to forgive others, we need to learn to forgive ourselves as well. That is sometimes harder than forgiving others!
We all naturally pass to the level of the astral which is right for us. We are not "judged"; we just go to the right level which suits us. What is natural and simple - such as the Pope's recent declaration - is made unnecessarily complicated by some religious people. "Paradise is open to all God’s creatures"? I'll settle for that!
Just as it took many centuries for us to accept that the earth is not the centre of this universe, so we will eventually learn that passing over is a natural event and just part of the continuum of life.
