- Mar 22, 2020
- 66
- 142
- 44
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Non-Denom
- Marital Status
- Married
- Politics
- US-Republican
I have been considering the Orthodox Church for about a year, and now that restrictions are finally loosening, I will be visiting a church soon. We're moving to a new state at the end of the month, so I'm waiting until we get there to find a church to visit.
Currently, my grandmother is dying and is in hospice care. She may pass at any time now. She is a Christian and is at peace with the inevitable, and I find peace with her acceptance of it. Having someone close to me go through the death process has raised a lot of questions for me about what happens at death, especially as I consider the Orthodox Church. I've read about Orthodox views on death on a few different websites, but it seems there are some conflicting opinions on it.
Do souls "sleep" in death until the final judgment? Or do they remain conscious and active on the other side until that time? And what is the Orthodox opinion on the concept of family spirits? I ask this because, in my family, several of us have seen deceased relatives or been visited by them during difficult times, like when another relative dies. Would this be seen as something delusional or demonic in the Church? Or is it possible? For me, this is comforting when it happens, but I want to know how the Church would see it. For example, many people see a dead relative when their own death approaches, and in my family, we believe that the dead relative has come to help in the process and make it more peaceful.
I appreciate any opinions on these issues. I realize that, if I choose to convert, I may have to drop some of these beliefs or change my way of thinking about them. I cannot deny my own experiences, though, and it would be hard for me to believe that souls simply sleep in the grave for centuries while they wait.
Currently, my grandmother is dying and is in hospice care. She may pass at any time now. She is a Christian and is at peace with the inevitable, and I find peace with her acceptance of it. Having someone close to me go through the death process has raised a lot of questions for me about what happens at death, especially as I consider the Orthodox Church. I've read about Orthodox views on death on a few different websites, but it seems there are some conflicting opinions on it.
Do souls "sleep" in death until the final judgment? Or do they remain conscious and active on the other side until that time? And what is the Orthodox opinion on the concept of family spirits? I ask this because, in my family, several of us have seen deceased relatives or been visited by them during difficult times, like when another relative dies. Would this be seen as something delusional or demonic in the Church? Or is it possible? For me, this is comforting when it happens, but I want to know how the Church would see it. For example, many people see a dead relative when their own death approaches, and in my family, we believe that the dead relative has come to help in the process and make it more peaceful.
I appreciate any opinions on these issues. I realize that, if I choose to convert, I may have to drop some of these beliefs or change my way of thinking about them. I cannot deny my own experiences, though, and it would be hard for me to believe that souls simply sleep in the grave for centuries while they wait.