Madame L finally got this book from her local library, after putting a hold on it a month ago, and she's glad she had a chance to read it.
"Proof of Heaven: A Neurosurgeon's Journey into the Afterlife" is the vivid account by Dr. Eben Alexander of his near-death experience after his brain was shut down by a massive bacterial infection.
Madame L was prepared to be skeptical for two reasons:
First, Madame L believes a person of faith does not need the "evidence" of yet another New-Age-y doctor who has finally seen the light and who, in the arrogance of his profession as a neurosurgeon, believes that his experience will somehow be more convincing than those of the many others who have had such experiences in the past.
Second, Madame L has read several reviews of the book by other doctors who have panned the book, saying he has it all wrong, his experience can be explained away scientifically.
What made Madame L decide to read the book in spite of her skepticism was the fact that "A Christian Rebuttal" had been published, claiming to show how everything Dr. Alexander claims to have experienced could not possibly be true because it contradicts that other author's understanding of Scripture.
Madame L read the excerpt of that second book, made available on Amazon.com, and could hardly believe the short-sighted, narrow-minded, world-blinded dogmatism displayed by that author.
Will Madame L's Dear Readers enjoy "Proof of Heaven"? Madame L thinks so. It's well written and convincing and lacks that arrogance Madame L feared she would find.
However, Madame L thinks it's not a book worth buying. Check it out of your public library, as Madame L did, enjoy it, and then return it. You won't need it to confirm your faith in God, or Heaven, or the eternal love we know God has for us. It will be an interesting novelty.
Madame L also welcomes comments from any of her Dear Readers on this topic and other books on the subject.
1 comment:
I've read part of it (thanx to someone turning down pages), and so far it is consistent with a book I have completed and am doing final revisions on.
Coincident points:
1. Much of modern science is dogmatism based on incomplete data, mixed with an infuriating arrogance, propagated by strikingly imperfect people.
2. Modern science is just that: the latest, current version of science. It is NOT the end version, and it is evolving as you are reading this. Just the history of science makes this clear.
3. There is quite a bit more to the universe than we can touch (the baryonic matter that you and I can touch and feel is currently estimated to be about 4%).
4. Quantum mechanics is incomplete and very unsatisfactory (Einstein objected to it until his death). However, it DOES clue us to the fact that there are phenomena out there that can't be explained by Euclidean geometry or the (current) Standard Model or Supersymmetry - or anything else. The apparent linear nature of time is impossible to explain, and may in fact be incorrect - just a product of our limited intellects and observational abilities. The expression "One eternal round" comes to mind.
5. Being just a BIT humble can help you avoid being stuck in the atheist arrogance sludge.
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