A fellow asked me recently, “If you don’t believe for sure you might get to be reborn after you die, why don’t you just accept it as possible at least? If you don’t believe, you know the Hell option kicks in and you miss the whole trip. So, what do you think happens upon death?”

 Well, that’s a fascinating question, and I’ve given it a lot of thought. Each morning I wake up, open my eyes, and think, “Apparently, it seems I remain here. However, I still can’t make a lot of sense out of the idea.”

Since I’ve been told to believe that we’re all supposed to treat others as we would like to be treated, I always wonder with all the hungry, poor, sickly people on the planet, why do all our churches lock their doors every night?

I never have gotten an answer to that question. All the beautiful churches, synagogues, and temples must have cost several $$ billions over the centuries. You’d think that amount of money could have been spent peacefully rather than on wars and cathedrals and such.

These could surely have housed our millions of killed and homeless, including Veterans, created by the wars. Weapons manufacturers could certainly have financed medical solutions instead of paying defense stock dividends to their peace-loving members.

I’m told that we people aren’t smart enough to understand God’s ways. We’re informed we are supposed to accept on faith that s/he knows what s/he is doing. I must admit that premise requires a curious excess of faith in my way of thinking.

Of course, I know I’m not supposed to judge her/him. It’s supposed to be the other way around. But I’m always left wondering what defense stock owners spend their military profits on under this infinitely complex plan?

What might the ultimate Saint have to say about that when I arrive up in the pearly heavens? Before I am judged for not enthusiastically believing, do you assume my wondering about this pithy question will finally be resolved?

 After death, I suspect a few things occur. The lights probably go out and it becomes very dark. I imagine the hearing mechanism turns off. It seems reasonable that the thinking machinery grinds to a halt.

And that heaven’s and the churches’ door keepers misplace their keys as they avoid the crush of everyone rushing to be among the chosen few to successfully make it on high.