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(Protestant) Minister Who Had Near-Death Episode Believes In Purgatory
Spirit Daily ^ | 2005 | Michael Brown

Posted on 03/08/2006 7:22:57 PM PST by churchillbuff

Howard Storm, a former atheist whose brush with death turned him into a Protestant minister, says that he now believes in purgatory.

"It only makes sense," he says, "but I have trouble discussing this with my fellow ministers."

Featured here a couple months ago and also on MSNBC during Easter Week -- where he told his incredible story to a national audience -- Reverend Storm, considered by experts as one of the most convincing near-death cases, recounted his "dying" in Paris in 1985 from a perforated duodenum and after leaving his body finding himself with a group of hideous beings who attacked him as they led him to a foggy zone that descended toward "hell."

Storm says he was saved by Jesus after desperately pleading to God. After an extensive hospitalization he recovered -- and learned that a nun who had once been a student of his had been praying for him for years.

Storm credits that with saving him; after the episode he left his job as an professor at Northern Kentucky University and entered a seminary, becoming a minister.

He is now with the Zion United Church of Christ in Norwood, Ohio (near Cincinnati), and while some churches in that denomination can be ultra-liberal, he openly preaches against abortion and the New Age.

Still, we try to be careful with these cases, and we always issue the disclaimer that we can't endorse every view of such experiencers -- some of whom tend at times to put their own (and sometimes a nearly New Age) spin on what occurred. Like any form of mysticism, it is to be carefully discerned.

This is true in the case of Reverend Storm -- who himself acknowledges that some of his views have shifted since he became an active Christian ( including a few expressed in a book which was written before his faith was fully formed). These episodes are told through the filter of a person's framework.

But he is a man who exudes love (the single most important element of Christianity); many believe his experience was real; and he says he now believes not only in heaven and hell but also a state in-between where souls are "purged."

After his horrifying brush with death the concept of purgation was explained to him by a priest, says Reverend Storm, and "just rang so clear to me in my experience."

He says that when he "died" he was taken through a "foggy" region strikingly similar to what has been described in mystical literature [see An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory] -- and also similar to descriptions by modern visionaries who have told of a great "gray" area between hell and heaven.

Although a devout Protestant, Storm says that he considers Catholicism "the Mother Church" and is even interested in the Catholic apparition site of Medjugorje. He says God doesn't want division and that the main reason why he was on the road to hell was lack of love, pride, and disbelief.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: catholiclist; heaintnoprotestant; howardstorm; nde; ndes; neardeathexperience; nutjob; pastor; purgatory; theybashcatholics
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1 posted on 03/08/2006 7:22:58 PM PST by churchillbuff
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To: churchillbuff
Reverend Storm, considered by experts as one of the most convincing near-death cases, recounted his "dying" in Paris in 1985 from a perforated duodenum and after leaving his body finding himself with a group of hideous beings who attacked him as they led him to a foggy zone that descended toward "hell."

I believe he was in the church Building Committee meeting.....

2 posted on 03/08/2006 7:27:27 PM PST by Onelifetogive (* Sarcasm tag ALWAYS required. For some FReepers, sarcasm can NEVER be obvious enough.)
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To: churchillbuff

For 1500 years no Christian had a problem believing in this example of the great mercy of Our Lord.


3 posted on 03/08/2006 7:27:28 PM PST by jobim
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To: churchillbuff
I have no idea what this man experienced but it sounds very much like a drug induced hallucination.
4 posted on 03/08/2006 7:27:47 PM PST by msnimje (SAMMY for SANDY --- THAT IS WHAT I CALL A GOOD TRADE!!!)
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To: churchillbuff

"He says God doesn't want division and that the main reason why he was on the road to hell was lack of love, pride, and disbelief"

Oh brother...


5 posted on 03/08/2006 7:29:41 PM PST by The Worthless Miracle ("Better put some ice on that")
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To: churchillbuff
I don't know what to say about the rest, but it seems like he got the important basic straight:

the main reason why he was on the road to hell was lack of love, pride, and disbelief.

That's something we all need to work on.
6 posted on 03/08/2006 7:30:18 PM PST by Mount Athos
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To: churchillbuff
Good site with lots of NDE stories is here:

http://www.near-death.com/

7 posted on 03/08/2006 7:30:33 PM PST by xrp (Fox News Channel: MISSING WHITE GIRL NETWORK)
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To: churchillbuff

"He says God doesn't want division and that the main reason why he was on the road to hell was lack of love, pride, and disbelief."

So saith the gospel of Howard Storm.


8 posted on 03/08/2006 7:31:29 PM PST by Search4Truth (Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God - Thomas Jefferson.)
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To: churchillbuff

I've heard of him before, read his account. It's fascinating and sobering. Not the usual NDE, with the white lights and angelic-like beings, where everyone goes to heaven because they lived 'right' or even if they didn't, but more like a possibility for those who aren't on the side of good.


9 posted on 03/08/2006 7:31:50 PM PST by fortunecookie
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To: churchillbuff
Anything to make us forget about Hurricane Katrina. :)

I've bookmark this to read later. Thanks for the post.
10 posted on 03/08/2006 7:32:44 PM PST by ChessExpert (MSM: Only good for to taking side(s))
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To: fortunecookie

"My Descent into Death" is a fantastic book and has converted many to come home to Christ.


11 posted on 03/08/2006 7:35:07 PM PST by pray4liberty (Five, Going on Six, Years of Freeping!)
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To: churchillbuff
Storm says that he considers Catholicism "the Mother Church"

Uh, Mr. Storm. Acording to the Holy Scripture, YAHWEH, GOD MOST HIGH is the Head of the Church, whether Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodists, Presbyterian, etc.

This means that HE ALONE is to behonored & exalted above churches or denominations & divisions.

12 posted on 03/08/2006 7:37:36 PM PST by ExcursionGuy84 ("Jesus, Your Love takes my breath away.")
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To: churchillbuff
is even interested in the Catholic apparition site of Medjugorje.

That is mischaracterized. It is NOT approved by the Catholic Church or the local bishop and is very controversial. I am not saying Medjugorje is in all respects an illusion or a hoax, but he would do better to investigate Fatima, Lourdes, etc.

13 posted on 03/08/2006 7:37:54 PM PST by steve86 (Acerbic by nature, not nurture)
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To: NYer

Ping


14 posted on 03/08/2006 7:38:26 PM PST by Unam Sanctam
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To: churchillbuff

bttt


15 posted on 03/08/2006 7:38:39 PM PST by Albion Wilde (The best service a retired general can give is to...mothball his opinions. – Omar Bradley)
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To: ExcursionGuy84

Idolatry... man's oldest and favorite sin.


16 posted on 03/08/2006 7:42:23 PM PST by Search4Truth (Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God - Thomas Jefferson.)
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To: churchillbuff

paging Art Bell...!


17 posted on 03/08/2006 7:59:29 PM PST by gaijin
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To: churchillbuff
Not to delve too deeply into dogma, I find it hard to believe that there is anything my suffering could resolve that the suffering of Christ did not absolve.

I think that the scriptures are clear about works vs faith and that the accounts are reckoned at the time of death.
18 posted on 03/08/2006 7:59:37 PM PST by dangerdoc (dangerdoc (not actually dangerous any more))
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To: churchillbuff
"Howard Storm, a former atheist whose brush with death turned him into a Protestant minister..."

Depending on which divinity school he went to that might not have been much of change.

19 posted on 03/08/2006 8:03:51 PM PST by hometoroost (TSA = Thousands Standing Around)
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To: dangerdoc
I find it hard to believe that there is anything my suffering could resolve that the suffering of Christ did not absolve

I do as well. There is No Other NAME by which we are Saved.

20 posted on 03/08/2006 8:10:00 PM PST by ExcursionGuy84 ("Jesus, Your Love takes my breath away.")
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