Ex-atheist describes near-death experience

Standard-Times ^ | 1/31/2004 | LINDA ANDRADE RODRIGUES

[yonif]

DARTMOUTH -- A native son and newspaper carrier for The Standard-Times in Falmouth, Howard Storm went on to earn a master's degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and for 20 years was an arts professor at Northern Kentucky University. An avowed atheist, he believed that there was no such thing as life after death -- until the day in 1985 when he died and went to hell.

Speaking to about 125 people at Smith Mills Church last week, Mr. Storm became very emotional, often stopping to compose himself, as he described his near-death experience, which transformed his life.

In 1985, Mr. Storm, 38, and his wife, Beverly, were in Paris on the last day of an art tour. Buckled over by searing pain in the middle of his stomach, he was rushed to the hospital. Awaiting emergency surgery, he knew he was dying. He said good-bye to his wife and drifted into darkness.

Standing up, he realized he was between two hospital beds. He looked at Beverly, who was motionless, staring at the floor, sitting in the chair next to his bed. He spoke to her, but she didn't seem to hear.

As he bent over to look at the face of the body in the bed, he was horrified to see the resemblance that it had to his own face. But he knew that was impossible because he was standing over the person and looking at him.

Off in the distance, outside the room in the hall, he heard voices calling him. They were pleasant voices, male and female, young and old, calling to him in English.

"Come out here," they said. "Don't you want to get better?"

He stepped out into the hall, full of anxiety. The area seemed to be light but very hazy, and he couldn't make out any details.

He followed them shuffling along in his bare feet with the memory of pain in his belly, yet feeling very much alive. The fog thickened as they went on, and it became gradually darker.

Overwhelmed with hopelessness, he told them he would go no farther and that they were liars. He could feel their breath on him as they shouted and snarled insults.

Then they began to push and shove him about, and he began to fight back. A wild frenzy of taunting, screaming and hitting ensued. As he swung and kicked at them, they bit him.

Even though he couldn't see anything in the darkness, he was aware there were dozens or hundreds of them all around and over him and that his attempts to fight back only provoked greater merriment.

They began to tear off pieces of his flesh, and he realized that he was being taken apart and eaten alive, methodically, slowly, so that their entertainment would last as long as possible. In that wretched state he lay there in the darkness.

Suddenly remembering a prayer from childhood Sunday School class, he said, "Yea though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."

To his amazement, the cruel merciless beings were incited to rage by his prayer. They screamed at him, 'There is no God! Nobody can hear you!" But at the same time they were backing away. He realized that saying things about God was actually driving them away, and he became more forceful. They became more rabid, cursing and screaming against God, but in time, they retreated back into the distant gloom beyond his hearing.

Alone, destroyed, and yet painfully alive in this horrible place, he yelled out into the darkness, "Jesus, save me."

Far off in the darkness, he saw a pinpoint of light like the faintest star in the sky. The star became brighter and brighter. As it came closer, he realized that he was right in its path, and he might be consumed by its brilliance.

This was a living being approximately 8 feet tall and surrounded by an oval of radiance. The brilliant intensity of the light penetrated his body. Ecstasy swept away the agony. Tangible hands and arms gently embraced him and lifted him up. He slowly rose up into the presence of the light, and the torn pieces of his body miraculously healed before his eyes.

After his words of personal witness, Mr. Storm answered questions for an additional two hours.

"He told me that he has given this talk hundreds of times, but whenever he describes these creatures, he just comes apart," said the Rev. Michael Robinson, pastor of Smith Mills Church.

After Mr. Storm's near-death experience, he entered United Theological Seminary and was ordained as a minister of the United Church of Christ. Since 1991 he has been pastor of Zion United Church of Christ in Cincinnati. He documented his near-death experience in the book "My Descent into Death and the Message of Love which Brought Me Back," published in 2000.

Earlier in the day, the Rev. Storm spoke to about 30 area faith leaders at Smiths Mills Church on the topic "Bringing Passion of the Gospel into City Ministry."

"Jesus weeps for New Bedford," he said. "He can heal addictions, broken relationships and poverty. I broke every one of the Ten Commandments. Jesus can fix what's wrong with us."

[Gunslingr3]

My my, you certainly went out of your way to make a spectacle of yourself! Hooray for you ...

Just one cheer?!

the meaning of the word 'supernatural' as used colloquially is the key to my comment you quoted. I won't bore you with any further comments ...

I know, I just decided to ignore the semantics and circular logic to address a faulty premise - that science has confirmed or denied the existence of supernatural phenomena.

your intellect is obviously far superior to any here at FR, in your opinion.

Thanks for telling me my opinion. Should I tell you yours?

[MHGinTN]

You offered (quite clearly), "... I just decided to ignore the semantics and circular logic to address a faulty premise - that science has confirmed or denied the existence of supernatural phenomena." On that we are in complete agreement. But why go out of your way to toss insult toward the religious beliefs of others?

[MHGinTN]

I didn't make up the comment you can read for yourself in post #2.

[Gunslingr3]

But why go out of your way to toss insult toward the religious beliefs of others?

What insult?

[Axenolith]

Bump to place hold...

[Liberal Classic]

I guess he got his masters while in prison for murder or something.

[dubyagee]

.

[RightOnline]

Yes, actually, you did. We measure what we think we are measuring. We define the laws based upon experimentation, and then design instruments to provide indications of a particular phenomenon based upon man-made laws / rules and units of measure. Nothing wrong with that per se', but it makes people think that "if we can't measure it, it doesn't exist"............which is patent nonsense. No one has "seen" gravity; only evidence of its existence as we understand it.

[mdmathis6]

Ecclesiastes 12:7 The dust shall return to the Earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

[Woahhs]

But every scientists realizes 100 successful experiments doesn't prove him right, and one unsuccessful can prove him wrong.

What a crock!

Tell it to Rhoemer, Semelweiss, Planck, or Thomas Kuhn.

[Taliesan]

Actually, I was just being sarcastic. I'm a Christian. I think the whole if-it-ain't-impinging-the-5-physical-senses-it-ain't-real is the apex of goofiness.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Your only reason for replying was to ridicule. No one on this thread really cares if you believe that the entire universe is contained within your head and dies when you die. If you have nothing positive to add to the conversation, you should not even reply.

[Taliesan]

When the family calmed down they asked the boy how he got out, he said a white blob came in his bedroom and showed him the way out.

This story is bogus. We know this because all this experiences are induced by Ketamine.

Wait a minute. Maybe we should install Ketamine drop-down masks in little boys' bedrooms so their neurons can hallucinate during fires and "show him the way out".

[plain talk]

I wish you well with your mother, Quix. Its a tough experience. You are fortunate in that she is a believer. I pray for you and your mother.

[Taliesan]

We know there is a supernatural, because it was written about in a book and told to us by a guy who wanted 10% of what we earned.

And he wanted that 10% so bad he died in order to get it.

Ah, the majesty of a scientific mind. It sheds the light of logic on the mysteries of the ages.

[ctonious]

Amazing what oxygen deprivation will do to the mind, isn't it?

If oxygen deprivation can, as very often reported and verified, enable its victims to float down the hallway and eavesdrop on doctor conversations about him - we need to start hiring a whole buncha people at Homeland Security to self-suffocate and eavesdrop on Al Qaeda.

Actually, and more seriously, the Army used(s) Remote Viewing, before it ostensibly was abandoned. Translation: It went Deep Black.

[music_code]

The problem occurs when the Bible is clear that there is no such thing as in "immortal soul". No one is in Heaven except God and His angels, and no one is burning in hell either, because the dead are dead.

This statement suggests one of two things:

1. You have never actually read the Bible

2. You have read the Bible but have never understood it.

[music_code]

We know there is no supernatural, because it does not show up on instruments. So it's not there.

The supernatural, by definition, is incapable of being detected by instruments. Your statement merely begs the question.

[Taliesan]

No kidding?

[lawgirl]

Dont feel crazy. The night my grandfather died, I was in college and had gone to sleep at my friend's dorm room. I had not notified my family of where I was- and in fact they had a hard time getting a hold of me. I remember awaking at around 8AM and the phone immediately ringing. And I knew, as well as I knew my own name, that it was my dad calling to tell me my grandfather died. There should be no way I would have that feeling as it was someone else's phone ringing and no one had known where I was. And my grandfather died suddenly- he was not ill and it was a huge shock to our whole family.

There is another dimension - the spiritual - that none of us understand. Coming into contact with it even once in your life can totally change your take on life.