So many people have so many ideas that seem like total contradictions, but there seems to be some evidence for most or all of them. I cling to a belief that there is some merit to all of the ideas, that they will all fit together and make sense some day when we can see the whole picture. I hope nobody is offended, as that isn't my intent. I have had a friend get very mad at me when I tried to explain how I thought that her beliefs might fit alongside mine. But it isn't necessarily that someone has to be wrong for someone else to be right. I think that we all have parts of the truth. And it can be very confusing.

What if God used evolutionary processes to create the various species that he then placed on this planet (making us aliens). And our spirits are energy (or mostly energy?), and return to Him when we die, taking with us all that we have been and have learned, and having a unique identity that we recognize as a perticular person. None of this feels like it conflicts with my beliefs (I can't speak for anybody else's), although it is speculation to questions I don't have all of the answers to.

I am sorry for your pain with your grandfather's death, and I can understand wanting to make sense of it in a way that is meaningful and that honors the person that you knew him to be. Events like this can challenge your beliefs and questioning can be part of the grieving process. I hope that you find answers that make sense to you. And no matter what you come up with, please understand that it is okay to cry and to grieve and to feel your feelings, whatever they are.

((((((((( hugs ))))))))))

Rap