Heaven Is For Real
The Book Isn't
An Astounding Refutation Of A Story
About A Trip To Heaven And Back
D. Eric Williams
D. Eric Williams, Heaven Is For Real, The Book Isn't: An Astounding Refutation Of A Story About A Trip To Heaven And Back
Copyright © 2011, D. Eric Williams, comwriter.com publication, P.O. Box 1037, Lewiston, ID. 83501, www.comwriter.com.
Heaven Is For Real, The Book Isn't: An Astounding Refutation Of A Story About A Trip To Heaven And Back Copyright © 2011 By D. Eric Williams. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, record taping, in digital form or using any other information retrieval system without the express written permission of the author.
All scripture citations taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc., unless otherwise noted.
For Ed Novak
· Contents ·
The Story
A Few Practical Problems
A Few Theological Problems
The Primary Theological Problem
Conclusion
· One ·
The Story
In July of 2011 I was asked to read and critique the book Heaven Is For Real, written by Todd Burpo with Lynne Vincent. Although this is not the type of book I would normally read I agreed to do so, since the request was exigent (and I received the book free of charge).
In a nut shell, Heaven Is For Real concerns the “astounding story of [Colton Burpo's] trip to heaven and back.” However, a cursory reading of the book uncovers a whole host of difficulties with that claim.
The book outlines the tale of Colton Burpo's emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix and the startling revelations that followed. In the months and years after the successful surgery Colton began to unfold a fantastic story to his parents. He first told them angels sang to him while he was in the hospital. Next he said he was in heaven with Jesus, sitting on his lap. While there, he saw his father praying in a small room at the hospital while his mother was in a different room praying and talking on the phone. Colton told his Mom and Dad he met John the Baptist in heaven, that Jesus Christ has a rainbow colored horse and wears a golden crown with a pink diamond.
According to the story, Colton was given “homework” to do while in heaven – apparently while he stayed at the home of his great-grandfather named Pop. We are told everyone in heaven has wings and everyone flies from place to place, except Jesus Christ, who goes up and down like an elevator. We are also informed everyone has a light above their head (which Mr. Burpo interprets as halos).
Colton also told his parents that God is “really, really big” so big he holds the entire world in his hands. He further informed his folks that Jesus sits at the right hand of God while Gabriel is at the left. Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit who is “kind of blue” sat somewhere in the vicinity as well. It is while Colton was supposedly sitting in this august assembly that someone came up to him and asked if he was the son of Todd Burpo. This was Pop, Colton's great-grandfather. But rather than being an old man he looked to be around 30 years of age.
Colton also saw the gates of heaven, made of gold and pearls and after his trip to heaven he was “obsessed with rainbows” because of all the colors he saw there.
According to Mr. Burpo, Colton saw “power shot down from Heaven” by the Holy Spirit when his father was preaching (Mr. Burpo is the pastor of the Wesleyan Church in Imperial Nebraska). He also disclosed there are swords in heaven and that they will be used in the last battle – a battle that destroys the world and in which Todd Burpo participates. In this battle, the angels and adult male Saints fight against literal dragons and monsters while the women and children stand by to watch.
Moreover, Colton surprised his parents with the claim he met “a sister” in heaven – a child his mother had lost to a miscarriage some years before. His parents had never told him about the miscarriage and so they were shocked by his assertion even while they found a measure of solace in being told the child (revealed as a girl) was in heaven - adopted by God himself.
Colton also says he saw Satan while he was in heaven but refused to describe his appearance and indeed he “went rigid, he grimaced, and his eyes narrowed to a squint” when asked to do so.
Finally, the entire visit – which seemed to last for days – took only three minutes. There is a bit more information about Colton's heavenly experience in the book but these particulars will suffice.
· Two ·
A Few Practical Problems
Probably the most obvious problem with the story is the fact that Colton told his tale over a period of years. It seems he came up with “heavenly tidbits” every now and again as his imagination moved him. Yet it is typical for a person to tell their entire tale as quickly as possible if they experience something as dramatic as Colton allegedly did. Mr. Burpo does not provide any explanation for Colton's failure to do so.
Throughout the book Mr. Burpo claims his son's innocence as evidence he really did go to heaven since it was after his stay in the hospital that Colton began to speak of things his father contends no four year old should understand. However, Mr. Burpo tips his hand in the prologue when he tells us Colton had wanted the angels to sing “We Will Rock You” while he was undergoing surgery. Now, if Colton really did say this, it tells us that he was just like any other four-year-old boy who attended preschool and Sunday school and interacted with others in his community on a regular basis (for instance, “We Will Rock You” is standard fare at most high-school sporting events). In other words, Colton had absorbed far more information about the world than his father gives him credit for. After all, the gay pride anthem “We Will Rock You” is not on the play list of most evangelical Christian homes (or at least it shouldn't be) and I doubt the tune was heard on a regular basis in the Burpo household. The point is, Colton undoubtedly accumulated plenty of information about life throughout his four years. Indeed, there is nothing Colton Burpo talked about in the months following his experience at the hospital that was somehow beyond his understanding.
This includes his claim he met his “other sister” in heaven. This aspect of Colton's alleged heavenly visit did not emerge until some months after the event. His parents say they had never told him about the miscarriage, although they had told his older sister. Now, it would require a certain amount of willful naivete to believe Colton had not heard about the loss of the baby prior to his statement about a sister in heaven. I have nine children and I can tell you, kids often pick up on things that daddy and mommy are certain they have kept under wraps. Indeed, it is not unlikely that Mr. and Mrs. Burpo specifically discussed the possibility of their baby being in heaven after Colton began to share his story. In any case, this claim of esoteric knowledge on the part of their son is entirely unconvincing. If it is true they had not told Colton about the miscarriage than I have no doubt he figured things out from what he overheard around the home or even at church. Indeed, it is typical for every tidbit of gossip that leaks out at church to soon become common knowledge, whispered about amongst parishioners, often right in front of the very people who shouldn't know.
Colton also said the “God” he saw is so big he can hold the whole world in his hands. Aside from the fact that the boy was obviously repeating the words of a popular children's song, this assertion
makes no logical sense. If Colton really did see something that large, he wouldn't be perceiving anything at all. In other words, he wouldn't be able to visually comprehend a physical being large enough to hold planet earth in its hands except from a tremendous distance (more will be said about the heresy of a physical manifestation of God in the next section).
Mr. Burpo also uses Colton's lack of knowledge concerning sashes as evidence his story is authentic. Once again, I find it impossible to believe a 10-year-old (the age at which Colton supposedly learned the definition of “sash”) would be without this knowledge – especially a child raised in the church attending Sunday school regularly, with Bible story books read to him each night.
The same can be said about the light above the heads of the people Colton saw in heaven. Mr Burpo claims his son would not have known about halos, yet there are plenty of child's Bible story books and other commonly available Sunday school material depicting saints and angels with auras. Ditto for the wings. It seems obvious that Colton's description of heaven originated in his own active imagination as fueled by his environment.
I suppose I could go on (knowing Jesus has a cousin, the wounds on “Jesus” body etc.) but my point is, none of the things that rocked Mr. Burpo to his core, sent him reeling, shocked him or blew his mind are particularly astounding. Indeed, it would require someone who has little familiarity with children[1] - or people in general for that matter - to find these particular “proofs” so convincing. Indeed, the entire story (with one exception referenced below) is easily explained as the product of a normal childish imagination.
· Three ·
A Few Theological Problems
The claim of a heavenly visit followed by a disclosure of the journey is itself contrary to Scripture. The Apostle Paul was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell (2 Corinthians 12:4) but this event was so unusual, even Paul was in danger of developing an arrogant attitude. Thus to keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me (2 Corinthians 12:7). It is implausible to suggest God would change his mind about this and give the go ahead for a visit to heaven by a child less than four years old - and then approve the writing of a book to publicize the adventure. It is also interesting that Paul was not sure he had actually visited Paradise or if his experience was only a vision (2 Corinthians 12:1-4). Thus the biblical approach; recognize your inability to fathom such an occurrence and keep it to yourself!
The apostle John was likewise caught up to heaven but unlike Paul was commanded to write what he saw. However, what John relates is not literal but highly symbolic. In John's vision, Jesus Christ is pictured as a seven horned and seven eyed Lamb with his throat slashed (Revelation 4:6). The Christ is also pictured as one like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength (Revelation 1:13-16). In addition John, saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God (Revelation 19:11-13). Clearly, John's account cannot be read literally. The entire book is emblematic, designed to convey literal truth through fantastic symbolism drawn from the Old Testament. In other words, John was not commissioned to provide an actual description of heaven but to tell about the unfolding of God's eternal plan in symbolic terms.
Nevertheless, Mr. Burpo's certitude concerning Colton's story rests upon a particular interpretation of The Revelation that is sharply at odds with a symbolic understanding of the text. Apparently, Mr. Burpo reads The Revelation literally. For instance, he believes the city described therein is literally heaven or is an actual heavenly city, truly made of gold, pearls, jewels and so on. However, if we interpret The Revelation as symbol (as indicated by the first verse of the book) then Mr. Burpo's entire narrative collapses like a house of cards.
On page 105 of the book, we are told Colton “saw the gates of heaven, he said: 'they were made of gold and there were pearls on them.' The heavenly city itself was made of something shiny, 'like gold or silver'.” Mr. Burpo sees this as irrefutable proof his son was actually in heaven. Of course this assumes Revelation 21:9 and following should be understood as a literal description of heaven. Nonetheless, there are very few commentators who agree with Mr. Burpo on this. The text itself tells us that the angel showed John the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God (Revelation 21:10 underline added) not a Holy City in heaven. Therefore, most theologians understand this as a symbolic description of the church. For example, Harry Ironside says, “by this great city descending out of heaven from GOD, I understand then the diffusion of heavenly principles over all this earth during the Millennium by the heavenly saints, for it is through His saints that the Lord is going to claim His inheritance. We may learn in this symbolic description of the city, the great guiding principles which are to hold full sway in that coming age, and which are full of instruction for us at the present time.”[2]
Another obsession described in the book (page 115 etc.) is Mr. Burpo's search for an accurate depiction of Jesus. In the years following Colton's experience, his father made it a point to ask him if any of the pictures of Jesus they ran across were accurate characterizations. Over and over Colton would say the illustrations fell short. One day, Mr. Burpo found an image online of a painting by Akiane Kramarik, the child prodigy who at age eight painted a picture titled “The Prince Of Peace.” Upon viewing the picture Colton declared “dad, that one's right.” Mr. Burpo goes on to say, “knowing how many pictures Colton had rejected, Sonja and I finally felt that in Akiane's portrait, we'd seen the face of Jesus. Or at least a startling likeness” (page 142). However, there are some problems with this notion.
Akiane Kramarik began painting at age four at the prodding of a voice that came to her one day in a vision. Akiane says, “the earliest memory I can recall is when I was around four, four and one half years old, one day I started having these very amazing, mysterious visions, this voice was calling me and guiding me though these galaxies, and he, I asked him, you know, who are you, and I started calling him god.”[3] Her experience is not unlike that of other psychics or spiritists. For instance Peter Hurkos, a psychic healer, says he began to paint pictures of his visions at the behest of “the voice.” Indeed, “the voice not only gives information about the external world – past, present, and future – but also gives instruction in the arts. It sounds very much like the techniques used by the Soviet hypnotist Vladimir Raikov, who was able to 'reincarnate' great masters of painting in the minds of his subjects, thus producing competent artists in a few sessions. There is power here. Power to give information and power to direct and control personal development. That power is personal: being to being.”[4] Moreover, that power is clearly demonic.
In spite of her Orphic experiences, there are some who claim Akiane is a born-again Christian. But according to her own witness, “I have to tell you, we went through almost everythig, from being Christian, to catholic, we studied Buddhism; at this particular point every single one of my siblings have their own path, I have my own, my parents have theirs, my brothers have theirs. I cannot say what they believe in or what path they are choosing, but I can say that for me, I'm the same person I was when I was four years old – I haven't changed and since nobody taught me who god was I found god myself and he's been there for me through the years ...so I don't belong to any denomination or religion, I just belong
to god – I'm spiritual – I like that word. [Concerning their spiritual journey] it didn't change anybody because everyone was so supportive even before the transformation.”[5]
There is more. Although Akiane painted “The Prince Of Peace” in response to a vision, she required a model in order to complete the painting. She began to pray to her god and in response to her prayers she was a sent a very tall (Caucasian) carpenter who was going door to door looking for work. Upon being asked, he agreed to sit for the portrait.[6] Thus, Mr. and Mrs. Burpo did not see the face of Jesus but the face of a man living in Idaho, painted by a demonically inspired young girl. In addition, if this is the face of the “Jesus” Colton saw while “in heaven,” it appears he likewise has been demonically deceived.
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